Barrington Gardens

anonymous

Resident • 2019 - 2020

If you are thinking of moving into Barrington or Sutton Pointe DO NOT DO IT! Maintenance is terrible Cassandra the manager is beyond rude and disrespectful. They absolutely DO NOT care about whatever situation you're dealing with. Too expensive for a 1bed 1bath it's absolutely not worth moving into you can find a much better place for a better price and a lot nicer workers. Both places are terrible seriously do not move to either place

Sun1982

Resident • 2017 - 2020

I have lived in a downstairs apartment/ground level for the last 3 years. Upstairs tenants were never an issue. Recently a new young couple moved upstairs. Actually they moved in during a major power outage at 1:00am on a weekday. That being said they are extremely loud, slamming doors, stomping on the floors, making excessive noise. Not only that but they have had guests and family over ever night since the night they moved in. It has been a month. Parking is tight and the upstarts tenants have had numerous parking Spaces ( about 6 every night ) filled up. This is a huge issue when actual people who live in the complex can't find parking bc of others having parties. My new neighbors also leave garbage including their dog poop bags left on their front steps. I am unsure if the materials used for the carpeting for upstairs units have been cheaply done, but as said before The last two renters never heard a peep. New renters are nightmares. No call back from front desk to complain. Over it

Kelly_S322

Resident • 2016 - 2018

Mold everywhere inside. Office staff is terrible. Hardly ever anyone in the office. Difficult to schedule repairs and they are poorly done. Dog ---- everywhere. Garbage dumpsters always overflowing. Electric bill is 300 for a tiny apartment set at 60-68 degrees because their heating system is ineffeciant. Hot water lasts for about 5 mins. Dishwasher inefficient. Snow removal is a joke. If it's a light snow they just let the sidewalks turn to ice until it melts. For heavy snow, they do a poor job plowing. Pool is tiny. Enough room for maybe 3 families. Not enough parking, never any spots open at night. Pay a lot for water and trash removal. Find somewhere else. This place sucks.

anonymous

Resident • 2010 - 2015

Qualified record: Lived there 5 years. Electric heat - expensive. Monthly winter heating 300-350. Water bill - imposed with rent , 72.00 (in 2014). Rent for 2 bedroom 1700.00 plus 72.00 water - increased 5% yearly over 5 years. Maintenance man is a pervert - acts as if he owns the community this has the right to come and go as he pleases (this is true). Extra cost to use their pool $35.00 per person over 3 years old. Cleanly hardened but, hey you're paying for that. Balloons at the front entrance - evidence of desperation. Each month there were at least 5-7 moving trucks - tenants exiting. They accept pets of any size - neighbor has 2 golden labs. Sweet dogs indeed however they pounced and barked. And, while there's an extra fee/deposit per pet, not every pet owner is responsible. The clean, well groomed landscape is riddled with piles of dog waste waiting for you to step into. The basement below my unit was infested with black mold. When called out on it, they said they had to open the basement vents. My migraine headaches seized shortly after we moved. Health department investigated. Management - mafia style tactics. Rent a house. Rent a condo. Rent a town home. Rent a tent. Don't waste your money here. When I moved out, there were 2 bedroom apartments filled with 10+ peopl2.

anonymous

Resident • 2013 - 2016

I totally agree with most of the negative comments on this page Ice cold in the winter because the kitchen living room and dining room are open spaced which cannot trap the heat . The only room where i actually feel the heat is in the bedroom or bathroom when i close the door . That is the only way to feel comfortable in the winter. The electric heat bills in the winter are outrageous . How do you run a complex on electric heat? Everyone uses gas. Either this is a cunning way to rip off the new tenants or whatever. Dumpsters are filthy looking like a sanitation dump . The ONLY reason i choose to reside here is total peace and quiet. I just happened to be blessed with neighbors that are so quiet you can not even hear a pindrop. Washer dryer is another issue. For some reason my clothes still come out smelling damp and musty as opposed to going to a laundromat using their industrial machines . Maintenance crew is nothing to write home about . I had a problem with the toilet making noise after you flush the water and i assume the maintenance guy heard it because his workshop was below my apt. Either that or my downstairs neighbor put in the complaint which i can understand. Got a letter addressing issue of people stuffing toilets with garbage, tampons, paper towels. toy dolls etc etc. None of that applied to me but i felt as though they were inadvertently accusing me. After the former maintenance guy spent almost an hour trying to fix it . I overheard him saying "f this f that " obviously he was frustrated because he couldnt come up with solution. I came up with the simplest solution. Tap the flush handle a few times in the upward position and bingo problem solved . All that huffin and puffin knocking yourself out for nothing. Most recently during the summer months i had this himalayan moth issue . They actually built nests in the cabinet and the kitchen ceilings They infiltrated my cabinets and ate through most of the food which was not stored in glass or plastic container. Orkin man bait applicator gun did nothing to resolve the issue while they continued to blame me for the problem citing some of the open items stored in my cabinets. Bottom line these moths or mesquitos shouldnt be here in the first place . So far it has not been an issue over the last few months but i dont count out a return in the near future . A year ago i had to deal with not one but two flying squirrels that made their way into the apt via the rooftop. Scared the living crap out of me because they resembled rats but the tail gave them away. Maintenance guy set traps on the roof with peanut butter and so far havent seen one since.

anonymous

Resident • 2010 - 2016

I would like to clear up some of these reviews, that are so overboard! The community is beautiful, and well maintained. The apartment interiors are renovated, clean and also have a washer & dryer in them. There are no hidden fees. Everything is explained up front. You have an electric, water,sewer & trash bill. If you have a pet there is a pet fee. No other fees. Check with the Aberdeen Police station with reference to the so called crime at the community. You will receive an outstanding review of the community.

