Review History for butthaus

Shadowood


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butthaus

Resident 2014 - 2015

6/1/2015

Shadowood is a real mixed bag. Appearance:The apartments are tiny and old and the appliances are ancient unless you get one of the "rennovated" apartments, which have fairly unsubstantial cosmetic improvements considering how considerably more per month they cost. The grounds are fairly well kept however and are quite lovely in the spring and fall. Bugs are a *big* issue, expect roaches on the bottom floor apartments. Additionally, next to no natural light comes in. Neighborhood: Under no circumstance should you move here without a car. It's got a bus stop, which is nice, but by the time the bus arrives during rush hours it is already full. There's nothing else immediately accessible by foot, but nearly all you'd want from Chapel Hill is just a short drive. Nonresidents do park here to use the bus, but I personally never had a problem finding a space. The pool and gym are nice but always crowded with nonresidents; expect random people asking to be let into the amenities as you try to enjoy them. People don't clean the grills and the staff broke the firepit within a few days of it being installed by not covering it during a storm so just ignore them as features. Safety: Always seemed fine, the Chapel Hill Police HQ is right down the road. Your neighbors will be your biggest problem with the neighborhood, expect to hear them at all hours through the thin walls and ceilings and narrowly avoid them in the parking lot as they blow through it at 45 MPH. Another issue is dogs not being on leashes. None of the ones I have encountered were aggressive, but many are large and they *will* jump on you on a daily basis. Staff is aware of this and does nothing. If you are disabled or frail please be aware of this risk. Staff and Maintenance: The biggest flaw. Most of the staff are just part time students who work for reduced rent and don't have the authority to do anything. The only real staff member, Trevor, is almost never available and is generally unhelpful if he is. Maintenance is useless and unresponsive; there was an incident where my upstairs neighbors had an incident which badly damaged my apartment, rendering it mostly unusable. It took two weeks to (halfway) fix the issue, meaning that I could not use my kitchen or living room for half a month. I asked for a break on my month's rent in compensation and Trevor got hostile and insinuated that I should drop the issue or face a legal challenge. Don't expect any of your deposit back, you will get charged for everything including normal wear and tear no matter how careful you are or how much effort you put into your final cleanup. Also, THERE IS NO WAY OUT OF YOUR LEASE! Please read the fine print, you are stuck here for the full term. Finding someone to sublease is impossible as the staff actively try to impede the process by slapping a $300 fine on either you or the subleasee and by telling prospective renters that the apartments are full when that is not the case. Final Thoughts: There's better out there in Chapel Hill and you *really* need to make sure you can live here for the full lease term, but it's a modest improvement from a dorm room. If it's your only choice just pray you never need anything from the staff and you should have a mostly tolerable living experience. My recommendation to the complex management is to shake up the staff structure and have real employees who can make decisions on hand, and to have better leasing terms.

    Review 18 out of 107

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    March 2024

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