I have lived here a year and would caution people to look over their leases in great detail before signing.

If you are late more than 5 days on your rent, you will be charged $50 dollars. I suggest that you set up an automatic bill pay with your bank to keep this from happening.

Do not sign a lease if you can't stay the full year. Most apartment complexes will let you break a lease when you pay a full month's rent and relinquish your deposit. The Ethans will keep your deposit and charge you THREE months rent. In addition, if you would like to continue renting month to month after your year is up, you'll have to pay $100 a month extra. (When I lived at The Crossing on Barry Road, I was never late paying rent for the year and they didn't raise the price at all for month to month terms.) They also will charge an extra $50 a month if you decide to sign a six month lease after your year is up.

They will do a credit check at the time you sign your lease -- and if you have any bill collectors in your 7 year credit history (even if they are paid off) you will be charged an extra month's rent in addition to your deposit. I was told this was to keep out unsavory tenants. I think a background check would work better.

I haven't had much problem with the maintenance staff -- I filled out a work form in the main office and my problems were usually taken care of within 2 days. I had a broken disposal/blocked sink and busted screen door. Neither was an easy fix. So I can't complain about the service.

The water bill hasn't been terrible -- but I live a the farthest complex and that could be attributed to less grass. I have paid ISTA $22 a month since I moved here. My electric bill has averaged about $40 for the whole year.

As for safety, before I moved in I requested a crime report from the Police Department down the street. As of June 2006, they told me that the Ethans didn't have any more crime on average than any other complex, just more tenants. With more tenants comes an increased chance of something happening. My neighbor's tires were slashed right outside my apartment while I was sleeping. I was parked right next to him so I'm not completely convinced on safety - but nothing has happened to me personally.

So the Ethans are cheap -- if you are absolutely sure you can stay for a full year without extending your lease, and do not have anything bad on your credit report.