anonymous

Resident • 2015 - 2016

Look elsewhere! Overpriced with extra fees renters do not pay at other locations, only to live in both a dirty and dangerous apartment neighborhood. In terms of appearance, I constantly saw trash outside. I often saw not only dog business not picked up, and overflowing trash bins, but beer bottles and other food trash that was there for weeks at a time. The maintenance staff were usually spotted sitting in their golf carts, doing minimal work, and somehow driving past all this disgusting garbage. Now in terms of the danger in this neighborhood, this is what made us leave. Not only leave, but actually find a different place to live and continue to pay our lease at Barrington anyway until it was done just so we didn't have to be afraid, regardless of money wasted. In the last few months of living there, several new tenants moved in that were constantly physically and verbally fighting outside of their apartments and in plain sight with non-residents. Screaming, cursing, shoving, banging on each other's doors became the new normal, even early in the morning and even on Christmas Day. Non-resident men would bang on the doors of a resident for hours, so loudly I could hear it in my bedroom from across the courtyard. Then, the non-residents began approaching me, who was a resident. They not only asked me for rides home when the resident would not answer, but repeatedly knocked on our door at 10pm and sat on our steps (we did not know him personally). This happened multiple times. Cops were repeatedly there at all hours of morning and night for the belligerence. Neighbors constantly stood by the window of our kitchen, selling and using drugs. When I approached management numerous times about my safety concerns, I was told to call the police and there was nothing they could do as management. I read through the by laws given by Barrington, which states that residents are responsible for their guests and own behavior not being a nuisance to other residents, which means it was in fact a management issue. Every time I said I felt in danger, even afraid to leave my door at night, I was told there was nothing they could do. I was also told that the resident had a restraining order and the scary non-resident was arrested, so that took care of the problem. Not only did that not take care of it, because that scary man came back within days, but new dangerous men and women appeared in his place. If you have children, or expect to live in a safe neighborhood, look elsewhere. The crime, filth, and lack of due diligence in an efficient time is not worth the money you will pay to live here. We literally moved out of our place, while continuing to pay rent there, just to be safe again.

magg3si2

Resident • 2015 - 2016

I have just moved out and this has been the worst nightmare of my life. don't even look just go running to find another place to live. the worst nightmare of all was when I got home from work one day and there were slugs (yes you heard me right) slugs on my bedroom floor. OMG I like to freak out big time. I called the maintenance people and they said they will come when they can so I had to go and stay at my moms. I called the office the next day and they said "wow we are surprised we have never had that happen before" I said well I think this place is built on a swamp and they said "we don't know" seriously people of course you know you just don't want to divulge that information. another problem I had was a leak in my bathroom ceiling. took them a month to fix, left a place bag taped to the ceiling for another month and then got around to plastering it close. I had problems with giant centipede spiders and I mean huge ones... yuck back track when I moved in I had dog hair (long hair) clumped on my blinds, my air condition units and all over the place. I called the office on it and they said hmmm that's odd we have a cleaning service come in and clean before someone moves in and I said well they didn't. p.s. they did nothing and I had to scrub it myself. I can go on and on about how much of a horror it is to live in Barrington Gardens but I don't have all do. so think twice, heck think three times before you sign that lease. look into everything. ask a million questions. heck I would talk to the other renters (if they will even talk to you) for all the money you have to pay to live here plus paying for water, trash, sewerage etc, I would get all the facts first. good luck.....

anonymous

Resident • 2015

i have to agree what everyone has said. i have only been living there a few months and am already lookig for a new place to move into. i would never recommend this place to anyone. don't even get out of your car, not worth your trouble. the people upsatirs are so noisy i have to bang a broom just to get them to quiet down (after 10pm) you can even hear them talking and they are supposed to have rugs. the place wasn't even cleaned good before i moved in. animal hair was everywhere, A/C, heating vents, up and down the blinds. and when you complain about the staff says not my problem. really not your problem, this is your apartments how disgusting are you to rent a place that doesnt have deep cleaning done. mold come out on the walls all the time and has to be bleached.. what a health risk is it so even live here. i can't wait till my lease is up and i can out of this death trap. p.s. nothing is included in your rent. you have to pay electric, water, sewarage, trash fee.

anonymous

Resident • 2014 - 2017

Have lived here almost 3 years and my wife and i are very happy. Maintenance requests get done in a timely manner, grounds are kept up with the occasional pile of dog waste (no fault of the property management team but the pet owner) but as soon as you tell the office it is picked up almost immediately. As long as you are on the budget plan with the electric company your bill will NEVER be over $125 but closer to $75. I'm not really sure what the rest of these people are talking about because I have recommend this property to friends and they are happy as well. Probably people who got evicted for not paying rent but again, we have not had one problem!

anonymous

Resident • 2010 - 2015

It sucks to live here. They charge extra fees for garbage and they don't even have dumpsters no more. The water heater is not big enough for 2 people. It is only a half size water heater and we run out of hot water after a 10 minute shower. Mold growing all over the walls and onto our stuff. We complained and they said it's not their problem and just call your insurance company. We had to throw out thousands of dollars worth of stuff covered in mold. No vents in the bathroom. All the moisture attracts centipedes and other water-loving bugs. Stove/microwave vents right back into the apartment. Can hear everything going on through the walls. Lots of employee turnover. On our third new leasing employee just this year. New handymen. Property manager is burnt out. All of them useless. 7% raise on lease renewals.

