Been a tenant for a year, and have a laundry list of issues with this place terrible management and poor customer service. Once you sign the lease plan to never hear back from them again. Please recognize reviews from actual tenants and not from someone who completed a 10 minute tour. Just a few issues to state during move in my appliances were not working right and I was given the wrong code for the front door in the hot SUMMER. They are in the middle of selling the property and they will come in with no notice and less than 24 hours notice multiple times. Once i did not know anyone was coming and I was on the toilet!! Please spend your money elsewhere I am begging you they are a disgrace to philadelphia. read more

HELL Properties is by far the worst living experience I have ever had. I moved out in June and ended up talking to a colleague tonight that sparked my disaster of an experience, and hence, my writing of this review. I can't add anything new that others haven't mentioned, but really just want to emphasize the noise, lack of care from the management, and headache that comes with (attempting to) signing a lease with them. The low rent will cost you in the end. Yes, it's beautiful, but there's more than meets the eye. Don't do it. By any means. For real. read more

I rent from them around 13th and Ridge Ave in the Spring Arts area. I absolutely adore our space and this property management company! Our apartment is fabulous, spacious, great for entertaining and at a vary affordable price. We have a beautiful 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom unit with a small deck and laundry. It's the best! Seriously look into these apartments. We've had nothing but great interactions with the management team. The one associate we've worked closed with is fabulous and beyond helpful for anything we need. Nothing but thumbs up here!! read more

When I first moved in communication was very good. I have since moved out and should share my experience. As someone mentioned before, hallways smell like cigarette smoke or weed, depending on the day. There's always trash in the back entrances of each unit. If you live below anyone, you can hear walking and squeaky beds above you. To top it all off, I was charged $75 a piece ($150 total for the 1 bedroom and living room)for them having to "wash" the baseboard after the place was left immaculate. I took pictures because I've been messed around before. If being charged $75 to clean a baseboard is how you can keep some security deposit, it should make someone think twice about renting from this company. read more

Overall satisfied with HOW Properties and chose to renew lease for a second year. Our apartment has nice furniture and good appliances. Building is clean and they have been good with any repair issues we have. The walls are thin and you can hear people around you, plus they seem to be made using cheap materials so they get scuffed up/damaged pretty easily, but not too big a deal and fixed with some paint. Had a few issues where our heating/air conditioning stopped working a few times during the year but they were quick to respond to maintenance requests. Leasing was great with helping us to arrange move-in and switch the lease to a larger apartment after we had already signed the first one. No pets allowed in our building which is disappointing but may be for the best given the thin walls and its demographic of college students. The website they use for maintenance and rent payment is easy to use. Rent is a bit expensive for the neighborhood but I guess you are paying for quality/safety (building has cameras everywhere and a 24/7 security guard). Paying rent with a check incurs a $35 fee which is annoying as I would rather do that than link it to my bank account. read more

Terrible management company. It takes several emails and calls to get any issue resolved, and they might not even be able to solve it. They never return calls when they tell you they will call you back and when you finally get a hold of them, your call will be transferred around until somebody actually knows the information (sometimes it means that you need to call the owner of the building, which will tell you to call back HOW Properties). Maintenance people knock twice and if you don't answer immediately, they come in and start working, whether you are there or not. They once came in when I was in the shower. We had several stolen packages in Blockley II and the management's response to complaints was that we should file a police report, since they didn't have the technology to playback the security cameras. A few weeks after that, they sent us an email saying that they would playback the cameras to see who failed to pick up after their dog in the garden. Lastly, there are unexpected deductions in your security deposit. The apartments are nice and cheap, but the management company does not care about the people living there. Don't do it. read more

I will give them credit for being cheap, then again everything else comes with it - vermin, thin walls and noisy neighbors, smoke in apartments, paint chipping off the walls, leaks, constant plumbing issues. Not to mention if you attempt to reach them in regards to any issues, you won't hear back. I've had a broken window covered in plastic for about a year now, that maintenance refuses to address. I wasn't able to use my plumbing AT ALL for a week before I could get anyone to come out. On top of the lack of upkeep, don't expect any privacy. Maintenance will not notify you for entry, or respect your property. Lights left on, Windows left open with heat on in the middle of winter. Messes left from repairs. You essentially have to expect your apartment to be open to HOW employees with or without your permission/knowledge at any time. Probably not the best place to put your money, housing is affordable just don't expect anything else from them. read more

