I'll start off by saying that all rentals in Ann Arbor are incredibly overpriced and of low value - so I'll try not to hold that against this complex that they do not break this mold. I also want to say that most of these things would not bother me, were I not paying a premium rent (even compared to other AA rentals) for something advertised as "luxury."
Things I don't like, but that they told me up front before I signed:
1. Cost - way overpriced, a bit worse than Ann Arbor average, presumably because these are newer buildings.
2. No garage for many units.
3. No carports at all.
4. No assigned surface lot spots (so guests can take the spots closest to the place you pay to live in, and you can walk from wherever).
5. The smaller floor plans don't have an island in the kitchen. Wasted space.
Things I don't like, that were not clear before signing:
1. The model has a full-size, side by side washer/dryer. When I asked, in an incredulous tone, if this was standard in all the units, I was told yes. That is, in fact, not true. Come see my stacked washer/dryer.
2. The backsplash in the kitchen isn't even standard (apparently, as mine does not have it), that's how cheaply made and how many corners they cut building. This means that when a normal person cooks, there's splatter from oil, etc on the wall that just lives there now. Yes, so luxurious.
3. The insulation is terrible. I have quiet neighbors, so I don't have noise issues. But my bedroom is substantially colder than my living room, because it has two walls to the outside (not insulated by other apartments or the main outer hallway). You feel much colder immediately upon walking in there. Why? Because the place is built cheaply and your comfort and utility bills are not their problem.
4. The valet trash service routinely fails to leave me a recycle bin liner when they pick up my trash and recycling. This is not that big of a deal except that I am forced to pay for it monthly no matter how terribly the service is performed. Why? Because management contracts with this third-party company. So, then, when the company management has hired to take care of my recycling fails, it is somehow my job to call the trash service (monthly) to get them to do it correctly.
5. The lighting is awful. The kitchen lighting is so dim as to be useless, as if the place was built in 1999. There is no ceiling lighting at all in the living room, so the whole place is dark and sad even in the daytime because this is Michigan and it's overcast outside often. Like how hard or expensive would it have been to install a ceiling light/fan combo like the one in the bedroom?
6. There is ONE grill for an entire, large complex. One grill. And it was broken the first two months I lived here, if not longer, and that was basically all of summer when anyone would have used it.
7. There are bugs in the apartment constantly, since I first moved before I could be responsible for it. I have had maintenance spray almost monthly.
8. The apartment was dirty when I moved in. There was the previous tenant's hair STUCK to the bathroom floor. When I emailed about it, I got a call from the manager apologizing and explaining that that must have happened with the mopping. I don't think it's too much to ask that I move into a properly cleaned unit without someone's hair already in it. If that happened with mopping, wipe it up after mopping and before a new tenant moved in. The excuse cannot be that the staff are bad at cleaning. Also, the tub was clogged from day one of move in. Again, test and check these things before someone else moves in!
Things I like:
1. Their website says dogs have to be 35lb or less. Not sure what their idea of 35lbs is, but 95% of the dogs I see walked in the neighborhood are at least 50lbs. I don't mind as I benefit from this, but if you want to live here you can bring your big dog.
2. Close to the bus stop.
3. The bedroom closet is gigantic, the bathroom also generously sized.
4. My neighbor across the hall is really nice and sometimes we ride the bus together.
5. There is an outdoor hot tub by the pool.
6. The two maintenance staff (seriously, just two men for the whole complex) are SO nice and friendly! They do a good job when they come out and are not intrusive at all.
Things you might care about that I don't:
1. There are somewhat regular resident/community events.
Overall, this place is truly meh. Again, if the place were 300/mo cheaper, I wouldn't have any complaints (except the hair in the bathroom, that is gross and totally preventable). Save your money and time. There is an overall vibe of management just being there because it's their job, but they have been polite, if not incredibly helpful. read more