Review History for kfyeau

Willow Ponds


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kfyeau

Resident 2009 - 2014

7/6/2014

I moved to Willow Ponds after my divorce and the leasing manager at the time was fabulous and the customer service was friendly and accommodating. However, once new management took over everything changed. The leasing agent has been there for many years, and she is very friendly and helpful and keeps the overall appearance of the grounds looking beautiful. The maintenance staff are also friendly and come out when called to make the necessary repairs. For the price, location, and amenities (family/pet friendly, garage, multi-level, etc.) I believe that it is a good deal in spite of the fact that there is no pool because nothing is perfect. And with friendly office staff that makes you feel welcome and wanted, you can easily overlook thin walls and minor issues. This rental property advertises as family friendly (which in my mind includes pets and children). There is a normal wear and tear that should be anticipated by management and some cycle of maintenance should be in place (like cleaning carpet, repainting walls, replacing carpets or flooring, replacing blinds, etc.). Also, some repairs are assumed to be at the expense of management (like repair/replacing interior doors, repairing/replacing dishwashers, repairing/replacing kitchen appliances, repairing/replacing bathroom fixtures, etc.). In all my years of renting in other apartment communities in the greater Lansing area, these are the type of maintenace issues that were covered by management. However, in this community and under the new management, there is a cost to the renter for any of the above issues. For example, an interior door came apart (it literally separated into two pieces - see picture). When I called to have the door replaced, I was told that when I paid $125 to replace the door, it would be ordered and installed. I decided to tape it and nail it together myself. When the roof leaked in my upstairs bedroom, maintenance came out and fixed the roof (eventually--they had a lot of roofs to fix), the ceiling was never really restored (see picture). When I noticed that my downstairs bedroom screen was missing, I called to request a new one and was told that I had to pay for it. Only after I put up a fight did she eventually agree to have the screen replaced at no cost. I admit that after the door issue, I won't even call to ask for repairs for fear that it will eventually cost me. The current philosophy by management is that when the unit was rented to you, it was all in tact. Therefore, any repairs needed are at the renter's expense. When I moved into my apartment over five years ago, the carpet had huge wrinkles and clearly not been replaced in a very long time. Carpet professionals offer the following concernng apartment carpet lifespan: 1. Apartment Grade Carpet Average Longevity: Low traffic 5 years Medium traffic 4 years Heavy traffic ` 3 years However, regularly scheduled professional cleaning and "stretching" could certainly extend the life of the carpet exponentially. Prior to current management, Willow Ponds did offer to have your carpets cleaned based on certain criteria at no cost to the resident. Also, the bathroom sinks were clean but dated. The linoleum that runs through the kitchen, laundry room and bathroom is worn and no longer able to be cleaned to its original "white" color (see picture). The dishwasher is missing many of the "tines" (see picture) and doesn't get the dishes clean. According to Fridgidare, the average lifespan of a dishwasher is 9 years with a replacement cost that could range between $240-$700, a small price to pay in order to make sure that residents are inspired to stay and help maintain an apartment community. The office and maintenance staff seem to be operating under the fear of management, wanting to help, but feeling pigeon held by management. This is much different than under the previous management. In reading the ratings listed for this community, it is obvious that prior to 2009 the reviews were all very good. There is only one current review in 2014 which tells the story about how the community is now. Many other residents that have had specific problems that I will not retell for them. I will let them tell their own story. Bottom line is that management makes the difference. When management creates new rules that forces the staff to deliver less than satisfactory service, who's the blame?. And when the units are not maintained, they become "an area of a city where poor people live and the buildings are in bad condition," otherwise known as slums. Wikipedia says, "[s]lum residences vary from shanty houses to professionally-built dwellings that because of poor-quality design or construction have deteriorated into slums. Many people who rent don't expect to have to endure the added expense of maintaining the unit as described above (which is why they move to apartments rather than rent/buy houses). So when they cannot afford to make the repairs and management refuses to make the repairs, you end up with deteriorating apartments that only poor people will eventually want to rent, and there goes the neighborhood. I recommended a friend move here a few years ago when we were under previous management, but I will never recommend anyone else to move here. Finally, there is definitely a disparity of treatment. If the manager likes you, you're good. Otherwise, you pay. Renter, beware!

Review 3 out of 17

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