The bad: poor management style; unable to fix major maintenance issues; they don't always know the terms of the lease; not the best neighborhood in town

The good: decent price (although I found a new apartment with W/D included, additional 160 sq. ft., and covered parking closer to campus for only $30 more a month); typically quick to respond to maintenance requests and they can actually fix minor problems.

The honest truth: Given the clowns that he has running the office, Doux Chene's owner would be better off starting his own circus.

I would say Doux Chene is a good place for anyone who doesn't expect the management to be helpful. If you're looking for a place where the office staff is patronizing and condescending, then Doux Chene is definitely the place for you. Admittedly, I can be hard to deal with at times, but that does not excuse the complex from holding up their end of the lease or from acting in a professional manner.

I have lived at several complexes but this was the first one I've lined at in College Station. While I wouldn't say this was a nightmare, the experience certainly was not very pleasant at Doux Chene. Our apartment was not ready for move-in at the beginning of the lease. We had serious problems with the kitchen countertops, sinks, and bathtub. They paint these surfaces with cheap paint and as soon as we got there the paint was already peeling off in large strips from the bathtub to reveal the stains they had tried to cover up from previous residents. There were also a few problems with exposed wires from some of the light fixtures.

Needless to say, we explained that the unit was unfit for move-in and while they did allow us to move in to another unit at the end of the day, it took several hours to get a response from the management as to how they were going to resolve the situation. Apparently, they were signing up new leases and were more concerned with gaining new customers than providing an adequate response to actual tenants.

Maintenance at the complex is *usually* quick and will typically fix the problem the first time which is nice. However, we had a problem with a leak from the A/C unit and despite repeated notifications to the office, the maintenance men never fixed it. The unit was directly above the sink and the water would leak through the access panel in the ceiling. Once the A/C kicked on it would eventually go from an occasional drip to a steady stream of water. We noticed that if you ran the A/C at around 75 it would leak but if you turned it up to 80 it wouldn't leak, so we would turn it up to 80 while waiting for them to come fix it. Despite the fact that we let them know that it would not leak at higher temperatures, the maintenance men would always come by when it was at 80 and then proclaim that it was fixed.

Also, some other things to consider. Doux Chene does not give receipts for rent or any other activities (i.e. returning keys at the end of the lease, issuing acknowledgement of a move-out notification). Every other complex I have ever lived in has always gone above and beyond my expectations in terms of providing paperwork that is consistent with the terms of the lease. They originally balked at giving me a signed copy stating that I had provided sufficient move-out notice. Only after I pointed out the fact that they were bound by the terms of the lease to give me such a receipt did they provide it.

Unfortunately, the issue with the move-out notice was one of several sour experiences I had during the move-out process. I called to get a quote on what rent I could get if I renewed, but was told only the manager could quote this price. The manager did not return the call until a few weeks later. And she only called because I had just called to ask about the proper procedure for giving a move-out notice. As soon as I hung up, the manager called me back with a laundry list of excuses as to why she never originally called me.

They also did not return the security deposit within the required 30 days. It was late, but they did return it.

User Responses
From: baybjessi	Date: 06/05/2007
In all honesty, I never had many problems with them until this past year. Since reading this, it sounds as if we were living together in the same situation. Currently, I have the same AC leaking problem along with the move-out notice problem. I appreciate you pointing out that it is typically required to give a receipt for a move-out notice from them. As I will be sure to request for one when I turn mine in.
From: Anonymous	Date: 05/19/2009
Beware of this bunch of crooks! They ripped me off too!

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