I live in Lucky Apts now and will be living in 613 Maggie Frances this upcoming year. In navigating my new lease and figuring out what I need,Megan Jensen has exceeded expectations as Resident Relations Coordinator and has continued to answer my many questions promptly and accurately. When I had to catch a flight soon after the lease signing deadline, both Larissa and Megan helped me get through everything as fast as possible. They have both gone above and beyond and are great examples of why SBA is the only company I'll lease with in Madison. read more

Unfortunately, it is time for another withering review of a deserving vendor: **Steve Brown Apartments**, specifically their **Laurel Commons** property. My daughter and her roommates made what we now know was a serious mistake when they signed a lease there last summer. Within days of moving in, they noticed black spores around the air vents. At my urging, they checked the HVAC filter. It, too, was caked with what appeared to be mold. Management's response? **Clean and repaint the vents.** They insisted the problem was simply dirty vents. Guess what promptly reappeared? You guessed it: mold. The kids were so concerned about circulating spores throughout the apartment that they went without air conditioning during an **August heat wave**. And still, it took nearly a month of pushing management before they finally sent out an HVAC inspection/remediation company. And guess what they found? **Ductwork filled with black mold.** That's right. While management was busy painting over the visible evidence and dismissing the problem as "dirty vents," these kids were living in an apartment whose HVAC system was circulating air through mold-contaminated ductwork. I understand this is college. I understand that off-campus student housing is not exactly the Four Seasons. But **mold-filled HVAC ducts are not a charming bit of college-apartment sketchiness. They are unacceptable.** I could go on about the plumbing problems. The appliances in various states of disrepair. The absurd parking situation, for which residents were charged exorbitant rates despite there barely being enough room to accommodate the cars. Or the fact that my daughter had to walk through a dark alley to reach the parking garage. But frankly, the mold earns **Laurel Commons, managed by Steve Brown Apartments,** the lowest rating I can give. **AVOID this dunghole at all costs.** If you're a parent considering putting your son or daughter in Laurel Commons, look elsewhere. Your loved ones would be better off sleeping in their cars. read more

I was a resident of Steve Brown Properties, including Brownridge Terrace and West End Circle, for seven years. Unfortunately, my experience was incredibly stressful and often felt like an ongoing battle rather than a place to call home. Throughout my tenancy, I experienced persistent maintenance problems and poor communication. My experience closely mirrored another resident's review stating that "nobody was ever on the same page about anything." I regularly had to communicate with multiple employees who failed to relay information to one another, making even routine maintenance requests unnecessarily difficult. The buildings themselves also suffered from long-standing maintenance issues. The hallway air conditioning remained inoperable for years despite annual requests for repair. Each time I was told other projects had a higher priority, yet the issue was never resolved. Likewise, the entrance, lobby, and hallway lights remained burned out for months despite being reported multiple times. During a unit transfer, I was mistakenly double-charged rent and had to fight to receive a refund. After moving into the new unit, I spent approximately six weeks dealing with a broken dishwasher, microwave, and washer/dryer because the apartment had not been properly inspected before move-in. I also discovered black mold inside the HVAC closet. In a previous apartment, I reported an air conditioner that failed to cool properly for nearly two years, only to be told repeatedly that it was "working as intended" until it eventually failed completely. I repeatedly submitted work orders for broken blinds, but the requests were closed or downgraded without the repairs being completed. Management did not tell me they were waiting on replacement parts until about six months later, despite my repeated phone calls and emails. I was also billed an after-hours maintenance fee after reporting a fire sprinkler head hanging from the ceiling, even though maintenance determined the condition required immediate attention. Toward the end of my tenancy, a persistent low-frequency booming vibration developed throughout the building, severely affecting my ability to sleep. Although management attempted to locate the source, the investigation was limited to my apartment and the basement, while the rooftop mechanical equipment--a common source of low-frequency building vibrations--was not initially inspected. The issue remained unresolved, and during one of my follow-up reports, I was yelled at by a member of the maintenance staff. Although West End Circle and other Steve Brown properties have attractive buildings and good locations, I found that many maintenance issues remained unresolved for extended periods, and communication was consistently poor. Because these conditions were significantly affecting my health, I submitted medical documentation supporting my disability and requested a reasonable accommodation under the Fair Housing Act. During a phone call, I was told management had approved a mutual lease termination, and I signed a lease elsewhere in reliance on that representation. The agreement was later withdrawn, and I was required to proceed through the standard re-rental process. I learned the hard way not to count on their word alone. Get every important agreement in writing before making major financial decisions. After seven years as a resident, the cumulative effect of the unresolved maintenance issues, poor communication, and handling of my accommodation request took a significant toll on my health and family. Looking back, I regret staying as long as I did. I should have recognized sooner that my concerns were not being taken seriously or treated with the respect they deserved. I hope this review helps prospective tenants make an informed decision. Every person's experience will differ, but this reflects mine after seven years living at Steve Brown Properties. read more