anonymous

Resident • 2015

The two, new maintenance employees, -------------- are the worst. They don't do any work. They don't respond to work orders and goof off all day. The other day, they were standing in the middle of the street (blocking traffic like 2 arrogant jerks) and flying a remote-controlled, toy airplane. ----- spends a solid 30 minutes each day hitting on the new female postal carrier. He literally sits in his golf cart to wait for her to arrive at the property. Then he pretends like it is a chance encounter and accosts her. It's pathetic to watch. ---- nods off in his golf cart, hiding behind a building. They do all this while on the clock and Home Properties pays them and while there are open work orders that they haven't responded to. They get away with a lot because the property manager is not here full-time. There is no oversight. They do just enough to cover their asses in front of her. They are dishonest people and even lie and say work is completed, when in reality, it is not. The property manager never bothers to follow up with the tenants to confirm if their work was actually performed. She just believes whatever they tell her. Contrary to Home Properties policy, ---- refuses to wear shoe booties when performing maintenance in your apartment. He stomps his dirty boots all over the floor. Getting him to do work is like pulling teeth. He will complain that the problem is "not so bad" and its "worse at his house". He will tell you complain more than his wife. I've never had to work so hard to convince someone to just do their job. It's like dragging a donkey to water. ---- will always look for the easiest way out of a work order. If the job requires too much effort, he will just say that it is not so bad it doesn't need to be fixed. The general consensus of the community is that the staff is highly unprofessional and maintenance has just gone downhill. There are so many tenants that have said that the new personnel are not up to par. Maintenance is very rude and arrogant to the tenants. They only suck up to the Home Properties bosses, so they can keep their job doing the least amount of work possible. The apartments have major bug problems...roaches, centipedes, spiders, ants, ladybugs. Somehow, they all get in through the crevices. These buildings are old. They slap a fresh coat of paint on it and try and pass it off as something better. When you live here, you will realize, that it's not. None of the staff (not even maintenance) even choose to live here. All year round, there is a perpetual "leasing now" sign and a pile of balloons. There are a high number of vacancies because no one wants to live here. Also, there is construction on the parkway exit closest to this community. Expect to tack on an extra half hour on to your commute, because you now have to drive another exit farther and then double back and come back, in order to exit the Parkway. Same thing with the Route 35 exit. Dumbest detours ever. Construction has been taking months and it's not getting resolved any time soon. When speaking to the leasing agents, keep in mind that (1) they work on commission and (2) none of them live here and have experienced it.

moni1126

Resident • 2015

I am currently renting and will not be renewing my 2nd year lease. The staff is extremely unprofessional and lacks knowledge whenever questions come about. They never seem to have an accurate explanation on the HIDDEN fees that are calculated into the absurd monthly rent. My neighbor has a 2 family apartment and we pay the same monthly rent. A mystery yet to be solved. Insects plague the community and end up inside the apartment which is a tremendous problem and affects other residents as well. A recent event that occured with a resident at the community resulted in an altercation between the cops due to a threating message that was sent stating that everyone will be killed. The resident returned into the complex and many feel unsafe, especially for their children. This sends a message that a background check was not done as per policy. In all, i as well as others are very disgusted and disappointed with Barrington Gardens.

anonymous

Resident • 2015

They hit you up for garbage fees on top of your rent, but they let the garbage overflow. The garbage all over attracts rats. There is a lotta rats at night all ova the place. I had problems with my ride. The auto shop lifted the hood and found a rats nest. The rat chewed through the wiring in my ride. Costed thousands of dollars to fix. Maintenance here is a waste. Lazy --- ----s. Don't live here. It's a dump.....literally man.

anonymous

Resident • 2015

The three main reasons I would not live here again are the poor maintenance, the hidden fees, and the inefficient, electric heat. Poor Maintenance Initially maintenance was excellent. When the original maintenance man, ----, worked here, he was always responsive, knowledgeable in his job, and courteous. However, they transferred ---- to another property and replaced him with 2 new guys. The 2 new guys really don't care about responding to any work orders. It's amazing to me that ---- could single-handedly accomplish twice as much as these 2 idiots who are now running the place. I had a serious issue in my apartment. It is now close to 30 days and neither of these 2 guys came to address the issue. When the issue first presented itself, I duly filed a work order and there was no action. I see these guys around the complex and ask when they are coming to fix it. There answer is always "I'll be there tomorrow." I waste the entire next day waiting for them to show up and they never do. This has happened at least 3 occasions of them promising to "be there tomorrow" and me waiting all day and no one shows up. The simple fact of the matter is that they just don't care. They do not even have the courtesy to tell you that they cannot make their appointment. They just let you wait all day for them not to show up. Hidden Fees The second issue is the hidden fees. While they advertise a very enticing base rent. You have to factor in the additional monthly hidden fees. They are the: $9/month trash fee, $25/month water and $45/month sewer, and $3.50/month administrative fee. When I spoke with the leasing consultant, they never mentioned the $3.50/month administrative fee. It is really just an extra fee for their out-sourced company to prepare your utility bill! So they are essentially billing you to prepare your bill. In addition, most other apartment complexes do not charge for sewer fee. Barrington Gardens does charge sewer and it's averaging $45/month!! Moreover, your water bill is not individually metered to your unit. The water bill for the entire complex is divided by all the residents. So you are essentially paying for the water that your wasteful neighbor spends and squeezes in 10 people into their apartment who all take baths. It really does not encourage water conservation. Inefficient Electric Heat The third issue is the heat. The entire complex is electric. That means your washer, dryer, AND heat are electric too. The heat is a very old, baseboard, electric heat. They are so old that 2 baseboards in my apartment never produce heat. I also have 2 broken dial thermostats that consistently register 90 degrees, when it is truly 55 degrees in the apartment. The electric heat not only costs substantially more than gas, but it is not efficient. It takes a really long time for the unit to heat up. It is very costly to maintain the heat. You can easily spend $500/month in electric fees during the winter for 55 degree heat. In addition, the heating system is set for a forced minimum temperature. So you could never fully try to lower your heat to conserve energy. Even worse, the apartments were built in the 1970s and not well insulated, especially around the windows. On a windy day, I can actually feel the wind coming through my closed window. I really don't appreciate it when it was 20 degrees during the winter. Moreover you lose a lot of heat through the mail slots. Not only do you lose a lot of heat through the in-door mail slots, but a lot of bugs manage to squeeze through there too. I have a family of centipedes and beetles that come through there every single day. No matter how hard I try to get rid of them, they always come back. Had the maintenance people been the slightest bit responsive, I would not have written this review. But in all fairness to future prospects, you should be aware that if there is a problem with your apartment, most likely no one is going to come fix it. Keep this in mind as they try to lock you in to those 1 year leases. There is no escape. A lot of what makes the apartment is the staff. While the old staff was commendable. The new maintenance people and leasing agent are really not up to par. If I had the opportunity to choose again, I would not have moved in here. It was a mistake. Other negative factors are the thin walls/noise and lack of amenities.

