There are no current reviews on here, so I will post mine.
This is my very first apartment and considering I am new renter, it was hard for me to go to other complexes and get approved without a cosigner or large deposit. Reluctantly, I tried here.
I did get approved. The deposit was okay. ($100) However, I must say this:
This is an income restricted community. That means that a lot of the tenants are on Section 8 income or disability or whatever. I do not have either, but this was the cheapest place I could afford on my own without breaking the bank. With that being said, you are going to experience less than stellar elements. I'll explain below:
Property: Cottonwood Park has been around for years; at least the late 70's and early 80's. They do look old on the outside. They have plumbing problems. My toilet and shower runs down into my neighbors apartment below and the garbage disposal backs up into the dishwasher and vice versa. The ceilng in the bathroom, as well as underneath the sink in the kitchen has significant water damage. I will not be surprised if the ceiling buckles in on me. They did do minor renos like new cabinets and floors. At night, the property is dark and not very well lit at all. The tenants have tendency to litter. The only time I have seen property upkeep on the lawn is when inspections are occurring. Parking is fairly decent but when it snows, there is no plowing. So far this winter, the complex has been very slick.
Maintenence: One guy. How to reach him? Call the office after hours to get the answering service. They call you back on three-way with this man. In my case, my dishwasher flooded the kitchen because the disposal was backing up. He told me he would fix it "later." It was eventually fixed. If you want results, you will have to keep calling to put some fire under his butt.
Office staff/other stuff: Both ladies are very nice. However, I was very unhappy upon me moving in for the following reasons:
Rent: I was told that rent would be $625/month. Only to be told that it was actually $725. That is $100 difference. Not happy.
Utilities: The only utility you pay is KCPL. Everything else is paid by them. However, I put a deposit down in October. I moved in November, right before Thanksgiving. The gas to my stove was NOT turned on. The day I signed the lease, we did a walk through and the lease agent noticed the gas wasn't on. They knew for over a month that I was moving in. I had to call Yarco and complain to get my stove on so I could cook for my daughter and I.
Communication: After signing my life away and waiting for approval from Yarco, the leasing agent failed to call and tell me that Yarco gave the thumbs up and I could move in. I had to call her only to find out that everything was good. I was not happy. Talk about bad customer service and follow up, especially since the deposit has been on the books for four and half weeks. Office hours are Monday through Friday. They are never open on Saturday, despite what their website or whatever says.
Honestly, my lease is up in November this year. I plan on moving somewhere else. My apartment is very cute, but I am not down with the elements. Admittedly, that's what you get when it's section 8 housing. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with section 8 or getting help. We all have to start somewhere. You get what you pay for in my opinion. I am glad I came here so I could get on my feet and build a rental history. Now that the ball is rolling, I am going to go somewhere else.
If you are like me and just getting started with being on your own, you will need to start somewhere. My credit isn't up to par. Going to big named complexes owned by Price Brothers, for example will lead you to disappointment. They want a stellar history, big deposit, and sometimes a cosigner or all three. Sadly, I have been judged because of the lack of the former. People have the right to live and it should not be difficult in doing so.
My advice: if you come here, keep to yourself, do what you have to do to build a solid history and some cash and go somewhere else. I have found that complexes with higher deposits (and rent) are obviously better. It's just the matter of saving some dough and going for what you want. read more