I just moved from Colony Apartments. I only took a 6 month lease and I'm SO glad that I didn't take anything longer. When you first get there the management gives the impression that it is an older, but well maintained, family oriented complex. ............FAR FROM IT!!!


From the first week we heard horrible fighting from the neighbors. We endured this night after night, with the police being called out there constantly. The management stated that after 3 complaints that they would intervene but this continued on for 5 months until they were finally evicted for non-payment of the rent. It is VERY obvious that the management could careless what went on as long as the rent was paid.

Over the 6 month period, the sight of police cars in the parking lots doing more than routine patrols were common. I personally witnessed several fights in the parking lot and one involving a knife being held to a guy's throat. One could see and over hear drug deals as well as the police searching apartments (I assume for drugs) etc.. The management apparently openly endorses drug use on the premises. A notice left on our doors in July stated: "We realize that some people lead this lifestyle, but we ask to keep it behind closed doors."


And don't let me forget to mention the "parking lot parties" and loud music. During this summer the gangs of young adults "hanging out" and roaming in the parking lots were a nightly event and it got to the point that you didn't feel safe walking to your car. Colony Apartments has a very "ghetto" feel to the place.

As to the landscaping, it only exist around the office area the rest of the complex is just grass and a few over-grown shrubs. The outward appearance of the buildings are not in very good condition with visible signs of deterioration and age. The lighting at night is poor at best, as many of the lights in the court yards are not working, and were never repaired. As to amenities there basically are none. It does have a small run down playground. There are 2 pools, one is never open (broken for years) and while the other is open, it is rarely used by adults due to the fact it is crowed with unruly kids and teenagers. Most of the summer it was closed at 6pm nightly because of major problems with the kids and vandalism there.

The interior of the apartment was in fair condition. But it is obvious that it is an older building. I believe that there are serious problems with the air conditioning / heating ventilation systems, as I had constant sinus and respiratory problems the entire time I lived there. I noticed a marked improvement the first night being out of there and have since continued to improve. The interior entry ways inside the front door to the buildings are not cleaned and have a horrible musty odors.

As to the management.... they leave a lot to be desired.

Water is now an "unincluded" utility for which the 3rd party biller ISTA, a company out of Florida and there is no way to dispute the bill. Plus, we are being charged a $6.00 a month administrative charge by ISTA that we never agreed to. Some apartments received a bill for $6.00 or $8.00 for 2 months water and sewage, while others living in the same size apartments with the exact same number of tenants were billed $80.00 to $100.00 for the same billing period. We were NOT notified by Colony before the billing started and have been given no explanation of how the bills are calculated or at what rate. Calls to management go unreturned.

Colony has just gone up on the rent too. If you agree to sign another years lease it will be something like an additional $20.00 But if you don't sign the lease, it goes up an additional $100.00 a month. (I was already paying $695. before the increase... which is a lot for a run down complex.)

In addition to all of this.... I completed my lease, gave proper notice and left my apartment clean and in good condition. The day I turned in my keys to the office, I was told with a nasty attitude "Your not getting your deposit back".

BOTTOM LINE: Chapel Hill has far too many nice apartment complexes with reasonable rent, do your self a big favor and rent somewhere other than Colony Apartments!
BuLYzGcKAVo8MQPlcXJq

Your thoughts? Post a response to this review. Display my response: with my username anonymously Responses appear below reviews and one response per user is permitted.

   Free estimates on moving trucks      Find apartment share/roommates