Because I was moving to Baltimore from New York, I coordinated the lease, move-in date, etc., by mail/phone. I should have taken it as an omen, when I drove in to pick up keys, and they could not find my lease or keys, even though my name was on the move-in list. I would have left right then and there, if not for the moving van waiting to unload my possessions and the fact that my mail had already been forwarded to the new address.

Many (three) hours later, someone found the folder with my lease and keys, but then some "minor" problems:

1) Since I was moving in during the middle of the month, the management had (verbally) agreed to pro-rate the rent, but the lease did not reflect this agreement. The manager told me that it "shouldn't be a problem" to correct the mistake (they just needed to speak to "management,") but that I should sign the lease as it was, so that I could get the keys. Needless to say, "management" refused to pro-rate the rent once I signed the lease.
2) I specifically asked about parking, since I keep crazy hours (I'm a female ER physician), and before I moved in I was told the wait list for a parking space was "a few months," but that "it shouldn't be a problem." Well, more specifically, "a few months" is over a year. (I'm moving out and I still don't have a spot). Street parking is usually available after 6pm but since I often get home after hours, walking even a few blocks late at night in that neighborhood is not safe. Notice the prison several block to the east and the number of loiterers trying to sell you drugs, because apparently anyone walking down that street at night must be looking for a fix.

As for the apartment itself, the bathroom fan was broken and the ceiling vent was held up with packing tape. Granted, maintenance did fix the fan within a few days, but they did nothing other than add more tape to hold the air vent in place. And luckily I had the same taste in music as my next-door neighbor, because it came through the wall, loud and clear.

Incidentally, lots of the high rises in the Baltimore downtown area seem to be managed by Southern Management. I would avoid all of their buildings. Also, if someone tells you "it shouldn't be a problem," get it in writing. I really means, "it's not my problem. Stop bothering me."

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