If I could give a negative star I would, the noise on the street is outrageous. It is always filthy…read morein the common areas. You will be constantly dealing with maintenance issues. Now to the main event: Move-out They will charge you without notifying you what they have found wrong with the apartment upon move-out, will give you the run around, claim they don't have to inform you on the what/why regarding additional charges. They will make it incredibly difficult to contact them to resolve or discuss the charges (I can only assume to run out the clock until final rent is due). Essentially, everything possible to rip students off. The housing is cheap cause they'll get you in other ways. Do not rent here. I'd rather sleep in my car than deal with these people again. Edit: You see I don't really believe you cause not only did I call your phone line multiple times only to be directed to keep all talk in writing, I also was given multiple short and repetitive responses that could be summarized as "Our charges are accurate and no matter how much you try to get a list of charges, we don't actually have to give them to you." Despite the fact emails literally say that a list of average charges will be presented upon request. Additionally, the things I and my roommate were charged for were false or did not meet "significant" cleaning or damages. I had to spend multiple days showing them evidence they already had to get some charges removed after having your employees play in my face like I was a liar. My friend currently lives there and a version of this is being done to her as well. You just do the same scam on repeat and hope students are too scared, uninformed, or tired to fight you. Want to make it right? Audit your property, retrain your employees, and maybe contact everyone that has lived there for the last several years and return the money you practically stole.

If I could rate them as NEGATIVE ZERO I would it's has been a nightmare since day one move in for…read moremy son. On the very first day my son moved in the apartment smelled like heavy Marijuana smell. I immediately told the staff the only thing I was told they would email his roommate I couldn't move my son to another apartment which was a disappointment over the next couple of months my son complained to the office about his roommate smoking weed the staff still didn't do nothing I repeated call also.I received no help. My son father walked in on my son roommate smoking weed he went to the office and told the staff. The staff ask my son father does he have proof as if he didnt just walk in on my son roommate smoking weed. Then when my son moved out of the apartment in July we received some outrages cleaning charges and utility fee. I went through and personally cleaning my son room and his bathroom which was not nasty because when he moved in I had to clean that filthy room and somehow we still received unnecessary charges we signed a 12 months lease that was paid in full every month on time but we still received utility charges after we moved out. They are charging those students which is very sad and you get no help from the staff in the office. PARENTS BEAWRE DO NOT MOVE A DOG IN THOSE APARTMENTS THE STAFF IS PATHETIC.

