Samantha, Stephanie, Coty, and the rest of the Housing Consulting Staff were overwhelmingly…read moretransparent and helpful throughout my roommate and I's application process -- we are both incoming 1Ls at UW Law School. We are both impressed with the amenities, quality of the apartments themselves, and the surrounding area. I highly recommend this location to others who are looking for a unique, yet affordable, high-standard of living in Madison. On, Wisconsin!

Terrible management. Have been trying to contact them regarding an urgent matter for the last two…read moreweeks, have emailed, communicated on their website chat, spoken to their extremely inefficient AI system, left voicemails and there has been ZERO response from them. Two weeks of constant communication on my side and not a SINGLE response! I would avoid this place.

Unfortunately, it is time for another withering review of a deserving vendor: **Steve Brown…read moreApartments**, specifically their **Laurel Commons** property. My daughter and her roommates made what we now know was a serious mistake when they signed a lease there last summer. Within days of moving in, they noticed black spores around the air vents. At my urging, they checked the HVAC filter. It, too, was caked with what appeared to be mold. Management's response? **Clean and repaint the vents.** They insisted the problem was simply dirty vents. Guess what promptly reappeared? You guessed it: mold. The kids were so concerned about circulating spores throughout the apartment that they went without air conditioning during an **August heat wave**. And still, it took nearly a month of pushing management before they finally sent out an HVAC inspection/remediation company. And guess what they found? **Ductwork filled with black mold.** That's right. While management was busy painting over the visible evidence and dismissing the problem as "dirty vents," these kids were living in an apartment whose HVAC system was circulating air through mold-contaminated ductwork. I understand this is college. I understand that off-campus student housing is not exactly the Four Seasons. But **mold-filled HVAC ducts are not a charming bit of college-apartment sketchiness. They are unacceptable.** I could go on about the plumbing problems. The appliances in various states of disrepair. The absurd parking situation, for which residents were charged exorbitant rates despite there barely being enough room to accommodate the cars. Or the fact that my daughter had to walk through a dark alley to reach the parking garage. But frankly, the mold earns **Laurel Commons, managed by Steve Brown Apartments,** the lowest rating I can give. **AVOID this dunghole at all costs.** If you're a parent considering putting your son or daughter in Laurel Commons, look elsewhere. Your loved ones would be better off sleeping in their cars.

I was a resident of Steve Brown Properties, including Brownridge Terrace and West End Circle, for…read moreseven years. Unfortunately, my experience was incredibly stressful and often felt like an ongoing battle rather than a place to call home. Throughout my tenancy, I experienced persistent maintenance problems and poor communication. My experience closely mirrored another resident's review stating that "nobody was ever on the same page about anything." I regularly had to communicate with multiple employees who failed to relay information to one another, making even routine maintenance requests unnecessarily difficult. The buildings themselves also suffered from long-standing maintenance issues. The hallway air conditioning remained inoperable for years despite annual requests for repair. Each time I was told other projects had a higher priority, yet the issue was never resolved. Likewise, the entrance, lobby, and hallway lights remained burned out for months despite being reported multiple times. During a unit transfer, I was mistakenly double-charged rent and had to fight to receive a refund. After moving into the new unit, I spent approximately six weeks dealing with a broken dishwasher, microwave, and washer/dryer because the apartment had not been properly inspected before move-in. I also discovered black mold inside the HVAC closet. In a previous apartment, I reported an air conditioner that failed to cool properly for nearly two years, only to be told repeatedly that it was "working as intended" until it eventually failed completely. I repeatedly submitted work orders for broken blinds, but the requests were closed or downgraded without the repairs being completed. Management did not tell me they were waiting on replacement parts until about six months later, despite my repeated phone calls and emails. I was also billed an after-hours maintenance fee after reporting a fire sprinkler head hanging from the ceiling, even though maintenance determined the condition required immediate attention. Toward the end of my tenancy, a persistent low-frequency booming vibration developed throughout the building, severely affecting my ability to sleep. Although management attempted to locate the source, the investigation was limited to my apartment and the basement, while the rooftop mechanical equipment--a common source of low-frequency building vibrations--was not initially inspected. The issue remained unresolved, and during one of my follow-up reports, I was yelled at by a member of the maintenance staff. Although West End Circle and other Steve Brown properties have attractive buildings and good locations, I found that many maintenance issues remained unresolved for extended periods, and communication was consistently poor. Because these conditions were significantly affecting my health, I submitted medical documentation supporting my disability and requested a reasonable accommodation under the Fair Housing Act. During a phone call, I was told management had approved a mutual lease termination, and I signed a lease elsewhere in reliance on that representation. The agreement was later withdrawn, and I was required to proceed through the standard re-rental process. I learned the hard way not to count on their word alone. Get every important agreement in writing before making major financial decisions. After seven years as a resident, the cumulative effect of the unresolved maintenance issues, poor communication, and handling of my accommodation request took a significant toll on my health and family. Looking back, I regret staying as long as I did. I should have recognized sooner that my concerns were not being taken seriously or treated with the respect they deserved. I hope this review helps prospective tenants make an informed decision. Every person's experience will differ, but this reflects mine after seven years living at Steve Brown Properties.