I've stayed at two properties owned by Steve Brown Apartments. What was common between them was that there was dog shit everywhere which was never cleaned up. Occasionally they will send an email reminder for residents to clean up after their dogs. This is not enforced. This sucks because there's lots of grass everywhere that could otherwise be useful. The internet is also terrible. When it's connected, it's fine, but that is a rare occurrence. It's like built-in internet across the building through a third party company that's included in your rent. It's down for at minimum an hour per day, so you can't reliably work from home or play online games or anything like that. When i first moved in, i would call this third party (Steve Brown won't help you) and ask about it, thinking it was just me, but eventually i realized it's just a part of living here. There is no leasing office on site at either of the properties where I lived. This became an issue when my and several of my neighbors' key FOBs stopped working one day. I discovered at this time that other people had keys to the stairs, which was a surprise to me, because they told me directly that they could not give me a physical key to get into the stairwell from the outside -- so all i had was the FOB. The main line was closed because it was after hours, so i had to dig to find the emergency maintenance line. They told me they would dispatch someone and call back within 10 minutes to follow up. They never called back. No idea if I would have been left out had my neighbors not let me up the stairs with their special secret keys, but the solution for the next few days was to just leave the front door to the building unlocked until it was fixed. The parking at the Mill District is terrible, and it got worse when the Ian's Pizza opened downstairs. Though there is a sign that says "residents parking only," there is no reserved parking or tag to indicate you can park there, so it's unenforceable. When I moved out, I accidentally left food in the fridge. I actually wanted and meant to take the food, so like, it was actually an accident, and it wasn't even spoiled or anything. It was like condiments and stuff. Otherwise, I spent hours cleaning the place. Apparently the ketchup bottles must have been hell to throw away for them, because they charged me in addition to my security deposit, and threatened to send me to collections if i didn't pay it. The picture of the fridge was literally all they sent me as a reference for why i owed them a cleaning fee -- like they didn't even claim the whole place was a mess, they literally just sent me a picture of the fridge and said you owe us money for cleaning this, I'm not even kidding. otherwise the place is pretty nice tho and they tend to leave you alone, so 2 stars i guess. read more

STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY In the spring time every year I check my ac to see if it works the first hot day of the year. every single year they have had to send someone out to check it because it doesn't work. this year I put a request in to have it checked out in April 14th of 2024 it took them 10 days to come out. then may 05th comes around I put in another request because nothing has been done which is also ignored. I put in a 3rd request on May 14th. then all 3 requests are all canceled. I send a message to the property management to call me. no response. it is now may 18th and it was 87 degrees today and my house is at 85 degrees at 10pm and I cannot sleep which is why I am currently writing this review while I should be sleeping. I cannot sit by and pay 1260 a month for a company that will not respond to my normal maintenance requests. this is rediculous and I am hoping someone high up sees this review and I can finally get my ac fixed. If I could give them 0 stars I would. The maintenance team is absolutely a joke. I had to send atleast 10 maintenance requests for a simple I have no hot water complaint. Well after 4 visits I had to request an outside company to come take a look at it. Took them all of 30 seconds to say it needed a new hot water heater and softeners. I had to make 2 more requests after to get them to replace it. Then the company spilt water all over the carpet and broke the doors for the closet the softener was in. Which was in my 5 year old sons bedroom. The maintenance department decides a shower curtain is acceptable as a closet and didn't clean up the spilt water softener salt In there that they spilt. Be prepared to spend over 1200 a month in rent and if you have any problems with the apartment good luck getting them solved and without being super ghetto repairs. Sincerely, Very unhappy renter read more

