If I could go back in time, I would not have signed the lease at Alafaya Woods. My experience here was pretty awful, buoyed only by a few saving graces.
Initially, my wife and I were moved into 513C around July 2019. Move-in day was an omen for the year to come: the entire place was infested with cockroaches. They were crawling from the vents, the drainage, the blinds, they had even crawled into the fridge and freezer--it was sickening. The following weekend, the front-office moved us into 405D, which, I think, had been one of their model units. I had already set up utilities, internet, mail forward, etc for 513C--none of my extra moving expenses were reimbursed. They kept our rent rate the same even though it was their "high-end unit." Given what I know now, whatever they normally charge for that unit is probably highway robbery. I don't think anyone moved into 513C in the year following "roach-gate." That's how bad it was. But, our issues continued throughout the year-long lease.
I wish I had the time/space to recount my full list of gripes, but here are the highlights:
CONS:
- Roaches, roaches, roaches--yes, even in their "model" unit.
- The place was filthy when we moved in. Grease-covered microwave/oven, 10+ years of dust buildup on the baseboards and any nook/cranny...heck, there was even urine in the toilet when we moved in. Hilariously, they charged me $80 for carpet cleaning fee when I moved out. 513C had carpet stains in the living room when we moved in so not even sure why they bother.
- The appliances are old and I'm not entirely convinced they do any cleaning (dishwasher/washer).
- The air filters were never changed while we lived there until the air handler needed repair. Which means, residents are probably breathing in the dust of people who might not even be alive anymore (this place was built in the '80s).
- The interior reno job is slapdash at best: there are paint splatters on the vinyl flooring, on the electrical wall plates, and ceiling as if they don't know what painter's tape and drop-cloths are. We were "lucky" to have a normal-sized toilet in the MBR of 405D. Be warned: the toilets are probably as small as sailboat toilets in every other unit's BRs (they were in 513C).
- Drainage in the complex is poor; the entire NW side of the complex gets absolutely flooded when it rains a lot. Seriously, you'll need wading boots to get to your car.
- There's one (1) dumpster in the entire complex. Trash has overflowed onto the sidewalks and surrounding areas on numerous occasions (see pictures). Keep in mind, you pay $30+/mo. for trash collection and there's no valet trash. Seems like money well invested.
- One of the front-office staff members left my door unlocked during one of their impromptu inspections. They apologized profusely but still: yikes.
- The package locker which you're forced into paying monthly for broke down 3-5 times while I was there, so that was money wasted. Sometimes, even when it does work, carriers will deliver to your doorstep anyway.
- The "smart" door lock is actually dumb. Because of the dilapidated apartment structure, the lock would constantly jam and honestly the smart app doesn't even work consistently anyhow. Also, if the lock battery dies outside of business hours, you're toast: you have to pay $200+ for an emergency locksmith to bail you out. You know what doesn't have needless battery problems? Regular. Keys.
- The interior of the space is poorly laid out. There's a dining room in the 2BR, which is nearly the size of a BR itself, that is basically dead space. It's cut off from the kitchen by a stupid pony-wall/column thing and then another half-wall facing the foyer. The kitchens and bathrooms are not functional. They are so cramped. The *most* annoying part however, is the infuriating "chandelier" in the dining area. If you don't have a full dining setup beneath it, you *will* hit your head on it because it hangs so low. I can't tell you how many times I was a centimeter away from ripping it from the ceiling.
PROS (yes, there are a few):
- The maintenance staff is really nice and responsive. It's a shame they have to fix up dumpy appliances in dumpy apartments.
- The location is great: being near nice restaurants and shopping is a plus.
- The staff is pleasant but I think their hands are tied by UDR management.
TL;DR:
In summary, this place is the embodiment of putting lipstick on a pig. The complex was built in the 1980s, so you get all of the "benefits" of an outdated structure. In my opinion, UDR should just bulldoze this complex one building at a time until it's rebuilt. Until then, look somewhere else because I guarantee that you'll experience remorse shortly after signing that lease. read more