anonymous

Resident • 2011 - 2014

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME, THERE ARE MUCH BETTER APTS THAN THIS ONE. THE RENTS HERE ARE OUTRAGEOUS, IV LIVED HERE FOR 3 YRS AND WAS NEVER HAPPY AT ALL. THE OFFICE STAFF IS HORRIBLE TO WORK WITH IV GIVEN THEM THE FEE PLUS 1 MO RENT AND NOW THEY HAVE A CREDIT AGENCY AFTER ME SAYING I NEVER PAID...THIS MANAGEMENT TEAM HERE IS A JOKE. EVERY UNIT IN HERE IS ALL ELECTRIC, DURING SANDY ALL THE TENANTS WERE TRYING TO LIVE IN HERE WITH NO POWER AT ALL.THE OFFICE KNEW BUT THEY DIDNT DO ----...THE OFFICE STAFF NEVER DONE ANYTHING TO HELP EVERYONE OUT..THEY JUST NEVER CARED.. AFTER MY 2 YR STAY HERE THEY DECIDED TO HAVE TENANTS PAY FOR GARBAGE REMOVAL..LOL WHO EVER HEARD OF THIS..ITS ONLY HERE AT BARRINGTON WHERE YOU HERE RIDICULOUS IDIOTIC THINGS LIKE THIS. PEOPLE MOVE OUT OF HERE EVERYDAY..THEY DO NOT STAY LONG IN HERE AT ALL..WHEN YOU WITNESS THAT ..THEN YOU KNOW SOMETHING IS UP....

anonymous

Resident • 2014 - 2015

Come here if you want to get price gouged and pay way too much for what you get. They claim to have restrictions on attack breeds but that is subject to change depending on how bad they need to fill a unit as you will encounter German Sheppard's and the occasional pit bull. And whatever they don't rip from your pockets while you are here they will definitely get from you on your way out. Nice grounds but not worth the outrageous prices

StrixVaria

Resident • 2011 - 2014

Don't live here if you have a dog. There are lots of dogs here, but they gouge you in every way they can. They charge a dog fee of $50/month/dog, plus a $300 initial fee just to be allowed to have a dog in the first place. Then, when you finally move out, those fees don't even count towards damages done by the dog. I mean, really, what's the point of collecting the money if it doesn't even cover anything? They're making a fortune off this, and it's just a sinkhole of money for the residents. The water/sewer bill is ridiculously overpriced, coming to $80+ every month. It's very easy to hear neighbors through walls and floors. I heard the stampeding sounds of the dog in the apartment below me; I don't even want to know what it was like to be on the 1st floor. They keep the place looking adequate, but it's nothing special. They do at least plow the snow away in a fairly timely manner; I've never had trouble leaving the complex (although the roads nearby may be a different story). I repeatedly reported the same problem, and the maintenance people kept coming back and doing the same temporary solution over and over so the problem recurred again and again. This happened for multiple different problems (doorbell, shower drain, toilet paper holder falling off the wall). The 3rd air conditioner in the second bedroom was installed while we were living in the apartment. They did not install a separate fuse for it, so the air conditioner wound up being on the same fuse for both bedrooms. We had to turn off the air conditioner to use the hair dryer, or else it would blow a fuse. With this complex, they're just trying to extract as much money from you as possible, while doing as little for you as possible.

