My review is gonna be unbiased and I will try to write all the positives and negatives of the apartment.
First the positives:-
- They make sure the ground is always clean and landscaped.
- Maintenance guys are quick and your problem is addressed soon.
- Gym has decent equipments although its not big.
- Train Noise is not too much if the windows are closed at least where I stay but I assume that those who live closer to the track can't sleep with open windows if they are light sleeper.
- Shopping places are close by.
- The swimming pool is mostly clean but I had a problem going there last year b'coz I didn't see family atmosphere in the eve
- Never used the Car wash but Car vac is powerful. It takes 3 quarters for one time operation.
- The staff is decent. Not over friendly but not rude as well.
Negatives:-
- Water charges are really high and it doesn?t come from any govt. organisation but calculated by Camden and provided to every resident. Take my words...Its not gonna be less than $50 a month if you are not a bachelor. I have asked plenty of people and they all have higher water charges around $50 -$80 a month depend upon the uses. My friend used to get $50-$60 a month whereas she didn?t have washer in her house when lived in camden and she moved to another apartment last year where she added washer in her apartment but her water charges never went more than $30. Same person and such a huge difference. We were not in town for three weeks and still we paid $30 that month. I don?t know how do they calculate but its gonna be high no matter how much/ less you are gonna use.
- Noise insulation between two floors are terrible. Walls between the apartment has no issues. Its the ceiling/floor. You can't even walk fast...you will disturb downstairs people. And I agree its the problem with every other apartment in the town. But Camden Westwood has too much of it. what if I say that if the downstairs people are playing music little high or talking on the phone little loud. I can hear that too. It never happened before with other apartments I have rented.
- And the biggest and the worst of all is the rent increase and that's the reason people don't stick here for long. In my apartment everyone has moved after staying for a year or 2 years max. You will always see moving truck parked in Camden.Don't get fooled by their lucrative offer they initially give. Better the offer, higher the rent increase. Once you are going to renew your lease....its almost 15% raise in the rent. And their attitude is like we can't do anything. You can very well vacate. Last year my rent went up by $120 (15%) and this year by $100(10%). And you may get some surprising things every year. We never had cleaning fee when we started living here but now they charge cleaning fee when you vacate the apartment. And it happen with everyone. My friend vacated her apartment last year b'coz of her huge rent increase and somebody else moved in that same apartment and they were like very happy b?coz they got a good deal and I warned them to wait for a year and now they are vacating their apartment b'coz they have got the renewal rate about $175 (20% high) higher than what they are paying. It's very unpredictable. The staff says its not gonna be more than 5% hike in your rent. But they are lying. Basically the rent for 2BHK in Camden Westwood is $1000- $1200. If they are not charging this kinda amount when you are signing your lease first time.....they will increase next year.
Move here if you are comfortable relocating again after a year or two. But if you have a school going kid or you are retired and relocating is a problem please don't consider moving here. It will be nightmare after a year.
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