DO NOT move to Crystal Houses if you are one of those people who try to conserve energy, because you will be paying for all the wasteful people's usage anyways. This is because Archstone/Crystal House apartments are not individually metered, so management uses a "formula" where they take the total property bill for all utilities (electric, gas, water, sewer, and trash) and divide it between all the apartments. It doesn't matter how much or how little you use, because you are charged based on an arbitrary, unfair system that doesn't even factor in your apartment size. For example, if two people live in a studio apartment, they will be billed the same amount for electricity as two people living in a 3 bedroom apartment. This is because Crystal House management has decided to base the electric bill distribution on the number of occupants in the apartment, rather than the square footage. So, not only is that poor guy in the studio paying the same amount as the guy in the 3 bedroom apartment, he is also paying the bill for those tenants who want their apartment to be 50 degrees all summer long. In March, our electric bill was $34 - fairly reasonable for a 1 bedroom, 900 sq. feet place. Now for the shocker - in August, our electric bill was $125 - an increase of nearly 270%! Even though we are out of town a lot and at work all day during the week, we still have to pay for those who are home all day watching TV, running the A/C, leaving lights on, etc. Same goes for the water bill - you pay for all of those people who leave the tap running while they brush their teeth, etc. I've put up with this wretched system for years, mainly because moving is such a hassle - but I have finally had it. The location, amenities, etc. is NOT WORTH the $200 utility bill!

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