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Please help !
From:
-Anonymous-
Date posted:
8/8/2007
Years at this apartment:
2007
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2007
14 responses
I recently rented an apartment here but I haven't signed the lease yet.
I have been reading some of these reviews.
Can someone please tell me the real deal with this complex.
It seems so nice when I've visited...was that a mirage'
I really don't want to make a mistake.
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User Responses
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From:
citykween
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Date:
08/09/2007
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This place is okay but I will no longer refer it to my friends, co-workers or family. Maintenance requests seem to be a huge issue here. The best service is the nighttime emergency service. Other than that, you WILL have to put your request in 4 or 5 times, you WILL eventually have to make a personal visit to the office or call corporate as some folk have had to do and it WILL NOT be fixed the first time around. Yes, these are "bumps in life" but damn, when you're paying $1500 , you expect to get your money's worth. And yes, the asst. property manager is new but the lack of organization isn't. Should you move here? I would say no. Sorry.
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From:
Anonymous
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Date:
08/09/2007
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i lived there for 9 years. when i first moved in, i loved it. big sunny apartment, no issues really... well my rent DOUBLED in that time frame and when i first signed my lease, utilities were included. archstone took over and started making us pay utilities. i would be fine with that if i was actually paying what i used. but i lived alone, rarely cooked, my dishwasher ran maybe twice a month and i often showered at the gym. yet i'm getting water bills for like $60 bucks a month??? AND, when archstone took over, they started installing washers and dryers in apartments that they renovated when someone vacated... so the water bill went up, but i was still paying for the coin machines in the basement. i got very upset about this and was given a $3 credit per month since i didn't have a washer and dryer. ridiculous!!!! and things got worse... though i never had bug problems... but suddenly there's no parking anywhere. not sure why, it just became this big problem. i would notice all kinds of reserved spots that were never occupied... not sure if they were not repainting spots that were no longer reserved or if people were just being jerks and not using their spots. then one day my ceiling fell down. literally. of course prior to that, i had come home FOUR times to find my bathroom completely flooded and my stuff (rugs, scale, things on the counter, etc.) ruined. they first tried to tell me that the guy upstairs didn't have a shower curtain. then another lame excuse, then the guy upstairs didn't have a corner guard. i knew there was no way all this water was coming from that, even if he didn't have a shower curtain. we're talking inches of water on my floor. the ceiling was soft to the touch and the paint started coming off the walls because the drywall was wet. i could see mold in my sleep... well, one day i came home and the bathroom ceiling had caved in. what a mess! water and debris everywhere, giant gaping hole in the ceiling... finally i was told there was a leak (ya think?) but the worst part was it wasn't a leak in the freshwater pipe, it was a leak in the shower drain pipe. GROSS. they took over two weeks to patch up my bathroom and when i demanded they replace all the drywall (i was still thinking about what people do in their showers, not to mention mold & mildew) they said they would, but they didn't. they patched the one hold and didn't do anything else. when they came to repaint (without warning) they didn't remove or cover up anything in my bathroom and all my stuff was paint speckled after that. nice.
as a long time resident i was frustrated when year after year, my rent went up A LOT. i was pretty sick of it and said something about how i'd lived there for so long, they never had to spend money on my apartment, i paid my rent on time, no complaints from neighbors... and instead of a concession on my rent, they offered to paint my apartment for me.
the last renewal offer i got was for a little under $1200 a month. for a one bedroom, one bathroom, never updated 80's apartment with no washer and dryer ($1.75 each). i turned in my notice to vacate two months ahead of time. and sure enough i got a call, suddenly rent rates had dropped and they were willing to offer me a new lease at xxx. too little too late.
regarding the cooking smells... yes, people have to eat and some things are smellier than others. the problem with the cooking smells is that the exhaust fan over the stove does not ventilate to the great outdoors, it vents into the next apartment. if you both have your fans on, the smells get mixed up together.