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I had a terrible experience with Steve Brown. They are extremely stingy, lazy, rude, and overall unprofessional. They are the type of landlords that paint a fresh coat of white over mold that could take you out, and call it a day. And they do that. Not to mention, they are slow to respond to maintenance requests. Save your money and rent with anyone else. And they kind of have an attitude on the phone. I will say Brandon was pretty chill, so was Kassia. I don't blame them, just whoever is running the operation. I feel like for what they were charging, you'd expect Barbie's Dream House. read more

just wanted to let anyone starting to rent here know what to expect if they plan to stay longer than a year. this is the 2nd year in a row with greater than 10% hikes in rent. I'm sure there will be many excuses about why this is the case and after all, as a business it is their right to charge what they feel is fair. I just hope that those looking to rent here will think twice about paying more than $2000 a month for minimal amenities (a gym that wouldn't look out of place in a family home) and ikea level quality throughout the apt with very frustrating payment systems and maintenance request forms (I'm convinced they're forwarded to junk with how unreliable it is to see a fix) Management does a good job of responding to these critical posts acting like it's an isolated instance that they'd like to investigate further...they won't! read more

It was rather bizarre renting from this company. I was unfairly charged $285 from my deposit for "cleaning fees" for no reason whatsoever. For example, I was charged for cleaning the microwave but I did not even use the microwave for the seven months that I live there. They claimed carpet damage but did not have any photographic proof, and I didn't do any damage. They are simply taking advantage of their tenants. One disturbing incident happened where I was given less than 24 hours notice for a "pre-move inspection". Why is scheduling so challenging? I believe there is a law to prevent such an invasion of privacy.. just assume your privacy will not be respected if you rent here. The one elevator for the entire building was often trashed for days at a time during building renovations. The hallway carpet on my floor was also trashed for several weeks during a hallway painting. The front door to the apartment building did not automatically lock for about two months. I would suggest somewhere else if you can help it. read more

I was set to rent a townhouse from this company. showed up Friday at noon to get my keys to find them still doing work on the unit and power washing the basement to clean it. the trim on windows was messed up and needed to be replaced, door knobs were missing, new doors not stained, wires hanging out of the wall. i was told everything would be done the next day. I went over the next day and the entire unit smelled of animal urine. apparently the past tenet had their animal locked in the unfinished basement. they said they would need a week to clean the basement and finish the rest of the unit. I was again told it was ready. went over and the unit still smelled of urine and none of the other repairs were made. I was able to get out of the lease but now am basically homeless. read more

READ BEFORE SIGNING: The building and style caught our attention and the price solidified our decision to sign here. When we moved in, we realized why the price was so low... Upon move in, almost all of our screens were missing or severely damaged and were not replaced until about a 1-2 weeks later when BATS got into our apartment through them. We submitted the requests the day we moved in, and when the bats got in on THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, we had to force the matter a second time. Past fixing screens, they offered no help or guidance on what to do about bats getting in. We are convinced there is a nest of some sort in the attic or on the roof. We had to consult a doctor about rabies vaccines, and our case with Animal Control is still active because we have a pet who was exposed. Additionally, they did not check the oven prior to our move in and we found that it was LEAKING GAS into the apartment and missing an entire heating mechanism. We are 2 months in and still do not have a functioning oven. The flooring near our bathroom has significant cracks and damages. We found this out when our toilet flooded and the tenants below us came up and told us TOILET WATER HAD LEAKED ONTO THEM from the ceiling. Those tenants told us this was NOT THE FIRST TIME they had experienced such leakages since leasing with Steve Brown. If you are planning on grounding any electrical appliances, you will not have luck here as they only have 2 prong outlets without grounds. OUR STOVE IS DAISY-CHAINED by an extension cord to an outlet on the opposite end of the kitchen. We also stupidly signed a lease for the overpriced parking lots they offer a block from our place. Parking spots are not assigned, nor clearly marked, so really anyone with a piece of plastic hanging from their car mirror could park here and take up spots that actual tenants pay for. This happened to us once, where we COUDLN'T FIND A SPOT in the parking lot WE PAY RENT FOR and had to park precariously near the drive way probably limiting other tenants' ability to pull out. Also, today I went to my car and found the WINDSHILED WAS SHATTERED DUE TO A FALLEN BRANCH FROM AN UNKEMPT TREE OVER THE PARKING SPOT. The leasing office did not offer any compensation nor did they do anything to alleviate the situation (such as trim their trees or paint lines on the lot or assign parking spots). They can only say "make sure to take good pictures for insurance." I worry for winter. Will they plow the lot? Remove dangerous hanging icicles? Resurface it in the spring? Fix the potholes? Re-paint the parking lines? If they manage their parking lot anything like they do their properties, I HIGHLY, HIGHLY DOUBT IT. DO NOT SIGN A LEASE WITH STEVE BROWN APARTMETNS -- ALL THEY DO IS PREY ON FINANCIALLY-LIMITED COLLEGE STUDENTS. I would look at every other option before considering them. Throughout all of the bad luck, every employee I dealt with was zero help and nobody took any responsibility other than the maintenance workers. None of the workers have any power to do anything and the upper management is non-existent. I would pay $400 extra in rent for better property management. read more