anonymous

Resident • 2011 - 2013

This is a good place to live and it has its negatives as well. I will give both so you can make an informed decision. Please note, because of my background, I notice construction and hardware quality more then the average person. This will be a long review but I know I appreciate a long review. Both the management staff and the management company are solid, trustworthy, honest and very good to deal with. They have a 24 hour response policy to issues. I suggest email, the online form, or going in person as they are not responsive to messages left on machine though. The maintenance staff is a pleasure to deal with. Friendly and really do care about taking care of issues. After we first moved in we had a roof leak, it took them a few attempts to find the source of the problem and they discussed what they were doing each time and what they would have to do next if it d not work. I was happy with their response and how they handled it. The grounds are well maintained and attractive and the exterior of all the buildings are excellent and well maintained. This is a small community set in a single home development area so it is a very nice setting. This is a dog friendly community and there are many dogs. For the most part, people are good about cleaning up after their dogs. The community has 3 stations for this and the bags are always available. I have seen bags run out, here and there, but they are filled within a day or two and it isn't ever all 3 stations. The stations started getting a bit old so they just replaced them all. They have repaved and redone sidewalks and front steps and painted all front doors since I have been here. All the windows are double pain with the cross bars in-between and tilt in for cleaning. The screens are all in great condition but not rising style. There are basic construction grade mini blinds in all windows and they will replace them every two years but since they are construction grade they are not easy to clean and get very dirty. There are private entrances for all apartments but the front doors are poorly insulated so that is a major place for heat or cooling loss. There are wall unit air conditioners under windows, which I prefer to units in windows or wall units taking up usable wall space somewhere else. There are two air conditioners; 1 living, 1 bedroom. I believe in the 2 bedrooms there is a 3rd unit in the 2nd bedroom. The living room unit is good but the kitchen and bathroom do not get cooled well because of the floor plan. The areas around the air conditioner units are messy in terms of insulating and spackling but not much cooling or heating loss around it. They cover the exterior of all air conditioners every winter too. The window sills are not very smooth or attractive due to not sanding or doing proper filler work in-between painting. I believe that is pretty standard in apartments unless they are high-end luxury. The heating is baseboard and there is one in each room; on the outside walls in most rooms, and behind the door in the bathroom. For furniture placement and proper heating this is pretty well done. There are 4 separate thermostats (zones) - Kith/Din, Living/Hallway, Bedroom, and Bathroom. I believe the 2 bedrooms are 5 zones with one in each bedroom. There are no light fixtures in the Living room. There is a ceiling fan light combo fixture in the dining room. It is silver with a center covered dome for light, which I prefer to the tulip light style. The dome style light is also in the kitchen and hallway but no ceiling fans. A ceiling fan in the kitchen would help a great deal with cooling. The living rooms are decent size 12 x17. Upstairs apartments don't have outlets on the short wall by the stairs which would be better if they did. There are ample outlets throughout the apartment (Liv 4, Din 3, Kitch 4, Bed 4, Hallway 1, Bath 1) They are all grounded outlets and the kitchen and bath outlets have testers. The carpeting is neutral and either cleaned or replaced between tenants depending on use. The hardwood floors are refinished between tenants. Upstairs apartments are carpet and downstairs are hardwood. This helps with noise from upper to lower floor. I would say the noise from apartment to apartment is pretty good here. I have been in other places where you can hear everything but here it is only things that are LOUD not talking or tv's or stereos. If your place is completely silent you may be able to hear something in other apartments but even then it seems to be pretty muffled. Some neighbors do slam their doors and that does vibrate other apartments. There is an assortment of white and blue collar here, with and without kids, as well as a few seniors. Pretty much everyone is friendly and I happen to have really GREAT neighbors that have become friends. The pool is smaller and round but very nice and the area has ample umbrella tables/chairs and lounge chairs and is well maintained. There is a separate kiddy pool too. We have a life guard, so the pool area is only open during set hours. The hours are not enough. Only weekends in the beginning of the season and then sometime in June, the pool is 7 days a week but weekdays are not late so if you work, you don't use it; and the gate is locked so there is NO access after hours. I would like to see better hours or have adult residents sign a waiver about the life guard and have a key card that identifies them so if anything is a problem they have a record of who is responsible. The pool fees are also a bit expensive, they are $45 per person per year, and you HAVE to pay for each person in your apartment. Kids under a certain age are less. I do like having a fee though; the pool is not ever crowded because of it. There is no diving but you can bring things like noodles or other things, just clear with the life guard and you can t leave anything there. I say the fee is expensive because the rent here is already pretty high so the additional fee is just another cost on top of high rent. Without extended pool hours, for people that work, it isn't that useable. There are additional guest fees for the pool as well; $7.00 per adult per day and kids under a certain age are free. You can only buy the passes if you have a resident pool pass too. They do have a few FREE/Open days each season for both residents and guests of residents. The only access is walking down a parking lot to the area. The other side of the pool area backs up to the property in one of the courtyards, they should also have an entrance there as that is completely on the grounds, no parking lot, and wouldn t disturb anyone. They also host a BBQ each year with all kinds of catered food, DJ, and prizes. Outside the pool area, there are two small BBQ's with two tables and umbrellas. They are very small and charcoal but no reservation is needed so first-come-first-serve. There are courtyards between all the buildings which vary in size. They are good for kids to play and to just sit outside. There are sidewalks all around the property; great for walking. There is an OK amount of parking and since the complex is small it is not ever a far walk. There are no assigned spaces so if someone does have guests, parking gets tight. All parking areas