So this is the last three months of my lease and I can surely say even with my lease being 6-7…read moremonths I will not be returning. I have good stuff and some bad stuff to say about the Cottages and some are to do with issues that my roommates have experienced. 1. They have 6 visitor spots for a I believe 25 unit complex seems ridiculous but you have to have spots for your residents but that doesn't stop the visitors. If the 6 spots are taken every one and their mama will park in front of the unit that is not the person they are visiting unit they will park in front of yours making the actual residents that lives there walk from one in of the complex to the other. And they say they tow at night at a certain time if visitors are not in visitors spots yeah they don't. 2. The "community" fee it's not refundable nor does it go to any repairs that are done through out your contract and if you move units from what I'm being told you have to pay the 200 something again. We had a window blind break by its self in the commons area we were not under the impression we would have to pay nor were we informed by maintenance we get a letter out of the blew saying we each (4 roomies) owe them 8 dollars so a blind that cost 10 dollars at Walmart cost 32$ at cottage. But they don't care if you put holes in the walls thats what the community fee is for after move out but they will charge you a cleaning fee of the commons which by the way they really don't clean and they definitely don't clean the carpets in the bedrooms I don't have a dog but weirdly vacuum up dog hair every time. 3. My lovey roommates air conditioning hasn't been working since before I got here in January and how does cottage solve the issue put a window unit that uses more electricity than the actual AC. They have put in several requests to get it fixed but they have never came and fixed the air conditioner in her room. 4. They are pet friendly and have little poop stations in the "back yard" for the cottages but the poop bags haven't been restocked in I believe 2 months now and they will fine the pet owner I believe $25 if their dogs poop is not disposed of properly. Also to add on top of it sometimes they don't empty out the poop trash bag so it overflows with doggie poop. 5. The location of the complex not really the complex's problem to fix kinda cant. So you are next door to Lafayette Police Department. 5 minutes from Ochsner Hospital. Across the street from train tracks. You are also a mile and a half from the Lafayette Regional Airport. And right off one of the busiest streets in Lafayette Pinhook. So if you think you need a 5 am alarm you sure as hell don't the train passes around that time. If you need to know where traffic is or if there is an accident just listen for the sirens. 6. The exit gate seems to always be broken once or twice a month and it takes them about a week or two to fix it. So you might be gated in but you can also bet your bottom dollar that you will find a homeless person sleeping behind the dumpster at the complex or a Walmart shopping cart in the parking lot. So lock your doors to car and the cottage. 7. Also the $645 for a 4 bedroom apartment here is a little bit outrageous considering the other complexes for student apartments for a 4 bedroom you are looking roughly at 400-550. You can rent a 4 bedroom 2 bath house for cheaper than that. If you don't mind sharing a bathroom with friends 8. The office people are extremely nice especially Ms. Lily. Every time I walk into the office she remembers my name. 9. They do resident appreciation week we're there is evidently free food involved. 10. They offer non furnished living where you can bring your own furniture from home. Just know some of the rooms are to small for a queen to fit in 11. The work out room is pretty limited if you are an active gym rat like me I would recommend using ULL gym or if you are a student at SLCC getting a gym membership club 4 on Ambassador offers 10$ -$35 members with perks on each level. 12. You are within walking distance of ULL Main Campus. No shuttle. 13. You are in pretty good walking distance of down town. Buddy system not alone remember you are on the north side of town and downtown area which is where most crime happens in Lafayette. 14. Also another thing if you have friends over and they have a dog they can't bring them or your friend that lives there will be fined because of your dog. 15. There is an aren't allowed list of dogs that they don't tell you in your lease but if they find out you have it you will be fined and the dog will be removed by animal control. But some how a resident is getting away with a purebred pitbull which is one of the breeds not allowed. ‍ 16. Finally your drains in your bathroom sink and tub. You will most like have to do liquid plumber or draino your preference every week if you are upstairs. I've been told maintenance will not come and do it for you. That again ‍

PLEASE READ THIS HONEST REVIEW‼‼ I just moved out of the Cottages this month, and let me tell you…read morethat they were 100% the worst student living Complex in Lafayette. I would give zero stars if I could. If you're looking for an amazing complex, go to Campion or The Quarters. First of all, the Cottages is one of the most expensive complexes in Lafayette, and they offer less than ANY OTHER COMPLEX! Their appliances and units are not up to date (except for the one cottage that they show you during tours), the pool is tiny and always filled with leaves, there's no where for dogs to play, AND THEY LITERALLY ONLY HAVE SIX VISITOR SPOTS FOR THE WHOLE COMPLEX!!!!! Anyone who wants friends over has to have them park on the street outside of the complex or at the gas station next door and walk, or they WILL TOW. They also charge you $600 for one pet plus $25 a month. Here's the kicker though, the $600 "pet deposit" does not cover ANY damages your pet may do to the cottage. It's simply to have a pet. Here's how me and my roommates' experience went in cottage 23: NOTHING was up to date and EVERYTHING BROKE. - None of the drains in our cottage worked. We had to resort to unclogging them ourselves, and YEARS worth of hair came out of every drain. Each drain had at least 2-3 feet long of hair in them. - The pipes under our kitchen sink busted and flooded the cabinets the first week we moved in. They came and "fixed" them and within a week they busted again. We had to resort to finding something to temporarily hold the pipes together ourselves. - The dishwasher LITERALLY FELL OUT OF OUR CABINETS. Again, they came and "fixed it" and the next day it fell out again. - Our microwave made food have a weird chemical taste (especially popcorn) - The deadbolt on our front door didn't lock so we could only lock our door with the doorknob lock (the previous residents had this issue too and the Cottages did nothing) - The blinds in 2 of the bedrooms were barely hanging on, and eventually fell. The ladies in the office came for inspections and told us that they'd fix it and never did, then charged us for it at move-out! - The A/C broke THREE times and we went weeks without air in the hot months. We came home to find water POURING from our ceiling and flooding the upstairs hallway. The tears and waterstains in the ceiling are still there!! - The circuts to the outside light were blew, so no matter how many lightbulbs we tried we had no light outside to take our dogs out at night. - The front gate to the Cottages was busted and open at LEAST half of the year, so anyone could come in an out of the complex. The Cottages DO NOT care about their residents, and will take every cent of money you have. They are actual thieves. One small example: I was rear ended by someone while sitting at a light, and my car was totaled. When I finally got another car, they tried to charge me $70 for a STICKER to park. A STICKER. And we only had one month left of living there! They will charge you an insane price for literally anything. My roommate lost her keys and gate card, and they gave us a printed letter stating how much they would cost to replace. They charged her $100 more than the letter said. The only nice people in that office are Lily and Todd. Everyone else (at least the ones that I met) are very rude, especially Brittany. Please save yourself from a year of suffering and GO ELSEWHERE!!!!!