We recently moved out of our apartment at 8850 Blackhawk Road. We had several days between when our moving company moved out the bulk of our items and when we had to be out. I cleaned the apartment and did the final sweep of it. Two years earlier I did the sweep in leaving our T Wall City Centre apartment and we received our full deposit back and an additional compliment and thanks for cleaning it so thoroughly. I am not sure who did the move out inspection but there certainly was not "debris left" in most of the rooms as indicated on the check out form. The only item left was the plastic bowl that maintenance people left when they came in for the leak and never returned. I swept the floors and then mopped them with a new mop. I ran a rag over all of the trim edges. I went through and used spackling compound on larger nail holes. I took the shelving out of the refrigerator and freezer and washed it and replaced it. There may have been some work on cleaning the oven and a very little bit of small paper pieces by the front door but everything else was very clean. If you put an hour or possibly two I would say it was a stretch and is holding us to a much higher standard than what was there when we arrived. There is no possible way anyone spent the 6 hours that we were billed for cleaning this apartment. I am very disappointed that Steve Brown would be so unethical as to falsify cleaning information and use the cleaning deposit as their slush fund or maybe to pay painters that should not be our responsibility. Aside from overcharging us by withholding our deposit their maintenance is questionable. For several months this last year there was a constant beeping in the front entry way from some sort of alarm that they never managed to reset or fix. The only way to close a couple of the windows in our unit was to hook a string on them and pull them back closed because they would not crank closed on their own. We had an incident where water poured in our air vent in the master bedroom that was never explained or dealt with other than taking the grill off the vent and putting a plastic bowl underneath it. There are also many dog owners in the building. Steve Brown does a poor job of cleaning the hallways and common areas which shows. The units look nice and we liked the layout of ours but they are not a well run organization. I have included some pictures I took when we moved out so you can judge for yourself whether this looks like it needs 6 hours of cleaning. Shannon Riley read more

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Read the fine print with this company and then forget about getting your security deposit back! Horrible management and about zero maintenance, they'll charge you for cleaning fees and for things that were broken before you even moved in! Stay away! Anyone giving this company over 3 stars is obviously from management. read more

I can't speak to the undergrad properties, because I didn't move into a Steve Brown apartment until after undergrad (when I was tired of the state st life). That being said, I absolutely love my apartment on the west side of downtown. It's a 15 minute walk to main campus, but I live in a real neighborhood (and I have a fireplace!). They've always been quick to respond to the small maintenance requests that I've had, and I particularly like that the gardner does his work in the afternoons (lawn mowers in the morning aren't really my thing). A clean apartment on move-in, reasonable prices, and prompt replies to my emails are all I really want in a landlord, and I am more than satisfied with the service I've gotten with SBA. read more

