We were told the model we walked through was the same as ours. Then came the bait and switch. We received our apartment in a condition that I can only describe as nauseating. We had been promised by the apartment manager that she personally did a walkthrough. If by walkthrough she meant she held their breath while sprinting through the apartment, blindfolded, swinging a dead skunk by the tail, then we agree. The walls were slimy, the floors were disgusting, and the dust at least seemed to be providing insulation from the elements. \r
\r
The carpet stunk but we were promised by management (again) that they replaced the carpet and pad so we gave them the benefit of the doubt. It turned out they only covered up the old pad with a new carpet. It smelled of swamp breeze the whole time we lived there. The carpet had exposed nails on the transitions to other areas. We hammered them down as we discovered them with our bare feet. Ouch! On the plus side, it was easy to your way around with the lights off barefoot. We put up some curtains while we twisted their arm to get us new blinds that were very old. We ended up spending the better part of the first month getting the apartment to third world standards by cleaning the place ourselves. Management gave us $100 off our rent. We figured it would be off future rent? Nope.\r
\r
They charged $50 a month for some time warner cable package we didn't want and another $5 a month for pest control. We never saw the pest control guys and they never entered our apt. There's a $10 monthly pet rent and a $700 fee for pets. We were told by a staff member the fee could cover damages. No matter what they tell you, that money is gone.\r
\r
The garage ceiling was leaking something brown which took them two weeks to send someone out. It was covered in mold by the time they fixed it. They patched a hole and painted over the rest of the mold . We avoided the garage from then on. It smelled of underarms and dog breath. Upon moving out we found the closet had mold growing in it. It ruined two pairs of our shoes and a shoe rack. I emailed them the pictures but they denied it happened because they didn't see the shoes for themselves. I believe they wanted their CSI team to inspect the crime scene before I disturbed it. The guest bedroom I used as an office also had mold around the window too. \r
\r
The pool always seemed to be under maintenance during summer. It was filled with strangers from other apartments when it wasn't . The ""gym"" was a chilly 90 degrees during the summer. We were told they'd fix the thermostat but they didn't. The sprinklers were apparently set to moisturize the street, sidewalk, and neighboring city, even on rainy days. Occasionally the grass would get wet during the mudslides. Our microwave exploded the first time we used it, filling the apartment with smoke and an a foul odor.\r
\r
Get ready for hefty charges when you are set free from this place. We gave the keys back two weeks early and spent the weekend scrubbing away, leaving the place far better than we received it. Management told us we'll be getting our deposit back after the final utility bill came in. We never got a final walkthrough like the contract says but guessed we were good to go like they said. Make sure you demand one! It’s obvious they don't want you to do one so they can run up the charges. Even though we documented it in move in they charged us for a new rug and pad at move out. They wanted to charge us $90 for curtain rods which they claimed as ""excessive damage."" They wanted to charge us for cleaning the kitchen too! We took it up with the Regional Vice President. We thought he was the brains of the operation, but unfortunately his head was crammed in a deep, dark, smelly place, not unlike our garage. This is the kind of guy that would charge you for oxygen if you were drowning. Needless to say, don't bother or get a lawyer. He gave us a pat on the head and dismissed our evidence.\r
\r
Our advice is look elsewhere!
more