CitySide at Huntington Metro

Don't move here! SO many bugs and management could absolutely not care less about themAfter an almost month battle with management, I have now ended up terminating my lease early due to their extreme incompetence, lack of communication skills, and general inability to care about their renter's problemsThere are roaches everywhere, you will see them every single day on every level of the building, and they will often join you in the elevatorMy apartment is infested with house centipedes (which it shouldn't be, since it is on the 7th floor and I have none of the bugs which they eat) and they were crawling into my bed and joining me in the showerI could not live in my apartment for monthsCityside did not financially compensate me in any way for these two months and refused to waive the fee in me breaking my lease (they only offered to reduce the fee to half of what it is)The manager of the property essentially told me "sorry not sorry" when confronted with the issues of my apartment stating that many apartments on this property had bug problems had to be sprayed oftenHe was unaware that, unlike the people in those apartments, I had to pack up my entire kitchen and bathroom every time my apartment had to be sprayed for the centipedes due to the fact it was a special sprayI also had to wipe down all my countertops, cabinets, bathroom, etcHow he was unaware of this simple fact despite having all emails I printed out for him as well as the assistant property manager had forwarded to him, I have no ideaProbably laziness and he just did not careHe stated he "simply could not" waive the entire fee for me breaking my lease "just because of pests", which I'm not sure is entirely factually or legally true, especially since they collected rent from me for months I was unable to live in my own apartmentOn top of the bug problems, safety is a joke hereIt took several months for the fob locks to be fixed on the doors here, so anyone could come into the (6038) buildingI see drug deals go on almost nightly on the steps up to the park/path to the metroGo on Yelp to see other reviews about the lack of safety hereEverything else is pretty much just broken all the time; You play "which dryer works today" when doing laundry, the AC never seems to work in the gym so it's constantly just boiling hot, and the elevators often bounce between several seconds to minutes and won't let you outAll around just a c [redacted] place to live for way too muchCurrently considering filing a complaint

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response If you wish, you may update it before sending it.] Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me Regards, [redacted]

Good Morning,I filed a complaint, complaint number ***, and was told to notify Revdex.com if the issue got resolved, and it had been resolvedI wasn't able to figure out how to resolve it on the website, so I hope this is the correct email to use.Thank you,*** ***

I have not had A/C for either of the two summers I squandered away in such an awful "living" establishmentI moved from another state and have had nothing positive come out of my experience with CitysideI raised my concerns to multiple staffOne of them had the audacity to tell me it was a design flaw of the building and I "needed to go buy a portable a/c unitI was so furious I could not continue my conversation with the employee in fear of blacking out in rageI wish there was a way to give them negative stars because they do NOT deserve the one I gaveThey need to tare down the structure and start overWhen I submitted my notice to vacate form they of course could not muster up the competency of maintaining records and ended up charging me month to month rates totaling over dollars for one month's rentGood thing I kept correspondence of the emails in which I attached the notice to vacate formThey spent many dollars on renovating aesthetics of the main lobbies with paint and new carpet when they need to tackle some of the bigger problems of the apartment, such as a new air handling unit to support the appropriate necessary flow to ensure enough air is blowing out of the returns to completely cool the apartmentI was in room so please if you are looking into this place be aware of this corner room from hellwhen there were heavy rains the kitchen flooded through the exterior windows in my apartmentThis same type of leak occurred in front of the elevator on the 6th floorThe drywall from the bulkhead around the top of the window fell down and they let it sit for a few days to I presume dryIn my experience in construction, you are supposed to tear out all of the water soaked drywall and replace unless you do water tests to read at appropriate levelsI venture to think nothing was replaced and no tests were taken to ensure molding was remediatedThey just slapped up some corner bead and slathered on dry wall mudIt is still not sanded or painted (the proper sequence of events to completion of that type of work)So aside from non working air conditioning, blaming the tenants, leaking walls/windows this building's elevators are probably the next thing worth mentioningIt is to my understanding that the elevators are in need of being replaced and they have needed to be for some time nowI learned this knowledge from an individual who has been living in the building for more than yearsI also have had experience in witnessing the installation of elevators in my careerThat being said, one or both of the elevators is broken down nearly once a week or even more in some instancesa couple weeks ago the fire department arrived to get someone out of the elevator as they were trapped between the 3rd and 4th floorThat same weekend a friend of mine came to visit and she got stuck in the elevator THE VERY NEXT DAY! she eventually received help and was released from her vertical prison between the 1st and 2nd floorCityside is nothing but bad newsPlease, for the sake of your well being do not be swindled like I was and look elsewhere for your leasing needsThese people are crooksThey take your money and they do not even make proper repairs to the facilities to warrant the payment for rent