I love Steve Brown Apartments as a landlord company. I lived at the Windsor (undergrad-y area) in an old one bedroom apartment for 2 years and currently live in a much nicer property on the West Side. I found them to be very fair. They allowed me to have a dog I used for anxiety without any headache (unlike other landlords in the area, who do not know the law on therapy dogs). I painted my first SBA apartment and installed pretty shelving brackets (& left them) and they did not charge me for altering the premises, which I thought was fair given that I considered those to be improvements, and even if they weren't, it's not like the place was brand new or in great condition when I moved in (it's a very old building). All of my maintenance requests were handled in a timely fashion, although the maintenance people did not always fix things properly. For example, both my kitchen and bathroom sinks leaked into the cabinets below the whole time I lived there, and this issue was never fixed even though I put in maintenance requests, maintenance people came, cabinets were replaced, etc.) It seems they just didn't know how to fix it. I got most of my deposit back although they charged me for 4 hours of cleaning. I thought that was pushing it since it's one of those old places that never gets clean, although I have to admit I barely cleaned it (cleaned tub/sinks/fridge, but did not really scrub/vacuum floors). Given that they didn't charge me for the painting, I'm not complaining about it. I just moved into the Brownstone and I love it. The leasing office on the West Side is amazing, and offered to walk my dog for me when I gave them a heads up that my lifestyle was about to change and to let me know if they got complaints about the dog whining when I was gone more than I used to be. They are super sweet, and do little favors that aren't in their job description (once turned on my slow cooker for me when I was desperate for someone to do it). After a brief stint with RPG rentals (I almost rented with them the year after I moved out of the Windsor), I came to appreciate the professionalism and fairness of SBA, and I suspect I'll live on the West Side in the Brownstone until I buy my first home. read more

The large property management companies in Madison are generally speaking an oligopoly -- that is, due to the large on demand market for apts. they can afford to provide pitiable value to the customer, while maximizing all opportunities to make money. I pay a pretty penny to live in one of their nice new units and get nickled and dimed for everything. I can only imagine what the move out charges will look like. One of their best tricks recently was to invite the city in with no warning to the secure non-capacity 2 floor parking to distribute tickets. An email heads up to those of us that have paid (in fact are locked into contracts), but didnt know that stickers were needed would have been common courtesy. But, again, its about par for the course here in town. You are much more likely to have better luck renting from an individual in my experience. Its almost enough to make you want to start a property management company here in town. Clearly there is an unmet market need for good customer value. read more

Horrible at updating their records. I have had three separate occasions where it took multiple emails with multiple different people to get an unfair fee removed or a spelling error in a tenant's name corrected in a lease. They also renovated the apartment in between our tour and move-in date without notifying us. They had removed a large closet, which they still continue to advertise on the floor-plan on their website even though it is no longer there. Having two pets, this loss of storage space has been difficult to deal with. read more

Easily the worst experience I've had living in Madison, or anywhere! Comical what they charge and continue to for my dilapidated house where nothing works. Please fix the dishwasher! read more

Steve Brown Apartments own some pretty amazing places to live from gorgeous old Victorian style houses to "the Big Ugly." "Brownstone style" apartments to high rise "Gold Key Properties" (6 of those) apartments with amenities like rooftop terraces. The RedCard is available for eating downtown at many fantastic restaurants (check out YELP for reviews) They're obviously an Equal Housing Opportunity. The staff at 120 West Gorham are all extremely professional and super friendly. They allow you to have parcels delivered to their office so you can pick them up when you are done with class or they will even go as far as to deliver them to your door and with your permission enter your apartment and leave it safely inside!! Leases are by semester or year; and they'll help you sublet if something causes you to have to move on. They offer roommate matching services so you have a good chance of rooming with someone with similar lifestyle or interests. Maintenance is prompt and 24/7 for emergency. Laundry facilities are available to use; again with the RedCard. There are workout rooms and community lounges with cable TV and computers with printers. They are security locked and the only downer where I live is that the buzzer service is broken so if you order delivery from one of those uber delicious restaurants in town, you'll have to wait at the front or back door for your delivery or sometimes if you use "Mr Delivery" they leave your food sitting in the lobby. ( not saying who and it's not often, but it's a problem at times) I recommend SBA for anyone. There's a location pretty much on every side of town and I believe even in suburbs of Madison like Stoughton. Home sweet home!! ; ) read more

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In my quest to relocating to Madison, I spend countless hours looking for apartments to rent. Somehow, I was connected to Steve Brown Apartments. Since the first phone call, the staff have been extremely friendly. I scheduled a meeting and met with one of the Resident Coordinators, Ali Duquaine. Ali was and still the best! She was friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable of the ins and outs of the area and the apartments. She showed me several apartments and It was because of her enthusiasm and confidence that I decided to rent with them. I had the opportunity to choose between 20 other apartments, but because of Ali at Steve Brown Apartments I made my choice. A choice that I am extremely happy about it. So, if you need a nice apartment, contact Ali Duquaine. She won't disappoint you. LC read more