User Responses
From: amsx04	Date: 06/19/2007
I don't know... They seem pretty groovy with us. When we wanted to upgrade to a bigger two bedroom apt., they said to keep paying our regular rent after our lease was up and not to bother with paying month-to-month because it would raise it up an extra $100. They seem pretty flexible and awesome. Not sure why everyone has a problem with them.
From: Anonymous	Date: 06/19/2007
if you can't pay your rent 5 days after it's due and want to complain about 50 bucks-geez....my last place only had until the 3rd and then it was 75 for lates.
From: tfc2b7	Date: 06/20/2007
Hmmm...I wonder if they ever caught the guy with no pants who attacked me in the parking lot when I lived at the Ethans. I kept following the case with the police and they kept telling me the guy had done it to several more people...I wasn't the first and I wasn't the last.
From: Anonymous	Date: 06/21/2007
If you can't pay your rent by the 1st when it is actually due then you deserve a late fee by the 5th! Most places are the same or worse. The lease break fee is standard at any complex you go to on Barry Rd. Do some research. I don't really agree with being penalized for your credit based on one collection thats paid off. I can see if you had several and they were paid off. If you have bad credit and have issues with paying then you shouldnt be staying at The Ethans anyways, they have complexes that will approve people with those issues. Plus The Ethans aren' that cheap, and who's to say they won't have problems paying them. And if you think about it, ususally those people who can't pay their bills isn't someone you'd want living by you. So it's keeping the community in a higher class really.Maintenance...whatever...it's a crap shoot anywhere you live and the same with the utility bills so you are lucky with that. And as far as security goes...the apartments complex can only regulate that to a certain extent. They can make sure that they do background checks on their residents but that doesn't cover their visitors or people just passing through! There is no way to regulate that. they can also make sure that the lighting in the parking lots and entryways are adequate. They can hire security patrol to monitor the parlong lot. But even then, the security only patrols and are not there permanently, and I don't think that many complexes up North are in need of constant security anyways...go to Grandview and maybe.And to tfc2b7 guy with no pants??? I heard about him on the news. He was at alot of complexes up North. Thats funny and it was about 2 years ago so I think you might be safe now.
From: Anonymous	Date: 09/08/2007
To anonymous(the apartment manager): You guys need an autodebit like very OTHER business on earth! I find it ood EVERY single bill I have is autopaid except (GASP! SURPRISE SURPRISE!) my Rent and water bill! Both of which you handle! I can set it up with my bank, but god forbid the chek is a day late or gets lost and you slap me with a $50 fee no expcetions, you don't care why. I have had almost a dozen land lords in my life. And I parted as friends with all of them and always goten my full deposit back. This place by far is the closest I have seen to slumlord management. BTW the $150 "redcorating fee" they slip into your lease is not permissable under Missouri tenant law. Don't just pay it. fight back. Straight from the Jay Nixon tennant/landlord handbook "The landlord may keep all or part of a deposit to pay for actual damages (not for normal wear and tear)". Notice the part about normal wear and tear. Which is essentialy what a redecorating fee is.
From: Anonymous	Date: 09/08/2007
To anonymous(the apartment manager): You guys need an autodebit like very OTHER business on earth! I find it ood EVERY single bill I have is autopaid except (GASP! SURPRISE SURPRISE!) my Rent and water bill! Both of which you handle! I can set it up with my bank, but god forbid the chek is a day late or gets lost and you slap me with a $50 fee no expcetions, you don't care why. I have had almost a dozen land lords in my life. And I parted as friends with all of them and always goten my full deposit back. This place by far is the closest I have seen to slumlord management. BTW the $150 "redcorating fee" they slip into your lease is not permissable under Missouri tenant law. Don't just pay it. fight back. Straight from the Jay Nixon tennant/landlord handbook "The landlord may keep all or part of a deposit to pay for actual damages (not for normal wear and tear)". Notice the part about normal wear and tear. Which is essentialy what a redecorating fee is.
From: Anonymous	Date: 09/08/2007
To anonymous(the apartment manager): You guys need an autodebit like very OTHER business on earth! I find it ood EVERY single bill I have is autopaid except (GASP! SURPRISE SURPRISE!) my Rent and water bill! Both of which you handle! I can set it up with my bank, but god forbid the chek is a day late or gets lost and you slap me with a $50 fee no expcetions, you don't care why. I have had almost a dozen land lords in my life. And I parted as friends with all of them and always goten my full deposit back. This place by far is the closest I have seen to slumlord management. BTW the $150 "redcorating fee" they slip into your lease is not permissable under Missouri tenant law. Don't just pay it. fight back. Straight from the Jay Nixon tennant/landlord handbook "The landlord may keep all or part of a deposit to pay for actual damages (not for normal wear and tear)". Notice the part about normal wear and tear. Which is essentialy what a redecorating fee is.
From: Anonymous	Date: 09/08/2007
To anonymous(the apartment manager): You guys need an autodebit like very OTHER business on earth! I find it ood EVERY single bill I have is autopaid except (GASP! SURPRISE SURPRISE!) my Rent and water bill! Both of which you handle! I can set it up with my bank, but god forbid the chek is a day late or gets lost and you slap me with a $50 fee no expcetions, you don't care why. I have had almost a dozen land lords in my life. And I parted as friends with all of them and always goten my full deposit back. This place by far is the closest I have seen to slumlord management. BTW the $150 "redcorating fee" they slip into your lease is not permissable under Missouri tenant law. Don't just pay it. fight back. Straight from the Jay Nixon tennant/landlord handbook "The landlord may keep all or part of a deposit to pay for actual damages (not for normal wear and tear)". Notice the part about normal wear and tear. Which is essentialy what a redecorating fee is.
From: Anonymous	Date: 09/08/2007
