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I've been doing extensive research trying to find a decent apartment complex in the triangle area. I'm planning to make a trip to the area later in May, and wanted to put together a list of complexes to check out, in order to make good use of my time once I'm there.
It's turning out to be a full time job. I've been reading reviews for days, and it's very discouraging. Every complex I've looked at (many dozens) have bad reviews mixed in with bogus good reviews, which makes their average score not look too bad. Here's what's happening:
--Apartment complexes are offering financial incentives to tenants to write "good" reviews on Google, Yelp, apartmentratings, and others, incentives such as gift certificates, $$ off of rent, etc.
--If you read enough of the reviews, a pattern emerges. The "good reviews" lack detail and specifics, and are written in a snappy, advertising style, and most are likely the result of tenants who are getting $$ for writing something positive.
--The bad reviews are far more genuine, many with a great deal of specific details.
Here's a list of what some (many) apartment management companies are doing (and getting away with, apparently). This cuts across many apartment mgmt companies, and I'm seeing the same predatory behavior in other states and cities, not just the triangle.
--Not returning deposits ($thousands) and not providing a list of specific charges for so-called "damages."
--Adding high bogus charges ($800-$900) for things like carpet cleaning when the carpet was old to begin with, or not left with stains.
--Front office staff turning over every few months, revolving door.
--Front office staff not returning messages or calls for days or not at all.
--Infestations of bugs (roaches) that are not treated when tenant requests assistance, or treatment is poor.
--Black mold in bathrooms, mold not cleaned prior to new tenant moving in.
--Tenant shown a "model" apartment which is in far better condition than the actual unit, which turns out to be run down on move-in.
--Shoddy maintenance done, mostly a duct tape approach to fixing things, which continue to break or leak.
--Adding "fees" after leases have been signed and people have moved in. For example, monthly fees such as "valet trash" (supposedly picked up by doors every day) that were never mentioned prior to signing the lease, and aren't in the lease.
--Changing the lease without the tenant's permission and before the lease is up (for example, water was initially included in the rent, and halfway through, it isn't, and tenant's are billed a flat rate for water per month halfway through the lease, regardless of how much water they use).
--Complaints ignored by front office: loud parties late at night, cars parked in tenant's assigned spot, smoking (even in non-smoking complexes)
--Tenants renting out their apartments on Air BNB, nothing in lease that prevents it, or if it's in the lease, it's not enforced.
I could go on, but these are some of what I'm finding across many apartment complexes, in many cities. Some of these predatory management companies have several complexes in one city or area, and also in several states.
Some don't even list the name of the management company on the apartment complex website, raising even more questions.
I'd like to find a complex, if I could find a "good" one with a reasonable management company that isn't shady and taking advantage of the tenants. Many of these practices seem to be occurring whether the rent is higher or lower, though rents are escalating out of control, it seems.
Last edited by olderandwiser456; 05-04-2019 at 10:20 AM..
I can only guess these are lower-end and older places at lower prices. "Lower price" = relative to the market overall.
Any changes to a lease mid-term can only happen to ill-equipped tenants. if water is included in the initial lease, and it's read thoroughly, it's not legal for them to change mid-term unilaterally.
There's nothing in your concerns that is local. You'll find the SAME s*#t everywhere. And online reviews for apartments are notoriously skewed towards hellish.
In any event, find an apartment convenient to where you live and sign a one year (or less) lease.
Even the negative reviews need to be taken with a GIANT grain of salt. They're usually bad tenants that were booted for drugs, noise, non-payment, etc., and they decide to get back at the apartment complex with a bad review that skews the facts.
Check out the Hawthorne Residential Partners properties. I've been living in one for three years and have been extremely happy.
I was in your shoes 2 years ago and came to the same conclusions. After visiting complexes, we took even more off our list and wound up with only two front runners: Mayfaire Apartments in North Raleigh and Wildwoods of Lake Johnson.
We wound up renting at Wildwoods and the management company has been excellent. It's not super swank but it was a pleasant experience the whole time we were there. Maintenance was very responsive to the minor issues we had, and the grounds crew is really diligent.
We would have rented from Mayfaire too but they didn't have what we wanted available when we were ready to move.
You're reading the reviews with a practiced eye, and that's important. Good luck in your search.
It hurts to say that the area has lost a bit of integrity especially given with outside investors who have skin in the rental game as back in the day and even 10 years ago this would be rare..
Even the negative reviews need to be taken with a GIANT grain of salt. They're usually bad tenants that were booted for drugs, noise, non-payment, etc., and they decide to get back at the apartment complex with a bad review that skews the facts.
Check out the Hawthorne Residential Partners properties. I've been living in one for three years and have been extremely happy.
Thank you! I will definitely check out Hawthorne Residential Partners. Good to have a referral from someone living in a complex they are happy with. Thanks again!
I do agree that some negative reviews need to be taken with a grain of salt, but there certainly is consistency with the issues across mgmt companies, across cities and across states.
It hurts to say that the area has lost a bit of integrity especially given with outside investors who have skin in the rental game as back in the day and even 10 years ago this would be rare..
It's not just the triangle. I'm reading reviews of complexes in several cities, in different states, and the same issues keep emerging. Not all of these are low end, either. Many are very pricey. I think the rental game has become one more area where corporate greed has taken over, and customer service is left behind, unfortunately. Not in all cases, but many of the large mgmt companies are only focused on their profits.
I was in your shoes 2 years ago and came to the same conclusions. After visiting complexes, we took even more off our list and wound up with only two front runners: Mayfaire Apartments in North Raleigh and Wildwoods of Lake Johnson.
We wound up renting at Wildwoods and the management company has been excellent. It's not super swank but it was a pleasant experience the whole time we were there. Maintenance was very responsive to the minor issues we had, and the grounds crew is really diligent.
We would have rented from Mayfaire too but they didn't have what we wanted available when we were ready to move.
You're reading the reviews with a practiced eye, and that's important. Good luck in your search.
Thank you so much! I appreciate the referrals. I'm not looking for super swank, who can afford that?? Just looking for a clean, safe, reasonable place with reasonable rent and ethical landlords, preferably somewhere between Chapel Hill and Druham. Seems hard to find these days.
There's nothing in your concerns that is local. You'll find the SAME s*#t everywhere. And online reviews for apartments are notoriously skewed towards hellish.
In any event, find an apartment convenient to where you live and sign a one year (or less) lease.
You're absolutely. There's nothing local about any of this. The bad reviews are found in most cities and states. Yes, they tend to skew to the negative, but there is a long list of mgmt companies with bad reps and similar issues, regardless of where one is looking. Some of these big companies build complexes in several states, and when looking at reviews, the same issues are coming up.
Yeah, I'll end up with something and have a better idea once I get there and do a "boots on the ground" trip. Things will be very clear once I actually see a place and get to ask questions.
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