Do not live here-VERY overpricedOld decrepit appliances, drawers and cabinets falling apart-Nobody takes care of the poolIt is constantly dirty and they do not even provide chairsNot to mention you will be constantly harassed while you are at the pool by the staff who demand to see your keys to prove your residency, or to kick your girlfriend out while you are in the bathroom-They will find a way to take your deposit no matter what you doThey charged me $for a hole and leak in my ceiling, that resulted from an appliance leaking in the apartment above meThey also charged me for cleaning after my entire family and I spent an entire day scrubbing everythingThe apartment was not clean when I moved into it eitherThey also charged me for repainting the apartment (something they always do when people move out anyways)-The complex always smells like people are smoking weedInside-There are bugs everywhereLittle centipedes are the most common inside and out, while I also frequently saw spiders and silverfishOne of my friends living across the complex also had major problems with roachesIt's really a shame because it could be a nice place to live, but it is ruined by the greed and laziness of the ownerAny apartment complex in the area is better (and most likely cheaper too)
I lived at Bellevue House for 2 years and had very few problems while I was there. I only had cockroaches twice and the management was extremely prompt at coming to spray. They were also prompt when I had mice. HOWEVER:
- Let me begin by saying that I am a major germ freak and have borderline OCD when it comes to the cleanliness of my apartment (this is relevant for the Security Deposit problem). NOTHING is ever out of place, let alone dirty. Industrial cleaners and I are good friends. :D Thus, I was happy when they handled the cockroaches and mice quickly.
- NOT CLEAN ON MOVE-IN: When I moved into the apartment, it was not up to my standards (again, major clean freak.) They claimed to have cleaned the apartment beforehand, but I had the following problems: The countertop was moldy (made of cutting board-type wood) and I had to buy and install a new one. On top of that, the stove was not clean nor the walls around it (covered in what appeared to be bacon grease...I can only assume that the previous tenant really liked bacon. :D). The side of the fridge was also rusted. I had to pull the counter (with it's new countertop) out from the wall so that I could sand and repaint the side of the fridge with rustoleum to prevent it from deteriorating further. Additionally, various doors had chunks of wood missing - I sanded and painted these. So, the apartment complex's version of "clean" is not necessary great.
- TOOK SECURITY DEPOSIT: With the state that I received the apartment in mind, I made certain to scrub the apartment when I moved out. My parents even came down to help so that whoever moved in next would be moving into a clean place. Even with the overly cleanly way that I live, and the final scrub down of the apartment, THEY STILL TOOK 57% OF THE SECURITY DEPOSIT!!! Be aware that they are definitely attempting to find every and all ways to take that final deposit from you. The lady that checked me out said "Wow, this is one of the cleanest apartments I've seen!" and yet they still took out a ridiculous amount of the security deposit. I was charged for steam cleaning the carpets, "extra cleaning", repairs and replacements (light bulbs, bolts for the toilet seat, drip pan, and frig crisper cover) and associated labor costs amounting to approx $350.
- OTHER REVIEWS ARE ACCURATE: I had read that they attempted to scam students out of their security deposits in previous reviews because of damage and unclean apartments. But, I was loath to believe it due to the way that I live compared to the average college student. I don't drink, don't smoke, and definitely don't party (thus, no damage). However, it appears that it does not matter if you are a model resident, since they will still do everything they can to take your security deposit.
- IF YOU ARE LIVING BY YOURSELF: This one is just a little alarming...the apartments have a lock on the door as well as a chain. It appears great, until you realize that maintenance has access to the apartment, even when you are in it. They can unlock the lock with a key (which makes sense for when you are gone and they need to do repairs.) HOWEVER, when you are inside the apartment by yourself and have the chain on the door (you know, so that maintenance knows you are inside and knock), they can still get in. The chain has a special slot where it is bolted to the wall inside your apartment. When the door is chained shut, maintenance can open the door a few inches and slip a special tool through the space allowed by the chain. This tool will pop the chain off the wall, allowing them to enter. Imagine my alarm when I got out of the shower wrapped in a towel and noticed that the chain was hanging loose by my door (it can be popped back into its spot on the wall), my door is unlocked, and someone has clearly been in my apartment because they shut the water in my sink off. I had made hard boiled eggs and was running water over them to cool them down while I hopped in the shower for 5 minutes. Apparently, maintenance needed to make repairs on the apartment below mine so they needed me to stop running water in the kitchen sink. He said that he knocked and when I didn't immediately answered he couldn't wait. It may seem like a minor thing, but it definitely ruined my peace of mind as a female living by myself knowing that a strange man could come into my apartment at any time...even when I am in the shower less than 8ft from the kitchen.
- YOUR CAR WILL BE BROKEN INTO: It's Clifton, so that's not uncommon. My car was broken into 3 times in 2 years - which is three expensive windows I had to replace. Not certain it is worth paying for parking because their security cameras were always pointed the wrong way. They never caught any of the people doing it. Just saying, don't leave anything in your car. They never took anything since there was nothing to take: I assume that they were sleeping in the car because it was clean and warmer than outside. 2 of the 3 times it had snowed the night that it happened.
