Review History for anonymous

University Manors


Review Author Icon

anonymous

Resident 2007 - 2008

8/16/2009

Staying in a University Manors apartment was one of the worst experiences of my life. I waited well over a year to write this review in an attempt to distance myself from fresh negative emotions, and I will attempt to stay as objective as possible: 1) Parking: Parking at this particular location was just okay. Each apartment had one extended space capable of accommodating two cars. The only problem was that various unknown people would park in our spaces on the weekends, and without the property manager's security code (he was unreachable on weekends), we were out of luck finding a resolution even via towing. 2) Noise: Our walls and ceilings were paper-thin, and we could always hear our upstairs neighbor's nighttime activities. Furthermore, given our close proximity to campus, loud bar hoppers' conversations could be heard word-for-word at all hours of the night. 3) Grounds: South campus isn't exactly notable for its picturesque locales or classy residents, but it is within walking distance of most necessities and campus events. Safety is the big issue here, as noted in section 4. There really wasn't much in the way of grounds to keep save for two strips of grass, a few shrubs, and a sea of concrete. Nevertheless, the property manager billed for cleaning cigarette butts and drifting garbage twice a year, whether it belonged to the tenants or not. 4) Safety: There's nothing like having several massive plate glass windows on the ground level to make you feel safe, especially when homeless people are dumpster diving eight feet from your house at all hours of the day and night. Given the proximity to campus bars, we couldn't so much as open the blinds without some chucklehead peering in within a minute. There was even a shooting in the nearby parking garage during our stay. The apartment's main safety feature was the smart-key locks that maddeningly ran out of batteries once every few months, thus locking the tenants out. To be fair, these were replaced with newer iterations toward the end of our stay, but who knows if they worked better? 5) Construction: Despite all of the "recent" renovations, basically every aspect of the apartment was well-worn. The windowsills had chunks missing, the carpets were frayed, the walls were spotty, and the appliances were aging. Both the water heater and furnace needed repaired during our stay, and the windows leaked every time it rained even though we were on the ground floor. Additionally, insulation was poor and the heating and cooling bills were astronomical considering the modest size of the apartment. The kicker is we were billed (via security deposit deduction) for an item that was damaged prior to our move-in, but arguing with these people is not worth the increase in cortisol levels. Our security deposit receipt even had sarcastic comments in the margins, which stuck me as unprofessional. 6) Maintenance: Maintenance was a huge issue during my stay with University Manors. Timeliness was not a problem, as most things were fixed within a business day or two. The main issues were a lack of courtesy and shoddy craftsmanship. Maintenance personnel would always knock a couple of times and then help themselves in whether we were home or not, often tracking dirt all over the carpet and leaving a cigarette butt or two. There was no attempt to set up an appointment or even give a general timeframe as to their arrival. Furthermore, serious issues such as mold around window panes were sloppily covered up with caulking and spackle. Despite the non-negotiable one-week period of the first month's rent that we paid for yet could not move into the premises, very little work had been done. Two of the walls were torn out due to water damage and mold growth, and it took several more weeks before this was fixed. All this time, we were directly exposed to the mold that was growing in the walls. Furthermore, there was still food splatter in the kitchen, as if the place hadn't even been cleaned at all. 7) Staff: Brian Grim, the property manager, is a rude and intimidating man who screamed and cursed at my roommate and me on multiple occasions during disagreements. He entered our premises without any prior notification on several occasions in order to "inspect for damages," once even walking in on my sleeping roommate (a female) in the early evening. He left when asked to do so, but this should not happen in the first place, as it is unlawful entry. Furthermore, apartment showing was never preceded by the required 24-hour notice, if they gave us any notice at all. The rest of the office staff was cold and generally unhelpful, and they were notorious amongst the tenants for leaving some downright hostile notes complete with possible ramifications for noncompliance in all-caps. However, they were willing to give us some leeway on a late rent check as long as we stayed in communication with them, which was perhaps the only positive experience I had with them. 8) Overall: I would never recommend renting from University Manors. Whatever disagreements we had, the fear of being harassed and walked in on at any time was inexcusable. Do not get pressured into renting an apartment simply because businesses say they are "filling up fast." If you can, avoid these large campus leasing companies that prey on inexperienced college students and instead opt for individuals who own perhaps one or two rental properties.

    Review 48 out of 67

    Share This Review

    Check Availability

    University Manors

    March 2024

    Sun
    Mon
    Tue
    Wed
    Thu
    Fri
    Sat
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10
    11
    12
    13
    14
    15
    16
    17
    18
    19
    20
    21
    22
    23
    24
    25
    26
    27
    28
    29
    30
    Beds

    0

    Baths

    0

    Share This Review