We had high hopes for this apartment building when we first moved in during the summer of 2021, since it was new construction and seemed to be a well-run building.
We soon realized that, despite how nice this building looks and how high the rent is, BET made no effort to put in insulation between units. We can hear every step our upstairs' neighbors take, and objects in our unit will shake if they walk too heavily. We can hear people talking, furniture moving, drawers opening and closing, a vacuum running, music playing, a dog running around....the list goes on. For the high prices they charge for a unit, you'd think they wouldn't have skimped on such a basic thing as noise insulation. One resident told us that one reason she moved in was because she was under the impression that it was a quiet building and that you couldn't hear your neighbors. We're not sure who told her that, but the problem is well known to the building's property management. Since moving in here a year ago, we have made several noise complaints, none of which have made any difference. The property manager told us that she receives a very high volume of noise complaints, and that the management company is aware this is an ongoing issue. She told us that she can frequently hear the person in the unit above the management office flush the toilet. Despite our complaints, the management company has made no discernable effort to address what they know to be a problem for many residents.
You'll see that there are some reviews that note how quiet the building is. Most of these reviews were written not long after the building opened, before it was at maximum capacity. When we first moved in, we thought it was a quiet building too, but as more people moved in, we found out just how noisy it can be.
Although our unit does not face the interior courtyard, based on the number of sternly worded emails and signs reminding residents of the courtyard hours, it sounds like they have also had issues with people making noise in the courtyard late at night.
To top it all off, we spoke with the property manager, Marie Haws, about potentially breaking our lease early. We spoke to her more than two months in advance of when we were considering leaving, and we thought that by giving such advanced notice, the company may have been willing to waive the "buy-out fee" (the equivalent of two months' rent). Ms. Haws said they could not waive it and that if they did it for one person, they'd have to do it for everyone. It's unclear why that's not possible. When asked what would happen after we moved out, Ms. Haws stated that there was a waitlist for the building, and said, "Honestly, we'll probably rent it out immediately." The company is just profiteering off a tight housing market - they can certainly afford to not take two months' of rent for no effort on their part.
Don't waste your money here - find something that is more affordable and doesn't have such a "nasty lease" (as a lawyer who reviewed it called it). read more