Simply horrible in every aspect. Ignore your concerns, don't care about their tenants, and overall management is extremely rude. I would HIGHLY recommend to avoid at all costs. read more

I would never sign any lease with these people. Made 2 appointments to see a property. Both times the agent never showed up. I finally gave up and moved on. If they are treating potential tenants like that I would hate to see "How" they treat tenants who sign a lease with them. After reading all the reviews about them it looks like I made a wise decision to move on! read more

It has been nothing less than a nightmare working with them. If you like privacy, this company is not for you. On numerous occasions, employees have entered our apartment without notice or a knock. This is incredibly uncomfortable, as you can imagine. Myself, and other neighbors, have had to install security cameras as a result. If you like a company that doesn't respond when you have an issue for over week, then you are in luck, they don't care about you once you are locked into a lease. AVOID unless you are comfortable with a lack of management. read more

I've rented from many rental companies, and HOW Properties is, by far, the worst! Stay away and DO NOT rent from them. They ignore maintenance requests: it took over a week to respond to our stove top issue during which we could not cook; they completely ignored the mice issue we had despite multiple complaints. We also had a housemate issue and they did nothing to help evict the guy. And these were only a few of the many examples I could name. When it was time for us to move out, and they were showing our place to potential renters, the guy even called me to say he can't make it that evening and asked me to do his job for him and show the house!! (I did, and told the potential renters not to rent from them.) Upon moving out, they charged us for the most ridiculous normal wear and tear that other management company would not charge. I have always gotten my full security deposit back from every other place I've rented, but HOW charged us over $1000! Then we had a lawsuit situation with the problematic housemate, and we asked the office to check with us before releasing certain information to the other housemates. The idiot girl in the office, of course, sends out a mass email to everyone with all information. Just stay away from HOW. They are toxic and it's just not worth the hassle. read more

My boyfriend and I have lived in our unit for one year and any time there has been an issue we have always had a quick response. Very happy with this management company especially today when I was accidentally locked out of my unit, barefoot with just my phone. Very stressful and scary situation since I was by myself. I called the emergency number we were given and our contact from the managament company happened to be in the area on his way to an appointment. He delayed his appointment to come and let me in the unit within 5 min after we spoke. This obviously is not their SOP but I am very thankful to him for being such a nice guy and caring about his tennants when in that type of circumstance. read more

This is by far one of the worst companies to rent from. I live at the residences of 219 and if you love smoke filled hallways, trash all over the place and bad communication then this is th place for you. When you give your lease termination notice they bring potential renters through and have no consideration about your time. Showings in what is still considered your space 4-5 times per week. If a showing time doesn't work for you they just ignore your emails and show up anyway. Can't wait to get the hell out of there!!!!!! read more

The property is nice, the customer service is terrible. No one is on the same page and the employees are always late. I've had a broken washer for a week and I keep getting the runaround. Someone was supposed to come and clean for my new lease that's beginning tomorrow... No one showed up. Again, love the property and location...not the customer service or how they treat the tenants. read more

Very awesome and great before you sign a lease. We had major mice issues and they weren't willing to take care of it right away. Also they really ignore maintenance requests. Our roof kept leaking constantly damaging furniture etc and they sent people out multiple times to fix it and no one actually fixed it, it kept leaking over and over again. I complained about the roof constantly leaking destroying my personal items they said to call my renters insurance and didn't come even look at it for over a month. Dishwasher and the washing machines they give also completely suck. Just not worth the hassle. read more

I have lived in a HOW properties apartment for 2 years now. In this year's lease time, we have had 3 floods: 2 from rainwater due to poor drainage, 1 from sprinklers that maintenance didn't know how to turn off. The first floods were virtually ignored for 10 days before they sent maintenance, causing ridiculous amounts of mold. The sprinkler flood has led to improper communication between the property manager and tenants- when we were told we had to move out of our bedrooms, she offered the solution to "make pillow forts" and expects our full rent. How insulting! The property is constantly facing issues that would have been solved with proper initial construction. read more