To anonymous(the apartment manager): You guys need an autodebit like very OTHER business on earth! I find it ood EVERY single bill I have is autopaid except (GASP! SURPRISE SURPRISE!) my Rent and water bill! Both of which you handle! I can set it up with my bank, but god forbid the chek is a day late or gets lost and you slap me with a $50 fee no expcetions, you don't care why. I have had almost a dozen land lords in my life. And I parted as friends with all of them and always goten my full deposit back. This place by far is the closest I have seen to slumlord management. BTW the $150 "redcorating fee" they slip into your lease is not permissable under Missouri tenant law. Don't just pay it. fight back. Straight from the Jay Nixon tennant/landlord handbook "The landlord may keep all or part of a deposit to pay for actual damages (not for normal wear and tear)". Notice the part about normal wear and tear. Which is essentialy what a redecorating fee is.
From: Anonymous	Date: 09/08/2007
To anonymous(the apartment manager): You guys need an autodebit like very OTHER business on earth! I find it ood EVERY single bill I have is autopaid except (GASP! SURPRISE SURPRISE!) my Rent and water bill! Both of which you handle! I can set it up with my bank, but god forbid the chek is a day late or gets lost and you slap me with a $50 fee no expcetions, you don't care why. I have had almost a dozen land lords in my life. And I parted as friends with all of them and always goten my full deposit back. This place by far is the closest I have seen to slumlord management. BTW the $150 "redcorating fee" they slip into your lease is not permissable under Missouri tenant law. Don't just pay it. fight back. Straight from the Jay Nixon tennant/landlord handbook "The landlord may keep all or part of a deposit to pay for actual damages (not for normal wear and tear)". Notice the part about normal wear and tear. Which is essentialy what a redecorating fee is.
From: Anonymous	Date: 09/08/2007
To anonymous(the apartment manager): You guys need an autodebit like very OTHER business on earth! I find it ood EVERY single bill I have is autopaid except (GASP! SURPRISE SURPRISE!) my Rent and water bill! Both of which you handle! I can set it up with my bank, but god forbid the chek is a day late or gets lost and you slap me with a $50 fee no expcetions, you don't care why. I have had almost a dozen land lords in my life. And I parted as friends with all of them and always goten my full deposit back. This place by far is the closest I have seen to slumlord management. BTW the $150 "redcorating fee" they slip into your lease is not permissable under Missouri tenant law. Don't just pay it. fight back. Straight from the Jay Nixon tennant/landlord handbook "The landlord may keep all or part of a deposit to pay for actual damages (not for normal wear and tear)". Notice the part about normal wear and tear. Which is essentialy what a redecorating fee is.
From: Anonymous	Date: 09/08/2007
To anonymous(the apartment manager): You guys need an autodebit like very OTHER business on earth! I find it ood EVERY single bill I have is autopaid except (GASP! SURPRISE SURPRISE!) my Rent and water bill! Both of which you handle! I can set it up with my bank, but god forbid the chek is a day late or gets lost and you slap me with a $50 fee no expcetions, you don't care why. I have had almost a dozen land lords in my life. And I parted as friends with all of them and always goten my full deposit back. This place by far is the closest I have seen to slumlord management. BTW the $150 "redcorating fee" they slip into your lease is not permissable under Missouri tenant law. Don't just pay it. fight back. Straight from the Jay Nixon tennant/landlord handbook "The landlord may keep all or part of a deposit to pay for actual damages (not for normal wear and tear)". Notice the part about normal wear and tear. Which is essentialy what a redecorating fee is.
From: Anonymous	Date: 09/08/2007
To anonymous(the apartment manager): You guys need an autodebit like very OTHER business on earth! I find it ood EVERY single bill I have is autopaid except (GASP! SURPRISE SURPRISE!) my Rent and water bill! Both of which you handle! I can set it up with my bank, but god forbid the chek is a day late or gets lost and you slap me with a $50 fee no expcetions, you don't care why. I have had almost a dozen land lords in my life. And I parted as friends with all of them and always goten my full deposit back. This place by far is the closest I have seen to slumlord management. BTW the $150 "redcorating fee" they slip into your lease is not permissable under Missouri tenant law. Don't just pay it. fight back. Straight from the Jay Nixon tennant/landlord handbook "The landlord may keep all or part of a deposit to pay for actual damages (not for normal wear and tear)". Notice the part about normal wear and tear. Which is essentialy what a redecorating fee is.
From: Anonymous	Date: 09/08/2007
To anonymous(the apartment manager): You guys need an autodebit like very OTHER business on earth! I find it ood EVERY single bill I have is autopaid except (GASP! SURPRISE SURPRISE!) my Rent and water bill! Both of which you handle! I can set it up with my bank, but god forbid the chek is a day late or gets lost and you slap me with a $50 fee no expcetions, you don't care why. I have had almost a dozen land lords in my life. And I parted as friends with all of them and always goten my full deposit back. This place by far is the closest I have seen to slumlord management. BTW the $150 "redcorating fee" they slip into your lease is not permissable under Missouri tenant law. Don't just pay it. fight back. Straight from the Jay Nixon tennant/landlord handbook "The landlord may keep all or part of a deposit to pay for actual damages (not for normal wear and tear)". Notice the part about normal wear and tear. Which is essentialy what a redecorating fee is.
From: lovesppl11	Date: 09/16/2007
stop complaining and be responsible and grow up...you knew the rules before you moved in so play by them....there are crimes everywhere so gain jesus in your heart and you will be fine:) pay your bills on time and you wont have to worry about the consequences...stay clean, courteous, friendly and that will go a long ways....just please be ACCOUNTABLE FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO....and just ask yourself what can I do differently and stop trying to past the BUCK to other people.....Jesus did not pass up dying on the cross for our sins to anyone else did he? ummmm the only thing that you can control is yourself and what you can do, so please try to do it and ill pray for the best for all men and women...take care and god bless
From: Anonymous	Date: 10/11/2007
The last respondent sounds like they have been in an addiction recovery home. There is nothing wrong with that! You learn to live right all over again. Amen!

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