My boyfriend and I have been living here for two months now, and it is our first apartment. When we were browsing the Forest Hill complex with a rental agent, she brought us the end of Davey Street (the end of the complex) to see the smaller sized option for a one bedroom for $860/month, and the apartments there are utterly atrocious. The grounds look nothing short of unkempt and the buildings themselves have white stains underneath each window, which I assume is paint that washed away off of the window sills. Inside, the layout of the apartment must have been designed by an imbecile. The kitchen is located BEHIND the front door for some reason and is just simply awkward to say the least.
We realized we were going to have to pay for the larger sized option for a one bedroom for $905/month if we wanted something that we could feel safe living in, and not ashamed to bring our families back to. This meant that we would need an apartment that was located in a unit close to the Rental Office at the beginning of Davey Street (also the beginning of the complex), because it seems as though the ground maintenance is only kept up near the rental office, for first-impression purposes, obviously.
The endeavor of finding, and depositing for our first apartment was made a pleasant one by the rental agents. They were kind to us, as we were seen as future tenants who would be paying rent. It was a smooth transaction. Whenever we had a question about anything regarding the apartment or the surrounding area, the rental agents were accommodating, especially Yolanda, who is unfortunately only there on the weekends. We even needed to move in a day earlier from the move-in day because of a conflicting schedule and they did not make it an issue.
Our first night in the apartment, we found out that we were kept in the dark about a pest issue. We couldn't even go into the bathroom without being a nervous wreck because of the fact that our apartment was infested with an abundance of cockroaches. They were never there during visits, or the walk-through, or while moving in because they're nocturnal. It was appalling. We, right away, called the 24-hour maintenance phone number, because this was an emergency, considering the fact that it was our first night, and had come from clean houses before this and never experienced such a disgrace. We were not told whether or not someone was going to come, but were left to believe they would. No one came.
We really should not have been kept in the dark about the situation. Forest Hill Properties has a designated exterminator that comes by every other Tuesday. Obviously they know they have a pest problem, they should have taken precaution so that new tenants wouldn't have to be mortified when they found out they would be living with cockroaches and waking up to dead ones scattered about the floors of the apartment for at least two weeks, EVEN AFTER an exterminator came by to plant a simple paste bait. It was a terrible first impression. My boyfriend had to check the bathroom and kitchen before I went in it each and every time.
As I said, it's been two months, so the cockroaches are gone now. Things are fine and average. The water runs clear and we haven't experienced the brown water that the rest of these reviews touch on. Nor have we experienced a lack of heat.
The temperatures have reached the 60s by now and the radiators are still pumping, full-force. It's really disgusting. Older members of our families have visited, and couldn't bear the heat (and everyone knows that old people are always cold)! It gets worse at night because the heat is turned up higher and I wake up almost choking from the dry heat in the air. I wish I was in one of those apartments with the broken radiators!
I would call the office to find out when in fact they are going to turn the heat off, but I'd rather not have to deal with a fresh, grumpy, abrupt, or cold woman, just to get the answer to a simple question. They've turned from Jekyll to Hyde since we've signed a year lease. Now they can treat us however they'd like.
I am sure that I sound as if I am loathing my apartment and the experience that has come with it, but I really am not. I am happy here, it seems safe so far, our neighbors are friendly and pleasant, and it is close to a plethora of things to do, as well as it is close to the University we attend. The only unfortunate thing for Forest Hill is that each of the things that are rated on this website and most others (parking, noise, grounds, construction, maintenance, and staff) are certainly nothing to brag about. AD2Hw9Wn8Umb3NN1w1jt

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 03/29/2007
I am respoding to the 03/27/07 rating. I am actually planning to move to this apartment in july 2007. I liked the apartment community and i do agree the front is nicer than the back. I hope that my apartment is not way in the back. I am looking for the 860 apartment as it is affordable. I liked the layout of this apt. When i walked in the there was the living room/dining room and the kitchen off to the side. It is roomy for me. Thanks for the review because i liked it. I will spray for roaches and also ask them to exterminate it before i move in. Can you please give another review in a few months so that i can know how it is.

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