3/27/15Dear *** ***,
We are in receipt of the above referenced complaint letter and our response and the supporting documents are as follows.On December 18th 2014, we have sent *** *** *** resident of *** *** *** *** ***, Alexandria, VA *** the attached
Termination/Non-Renewal noticeThe notice was to be effective at the end of the lease term, 2/6/In an accompanying letter, we have explained the reason for the non-renewal noticeWe have stated that apartment is going to be renovated and We will offer her the option to transfer onsite without paying the transfer fee if she chooses to do so.We have not received any correspondence from the resident on this matterThen on 2/1/15, I have received a message from one of our leasing agents regarding *** *** wanting to renew her lease but she was unable to do so due to the block on her accountTherefore, we have spoken to *** *** on 2/2/In our phone conversation, I have explained that we have sent her the non-renewal notice back in December 18th and that we do expect to get the unit back on the 6thI have offered her the option to transfer onsite to another unit or to get an extra few days she needs to be able to vacate the unit*** *** then vacated the apartment on 2/6/at the end of her leaseUpon finalizing the account we have assessed the final utility bill as well as the cleaning fee based on a move-out inspection of her unitSince then *** *** disputed the cleaning charges as a result we have agreed to waive the cleaning fee to extend our courtesyWe have also provided her with the account ledger showing all the charges and the payments she madeWe have reversed the cleaning charges and are sending her a refund of $from her security deposit less the final utility bill to the address she had providedWe believe that we have satisfied her questions and resolved the
Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions on this matterRegards,
Selam G
Assistant Property Manager

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
Regards,
[redacted]

Don't move here! SO many bugs and management could absolutely not care less about them. After an almost 4 month battle with management, I have now ended up terminating my lease early due to their extreme incompetence, lack of communication skills, and general inability to care about their renter's problems.
There are roaches everywhere, you will see them every single day on every level of the building, and they will often join you in the elevator. My apartment is infested with house centipedes (which it shouldn't be, since it is on the 7th floor and I have none of the bugs which they eat) and they were crawling into my bed and joining me in the shower. I could not live in my apartment for 2 months. Cityside did not financially compensate me in any way for these two months and refused to waive the fee in me breaking my lease (they only offered to reduce the fee to half of what it is).
The manager of the property essentially told me "sorry not sorry" when confronted with the issues of my apartment stating that many apartments on this property had bug problems had to be sprayed often. He was unaware that, unlike the people in those apartments, I had to pack up my entire kitchen and bathroom every time my apartment had to be sprayed for the centipedes due to the fact it was a special spray. I also had to wipe down all my countertops, cabinets, bathroom, etc. How he was unaware of this simple fact despite having all emails I printed out for him as well as the assistant property manager had forwarded to him, I have no idea. Probably laziness and he just did not care. He stated he "simply could not" waive the entire fee for me breaking my lease "just because of pests", which I'm not sure is entirely factually or legally true, especially since they collected rent from me for 2 months I was unable to live in my own apartment.
On top of the bug problems, safety is a joke here. It took several months for the fob locks to be fixed on the doors here, so anyone could come into the (6038) building. I see drug deals go on almost nightly on the steps up to the park/path to the metro. Go on Yelp to see other reviews about the lack of safety here. Everything else is pretty much just broken all the time; You play "which dryer works today" when doing laundry, the AC never seems to work in the gym so it's constantly just boiling hot, and the elevators often bounce between several seconds to minutes and won't let you out.
All around just a c[redacted] place to live for way too much. Currently considering filing a complaint.

Review: I am filing a complaint because I would like my money that CitySide took from me refunded to my account.I applied for an apartment at CitySide at Huntington Metro 3 different times because I was trying to lock in a low rate. I was told that as long as I cancel within 3 days, I will get my security deposit back. The first application, I signed it and went into the management office. I wrote a check for the security deposit, not knowing that the check would be cashed within days of my signing the application. the leasing consultant, [redacted], told me my security deposit would be held and only cashed if I didn't cancel the application within the 3 business days.I cancelled within the 3 business days and have emails proving this. I, then, decided I would move out of my current apartment so I went online and started a new application then I cancelled it within 3 business days again. I did this one more time. Each time, giving a $250 security deposit with the understanding that I would only lose $250 if I didn't cancel within 3 days.Then on November 26, 2013, I saw that 3 charges of $250 was taken from my account. Even though I had cancelled each application within the 3 business days. I have never signed a lease or moved into CitySide at Huntington Metro. To this day, I am not sure why I was charged $750 by CitySide.I contacted CitySide via email on November 26, 2013 and asked them to refund my money. I called several times but no one would speak to me. I called the Corporate office and they said they would contact the property manager and regional manager to inquire about the incident. I never heard from the property or regional manager.Since my money was taken from my account, no one from CitySide at Huntington Metro has contacted me to explain why $750 was taken from my account.I know that there is not a reason to be charged $750 by CitySide and I want assistance in having my money refunded to my bank account.Thank you.[redacted]Desired Settlement: I want CitySide to refund the $750 that they charged me.