Horrible. Resident since 2015 because they offer affordable rentals in University City. They are lazy with maintenance request, water heater consistently fails and when maintenance come in they barely do anything. They always enter the room without 24 hour notice or a notice at all. When they test the fire alarm system you get a whopping 10 minute notice. Security at the building is horrible. The parking lot is guarded by a "locked" gate that requires a password to enter. The gate is always open and for three months, the lock was defective and did not work. If you have a car they charge you $75 per month for a saved spot. A reasonable price. Good luck having your spot there for you when you arrive. If i run out for errands, someone parks in my paid spot regardless of having a note indicating that the spot has been paid for and will be towed. If a car is parked in your spot HOW Properties procedure is very hands off, they inform tenants to call the police and then the towing company after the car gets a ticket. Apparently that is another lie HOW properties tells. After months of people parking in my paid spot and being annoyed that I was throwing $75 a month away for nothing, I called the police. Police said that it is a private matter and they cannot do anything. Before renting here, do your homework, it is not worth your money. Several other property management companies in Philadelphia. After my lease is done they will not see another cent from me. Do your research before renting from them. read more

I rented from 549 E Wister St. next to La Salle University. I have never experienced such horrendous customer service as I did with HOW. They do not care about their tenants one bit. I was locked outside my apartment because the gate was broken on MULTIPLE occasions. As a young woman in an area of high crime, this was unsafe and frustrating given the cost of living there. During a small gathering, maintenance came in an sawed a HOLE in my roommates wall - no notice, no explanation, and it was not fixed throughout the remainder of our stay. The security guards were never present at the mail desk, creating both an inconvenience and security issue. Finally, my roommates and I cleaned our apartment IMMACULATELY before leaving, and did not meet with our landlords due to COVID-19 concerns - something they confirmed was absolutely okay. Then we were charged over $300 for cleaning, repainting, and carpet cleaning...I could not recommend an apartment LESS! You'd be better off literally living on the side of the street as that's where I spent most of my time waiting for security to let me in. read more

This is the worst renting experience I have every had and I've moved around quite a bit. We pay almost $1200 a month for an efficiency apartment that was listed as a one bedroom. A one bedroom apartment in my opinion usually consists of a complete separate bedroom. We have a "sleeping area" not a bedroom, doesn't even have a door to separate it from the rest of the apartment. But we saw the building while it was still under construction so I was unaware of this until after move in. The only reason my boyfriend and I agreed to rent higher than our budget (in not even a nice section of philly) is because we have two dogs, one being a pitbull and most places discriminate against certain breeds. The fact that HOW properties doesn't discriminate against pets is the ONLY reason they even get one star. We've had our ceiling completely cave in on us twice. It was explained to us by the technicians who fixed it that the roof was put together like crap. This was over a month long issue and we had to argue to get rent reduced, not even the month free. We also moved in and there was a cracked window. That we were told would be fixed within 2 weeks. It took over 5 months and the replacement window also cracked after instillation. That has yet to be fixed. No one other than maintenance technicians have ever come by to see the damage done to our home. As another review said, they have zero respect for their tenants or their privacy. I have been told dozens of times that someone would be coming by the apartment either to fix damages, inspect, show the apartment, etc and no one has showed. Like I mentioned, we have two dogs so we arrange our work schedules to be home when we're told someone would be by- a total inconvenience. Obviously we are not renewing our lease. Therefor they must show the apartment. I was given less than 24 hours notice for one showing and when I said I would appreciate a reschedule because of the dogs and I wouldn't be home by the requested 3:30 showing (not exactly after work hours). I was given attitude and told to "make sure the dogs are taken care of next time they request a showing." I should mention I PAY to have them live here. They may not be people, but rent is paid for them to live here. And if something were to happen with them while I wasn't home, I would be to blame? I also just received this email; Hello, I apologize for the mistake today in regards to the showing that was scheduled without notification to you first. I will make sure this NEVERS happens again for future showings, and please let me know if you need anything in the meantime. Hopefully the unit rents soon, so then I won't have to schedule anymore showings. Thank you, Stephanie Moore HOW Properties (484) 904-1111 Ext. 407 Office leasing@howproperties.com So strangers were in my home without my consent. I hope you read this, I know it was winded, but thats how terrible it is to rent from HOW properties. read more