Do not live here-VERY overpricedOld decrepit appliances, drawers and cabinets falling apart-Nobody takes care of the poolIt is constantly dirty and they do not even provide chairsNot to mention you will be constantly harassed while you are at the pool by the staff who demand to see your keys to prove your residency, or to kick your girlfriend out while you are in the bathroom-They will find a way to take your deposit no matter what you doThey charged me $for a hole and leak in my ceiling, that resulted from an appliance leaking in the apartment above meThey also charged me for cleaning after my entire family and I spent an entire day scrubbing everythingThe apartment was not clean when I moved into it eitherThey also charged me for repainting the apartment (something they always do when people move out anyways)-The complex always smells like people are smoking weedInside-There are bugs everywhereLittle centipedes are the most common inside and out, while I also frequently saw spiders and silverfishOne of my friends living across the complex also had major problems with roachesIt's really a shame because it could be a nice place to live, but it is ruined by the greed and laziness of the ownerAny apartment complex in the area is better (and most likely cheaper too)
I lived at Bellevue House for 2 years and had very few problems while I was there. I only had cockroaches twice and the management was extremely prompt at coming to spray. They were also prompt when I had mice. HOWEVER:
- Let me begin by saying that I am a major germ freak and have borderline OCD when it comes to the cleanliness of my apartment (this is relevant for the Security Deposit problem). NOTHING is ever out of place, let alone dirty. Industrial cleaners and I are good friends. :D Thus, I was happy when they handled the cockroaches and mice quickly.
- NOT CLEAN ON MOVE-IN: When I moved into the apartment, it was not up to my standards (again, major clean freak.) They claimed to have cleaned the apartment beforehand, but I had the following problems: The countertop was moldy (made of cutting board-type wood) and I had to buy and install a new one. On top of that, the stove was not clean nor the walls around it (covered in what appeared to be bacon grease...I can only assume that the previous tenant really liked bacon. :D). The side of the fridge was also rusted. I had to pull the counter (with it's new countertop) out from the wall so that I could sand and repaint the side of the fridge with rustoleum to prevent it from deteriorating further. Additionally, various doors had chunks of wood missing - I sanded and painted these. So, the apartment complex's version of "clean" is not necessary great.
- TOOK SECURITY DEPOSIT: With the state that I received the apartment in mind, I made certain to scrub the apartment when I moved out. My parents even came down to help so that whoever moved in next would be moving into a clean place. Even with the overly cleanly way that I live, and the final scrub down of the apartment, THEY STILL TOOK 57% OF THE SECURITY DEPOSIT!!! Be aware that they are definitely attempting to find every and all ways to take that final deposit from you. The lady that checked me out said "Wow, this is one of the cleanest apartments I've seen!" and yet they still took out a ridiculous amount of the security deposit. I was charged for steam cleaning the carpets, "extra cleaning", repairs and replacements (light bulbs, bolts for the toilet seat, drip pan, and frig crisper cover) and associated labor costs amounting to approx $350.
- OTHER REVIEWS ARE ACCURATE: I had read that they attempted to scam students out of their security deposits in previous reviews because of damage and unclean apartments. But, I was loath to believe it due to the way that I live compared to the average college student. I don't drink, don't smoke, and definitely don't party (thus, no damage). However, it appears that it does not matter if you are a model resident, since they will still do everything they can to take your security deposit.
- IF YOU ARE LIVING BY YOURSELF: This one is just a little alarming...the apartments have a lock on the door as well as a chain. It appears great, until you realize that maintenance has access to the apartment, even when you are in it. They can unlock the lock with a key (which makes sense for when you are gone and they need to do repairs.) HOWEVER, when you are inside the apartment by yourself and have the chain on the door (you know, so that maintenance knows you are inside and knock), they can still get in. The chain has a special slot where it is bolted to the wall inside your apartment. When the door is chained shut, maintenance can open the door a few inches and slip a special tool through the space allowed by the chain. This tool will pop the chain off the wall, allowing them to enter. Imagine my alarm when I got out of the shower wrapped in a towel and noticed that the chain was hanging loose by my door (it can be popped back into its spot on the wall), my door is unlocked, and someone has clearly been in my apartment because they shut the water in my sink off. I had made hard boiled eggs and was running water over them to cool them down while I hopped in the shower for 5 minutes. Apparently, maintenance needed to make repairs on the apartment below mine so they needed me to stop running water in the kitchen sink. He said that he knocked and when I didn't immediately answered he couldn't wait. It may seem like a minor thing, but it definitely ruined my peace of mind as a female living by myself knowing that a strange man could come into my apartment at any time...even when I am in the shower less than 8ft from the kitchen.
- YOUR CAR WILL BE BROKEN INTO: It's Clifton, so that's not uncommon. My car was broken into 3 times in 2 years - which is three expensive windows I had to replace. Not certain it is worth paying for parking because their security cameras were always pointed the wrong way. They never caught any of the people doing it. Just saying, don't leave anything in your car. They never took anything since there was nothing to take: I assume that they were sleeping in the car because it was clean and warmer than outside. 2 of the 3 times it had snowed the night that it happened.