Students who have spent any amount of time in Durham know Beaver Dam Apartments well -- they are Durham's largest (possibly only) slumlord. Leases are commonly arranged with an unusual joint-and-several clause that ensures that if any one roommate fails to pay rent on time, even once, rent for the entire apartment increases by more than 25%. Beaver Dam does not return security deposits, period. Even if you plan to take perfect care of your new home, expect fictitious charges, and consider the security deposit a payment, not a deposit -- you'll never see it again, regardless of actual damage. The properties are not maintained in any way, and are ordinarily filthy upon move-in. Expect appliances not to work.

Beaver Dam builds liquidated damages clauses into their leases that can hold residents responsible for hundreds of dollars in penalties for events entirely beyond their control, such as vandalism of unlocked commomn areas.

Above all, however, the condition of Beaver Dam apartments is indescribable. Maintenance is utterly unavailable, and bathroom and kitchen facilities, in particular, are ordinarily filthy upon occupancy.

All told, Durham is a beautiful community, and students can do much better than these folks, who have made a cottage industry out of deceiving college students with unconventional lease agreements, delaying and refusing basic maintenance, and frightning students and parents who complain with threats of mid-year eviction.

Beaver Dam is popular among students because they offer nine-month leases, which appear to offer a chance for students to economize. In fact, though, hidden expenses and aggrivation will far surpass whatever you expect to save in those three months of summer.

Get smart, live elsewhere. Beaver Dam is, far and away, Durham's most infamous slumlord.

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