I've lived here for almost nine years. Lately the management has been very substandard. I can normally ignore the little things they, Alara, have screwed up since they bought the complex about three and a half years ago since I quit using most services like the laundry area and bought my own machines.

I didn't even complain when Alara forced us to buy our water, a defacto rent increase, when that was in the lease. I also didn't complain when they JUMPED my rent to "market prices" (although it's never completely full) last year by $55 when our increases were normally only $10-20 a month.

The only service I truly like to use is the pool and hot tub. I can't even use the hot tub now because it's consistently not working. In the last 3-4 months it's been down about 30% or more of the time. I call every time I go out and it's not working. They say, "we'll look into it" or "we are getting a new part". It comes back up for a day or two but then breaks down again. It's been down four days in a row this week.

They also lock the area at 10pm (too early in the summer and on weekends) when it used to be 24 hours. But instead of dealing with tresspassers (mostly ex-residents) and trouble makers one on one that caused problems for a couple of summers (even when they hired security), they punish us all by closing the area. They put locks on the gates and gave us keys but still chain lock it at 10pm so I don't get why I need a key.

This is lazy management. Deal with the problems and don't punish everyone. Besides, by now only a few of us even use the area and the reason for locking it isn't even current. But once intrenched, bureaucratic management attitudes develop they can never be changed. We've also had at least three managers since Alara took over and a couple of the good workers we liked left the property. The maintenance staff is top notch though.

Leasing apartments isn't about air space in a building with hot water and appliances. It's about service.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 05/19/2009
I have also had recent problems with getting service on my apartment. The manager has made a promise to me for a particular service for my apartment for four months now and it has yet to be done.

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