We rent from HOW on Levering Street in Manayunk and they have been terrifyingly awful from the moment we signed our lease. It took three weeks and multiple unanswered emails before we could get Ashley to answer the simple question: "how does the move in procedure work?" Then, on the day of move in, Ashley "forgot" and showed up almost an hour late to let us in while the movers waited for us costing us $200 in extra expenses. A year later, HOW finally agreed to compensate us for this which is of course the least they could do. We were also promised that the walls would be painted and the shower retiled (seriously, the tiles are all jagged and the tub looks like someone painted it with caulk). Neither were done. It's heartbreaking when I hear HOW's leasing agents telling prospective tenants the same lies when they show them our apartment. Worst of all is their utter lack of communication. Rarely do my fiancée and I receive the same emails and it is as if they do not know how to create a listserv. They relish in providing their tenants with the minimal possible notice and I can't even count the number of times this has caused problems - from unexpected contractors (sometimes coming on the wrong day when are actually notified) to horrifying fire alarm tests without proper notice. HOW is truly horrible at everything they do. read more

When I first inquired about signing the lease, Stephanie from management was so rude and nasty it seemed as if she was paying me to take the place.... I do not understand how it is an inconvenience to talk to potential renters about questions they may have... The apartment itself is fairly new but they really cut corners during construction to keep costs down. Our mail constantly was stolen and letters were scattered all around the main lobby despite multiple emails to management to address this issue. Nothing was ever done and although they have security cameras around the building, there was never any investigation. The front door is constantly broken, allowing anyone from outside to enter in. The walls are so thin you can literally hear conversations from your neighbors in full detail day or night. The garbage area is a mess with litter thrown around everywhere and again management has done nothing but collect our rent. The tenants are mostly college age students and as the apartment allows pets, you can find animal hair and even feces dumped into the trash can in the main lobby. It has sat there for multiple days on multiple occasions before it was ever removed. It is clear that management has no respect for the property and neither do the people who occupy it. I moved in since rent was fairly cheap and I liked my roommates but I will definitely be moving. read more

Well, I tried to rent from them. I sent my application AND deposit and was approved. Surprisingly, the listing was for an immediate move in, but wasn't actually available for another month and a half. The only reason I found out was because the tenant called to let me know she wasn't moving out for a while. No one from How Properties even contacted me about it. I immediately contacted the office demanding a refund. Luckily, they had something else available in the building for more money (eye roll). Still waiting to hear back about my refund after I said "no thanks" to the bait and switch bullcrap. Oh did I mention I'm moving in a week and need that money to secure a place actually available... Update: After threatening to report them for shady business practices, this was the response I was given: Hi Madeline, There must have been a huge miscommunication. Kim, a tenant of our, was trying to rent her apartment to replace herself because her lease is not ending for a few months. We are very reasonable and allowed her to list her unit for rent herself a we DID NOT list the unit, she did. If she did not communicate to you that she as in fact looking for mid August than there was obviously a mistake made, not malicious fraud. I am unsure as to what bait and switch you are referring to as my self and staff have been very communicative with you. L&I and the PA attorney General will disregard any claim especially since this wasn't our ad and has nothing to do with either organization. [the author of the email is clearly listed as the person who posted the ad, along with her contact info.] This could have been easily rectified if you had been reasonable and didn't throw out meaningless threats. You are not worth our time and we will refund the money even though you clearly paid the $50 and acknowledged it was non-refundable. I'm not sure what she meant by "easily rectified" since the previous two emails stated under no circumstances would I get a refund. read more

Overall, nice apartment for a fair rental price. That's about where it ends. As another review has noted, walls are paper thin and you can hear everything that your neighbors do. The lease agreement states that multiple noise complaints are grounds for eviction but let's be honest...no property company is going to evict a tenant over noise complaints. At the very least, it would be nice to have a resolve for the noise complaints, but they seemed to be ignored. Lastly, I'm still trying to wrap my head around How's policy of having forced move-out dates set for the 28th of the month. 1. You're paying for your apartment for the entire month so why can't you reside there for the entire month? 2. I've never experienced a property company that will start your next rental on the 29th, 30th or 31st. So, it appears that How just expects you to find a place to live until your next lease starts even though you've paid for the entire month. I would at least expect to have my rent pro-rated for the move-out month. read more