people were always leaving trash in front of the building, rodents loved it. me, not so much.
if the property manager is new, then perhaps things will improve. i thought the management sucked. one particularly busy weekend a few years ago, i woke up on a saturday morning thinking it was the third and then realized it was the 4th. i ran to the clubhouse with my check. now technically it should have been in the box by midnight the night before, but in practical terms, i had until they came in on saturday morning... so in practical terms, my rent was TWO HOURS late. they charged me a 10% penalty that i had to pay with a cashier's check. i couldn't believe after living there for 7 years and never once paying my rent late, that they wouldn't give me a break. i guess they needed some more plush new furnishings in the clubhouse. and also, on monday, i got an eviction notice... HUH?????
with all the things going on the last year i lived there, i would have to say run and don't look back. over the course of 6 weeks with my bathroom flooding issues and the cave-in, i couldn't get anyone to do anything, not even return a phone call. and while i sat on hold i got to listen to the wonderful archstone soundtrack telling me that i'm number one!!! whatever. i've noticed crime in the area is up too. doesn't seem to violent, mostly stolen cars, but still... there's lots of places to live, i'd pass on this one if i were you.
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From:
Anonymous
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Date:
08/09/2007
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Ditto the above response. Getting any problems handled is like trying to pull teeth. The staff at the office are completely unorganized and unwilling to help. They feed you a bunch of -------- to get you to move in and then the second you have a problem, it takes numerous phone calls sometimes to the corporate office to get it resolved.
We recently had a mouse in our apartment. They promised the exterminator would be out the following week. He never showed. The next day maintenance showed up and filled holes around the pipes underneath the sinks in the kitchen and bathroom - essentially trapping the mouse in our apartment. But it gets better. The next day I opened a cabinet to find they had ripped the door off and then did a ------ job trying to fix it. There were screws and pieces of wood all over! Now we have a window that needs to be repaired. Again, the same BS. We told the office we did not want maintenace in our apartment while we were not home after what happened last time. Well, they decided to come in anyway.
I could go on and on. We've had so many issues with them since we moved in in May. I'm seriously regretting ever finding this place.
Take my advice - go somewhere else.
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From:
MissJezebel
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Date:
08/09/2007
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I live in 4707.
I have yet to have any problems with the AC not working at night. Yes, I had maintenance issues twice but the second time I wrote to the company. I sent a very firm, yet polite email and my problem was resolved immediately. Not only that, I was given a $150 credit.
The trash in our basement is removed every other day so it never smells. As for the cooking that some people are complaining about...people have to eat. Just because they don't eat the same foods as you, shouldn't mean they should stop cooking.
The property manager is new and I think she is doing a good job so far. They have asked people to clear off their balconies and for good reason. It makes everything more pleasant to look at. There are clean up crews sweeping up the grounds every morning *I see them when I leave for work*.
And before some bitter person jumps on my case...no, I am not management. I am just someone who happens to be able to deal with life's bumps as they occur.
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From:
Anonymous
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Date:
08/10/2007
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No, do not move here. Basically what everyone is saying is true. I moved here from MS a few months ago and have had hell every since. I have a second floor apartment and I can hear everything that goes on in the apartment above me, it sounds as if someone is stomping constantly, well I told management and they told me it was the floors, that the floor boards were making the noise and that they would try to fix them. It never happened, so now they have to move me to a third floor apartment next month. I had a shattered window when I first moved in, requested for maintenance to come out, no one ever came, I called everyday, they said they were sending someone out and never did, so I called corporate, then they finally sent someone out. The above people are right, there is never parking but you see lots of reserved spots vacant. I have the fruit knats as well, and I had to take it upon myself to research and find a way to get rid of them, I cleaned my garbage disposal with bleach and lysol. The office staff is rude and i have come home to trash in front of people's doors and food outside on the ground. And yes I can smell the stinch of the downstairs person cooking. People do have to eat, but I have been in several apartments before this one and never had to smell someone's food, so maybe it has more to do with poor ventillation or poorly built apartments. I could go on and on and on with issues I have had with my apartment and yes, I have seen mice outside of the apartment doors scurrying around. I would reccomend that you move elsewhere. To MissJezebel I am glad that you are enjoying your apartment but keep it real, with the cost of these apartments you should not have to deal with BUMPS. Forget to pay your rent on time and see what BUMPS the manager will put on your door on the 4th. I would be more understanding if management was nicer and actually took care of the tenants problems on time, but that is not the case. I would not reccomend these apartments to anyone, period, and I can't wait till my lease is up.
