I can't comment much about the maintenance or community features, so I'll leave them all average ratings so to not horribly affect the averages.

But I turned around and walked out of the rental office after my appointment and didnt think twice; here's why:

When we arrived for a pre-scheduled tour, the leasing agent was alone in the office, and was surprised to see us. She behaved as though we were bothering her, and seemed to be about ready to tour another group when we walked in. She shooed us onto the porch instead of letting us sit down and wait inside the rental office; she said she had to "lock up." Aside from being unprofessional, this makes me question how safe the community could be if the leasing agents either a: work alone, or b: have to lock up when they leave.

She changed her mind, took our IDs, and decided to take us along with her on the tour she was already going on-this was also unprofessional, but we wanted to see an apartment. She never spoke, never tried to sell us, didn't offer any information about the community or why the building right across from the leasing office was completely burned out and destroyed. (Turns out there was a fire here during the 2003 holiday season. She says they hand out "pamphlets" now to educate people in fire safety. Some community response to the tragedy-I can just smell the caring. Google "fireside park" "fire" and "rockville" and you'll turn up info on the fire)

She let the other group go on their own, and showed us a two bedroom when we explicitly stated we wanted a three bedroom. We looked around, and the building was exceptionally old. The wood on the porch creaked dangerously when we stepped on it, and the washing machine in the apartment we saw had duct tape holding the bottom on. The hallways were narrow, the stairs steep, and the entrance to the building cavernous; moving in and out must be hell; there's barely room to walk between the stair and the wall, let alone room to move in a bed or couch.

The leasing agent followed us around the apartment without saying a word. She didn't show us anything, we had to poke around with her on our tails; she never offered any information about the amenities, the community, nothing. It would have been better had she not been there at all. When our "tour" was over, she collected the other group-them obviously looking displeased as well, and we all went back to the leasing office, where she sat down in front of us and spoke for pretty much the first time, "how did you like it'"

See, when I go to a leasing office, I expect at least a little of the sell, I expect the agent to tell me about the apartments and the community, and she did none of this, we had to press her with even basic questions about the fire or how old the buildings were. We told her what we were interested in, and her story changed again from what she told us before the tour-first there were 2 and 3 bedrooms available, now there were only 1 and 2 bedrooms available.

But here's the killer: the rent.
Suddenly all of the apartments were about 3-400 dollars a month more expensive than advertised on apartments.com, rent.com, and their own company's website. All the rent specials listed on all three sites had somehow "ended" in the time it took me to drive to the complex, and she dismissed the prices on the web and on the Equity Management listing as "specials that ended." I asked if there were any new "specials," and she said no.

It was about then that my girlfriend and I picked up our bags and walked out without a word. A letter to their leasing office and Equity Management's various corporate and regional offices eventually got the rent prices corrected on all the listings and drew an apologetic call from the management company, who promised to correct the issue.

So in the end, I don't know if it's better now, but when I stopped in as a prospective rental, I was treated horribly-enough to make me leave, not look back, and angry enough to write letters. Be very careful when considering this community.

Caveat Emptor.

User Responses
From: firesidesucks	Date: 06/21/2005
Amen! That's the typical modus operandi of these people!!!!!
From: rockvillehunter	Date: 02/02/2006
Thank you very much for the details on why this place is bad. I paused to reconsider when I read the angry "they are rude" and "they suck" comments, but actually knowing what they did wrong helps.

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