Business

Response:

[redacted]<[redacted]>

Don't move here! SO many bugs and management could absolutely not care less about them. After an almost 4 month battle with management, I have now ended up terminating my lease early due to their extreme incompetence, lack of communication skills, and general inability to care about their renter's problems.
There are roaches everywhere, you will see them every single day on every level of the building, and they will often join you in the elevator. My apartment is infested with house centipedes (which it shouldn't be, since it is on the 7th floor and I have none of the bugs which they eat) and they were crawling into my bed and joining me in the shower. I could not live in my apartment for 2 months. Cityside did not financially compensate me in any way for these two months and refused to waive the fee in me breaking my lease (they only offered to reduce the fee to half of what it is).
The manager of the property essentially told me "sorry not sorry" when confronted with the issues of my apartment stating that many apartments on this property had bug problems had to be sprayed often. He was unaware that, unlike the people in those apartments, I had to pack up my entire kitchen and bathroom every time my apartment had to be sprayed for the centipedes due to the fact it was a special spray. I also had to wipe down all my countertops, cabinets, bathroom, etc. How he was unaware of this simple fact despite having all emails I printed out for him as well as the assistant property manager had forwarded to him, I have no idea. Probably laziness and he just did not care. He stated he "simply could not" waive the entire fee for me breaking my lease "just because of pests", which I'm not sure is entirely factually or legally true, especially since they collected rent from me for 2 months I was unable to live in my own apartment.
On top of the bug problems, safety is a joke here. It took several months for the fob locks to be fixed on the doors here, so anyone could come into the (6038) building. I see drug deals go on almost nightly on the steps up to the park/path to the metro. Go on Yelp to see other reviews about the lack of safety here. Everything else is pretty much just broken all the time; You play "which dryer works today" when doing laundry, the AC never seems to work in the gym so it's constantly just boiling hot, and the elevators often bounce between several seconds to minutes and won't let you out.
All around just a c[redacted] place to live for way too much. Currently considering filing a complaint.

I have not had A/C for either of the two summers I squandered away in such an awful "living" establishment. I moved from another state and have had nothing positive come out of my experience with Cityside. I raised my concerns to multiple staff. One of them had the audacity to tell me it was a design flaw of the building and I "needed to go buy a portable a/c unit. I was so furious I could not continue my conversation with the employee in fear of blacking out in rage. I wish there was a way to give them negative stars because they do NOT deserve the one I gave. They need to tare down the structure and start over. When I submitted my notice to vacate form they of course could not muster up the competency of maintaining records and ended up charging me month to month rates totaling over 2000 dollars for one month's rent. Good thing I kept correspondence of the emails in which I attached the notice to vacate form. They spent many dollars on renovating aesthetics of the main lobbies with paint and new carpet when they need to tackle some of the bigger problems of the apartment, such as a new air handling unit to support the appropriate necessary flow to ensure enough air is blowing out of the returns to completely cool the apartment. I was in room 606 so please if you are looking into this place be aware of this corner room from hell. when there were heavy rains the kitchen flooded through the exterior windows in my apartment. This same type of leak occurred in front of the elevator on the 6th floor. The drywall from the bulkhead around the top of the window fell down and they let it sit for a few days to I presume dry. In my experience in construction, you are supposed to tear out all of the water soaked drywall and replace unless you do water tests to read at appropriate levels. I venture to think nothing was replaced and no tests were taken to ensure molding was remediated. They just slapped up some corner bead and slathered on dry wall mud. It is still not sanded or painted (the proper sequence of events to completion of that type of work). So aside from non working air conditioning, blaming the tenants, leaking walls/windows this building's elevators are probably the next thing worth mentioning. It is to my understanding that the elevators are in need of being replaced and they have needed to be for some time now. I learned this knowledge from an individual who has been living in the building for more than 10 years. I also have had experience in witnessing the installation of elevators in my career. That being said, one or both of the elevators is broken down nearly once a week or even more in some instances. a couple weeks ago the fire department arrived to get someone out of the elevator as they were trapped between the 3rd and 4th floor. That same weekend a friend of mine came to visit and she got stuck in the elevator THE VERY NEXT DAY! she eventually received help and was released from her vertical prison between the 1st and 2nd floor. Cityside is nothing but bad news. Please, for the sake of your well being do not be swindled like I was and look elsewhere for your leasing needs. These people are crooks. They take your money and they do not even make proper repairs to the facilities to warrant the payment for rent.