I lived in 1221 Mt Vernon for one year and really enjoyed my time there. Nice open lay outs with modern appliances and atmosphere. Also, great location that's walking distance from art museum and center city areas as well close proximity to great local bars and resteraunts. In addition, management was very helpful and timely in their responses to any issues or questions that we had during the year. Would definitely recommend this location to anyone looking around the area. read more

Please read all reviews before renting. I would give a one star but stress-eating Ming Kong Chinese and Zuzu's Pizza helped me through this torture. How's maintenance is extremely below standards, Mike & his team need to be better before someone gets seriously injured. I lived on the 4th floor of How's new 4 floor complex on 16th and Ridge and the elevator was decommissioned for majority of my year living there. I personally was stuck in the elevator numerous times. How had a 3rd party come to fix the elevator and when he was on the 4th floor, he stopped me on my way to work and actually told me to never get on this elevator again, that it has not been kept up-to-date with standard legal maintenance and it is a safety hazard for everyone who steps foot in it. Easy solution right, take the stairs. That would be easy if they would put working light bulbs in the staircase. These issues made me really worried about the rest of the complex's upkeep. This complex was brand new, I was the first to live in my unit, but after a year it is already run down and filthy. How's leasing associates are very nice when you are addressing your complaints or requests but that's where the respect ends. Do not expect to have your requests or complaints to be respected or resolved. The leasing associates repeatedly broke standard codes by having apartment viewings way under 24 hour notice and when I would respectfully ask for a notice, I would get a call asking "why I am making their job's difficult". This is Philadelphia, there are plenty of other Real Estate companies you can go through. I don't regret How because now I know about them and can have them join the Philly list of who not to rent from. How needs to re-brand themselves because I'm not sure they'll make it out of this bad reputation. I'm not sure How :) read more

DO NOT RENT FROM HOW PROPERTIES. I repeat, DO NOT RENT FROM HOW PROPERTIES. I cannot believe this company has not been shut down yet. They do not believe in any upkeep of their buildings. Lights have been out for weeks, elevators have been down for weeks, common areas are disgusting...AND THEY COULD CARE LESS. The head of maintenance, Mike, should not be allowed to manage any team at any job. He only cares about the bare minimum and is a joke to deal with. If you rent from How, be prepared to live very uncomfortable for a very high price. This type of management/service would not even be acceptable in the streets of Camden. Actually, you might be better off living there than in an apartment managed by How properties. read more

It bothers me to see all of these negative reviews about HOW. I've had nothing but positive interactions since I decided to rent from them. I had an issue with a dripping pipe and maintenance came the same day. Everyone I've dealt with has been extremely friendly! read more

I have never had this many issues with an apartment in my life. Started off with roaches and mice which are finally gone. The heat is on hell always even though it was supposed to be a central air and heating system in my unit. Extra utilities were added. Its a none smoking building but mine is filled with smoke everyday. Advertised as newly renovated and my updates still have not happened. Repair after repair of my plumbing yet everything still leaks and makes loud sounds under my floor and now a visible pipe is in my bathroom. Water damaged my belongings and they have not replaced them but someone did come in my apartment wihout my knowledge and tried to glue my shelf. My floors are now warped. Entering of your unit repeatedly without your knowledge. Awful quick repairs that just fall back apart and I have been here for 8 months and still I have no doorbell. Great location very bad management and clearly tenants happiness is of no importance to How properties. read more

How properties recently built some units in West Philadelphia, near Drexel University. The unit, while aesthetically pleasing, was a complete disaster. Aside from charing $1,350 a month (Yes, for a college student), they completely dropped the ball when building the units. The floors buckled almost immediately, to the point the floor was entirely uneven. While they fixed it, they decided to not clean or return everything to how it was, so I spent the next two days cleaning and putting furniture back together. When we first moved in, the landlords told us they would take care of the first few weeks utility bill (PECO) because the meters were not properly run...well that was a lie. Following that "promise" we were charged for the utility. When I decided to leave the unit, following moving, they managed to turn on my heat and ac and cause me a 150.00 utility bill...WHILE I WAS NOT EVEN LIVING THERE. It was a good thing the leasing agent, Ashley was pretty, because that was the only positive thing about living there...finally, they advertise units which were not even available...their excuse, "building momentum" Don't use them. read more