This is a review from someone that has lived in the SOUTH Tower for more than 10 years in three 3 different units: studio, one bedroom and now two bedrooms. I have lived in the current unit for more than seven (7) years.

In all the years I have lived here, I have never ever seen or smelled something like this! This used to be a first class apartment complex but things have changed drastically the last couple of years.

The problems I am having right now:

1) RATS & MICE. Oh my gosh! The pest control guy trapped a medium mouse, which I never got to see because I was so disgusted. Management sent the sweet lady that works in maintenance to cover all the kitchen holes and a few days later there was another mouse in my kitchen. This time I saw the creepy creature going all over the place in the kitchen and not going into the glue traps. It took over a week and over 10 glue traps (3 different brands) to trap this ugly thing! I hear these rodents running on my ceiling always on the same location. I thought they were concrete ceilings but apparently they are not. We now have a third creature in our kitchen.

2) DEATH RATS AROMA IN THE BASEMENT. I first noticed something strange back in March. By May you could only smell the stench of rotten rat corpses coming from the false ceiling of the basement. Poor valet lady bless her heart! I stopped going through the basement for many many weeks. A couple of weeks ago all I could see were dead giant flies all over the place. Today the smell is still very bad and I don t see how whoever is dealing with this is going to get rid of it with so many rats dying every day and hundreds others multiplying in the walls of this building.

3) LOADING BAY. Oh my! No words to describe this!

4) STRESS AND ANXIETY FROM ALL OF THE ABOVE. But mainly caused by living with uninvited guests!!! That s why I would suggest that Equity offers FREE apartment living to their Skyline Towers employees in the South Tower.

Regarding other issues being discussed, this is MY experience/opinion:

1) SECURITY & SAFETY. I have never had any problems with my car, maybe because I usually park on the red level close to the entrance. There used to be a time a few years ago where they had a security guy walking around and checking on cars, etc., that has not happen in a looong time. They are usually busy on their cell phones and do not know what is going on.

2) TERRORISTS. There are apparently several uneducated people in this community that believe that whoever is wearing a veil or whatever that is called is a terrorist. For god s sake, we are living in the Washington, DC metro area, where people from all over the world come to live. I have never ever had any problems with them. On the other hand, they have been very courteous to me and most of them are highly educated. They are just as different in customs or religion to us as we are to them! Please show some RESPECT if you want to be respected.

3) VISITORS PARKING. It keeps getting worse, thanks to the previous manager, Jamie. Last Autumn for my son s birthday I had to pay $5 for each visitor at 10:00 AM on a weekday when there is plenty of parking. Now the free parking went down to 3 free hours from 6 and the spaces are very limited. Half of what it was visitors parking is now contractors parking 24/7. You go figure!

4) PETS. This used to be a pet free community. Now I understand why they are allowing cats! Thank you! From what I ve heard from some of my neighbors the mice can smell the cat and stay away from them. Anyway, I don t think nowadays cats eat mice, they probably prefer gourmet cat food.

5) AIR CONDITIONING. Oh my lordy lordy! For how many weeks were we without A/C this year when the temperature was in the 70s' It was probably 6-8 weeks. Management said it needs to be above 80 degrees for two consecutive days. In my many years living here, I don t recall a situation like this, except for the past two years or so.

6) HALLWAYS AND LAUNDRY ROOMS. I am luckily living on a floor where everything is kept clean. Also, the neighbors help to keep it clean. No stain on the carpets, clean laundry rooms, etc. But I ve been to other floors where it looks really bad. I used to see cleaning people every day all the time in the common areas. Everything was impeccable, not anymore!

7) ROACHES. We used to have them about 3 years ago or so even though we do not leave anything outside and keep the kitchen very clean. This has no longer been a problem. I guess, if you don t have mice, you have either roaches or bugs or something else in this community.

8) VALET LADY. Poor thing she is on this basement but was moved to another room still on the basement. I will miss her a lot, the easy drop off/pick up of dry cleaning, and pick up of mail packages.

9) UTILITIES. Do I need to comment on this one, too' Even without A/C for so long we still pay the same amount. We are leaving this place soon and we have to PREPAY utilities at something close to $5 a day no mater what.

My family and I are leaving very soon, but I am so very sorry for all the tenants in this building that are not allowed to break their lease or do not have the means to move out. I AM SO VERY SORRY! No one should live in these conditions!

My recommendations: (1) Please report everything in writing to management either by email, which I doubt they will respond, or by letter and have them sign a copy of the same for your records; (2) take pictures of the mice trapped in your apartment and the droppings on your countertops or by the convectors; (3) take pictures of the building surroundings and dead flies in the basement; (4) be well educated and informed about the situation (references are mentioned in a previous reviews); (5) call the Health Department and Fairfax County and have record with them; and finally (6) leave this infested place and seek legal action if you need to!!

If you have read this far, thank you! I hope it has convinced you that THIS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR YOU!

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 07/10/2008
Equity also hit me with $300 per month increase if I only renewed my lease month by month. I could tolerate $100/month, but not $300. The names and telephone numbers of the folks at the Fairfax Cty Health Dept are listed in one of the responses to a comment yesterday. Despite there being a section in the VA law about tenants' rights, no one should kid themselves - VA is an anti-tenant state. I've talked with five different housing/real estate/tenant attorneys over the five years and they concur. Don't be so quick to think that you can apply the VA tenants' laws re: management has 21 days to rectify the problem(s), then you can start putting your rent payment in escrow, and then you can give them 21 days notice and move out without owing them unpaid future rent (assuming an annual lease). All management has to do is to show is that they are making efforts to fix the problems. Tenants do not have a right to break a lease in that case. Per a supervisor at the Fx Cty Health Department, even the Health Dept cannot bring a legal case against Equity.
From: Anonymous	Date: 07/10/2008
This place is sad. Unfortunately, I think anyone in this apartment complex since Jan 2006 should be reimbursed 10% of every months rent they have paid for services not rendered. Every new person moving in should be sent to this blog to read before they sign a lease.
From: Anonymous	Date: 07/10/2008
Do not prepay anything when you move out. They tried to keep my security deposit even though I had a clean final walk-thru. Thank goodness I did not prepay the final utilities. Having your attorney available is very important if you plan to vacate the Skyline Slum.
From: Anonymous	Date: 07/14/2008
I agree with everything here but one claim. The claim that the people are not terrorists or terrorist sympathizers. 1) a man was arrested at that building for conspiracy to murder the Pres. 2) there are people that have had bumper stickers on their cars that read , "I Support Al Quds", 3) There are many that sympathize with Hamas and Hizbollah. I know this because I took a class at NOVA that was a Mid East class , and two students lived in Skyline and expressed aloud how Hizbollah is a good organisation", and the other explained, in her misogynistic attire (Veiled face) how everyone hates Jews. I did not stoop to her level and explain that Muslims are not perceived very well among Orthodox Christians, or among Hindus, or among Buddists. 3) a man on the elevator son looked to me and said "Death to America" with a smile as his Infidel Father looked on with a smile. 4) the Local Mosque on Leesburg Pike near 4 corners has an Immam that espouses the idea that murder /execution is just for adultery , or for those Muslims that convert to another religion. This is what it is, Terrorist sympathizers. Even if this is NOT"Policitally COrrect", it does not make it false. GOD Bless America! "I am Charles Martell and I approve this message"
From: Anonymous	Date: 07/15/2008
I know, isn't this awful? A $300 increase for going month to month? The tenants are leaving this place so fast and this is one of their tactics to keep them. From my end of the corridor there are three families moving out at the end of this month. Between the rent increase and the rats/mice problem most tenants want to leave as soon as possible.

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