They're a pretty good management company. Very communicative and responsive. Most of my maintenance issues got fixed promptly, except for a leaking hole in our ceiling which we had to put in a few tickets for. They will nickel and dime you for anything that's not 100% clean when you move out, so don't count on getting all of your security deposit back. But the upshot of that is that the apartments are actually clean when you move in! (This is something I haven't experienced with any other rental company so far.) The Henry Gilman location where I stayed had a nice common area and good laundry facilities. The only negative experience I had was when I first moved in and someone's fire alarm down the hall was going off at 5 AM. I called the after-hours line and the person who talked to me wouldn't help me and just told me to call 911... read more

We had our A/C unit and toilet break over the COVID-19 outbreak and it was terrible until my man Chris showed up. This guy knew exactly what was wrong and fixed both in about half an hour. This guy deserves a raise because it means the world to have working A/C in 90 degree weather. Thanks Chris! Steve Brown has some pretty cool employees. read more

I lived here for three years. Amazing property & amenities. Includes garage heated parking and a trash pick up service! Fitness center & club room were fantastic. The apartments are very large, including in unit washer & dryer as well as new stainless steel appliances. Shannon & Hannah are excellent office managers try and work with one of them if you are renting. CON: Beware of Sarah Andrews in the West Office, she is very rude and unhelpful. She gave me a very hard time when checking out of my apartment after renting from them for over 3 years. Avoid Sarah Andrews at all costs! Stick with any other leasing agent! She is a nightmare. Otherwise great place! Worth the $, convenient location! read more

Desperate for somewhere to live when I came here for grad school and unable to travel to Madison before I moved, I chose a studio with Steve Brown It was absolutely miserable-though more because of my obnoxious apartment neighbors. I think the image I'll take with me about living in a Steve Brown apartment follows: around Christmas, my neighbor's door had a box of chocolates (that they gave all of us) placed under an eviction notice. If you're an undergrad who needs someone to hold your hand as you move into your first apartment, then SB is right for you. If you're a party animal who likes to throw keggers in your studio apartment, SB properties are also good match for you because the management won't even reply to emails and phone calls from your fellow residents about your rock-and-roll lifestyle (despite a clause in the lease that forbids disturbing neighbors). If you're actually an adult who likes to sleep and who would rather have more square feet in exchange for some of the programs they offer that really only suit younger students, look elsewhere. read more

I went to UW for four years. I lived in the public dorms freshman year. I hated my housefellow, so that meant I wasn't really fond of my "landlord" either. I stayed with a total slumlord on Mifflin Street my sophomore year. I had to threaten him with a lawsuit just to get an exterminator to come after requesting one for 4 months. After two years of crappy housing, I was hoping for a change. My junior year, I lived in a Steve Brown property on Langdon Street. The apartment seemed a little pricey, but I shared a room and was able to make it work. The one little problem we had was that our apartment was a little dirty upon our arrival because the previous tenants had apparently moved out late and left the place dirty. Steve Brown sent over a literal team of 4 maids to scrub the place for free the next day, and offered us some State street gift cards to make up for the problem. One of my roommates was pretty upset about a charge to his security deposit, but given that he left a 3 foot hole in the wall, I think he got what he deserved. I ended up enjoying my stay with Steve Brown so much as compared to my previous landlord, that I moved into another one of their properties for my Senior year. The place was clean when we moved in. Repairs were made promptly throughout the year. We didn't get charged a late fee when we were late one time on the rent. I don't ask for a lot from a management company. I just want to get what I paid for and that's what the deal is with these guys. read more

Wouldn't recommend Steve brown to anyone. Management is always confused about what's due and randomly have charged us late fees when We have paid on time. Maintenance never comes when we put requests in. Never get calls back when trying to reach them. read more

I lived in the Regent apartment for a year. Overall the experience was good. Great location especially for engineering students. What made me want to leave a review is because of their friendly staff, Clarence in particular. He has been super friendly and would take time to remember your name, which is pretty impressive! read more