I decided to live here despite the terrible reviews. The building its self is in a great location…read morefor getting to campus, the gym was fine, and the study room where ok. My apartment was fully furnished and everything they provided was in fine shape (minus the couch). This building however is a party building. People are constantly having loud pregames/ parties. There were lots of incidents with both pools having to many non residents. The worst thing I think about this building is the cleanliness. The hallways quite literally also smell so terrible. It does not matter what floor you are on there are always stains on the carpets, trash near by, etc. One time there were broken raw eggs on the carpet for weeks! The stench might change but it never goes away. Also towards the end of the semester there were baby mice in my room. I was out of town but my roommate had to deal with it, and there solution was simply to just lay down sticky pads in our rooms and bathrooms!! Very gross. Overall the amenities in the building are good, the location is good but everything is subpar or worse.

I have spent the past month trying to resolve my move-out charges directly with ION Baton Rouge…read morethrough countless emails and follow-ups, but I still cannot get a response. At this point, I'm using Yelp because it seems to be the fastest way to get management's attention. I simply want someone with authority to review my account and address the charges I am disputing: * **Duplicate holdover fees:** I was charged twice and have repeatedly asked management to review my account and payment history and explain why. * **Utility charges:** I was told the move-out utility charge was supposed to cover the last three months, but I was already charged for those three months of water, electricity, and sewage. I have asked management to explain exactly what these additional utility charges are for and how they were calculated. There is also an issue with the AC and my utility bill. The central AC was not properly repaired, and I was eventually given a portable/window AC unit by ION. I specifically asked beforehand whether using it would increase my electric bill and was told it would be comparable to "leaving the lights on." I did not request this unit; it was provided because the central AC was not properly repaired. After using it, my utility bill was essentially doubled. I have asked management to review this as well, but have not received a satisfactory explanation. * **Damage charges:** I was willing to pay for the damages, but I requested the option to have the repairs completed by an outside, qualified source rather than paying ION the amount they are charging. I do not believe the amount being charged reflects the actual cost of the repairs. I am willing to post the photos ION provided of the alleged damages so people can see exactly what they are charging me for and why I believe the amount is unreasonable. This request has also gone unanswered. * **Apartment documentation:** I was told both in person and through email that ION does not maintain its own documentation or records showing the condition of individual apartments after inspections. If ION does not keep records for each apartment, how does management accurately track the condition of units from one resident to the next or determine what damage was pre-existing versus caused during a tenancy? I have asked this question and have not received an answer. * Carpet/flooding: During my lease, a toilet leak/flooding incident affected the carpet. I dispute the subsequent carpet-cleaning charge given the circumstances and lack of proper follow-up inspection. What makes this even more frustrating is that while management has not properly responded to my dispute, they have had time to threaten collections and/or credit reporting over the disputed balance. I also have emails and communications from both myself and my guarantor documenting my attempts to communicate with ION throughout my entire residency--not just after move-out. I am willing to post those communications, with private information removed, to show the timeline and how long I have been trying to get answers. I understand I am not the only resident who has moved out, and I am not expecting special treatment. However, after seeing other residents take their experiences to social media, it is concerning to see similar complaints involving being charged and then struggling to get clear communication or answers from management. At this point, it makes me question whether these are isolated situations or part of a larger ongoing problem. I have tried handling this privately for a month. I have sent numerous emails, followed up, and asked specific questions. So here I am. **ION Management: Please contact me and actually review this matter.** I do not want a generic response telling me to check my resident portal. I want someone to review my payment history, explain the duplicate holdover fees, address the utility charges, and respond to my request regarding the damage repairs. I am actively trying to resolve this. I just need management to actually communicate with me. Please correct my bill so we can finally get this resolved.