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From:
Anonymous
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Date:
08/11/2007
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I'm confused you see all the posts yet your still asking how the apartments are? Are posts not proof enough? First of all you said, "they seem so nice when I come here" They are so nice to you honey because they make a large commision if they people like you to actually sign a lease. Don't be a fool.
We have knats as well they do not extermintae for knats here. We also had to find a way to get rid of them ourselves. Not only that we have had roaches, mice, spiders, and centipeds in our apartment. WE HAD to get rid of them NOT management. We have had all kinds of problems with maintainence, they dont show up, show up and never return, and shrug dont fix the problem. Not only that they like to go through your personal stuff while your not home, like your underware drawer!!! About the a/c mine IS turned off at night, and you wake up sweating like a crackhead at 2 AM. Look at all the vacant apartments as well, that should tell you something if you dont belive these 160 posts. What else can we tell you? Lets see there is trash laying on the front lawns daily, mice and rats living here, cars stolen often, gang activitly, smelly overcroweded apartments, which make for tons of NOISE problems. There are lots of better NEWER apartments in the area checl those out, there is a brand new builing around the corner from here you'd fair better there. This place is not worth the trouble, hassle or money. To answer your question more direct, NO! You should not move here. Dont be fooled by the "nice people" who will take your money, make a commission on you then treat you like dirt once you move in.
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From:
Anonymous
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Date:
08/11/2007
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No, don’t do it, you have been warned by many, many people. Everyone seems to imply that there is new management and that things are going to get better but this Lisa isn’t that “new” she’s a longtime employee of Archstone from another property so I wouldn’t consider her “new.” Same old, same old, they really don’t care about you once you move in. They never follow through on anything including their promises to have a repair man “within 24 hours” is a crock, they have never once had anyone here within 48 hours. Don’t believe a word they say, their promises are lies. They are only trying to get you IN here then you will be the forgotten few peasants who they ignore. We had a broken stove for four months before they “graciously” blessed us with a new USED (dirty) one. We are often without hotwater and there’s never any parking. I have to walk alone at night pretty far to my car and with the crime here it’s scary to be a woman alone here walking at 9 or 10 pm. There are issues with cooking smells and all around bad musty smells in and around the buildings, which never seem to go away. I have called management hundred of times to ask that our building be mopped, cleaned and vacuumed, and it’s like pulling teeth. Even when there were chicken bones with flies all over them it took a bunch of calls to have them clean up. I came home to vomit on the stairs of our building it was there four days later (I called each day) until I threatened to call the corporate office. Just to give you an idea of the area here’s what I’ve come home to: At least 9-10 times chicken bones out front, 2 used condoms, food/candy wrappers (cant even count how many times) dog crap on the sidewalk, little children curled up sleeping on door mats waiting until their parents got home (too many times to count), a homeless bum, workers hanging out on the stairs, lets just say I never know what to expect when I get home and its stressful to live this way, never knowing what your in for when you get home. Do yourself a favor; do not move here period!