and the entire property is reasonably lit and I feel really safe. There are a decent amount of trash dumpsters and a few cardboard and mixed recycling dumpsters. All are in parking areas so it is easy to take out your trash when going to your car. There is no charge for parking either. Garages are available to rent. They are $60 a month with remote openers. The garages are all open to each other in the interiors (they have 1/2 walls) and are like basements, moldy, musty, so not for storage that requires climate control. There have not been any problems with theft that I am aware of from garage to garage either. There are only a few garages so if you even think you may want one, put yourself on the waiting list, you can always turn it down when it comes up. The leases are month to month so you can cancel anytime too. Also snow removal here is pretty decent, they come all hours of night and early morning to plow and shovel and they salt really well with pet safe salt. Also buckets of salt are on every set of 4 apartments, in case tenants need more. In the hurricanes only the basement areas and some garage areas saw some flooding, no apartments got damaged as the buildings are brick with cement raised foundations. We are surrounded by streams so the fact that this place is not prone to flood damage in the apartments is a huge plus. The kitchens in the 1 bedroom are huge for an apartment and they are reasonable in the 2 bedrooms too. There is ample cabinet space and decent counter space. The eat in-kitchens can fit a small table with 2 chairs but not 4 if you still want ample space. Some of the newer kitchens are open to the dining room with breakfast bars. The older apartment s appliances are less then 6 years old. The cabinets are all solid wood with a honey stain and no pulls. The sink is construction grade stainless steel with a base grade center pull kitchen faucet in polished nickel and no sprayer. The counters are neutral formica with half bullnose edges, so nothing special. The floors are basic vinyl roll out to look like tile, which is cheap but they are neutral off-white and easy to clean. For the rents here they should be laminate. The newer apartments have stainless steel appliances that are 3 years or less old, have granite look covered counter tops that are not bull nosed, and maple stained wood cabinets with pulls. I live in an older model, they were just putting in the stainless and we opted out as we didn't feel it was worth the extra money. All stoves are electric and so is the heat. There are full self cleaning stoves/ovens with overhead exhaust and microwaves in all kitchens and there are base grade dishwashers and base grade top freezer fridges in all apartments. Appliances are either white in older units or stainless in newer. I tried our self cleaning oven once and the smell was so horrible I could not continue it and have not used it since. I have heard the same from other tenants, have not reported it yet as I can clean my oven pretty easy anyway. The pictures online of the kitchens are accurate. You also see the color of the carpets and the ceiling fan and kitchen light fixture. The 1 or 2 bedrooms have either a dining room or den - if it is a dining room then you enter the kitchen from the dining room and there is a nice size cut out in the wall between the kitchen and dining room. This is nice as it gives a more open feel and if you are crafty you can make that cutout ledge a breakfast bar. If it is a den then there is NO cut out between the dining and kitchen and you enter the kitchen from the living room. The dining room becomes the den and they have french doors between the den (former dining room) and living room. The den design does lessen the counter and cabinet space. The den floor plan is also a little more expensive. The walls are painted with basic construction grade white flat paint in most rooms which I know hides flaws best but sucks for scuffs and cleaning...Eggshell is always a better choice and for what they charge in rent it should be done. All the interior doors are hollow but are the 6 panel with scroll shaped brushed nickel door knobs. In the bathroom and kitchen they do use eggshell or satin paint so that is a bit easier to clean. You can also get touch-up painting every 2 years. The bathrooms are all white with ceramic tile showers. The floors are large tile that has marble like veining in neutral taupe and white tones. The grout is grey so it cleans pretty well and hides dirt. The sink/vanity is construction grade with basic grade center pull shiny nickel faucet and solid surface composite sink/vanity top in off-white neutral. There is only one towel bar in a modern style and shiny nickel. We put hooks on the door back and next to the shower; we used the brushed nickel look stick ones and they have held well. The Mirror/Medicine Cabinet is above the sink, simple construction grade with decent storage. The Lighting for the bathroom is above the mirror and is triple tulip style, facing downward, in brushed nickel with clouded glass. It is more modern in design and good lighting for the bathroom. There is a small linen closet in bathroom which holds your small water heater and 3 shelves. The bizarre feature is the toilet paper holder; it is above the tank on the toilet. This is inconvenient so just get a stand alone and put an over the toilet shelf unit around the toilet and you won't see it. The shower curtain rob is permanent and the tub is standard size with a construction grade shower head. You can easily change the shower head and the management doesn't care as long as you change it back when you leave. There is a small window in all the bathrooms with privacy glass. In the 2 bedrooms the window is in the shower/tub though. There is a closet in the hallway, next to the bathroom, that contains your stacked washer and dryer with a little space on the side and behind the unit. There is a closet in the living room. In the downstairs units this is a pretty nice size that goes deep under the stairs, in the upstairs it is smaller but decent size. All closets in the apartments have wire organizers. The living room and bedroom closets have a double shelf with attached rods for hanging, not accommodating for long coats or dresses though. I bought a garment rack and it fits in the living room closet sideways, but MEASURE before you buy. There are no lights in the closets so it can be hard to see in them, especially the bedroom closet. The master bedroom has a semi walk in closet, which only means it is a bit deeper then a standard closet. It was once a true walk in but it was cut in half for the washer/dryer closet. It has a regular door, no sliders or bi-fold. This actually works fine as it gives you more wall space. But these apartments do NOT have much closet space overall. The bedroom closet, that is basically standard sliding door size - small linen closet - and then living room closet. We did get wardrobes from IKEA that work. The bedroom is big enough for a double bed, 2 double drawer night stands on either side of the bed, a dresser, 2 wardrobes, and a small shelf for a small TV. There is still plenty of room to get ready and walk all around the room. No light fixtures in the bedroom