I would not recommend living here…read more The biggest issue was my air conditioning. It was broken for months, and my bedroom would get up to around 80 degrees. This counts as a "emergency" but no one answered the emergency line after calling multiple times so I was stuck with it for days. During the winter freeze, I also didn't have working heat, so my room was freezing, and this also wasn't resolved for weeks. There was a complete lack of communication. Maintenance would mark requests as "resolved" without actually fixing the problem or explaining what was going on, and it was almost impossible to get in touch with anyone for updates. Because they were constantly trying to work on the AC, maintenance was in and out of my apartment all the time, leaving doors wide open even though I have a pet that I pay rent for that could have easily escaped. Why am I paying so much to have my pet here and it's not respected? They would ask for me to keep my pet locked up but would give no notice of when they are coming, so it's unrealistic for me to lock up my cat for days at a time while I'm at work. On top of that, mold started growing around the AC unit and on my walls. The amenities are decent in theory, but even the clubhouse gets so hot that it's uncomfortable to study there for long periods of time. I also had a roommate whose dog destroyed parts of the apartment, and management didn't seem to do much about it. The dog wasn't on the lease and management did not care. Overall, the lack of communication and the way maintenance issues were handled made living here incredibly stressful. I spent months dealing with problems that should have been fixed quickly, and I never felt like residents' concerns were taken seriously. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone.

I just moved out and they are charging me $1040 for damages when cleaning is adequate. Along side…read morethis, managers are extremely difficult to contact and the front desk is little to no help.

Just great! great location, great staff great community! Sterling has had its down in the past but…read morenow under the new management has changed completely! I love living here and would recommend anybody who asked!!!

let me tell you, my child's experience was absolutely fucking terrible. Moved into a dirty MOLDY…read moreapartment, elevators didn't work, dog feces all over the halls, we tried going to the leasing office they didn't do shit. The manager doesn't do shit. I don't even know how this building is still up and running the way they run business. Overcharging students for these crappy ass run down ass apartments. Will be speaking with corporate and our lawyers about this fraudulent company.

Do not move here unless you want to live in trash, live with roaches, not have an actual leasing…read moremanager on site. They will take you through their staged units and office but upon moving in it will not be the same. The apartments trash are always overflowing, you pay for trash valet yet it's never picked up, the dumpsters are always full. The stairwells and full of dirt, spiders and roaches. They never power wash. Your charged additional fees and they will attempt to scam you. Upon a move out they will refuse to do a walk through and then try and charge you move out fees. There appears to be no one with any experience here but a lot of young people with horrible and unprofessional attitudes. The place has mold and roaches, they bandages the work and it won't ever be done correctly

If your student can live anywhere else, I would strongly recommend they should. Do not get caught…read moreup in the marketing photos, logistics to campus. Learn from our mistake. 1. The common areas are disgusting and littered with trash and food from other residents. Move in day made us want to run away.2 2. There is no assistance or communication from the office. You essentially have to tag them on social media for response. 3. Logging maintenance issues is a joke and nothing is a priority. For student housing to not prioritize internet --as advertised - and allow you to go weeks without is unacceptable. To ignore air conditioning maintenance issues and allow for the inside of apartments to get to 80'+ is unacceptable. For ~$700 per month per resident, there should not be issues of this magnitude. Run to the next apartment. Do not rent here.

Love it here! I love being close to friends and work out in the gym. They keep in touch with you…read moreand have a lot of cool events.

Raising their prices for mediocre housing. With new owners they are remodeling everything…read morecosmetically outside, but leaving the insides of apartments with terrible paint jobs, holes in the bathroom due to poor caulking and barely spray for bugs. I've had a maintenance worker yell as he was opening the front door and WALK IN ON ME in MY BED undressed!! No knocking or anything just yelling but didn't give me time to get dressed! On my birthday I was actually kicked out of my room by a maintenance worker so he could replace my door?? He said I couldn't be in my own room and I had to leave. Sketchy apartments and even worst staff