Would give a 2.5 if that were an option for the following reasons: Overpriced. I should not be paying 550 (no utilities included, and no parking included) for one room in a four bedroom apartment that is very average sized. Additionally my room was probably the smallest room I have had at any downtown apartment. My first property manager was the worst. I won't give her name out of respect for her and her job, but I would be waiting up to a full week and a half for a reply to an important email. She always had a somewhat stern and defensive tone as well, which made me not want to contact her in general. There were ridiculous accounting errors that were not our fault at all, and I had to march to the office and spend almost an hour figuring them out. It was a waste of my time, and I shouldn't have been responsible for fixing their errors. I literally needed a spreadsheet from the property manager to figure out all the double charges, originally un-stated fees, and checks placed in the wrong places. Don't get me started on maintenance. When we moved in, one of the toilets had very little flush power. It took two maintenance requests to even get someone to come over, and it turns out they found a toiletry bag or something ridiculous in there. They tried to say it was our fault, even though it was there when we moved in. We gave up on trying to get them to come back because we were just ignored. It's been 8 months since we moved in and it still isn't fixed. We also had a mouse, which almost always implies there are more, and all they did was set up some sticky traps and never followed up. Our dishwasher wasn't fully cleaning dishes and they said it was probably because we weren't rinsing them before running the washer. It felt like they thought everything was our fault and getting them to pay attention to us was like pulling teeth. Things finally turned around when we got a new property manager (Elysse), who is awesome and always replies to my emails within a day (or even within 10 minutes). I am finding a subleaser for my room so this means a lot to me since I have a lot of questions and forms to take care of. In conclusion: Old manager (thumbs down), maintenance (double thumbs down), new manager Elysse (thumbs up). Would not rent from Steve Brown again. read more

**UPDATE: If SBA responded to complaints and maintenance requests as fast as they did to their negative yelp reviews then I might have had a better experience with them! ** ORIGINAL POST BELOW I had never rented from a management company before them, but now that I live under new management I see how terrible SBA was. This company banks on their renters not complaining or knowing their tennant rights because they rent to mostly naive college kids who have never rented before. I'd submit maintenance requests that were responded to and "fixed" only to find out they hadn't been. Myself and other neighbors also called the police multiple times due to bad and unsafe conditions and neighbors. Steve Brown management wanted people to call the police, meanwhile the police continued to ask why our management was doing nothing. All I have to say is, don't rent from SBA. Everyone is too afraid to leave honest reviews out of fear that SBA won't give be a good reference of rental history in the future, but trust me there is better management and better pricing out there. read more

Henry Gilman- If only I didn't have to relocate due to my job, I would have stayed in this building until I graduate from my Ph.D. program. This building may look ugly from the outside, but it is actually a gem in the inside. My husband and I were happy residents living in the 9th-floor unit overlooking Mendota, which is breathtakingly beautiful every single day! We lived in one bedroom apartment with two balconies in the living room and bedroom so we gotta enjoy the downtown Madison and beautiful Mendota every day! It's constantly stunning in every season! Aside from the beautiful view that we got, the location is unbeatable! It's only one block away from State street and a five-minute to ten-minute walk to campus (depending on how fast or slow you walk, of course!). This building also has a gym, a free printer and computer access and a community room of which you can use to have a gathering. Nicollette has been very kind, nice, and helpful! She is one of the best apartment managers that I ever encountered! She is very responsive with emails and to our complaint. She always tries her best to accommodate us. If you have anything broken and needs to be fixed with your unit facility, they are only one call or email away! They usually try to fix it on the same day or the next day if things get busy. Heru and Nicollette really give their best to make our living experience in Madison easier and smooth. I would def. recommend anyone to choose Henry Gilman. In fact, I have had two friends moving to HG after they visited our unit for a few times! :) Of course it has its own downside: the only complaint that we had was the neighbors who often smoked weed so we could smell it at the hallway. We covered our door gap so we didn't have to smell it in our unit. I would recommend to have one if you decided to live in this facility! read more