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From:
Anonymous
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Date:
08/13/2007
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Maybe we're lucky, but my girlfriend and I have rarely had any of the issues that the other posts bring up. We did have a bug problem at one point which we resolved on our own with a few poison traps from the grocery store. And nine out of 10 times, the office staff has been prompt and useful. As for the claims of crime, not once have I or my girlfriend felt scared or frightened about the environment, and both of us have had nights where we've come in past 2 a.m. The place is generally quiet. In fact, I can't ever remember being truly disturbed by the noise, save for the idiot who stomps upstairs. Although, that's something that can happen anywhere. The complex does have plenty of diversity, so I guess that could explain some of the "cooking smells" and other rants on here. But diversity is typically a good thing in my book, even though I suspect on boards like this, it seems a lot of people wouldn't agree. In fact, I get the feeling that there's a bunch of closet racists who are posting on this board, which really is the only thing that may scare me about this place because these bigots could be my neighbors. Anyway, the place isn't a palace but it's certainly not a slice of the "ghetto". And anybody who says it is clearly hasn't spent much time in one.
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From:
francis2730
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Date:
08/20/2007
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Really do not move here. The staff is not helpful. Your rent will go up on average $150 per year. They look pretty but if you look closer you can see the cheap construction - All smoke and mirrors
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From:
Anonymous
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Date:
08/23/2007
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We've lived here for about 15 months now; my fiance and I have rarely had the issues described. It seems like conditions between buildings vary widely (we live on the Fillmore side). We had a roach problem last summer and this summer, and Archstone sent exterminators both times within a week of our request. Other requests have taken a month to resolve. It's not noisy if you live on the top floor, but if you don't, you can sometimes hear people walking above you--as in any building with wooden, rather than concrete, floors. Parking can be annoying--particularly between 8:30pm and 12:30am--but let's face it, this is an urban area with a lot of cars; parking generally sucks everywhere. At least this parking is free (as opposed to places that make you pay an extra $200/month for the privilege of parking your car anywhere near where you live). If you stand in the stairwell, you can smell what your neighbors are cooking...but you can't smell it in your own apartment. As this is an urban area, there is crime here. There are better (much more expensive) neighborhoods, and MUCH worse neighborhoods in the DC metro area. If you're used to life in a Northeastern city, well, that's what this is like: pay attention to your surroundings, leave NOTHING of any conceivable value in your car, and you'll be fine. As for the rent increases, my rent (2 bdrm/1bthrm) went up $80 this year. Utility prices are a bit ridiculous, but I've always had A/C and hot water. Honestly, the worst I've seen here was when they didn't shovel the sidewalks for 3 days after a snowstorm, and everything turned to ice. That legitimately sucked.
...and no, I'm not an Archstone employee. This has just been my experience. You can find better, but will likely have to pay significantly more or live farther out.
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From:
Anonymous
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Date:
08/28/2007
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I've spent a lot of time in this area and am planning on moving into Archstone very soon, currently I live elsewhere in virginia but consider this area to be much more pleasant than my current residence. Like the individual said in a few posts above me, it is a VERY culturally diverse area and you'll never get away from that. We live in America and we are a progressive country, get used to it. I've taken evening classes in the neighborhood, spent much time late at night at some of the 24 hour middle eastern restaraunts down the street, delivered pizza until 2:30 AM to the same apartments I'm looking to move into and have NEVER felt threatened, insecure about my whereabouts or anything of the sort. As a former pizza delivery GIRL (this had been my second job) I've seen every apartment in the neighborhood and believe me, for the area it's a very clean complex and I have no reservations about moving in.
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From:
Anonymous
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Date:
09/08/2007
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so i'm wondering what you decided to do....did you stick with the apt or find something else? if you stuck with this apt, how is it? if you found something else, what did you find and how do you like it?
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From:
Anonymous
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Date:
09/26/2007
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For all those non believers... go to the City's Police Department crime blotter. There were 2 stolen cars from Newport Village this month alone. After reading that maybe then you'll believe someone who was a a car theft victim here at Archstone. What I'd like to know is why management isn't sending everyone notice about the increase in activity. From experience, they know what's going on.
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From:
Anonymous
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Date:
11/27/2007
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is there any way that I can move out before my lease contract expires and paying too much???
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