though, so get lamps. The 2 bedrooms have a slightly smaller closet in the 2nd bedroom so it only helps if you this is a guest room or office for you. There are windows in every room so a nice amount of natural light. All the roofs are less then 10 years old here too. The rents are unjustly high. The upgrades of new roofs, thermal windows, and washer/dryers are good but they had raised the rents for that; but then choosing to re-design within 5 years of last upgrade, just to add some high end looking features is poor management in my opinion and does not support the $200-plus a month increase in two years. They aren t doing enough to justify the rents. Add moldings, full bull-nose edge all counters, under-mount new sinks, step one grade up on all faucets, use porcelain covered bathroom sinks over one step better made vanities. Properly sand and fill all walls and window sills, Lay laminate in kitchens, use eggshell paint in warm off white or pale grey and put a ceiling fan in the kitchen. There are no other amenities like fitness room or business centers, balconies, or included utilities. $2400 more a year for appliances and counter tops is a lot for just a couple of appearances in a kitchen. They have a 30 day trial policy that states you move in and if you are not happy for any reason you can leave and you loose your security and rent for the time you were there but no penalty. Our rent was raised 5% the first renewal and 6% the 2nd renewal so it just keeps getting more expensive and we don t get any of the latest redesign. You can transfer apartments without penalty but will pay the current rent rate on them. The pet policy does have a non refundable deposit and a monthly charge. The non-refundable deposit, I understand, but the monthly fee is really ridiculous!! The deposit is $350 one time then $30 per cat per month and $50 per dog per month. 2 Pet limit with no weight restrictions but breed restrictions. I would rather pay a higher non-refundable deposit and no monthly fee. They do have laundry facilities here too as the apartments didn't originally have washer/dryers and there are still some tenants from then. You can not rent new here without the washer and dryer so you can't opt out and save. The laundry facilities are an additional cost per use. Aside from the one ceiling leek I had, the only other issue I had was many of the areas where my walls meet the ceiling bubbled and cracked...they checked for moisture and it was not moisture, it is just simply lots of painting, spackling, and it getting old after layer over layer. I know of a couple other residents that have had the same issue. Only two though, so it isn't a rampant issue. They would really make these places look great and eliminate that issue if they just installed molding, because of composite molding, they could do it inexpensive too. They fixed it, they took off the old tape, re-spackled, sanded and then touch-up painted. You can paint here, it is not in your lease, but basically if you paint you HAVE to prime it before you leave or else they will charge you. You can also hang things on the walls or put in curtain rods, again, spackle all holes before you leave. We are JCP&L electric and since everything is electric, you loose your stove, heat, and hot water when the power goes out. Only trash removal is included. Water/Sewer you pay and it is about $65 per month for two people in 1 bedroom. My electric is between $110 & $220 mthly - I am on an equal pay plan that has it at $141 a month now. The electric bill is higher in the winter because of the heat. There are separate electric meters for each apartment but water is divided by units occupied and tenants in each apartment. Forget credit for when there is power outages or a hurricane, that won't happen with electric or water. Cable is Optimum and you can get Verizon Fios and they do allow dish. For some reason both Matawan and Aberdeen seem to do a lot of water line work and I have been without water, for a few hours during the day, 10 different times. Sometimes the management warns you and sometimes they don't, that seems to be if the township communicates it to them though so not Barrington s fault. The hot water tank is small - only 1 person can take a hot shower and then you have to have a 20 minute break. There is so much nearby, beaches, Cheesequake, lots of food stores, restaurants, and bars, good take out Italian, Chinese, & Mexican. Matawan has a cool town fair each fall. The train station is about a 3 minute drive and NJ Transit bus to Port Authority picks up and drops off right at the corner of the complex (you do need to tell the driver to stop at Barrington on way from NYC but it is on route and I have not ever had an issue). Freehold is about 25 minutes away. Delicious Orchards is about 25 mins away and we are very close to exit 120 on GSP. 34, 35, 36 are all super close. Rt 9 is pretty close and so is 18. There is an amazing small grocer with delicious fresh made food close by - Livottis Market. BJ's is very close and Costco is about 20 mins away. Collingswood Auction is about 30 mins away. The Aberdeen/Matawan train station parking lot has a flea market each weekend May to October too. The train station is all paid parking. Daily is $3.00 and you HAVE to get there before 7:30 am to get a spot. Matawan lot only takes cash and Aberdeen lot takes credit cards. Parking passes are wait listed. Apply to both Matawan and Aberdeen. I got lucky and got one from Aberdeen within 3 months. But typically it is years from what I understand. The parking is paid yearly or quarterly and runs $40 monthly. If your parking pass is not visible, THEY WILL TICKET YOU AND YOU CAN NOT GET OUT OF IT. The Matawan passes hang from your rear view mirror but the Aberdeen pass is a cling and it doesn't cling, so TAPE IT! There are surrounding lots that you can call about monthly parking; the cheapest is $60.00 per month and everywhere tickets. Generally, I feel that the 1 bedrooms were a great bang for you buck when I fist moved here ($1220 mth with $500 security special now I am over $1350), but because of the stainless upgrades, I feel this place is now overpriced. If they want to charge $1400 for new tenants in a 1 bedroom, then they need to do a lot more then some counter tops, cabinet stain and pulls and appliances. I understand supply and demand, but people are still not working or spending in other ways. The hurricane inflated things and that is temporary and even with that the CPI has not gone up on Rentals in this market as much as Barrington has raised their rents. My advice is to make your list of important items and compare and try and talk to current tenants of any place you are thinking of going to get the truth on utility, maintenance, parking, and neighbors. That not being easy to find out is why we have stayed so far and not gone someplace more reasonably priced. They nickel and dime you to death here after they overcharge on rent...but management and maintenance are really good. Price is the only reason I have ever heard from anyone that has left here and unfortunately there have been a lot. I know this was very long but hopefully it will help you not only about Barrington, but what too look for at other places.

