I currently live at The Residences at Oella Mill. My husband and I have lived here for 3 years…read more Until 6-9 months ago this was a fantastic place to live. There were resident activities, quiet peaceful neighbors and a real sense of community. Sadly this place has changed, and in my opinion not for the good. The setting of the property is like out of a story book, nobody can deny that. The views over the Patapsco from my apartment are outstanding and I can watch bald eagles fly by daily. The condition of the building is also stellar, the cleaning and maintenance crews do an amazing job keeping the building and the grounds beautiful. Additionally, my apartment is a fantastic blend of modern and period architecture. It is a beautiful physical space to come home to. This is why I am giving this property 2 stars. For the reasons I am not giving more, please read on...
The problem is with the management of the building and with the building's owners, Southern Management. There have been several changes over the last year that have made this an increasingly less desirable place to call home. For example, several resident amenities have been reduced or eliminated altogether, residents are treated and made to feel like children, resident concerns are given the brush off, building management would prefer to sit in their offices rather than mingle with residents and changes to corporate policy are going to result in huge increases in rents being collected by residents already paying a premium.
When we moved in this was an "all inclusive" community, residents were not "nickel and dimed" at every turn. Moving forward, what was all inclusive (electric, water, trash, maintenance, etc...) will now be billed to each resident. This essentially is a rent increase because each of these items were previously included in the rent paid. Also, it has not been made clear to any resident how they plan on determining the amount to be paid (apartments are not individually metered).
A friend of ours had trouble with the door lock to the apartment. This friend was charged to have the lock fixed. Isn't this the responsibility of a landlord to fix? Why is a resident being charged for a maintenance request?
Just this morning my husband returned home from work at 3am to find someone had parked in his reserved space in the parking garage. This has happened to me on two other occasions previously. The building management simply shrugs its shoulders and says we need to give them time to move their vehicle. Further research concluded that the front office made a mistake and assigned another vehicle the spot we already pay for. Yes, parking in the garage is an extra fee. Instead of apologizing for the snafu, I was snapped at and made to feel like I was a bully for complaining. No, I pay a premium price for you to do your job, and expect a sincere apology and explanation when something goes wrong.
These are just a few examples of the issues both we and other residents are currently experiencing living at Oella Mill. Trust me, there are many, many more.
The Residences at Oella Mill was once the premier apartment community in Howard/Baltimore counties. Sadly, you are now being asked to pay an incredibly premium price for sub-premium customer service and amenities. Do yourself a favor and look at other properties, I know I am.