Sorry but the title says it all. We are military and lived there less than a year and the main sore spots for us ocurred at the beginning and end of our lease with the office staff. In spite of our short stay, my complaints run pretty long...:
We chose the complex b/c of a promotion. However, after faxing and mailing my app w/in the week, I was told that the promotion had ended and we had to pay a higher rate. We also had to pay more for being on the ground level. At first, we were told we would have marble countertops and then were told that our particular unit didn't have them. This wasn't fun to deal w/ but we took it in stride.
Then, a few weeks before our scheduled move-in date (and a few days after the birth of my son) we were told we HAD to move up our move-in date SOONER or else we would lose the unit. After many phone calls and stressing out over possibly having to find another place to live, we negotiated a date sooner than our move-in to please the manager -----. This, in spite of the fact that the original move-in date was already agreed to IN WRITING when we applied yet mysteriously we now risked losing our hold on the waiting list b/c someone felt they needed to increase their profit line.
My husband was deployed a few months ago and so I left the state so I wouldn't have to be alone. In order to move out, you have to physically walk in to the office and sign some form w/ your move-out date, which is NOT negotiable once you sign. Since we would both be gone, I had to sign this form BEFORE I left because we were planning to move out right after he returned. This is ridiculous to say the least, because we had to provide a move-out date and pay for the entire month of May even though we moved out the 8th of May. I asked if we could fax in the form or mail it in but they refused and insisted we physically go in. I have NEVER in my life heard of such a practice and being military we have lived in numerous complexes throughout the COUNTRY.
On checking out, they conduct a very meticulous inspection. They charged us b/c our cleaning was not impeccable. In the words of the staff, "your apt has to be cleaned so it can be move-in ready for the next tenant." In short, YOU are the cleaning crew. Again, we have lived in numerous complexes (TX, CT, CA) but this is the first in which I have to clean my unit so that it looks professionally done. If you don't clean off the crumbs, if you don't get every single fiber off the countertops you will be charged. Every other place I've lived in understands that you are not a professional cleaner and that there will be some items that will have to be done. But, according to the Belmont staff, my unit was "filthy." I do have video but only a few fotos of the porch, which I will post and you can help me be the judge...
Oh yeah and they also charged us for replacing the porch screen. The staff found damage to it that could only have been caused by us (even tho I called to have it replaced b/c it kept falling off its hinges).
We have good credit and pride ourselves in following apartment guidelines as possible - before, during and after our leases. We are not perfect but we do our best in all our moves to be as thorough as possible w/ cleaning and other issues. Yet even my husband, who has much more patience than I do, was insulted by how the personnel just itemized all sorts of ridiculous things that were "damaged" or were "filthy."
If you've read this far then I appreciate you empathizing w/ our situation. I have already written LPM, the company that owns this complex, with these same issues in much more detail. I also plan on visiting the Legal Dept on base to see what exactly are my options regarding their horrendous business practices. I also eventually plan to write the Better Business Bureau. I've never lived in VA and I don't know if maybe things work differently in that state; if that is the case then I have no intention in living there again since there are so many more military-friendly states.
But I do have some positive things to say: the maintenance crew was definitely very friendly and efficient. They got the jobs done relatively quickly and were personable and respectful. They deserve the kudos here and I pray to God they are being compensated justly.
Also, b/c the complex is still new the units are in very nice conditions. The walls run pretty thin, tho; we could here people stomping up and down the steps throughout the day or even just people conversing outside. We didn't get to enjoy the pool b/c we were there primarily during the winter/spring seasons and we liked that there was ample parking and that it was a gated community b/c it felt more private.
In spite of the relatively nice conditions, I really don't care to return to Belmont. Most people on here have complained and I share their same sentiments b/c of my own experiences. I really do hope that the staff learns from their own experiences and begins genuinely offering better customer service.
Thanks for reading this through. I wish I didn't have to be doing all this but I hope this is the first and last time I ever do. I am going to all this trouble because of my horrible experience I had...

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 11/03/2008
That's good advice. I'm thinking of moving in this apt complex (soon). I will surely get things in writing and record conversations. It's sad when you have to do that, but this would have benefited me in other areas of my life if I recorded conversations, or got things in writing. GOOD ADVICE. God bless!

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