droman79

Resident • 2012 - 2013

I think there are a lot of positive things about living in Barrington Gardens, unfortunately there are also a couple of (major) negatives as well. I'll start with the positives: - The on-site staff is absolutely tremendous. They get to know you, they respond quickly to any issues, and they maintain the property as well as they can. - I'd say as a whole, our neighbors are tremendous. It's truly a safe, welcoming community - It's in a great location, close to major highways, good shopping around, easy to get around. Unfortunately, the negatives - You can hear EVERYTHING going on in the apartments around you. Unfortunately, it so happens that our downstairs neighbor feels that it is appropriate to hold loud conversations starting at 11:00 PM and sometimes running past 3 in the morning. It makes it impossible to sleep. I literally have to sleep on the couch in order to fall asleep. It sounds like she is right inside our bedroom. - The rent is really too high. I can rent a house for the same cost (and I will be soon). There is no justification for the rent being so high. Most nearby apartments are hundreds of dollars less. All in all, I enjoy living here. But the negatives are just so much that we have decided not to renew our lease (cost of rent has more of an impact than the noisy neighbor).

anonymous

Resident • 2012

Barrington Gardens was my top choice, only because the apartment we looked at was newly renovated. Who doesn't like new things. The staff is friendly, grounds are well kept, and our neighbors are quiet. Parking isn't a big issue, although after 8pm, it does get hard to find a spot. Some people in our unit like to slam their doors each time they go in and out of their apartment, so the if you live on the second floor, the floors do vibrate. Like another post said, the apartment does let in a lot of sun light. My only complaint would be that the rent is expensive, and the fact you have to pay for electric and water, is a turn off. You do have to pay for monthly sewer services which is always double my water bill. Overall, I do feel safe and love that the township has a 10pm quiet law. The apartments are very spacious with a nice big kitchen, especially for an apartment.

jerseyguystuck

Resident • 2008 - 2012

I've been a resident for 4 yrs, but not that social. Overall, it's rather overpriced. If you don't need a washer & dryer in your apartment, there are better places to rent in Aberdeen/Matawan. Residence pay water and electric (electric range, heat, and hot water). My electric bill for a 1br ranges from $150 to $200 - usually closer to $200. My water bill is around $65. Winter here can be pretty rough. Snow is removed by one guy shoveling and one guy plowing. I feel bad for the guy who has to shovel because it's a decent sized complex with a lot of walkways. The buildings have poor insulation. During the winter, the walls will be ice cold. The attics aren't vented. So if you have a 2nd floor apt, you'll need to leave an air conditioner running during the summer. Otherwise, your apt will easily heat up to 90 or worse. Parking is becoming a problem and the overflow lot is a little creepy. You can usually find a spot before 7 pm. But after that, you'll probably end up in that creepy overflow lot. The Matawan/Aberdeen area is decent and very safe. Shopping is fairly convenient - you can find just about anything within a 20 min drive. The Freehold Raceway Mall is about 30 min down Main St. The Menlo Park Mall is about 15 min away, but it can be a scary 15 min depending on traffic. There are great shopping centers down Rt 35 in Middletown. There's some shopping centers on Rt 9 in Old Bridge, but it's not hard to go a bit further into Woodbridge (Rt 35 north to Rt 9 north). There's a Stop & Shop, Shoprite, and Bed Bath & Beyond here in town with lots of pharmacies, banks, and restaurants. There are also a number of parks and trails in the area. I personally love Cheesequake, but there's also the Henry Hudson Trail and several water front parks and beaches (bay beaches, not ocean beaches). Sandy Hook is close, but there's usually a lot of traffic to get there. The Aberdeen-Matawan train station is just down the road. You can probably walk it. If you visit Manhattan often, then the walk probably won't bother you. Don't bother driving there unless you're going in the late afternoon or evening. There's not enough parking and the wait list for a parking permit is 7 years. However, if you need to commute, you can probably get a parking permit for a private lot at a fair price. I feel that the staff is really great and they try to make up for Home Properties' lack of interest. The grounds are well maintained, but there's nothing special here (no meeting rooms and no gymn, but there is a small pool and some bbq grills). My 1 br apt is fairly large, but there's not much closet space. Also, it gets great sunlight. I have basil and thyme growing near a window and they're definitely not starved of sunlight. Honestly, the windows are great - lots of light and fresh air. I do have a noisy neighbor. Fortunately, they're usually noisy Friday and Saturday nights. It does become a problem when we're both watching a movie in our living rooms because I can kinda hear it. Since there's not much insulation, you can hear a lot of what's going on in the complex if you don't have a TV or radio going. There have been a couple of shouting matches in my courtyard - so a couple of rotten apples will ruin it for the rest of us. Overall, residence are polite and friendly.

anonymous

Resident • 2012

This community is very strange. There is always someone moving. It's like a revolving door. I think it's because the rent is absurd, the renter pays for water and sewer as well and the bill is always questionable and approx. $70 a month whether you are a married couple or single. The electric heating provided is terrible and it costs a fortune to feel warm in the apartment. The entire apartment is electric. Very ineffecient. Definitely not worth the exorbitant rent and electric bill.

gordyde

Resident • 1999

I just looked up Barrington Gardens to see how it was fairing. I was so saddened to see the rating and reviews. My husband and I were the property manager at Barrington Gardens from 1983 to 1996, except for 2 years when we left for a family emergency. While we managed the property our rating was 4.75 out of 5. The only higher rated property was Heritage Square because they were newer and offered washer/dryers in units. How sad to see what has happened. Although the property looks great in the pictures and they have made upgrades in the units, it doesn't sound like they are keeping their residents happy. When Viking Enterprises owned the property is was A#1!!!

anonymous

Resident • 2012

Rude employees and loud complex

I'm not a picky person, but Barrington Gardens is not worth the extravagant price they ask. Karen in the office is particularly rude and unhelpful. Every day is a new inconvenience. They asked us to leave our doors wide open all day and lock our pets (which we pay much too much for) in a room all day so they can paint at their leisure. They half pained our door last week and have not yet informed us of when they will finish, so we have had to lock the cats up every day we leave for school and work. Don't live here, rent a house for the same price you rent this small, loud, apartment.