It's a great modern place to live. There are so many new apts being built but they are way out of…read moremy budget. This has a lot of great amenities. Kwik Trip is next door . The management is very responsive . The roommate matching service was helpful too!

The worst apartment I've ever lived in. The management team was rude and constantly threatened me…read moreduring finals week in order to exploit my money as much as possible. There was no window in my narrow bedroom, and the internet connection was awful. I ended my lease before its completion. Personal items were always stolen. I highly recommend that you avoid this apartment.

"I worked with a girl I believe her name is Maya. She was enthusiastic and very welcoming. I had a…read morewonderful experience with her and would definitely recommend this company/her!"

Maggie Hall helped my roommates and I secure 5 month leases and was so communicative and…read moreresponsive. She genuinely made our experience so smooth and manageable. She is the best!

I've been here for about 25 minutes on a Friday at 11:00 there are people in the lobby but there…read moreare no workers at the front desk at all​

From the owner: For those who want to reshape the status quo, find a new rhythm, and own their moment, Axton is…read morewhere your drive meets design, and your ambition has the space to thrive. Inside our UW-Madison student community, you'll find amenities that match your energy and apartments that suit your style -- with personal privacy always a top priority. Choose a studio or one-bedroom all to yourself, or get the two-, three-, four-, and five-bedroom sweet spot. At Axton, we know you're here to make your mark. So fuel your creativity, unleash your potential, and be boldly and brilliantly you, all from the heart of Madtown.

I stayed here not as a student, but as a visitor for the Madison Early Music Festival. It's not as…read morenice as a hotel (shared bathroom and all) but the bathroom was immaculate, the rooms were clean, the staff at the front desk was very nice. There is a dining hall but it's cafeteria food - I only ate there for breakfast since it was included, and there are great restaurants and cheap food carts very close by at Library Mall. Nice location.

I came to chad as a visitor. A friend and I were just visiting our high school best friend. The…read moreroom in this dorm are SOO small. They are super tiny and I guess that's why I gave it four stars. The location of it is perfect; it's right in the middle of everything, which makes it really convenient. It also has a convenient store and cafeteria on the first floor. One really neat thing about chad though is that it's run by the students. Students basically operate the convenient store and the main desk and are on the custodian team. It is pretty neat! They also don't have to check people in or anything like that since you need a key card to get on the elevator anyway. Overall, I think chad is pretty nice.

I lived here the first year I transferred to Madison and it was largely a forgettable experience…read more Zoe Bayliss is an all-female co-op, includes a chef, and sort of resembles a dormitory. They have small single, large single and double rooms. The chef's cooking is pretty decent, but it gets old fast and near the end of the semester, she was barely there. It's a great place for diversity too: a lot of Chinese and Korean girls tend to live here. However, you're required to do one house and kitchen duty a week, one spring cleaning, and one "event." I didn't think this was too bad considering the rent was super cheap as a result, but if your building managers are more uptight, this may be something to consider. The main problem I had with this place was that many of the girls were lazy and catty; you may not have that problem, but if you weren't in a certain manager's good spot, you could be overlooked in a duty and that might result in a fine. I'd never live here again, but it wasn't the worst experience one could have when going for university-based housing.

I live in Zoe Bayliss currently, and I love it here! Many things have changed in the 7 years since…read morethe last review was posted. We have a new chef who cooks everything from scratch (rather than using frozen meals), and he switches up the food more too. The officers have changed too, and they are much more forgiving about work duties. Pros: Meals are included in rent which saves a lot of time and money. About half the students are international, so the diversity is much better than in the dorms. The girls are studious and quiet. I've found that because I don't have to worry about cooking food and the community is so studious, it's easier to focus on my schoolwork. Cons: It's clean but not "pretty" or "modern" inside. Also, only about half the rooms are singles, and the other half are doubles, so you have to sign up early for a single. The double are dirt cheap though. It is a co-op, so if you want a modern apartment or your own kitchen and bathroom this might not be the place for you. But if you like living in a community and don't mind a making a couple tradeoffs (2 hours of work duties per week) to have meals cooked for you, cheap housing, and a good location, this is the best value student housing in Madison.

This is a pretty fun place. Despite being built like a fireproof vault my friends and I have…read morecontinually enjoyed it. The service is great, the culture is great, yet I'm giving it only 3/5 stars because of the rules. Apparently you're not allowed to fall asleep in the bathroom. Not cool. Additionally, I have to live down the hall from Tom McDevitt, and he's psychotic and won't leave my room. I would recommend the A tower over the B tower. A bonus is the mattresses are quite waterproof. 7/10 would recommend this dormitory to a friend.