Application process:
The application process was riddled…read morewith errors and instructions on how to complete a few items were inaccurate or incomplete. Bell Westford is the property we are renting, but the application automatically fills in "The Vinings at Roper Mountain" in N. Carolina, with no ability to edit. We were told that is a known error and to disregard. Seems Bell would want to correct that after being open for a few years here in Westford, MA. Our deposit was double charged, so that had to be corrected and as a result we had to start the entire application all over again. These are 2 examples, but there were many other similar issues.
The rental rate quoted on the site may be more than 12 months. Ours had to be a 13 month lease to get the initial rate quoted. It was $500 more per month to get into a 12 month lease, so don't assume industry standards apply here. The biggest issue is that renters insurance is only sold in 12 month increments, so you have to renew for a full second year, then request a rebate for the 11 months unused.
Positives:
5 stars for the Evergreen apartment layout. It is less than 800 Sq feet, but feels much more spacious due to the large windows in both the living room and bedroom, walk in closets and even double sinks in the bathroom. The shower tub is wide, so the shower curtain doesn't attack you when you shower and there is plenty of cabinet space.
The gym is clean, well ventilated and has a decent selection of machines for an apartment building.
Our AC was blowing air, but barely cool, so we logged a maintenance request. Within 5 minutes, Daniel knocked on the door. Less than 24 hours later he rectified the issue.
Issues:
Our sales rep failed to mention the apartment we chose overlooks Westford Earth Materials. The view is not the issue. The ridiculous noise ALL DAY LONG is, which was discovered the day we moved in. Big trucks, constantly beeping as they back up, loaded with logs that are then chopped in massive grinders which are running pretty much throughout the day, beginning around 7am. If anyone is working from home or retired, this is NOT the apartment building you will want to live in. Even with the windows shut, the noise is intrusive, several days a week. The units most impacted by this are 3101, 103,105, 107, 109 111, 113, 117, 119, 121 and the floors directly above those (3201, 3203, etc).
The trash/recycling process requires you drag your trash bag to the back of the parking lot where there are a few small dumpster bins. The bins are completely full before the end of the week, and smell terribly. The move in packet states if you bring your trash all the way outside to the bins (meaning you either have to purchase a little wagon or load your trash into your car, then drive it there), and the bins are full, you are responsible for bringing the trash back to your apartment. LOL. Clearly THAT is not happening, for obvious reasons, but after a couple of days people just start leaning their rubbish against the sides of the bins until the day they are cleared out.
Considerations:
There is no underground/enclosed parking garage, but there are a few garages you can rent for $250/month. Once you sign, up you are required to rent the garage for the remainder of the lease period, there is no month to month option. Each stand alone unit houses 6 garage spaces. Be careful when you choose one, as the first one we looked at would have been an issue getting our car in and out as a truck had parked in a designated parking space near the front of the garage, leaving little clearance for a car to get into the actual garage. The 501-506 series is just past the dumpsters, so can get pretty unsightly with offensive odors.
You can rent outside, designated parking spots. There is also plenty of undesignated spots availability. We confirmed if you are unable to move your car when instructed (typically for snow removal), your car is towed and it is your expense to retrieve it. The parking lot lights are on all night, so if your bedroom overlooks a parking lot, you will want to purchase room darkening shades as the blinds let light in around all the edges and it really keeps the room lit up all night long.
The day we checked in, the door for the garage we rented was not functioning, so we were given a temporary one while the one we chose was under maintenance. We were charged for the temporary one as well as the one we were unable to use, so that had to be brought to someone's attention to fix. 10 days later the issues were resolved.