Agreed with Dan on Norman. We only stayed here 2 months as a sublet (thank god), and during those 2 months they claimed that we ruined the walls and carpet and made us pay out of our deposit for it (even though I have photos I took after I moved out showing the contrary - everything was in the exact shape in which we got it - which was old to begin with). I would have sued these slumlords in small claims had I not moved out to the west coast after this two month stay. During our last week there, they constantly brought people at all hours of the day to look at the apartment, without advance notice. A few times Norman simply used his key and walked in. DON'T rent from Commonwealth. They are terrible, and you'll regret it. PS - The place does have mice. My dog caught one. read more

I haven't even seen an apartment yet, only spoken to Norman on the phone. But boy oh boy, what an ass! He actually said I couldn't see one of the apartments listed on Craigslist because "I wouldn't like it" - huh??! His demeanor was just incredibly rude. I'm really glad I read these reviews, even though the places sound nice and affordable, I'm too old to deal with this kind of landlord. Think I'll "miss" my appointment with him today! read more

Let me start off by putting my Yelping style in perspective. If I come across a business that disappointed me, whether it's a restaurant, retail shop or whatever, I give them a second chance before I review them....just to give them the benefit of the doubt in case it was an off day. Well, I moved to a new apartment over a month ago and have had to deal with this management company countless amounts of times. I think I've given them an ample amount of time to prove themselves. And prove themselves they did. Commonwealth, you've allowed me to break the chains of good reviews and throw up a bad one. If during your apartment search you come across a building managed by Commonwealth Real Estate, run like it's the plague - even if it's a 5000 sqft. apt renting for $100 in Rittenhouse. Everyone expects a few hiccups during a move, maybe no internet for a week, keys not working properly.......you know, the usual stuff. Now.....this could all be me, maybe my expectations of an apartment and management company are too high. In the interest of keeping this yelp slightly shorter than a novel, I'll list the pros and cons and let you decide for yourself if my expectations are too high. Pros: -A human being answers the phone at the Mgmt Co. Mon.-Fri. 9-5 -Very friendly maintenance crew who mutually loathe the Mgmt Co. -Quiet neighbors Cons: -Didn't repair any damages from previous tenants -lawsuit worthy behavior from their rental agent, Norman (more on him later) -Refuse to turn the heat on in the building even though temps dropped below 55 degrees for the past two nights -Show up and enter the apartment unexpectedly when I'm home -No show on appointments made to meet at the apartment (keep in mind I had to take off work to make these appointments) -leave noxious chemicals sitting in the bathtub for days on end which stink up the entire apartment -negatively critique the way my apartment is set up (a stunt pulled by Norman) -suggest that I clean the exterior of my refrigerator because it's too dirty (important to note that many consider me super anal about cleanliness.....you could eat meals off my floor.......another stunt pulled by Norman) -Mold problem in the basement - hopefully it doesn't negotiate it's way up to my second floor apartment I could go on and on here. I imagine that Commonwealth's late owner would roll over in his grave if he knew how this company was being run. The main problem here is Norman. Everyone I have spoken to including the maintenance crew, the secretary and the mail man have all agreed that Norman is an abomination of a human being. Norman showed up at our apartment, unannounced, and proceeded to harass and berate my wife to the point of tears. My fellow Yelpers, I leave it up to you to make your own decisions about whether or not to rent an apartment from Commonwealth........just heed my warnings as your proceed with them. read more

Everything Dan V. said is true and then some. I've had some bad landlords in my day, but never ANYONE like Norman. He comes and goes from your apartment when ever he pleases, and if you catch him he will either say "well our office told me they called to notify you today" (FYI you need to give 24 hours notice to enter) or "It was an emergency" There was never an emergency, just him realizing how bad the hole in my floor was that he hadn't fixed since I moved in 6 months before. To top it all off there were numerous times when I called Norman to notify him of a repair needed to be made where he actually started YELLING at me over the phone. I do not take the time to review things.. EVER.. that is how strongly I feel about this. read more

I never write reviews, but I don't want to see anyone live through what I went through. I lived in a one bedroom apt. I had NO HEAT for an entire winter. I had major mice problems, leaking ceiling, no water pressure, and mold. The washer/dryer in the basement was also broken and there was a filthy sludge that coated the basement floor. The refrigerator was also broken, and spoiled all my food. After they claim it was "fixed" I bought new groceries and once again they were all spoiled within a day. After constant nagging, they finally brought in a "new" one. And by new, I mean a used refrigerator filled with mold. Two months later, a guy moved in across the hall and complained about a similar issue with his. When I went in to check it out, I noticed that they put my broken refrigerator in his apt. To my knowledge, it is still there. AND I had no fire detector. When I asked for one, Norman yelled at me for asking and told me I wasn't allowed to put one in myself. Pretty sure that's illegal. On top of all the despicable living conditions, the entire company were the most disrespectful, rude, and combative people I have EVER encountered. Norman would constantly curse and yell at me when I called about a problem. One of the owners even hung up on me when I explained that I was sleeping in my coat every night with a space heater because I had no heat. Their rent is cheap for a reason. Avoid these people at all costs. Oh, and they will also lie to cheat you out of your security deposit. read more

Do NOT rent from these people. Norman is incredibly rude. I gave up on getting things fixed because I simply could not stand to deal with him any longer. One of the burners on the stove was broken when I moved in and guess what'--it stayed that way all year. I second what someone else said about the heat. I bought a thermometer to document that the temperature in my apartment was regularly falling down to 54 or so degrees. After I bothered them enough, their solution was to give me an electric space heater and a $35 rent credit for the resulting electricity bill. Worst of all, the building was infested with mice. I caught 17 mice over the course of the year (yes, I kept count). I was ready to call Licensing and Inspections. The price was good but it was not worth the headaches. Do NOT rent from these people. read more