I only had a couple of weeks to find an apartment. I wish I would have done more research. I receive a work discount off of rent and that was one of the reasons why I moved in.
My issues with this complex is the noise level, parking, appliances and smoke smell.

NOISE LEVEL
The doors to the apartment are inside - so no private entry. I didn't think this was a big deal but have found out I was WRONG. The doors are the type that close all the way by themselves. My neighbors are constantly letting their doors slam and kicking their doors shut. It is so bad they have knocked pictures off my wall! Plus, my neighbors like to yell to each other from their doorway. I am upstairs and the two that know each other are up & downstairs so I am constantly in the crossfire. On top of that they like to run and kick balls in the hallway. It is so bad that they have woken up my niece and nephew when they had an overnight stay.

PARKING
The parking spaces are very small/narrow. I had several door dings and paint scratches on my car when I parked in front of the building. Anyone who cares about their cars won't appreciate this much. There are only a few lights on the garages. Where my building is the parking is very dark and I am concerned sometimes because I have to park near a main road.
Plus there are not assigned spots and if someone has people over- you could end up parking far away and having to walk since there isn't alot of parking options.

APPLIANCES
The kitchen has a small refrigerator, stove and outdate small microwave. My refrigerator & freezer has stopped working twice. Food that I had just purchased was spoiled. The maintenace dept. did clean up and fix but I was not compensated for the food cost.

SMOKE SMELL
I am a non-smoker. If you smoke you won't care about this but if your a non-smoker this might bother you. The apartment below me smokes and my apartment receives all of the cigarette smell. I am constantly having to open windows, spray Odor elimators and have candles lit to help get rid of the smell. My clothes, coats, furniture and bags (luggage, school, etc.)all smell like cigarette smoke. It is awful!! It will be 20 degrees outside and I have my window open b/c the smoke smell is so bad. The hallway where the mail and apartments door entrances are stinks of smoke all the time too. I try not to think of the health issues involved in second hand smoke. It isn't my imagination either. People have come to visit me and are amazed of the smell and how strong it is. Plus I will go over to peoples house and they can smell the smoke on my clothes/coat and think I am the one smoking.

I have complained to the office but it is like talking to a wall. They send a letter to all of us but the noise and smoke smell in the hallway continue. ( I know they can't tell the people to stop smoking but they could tell them to be more considerate and open a window!)
I also asked to move or if they could make a non-smoking building which they said no. Even though they had the perfect chance months ago. 2 units were empty and the other person didn't smoke and I didnt either. One of the units that had left smoked and I asked if they could make the empty units non-smoking. They said it was not feasible and couldn't do it. Then a smoker moved in. I have heard it is possible to make units non-smoking. They chose not to so they wouldn't miss out on possible renters. So they care more about money than their renters health and happiness in the current apartments. I also heard that Spinmaker Cove has non-smoking buildings. (wish I would have known before)

GENERAL COMMENTS
I have lived in several apartment complex's and this is by far the WORST one. I am completing a Master's Degree and it is very difficult to study in the evening when all I hear are slamming doors and people running & yelling in the hallway. Plus it is hard to study, have friends over or relax when my apartment is freezing due to the smoke smell.

The hallway noise is out of control and parking is terrible. Friends or yourself can get stuck parking very far away. This is difficult when your carrying in groceries or it is raining.

Plus my work said the deposit was only $100. When I called to inquire they stated it was $200 and made me pay it. Even though I had documentation stating that are work said it was $100.

Basically- Find another place. It isn't worth the money!!

User Responses
From: ollivander	Date: 03/06/2008
I am in the apartment industry and I used to live at Hillside years and years ago. As for your smoking complaint, I completely understand as a non-smoker myself however it really isn't possible to make a non-smoking apartment building only because there would be really no way to enforce it. We can't tell people what they can and can't do in their apartment outside of gross violations. Imagine if we did have a "non-smoking" building and someone started smoking, how would we be able to kick them out for violating this. We would need legal proof and aside installing hiden cameras and photographing them in the act I wouldn't know how to get legal proof of the violation. If they went to court to evict someone for smoking in a non-smoking building it would basically be the apartments word against the residents and you can't prove a smell in court. So that is why you don't usually find apartments with non-smoking buildings. As far as everything else you wrote, I have no idea who is running the place now. I liked it a lot when I was there and thought it was a good place to live. I always lived on the 2nd floor or below the model (I lived in 2 different apartments there before I moved to Fairborn) so I never had any noise issue (although I used to hear the lady below me snore at night sometimes - man she must have been loud). I have recommended Hillside to others so I hope that the staff has maintained the standards that they operated under while I lived there.
From: Anonymous	Date: 04/02/2008
I lived in an apartment complex that had non-smoking buildings and it worked out realy well. I understand how it may hard to do anything legally about it, or anything at all unless they see the person. I had 1 lady that would stand out on her balcony that faced the leasing office so it was only a matter of time before they caught her. So it's able to be done it just depends on whether or not they want to do something about it. And if they didn't smoke before and start up, then why can't they just move that person?!

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