I have had nothing but nightmares with Steve Brown Apartments since move in. I live at the 2217 University Ave. location, and on move in day (much to my surprise) was immediately told that my apartment "may or may not be cleaned and painted yet". It turns out that my apartment had been PARTIALLY cleaned and painted--however only the main areas seemed to be touched up--the main living room really being the only place where new paint was noticeable (there were actually still cobwebs in my room--definitely not cleaned). The first thing I noticed was that my bathroom was covered in mold. From the ceiling to the walls to the bathtub, there was a black mold across the whole room. I immediately called to get it fixed, and they sent someone over later that evening who told me there had been no work order put in by SBA to clean or repaint that bathroom, but that obviously it very much needed to get done. Also, they noted that instead of being able to completely redo the drywall on the ceiling (the paint was bubbling, a sign that there had been water damage in the past), all they were given the go ahead to do was to repaint, not repair the ceiling itself. After the bathroom was "fixed", and I moved on to unpack my kitchen items, I realized that this also was not cleaned. The tenants before me were quite messy, and there was a general filth all over the kitchen. The inside of the cabinets were sticky with residue from dirty dishes, the cabinet bottoms over the stove burners were covered in cooking remnants, and the counters and fridge were covered in food particles and sticky residue as well. Also, the paint on the undersides of the cabinets was flaking off, clearly not repainted in a few years. I called again, and a couple days later SBA sent out cleaners and painters--again who stated that they had not had a work order to take care of the kitchen. I have been here (literally) one week, and have had more than these initial issues. Today when I woke up, there was water all over my kitchen from a leak in my fridge, which turned off overnight. When the (very nice) maintenance men came out they told me that this is due to cycling, and in old fridges many times the leaking is just something you have to put up with. However, they were able to empty a receptacle in the fridge to help with some of the leaking, but did not replace the fridge. Last, but not least, I returned from class today to find a leaking ceiling in my bathroom. The ceiling above my toilet is currently bowing inwards from water damage, leaking water all over my bathroom and threatening to fall in at any point. When I went to the office to speak with someone, they took action right away, but it seemed like they have this issue on a fairly normal basis. They said they will probably have to cut a hole in my ceiling and wait a few days before being able to re-drywall and patch the (huge) leak. Ultimately, I am incredibly disappointed and frustrated with SBA. Although the people who work for the company are very understanding, they are not the ones calling the shots on updating the units and taking care of what needs to get done to make these apartments liveable. When I moved here as a new graduate student, I knew that I was signing up for an apartment in an older building, and therefore did not expect anything great from my living space. However, I DID expect to have a clean, safe, apartment by the time I moved in (as is the responsibility of the landlord, stated in every lease agreement), and what I got was far from that. Because the tenants in these apartments move out the day before move-in day, there is not enough time or man power to get the apartments the proper attention they need before new tenants move in. DO NOT sign a lease with SBA. Although the staff is friendly and accommodating, the owners of these apartments (at least the ones on University) are not putting in the work necessary to make these units acceptable for students to live in--especially for the price of rent here. Please do yourself a favor and spend your rent money at a place willing to take care of their tenants and units--not SBA. read more

I did not end up renting from them, but their office staff was very helpful. I've called at least 30 different landlords and leasing agencies, but theirs was the most polite and professional with me. read more

I really love living in a Steve Brown Apartment building. I had lived at lucky the last two years and I am living there again next year. The staff always really nice and helpful. The concierge desk is open 24/7 so it feel safe and that I can always call them if I need to. The leasing desk is great with packages and mail, Laura, Alan, and Ashley are always friendly and brighten up my day whenever I see them. Francisco, RJ, and Adam are also especially helpful. I also enjoy the view, the neighborhood, how close the grocery store, yoga and Walgreens all are from my apartment. Having a door man and security guard after hours on weekends makes the residents feel safe and cared for. I recommend Lucky or any Steve Brown Apartment if you are looking for a place in the Madison area! read more

From a parents standpoint this was a great place for our UW student to live. Management keeps the apartments in great shape. They monitor tenants to make sure everyone is respectful of other tenants. Security is great. I have seen them usher out people who should not have access in common areas. Elana Ainsley the property manager does an excellent job of overseeing the bldg. We had some problems with a sublet and she was understanding in that many of her tenants are young adults who are just learning the mishaps that can happen. She amazingly assisted in helping resolve problem. It has been a great experience and would highly recommend the Lucky complex read more

We didn't end up signing lease with Steve Brown. But I think the staff are very nice, hospital, and responsible. Elysse is really helpful and patient throughout the whole process from showing properties, answering questions, to following up our decisions. She is very responsive to all my emails too. We visited many properties from different real estate companies. Steve Brown definitely has the best customer service. It'll be nice if the price is a little lower though. Hope we'll have chance to live under Steve Brown another time! read more

My son lived In Henry Gilman for 2yrs. The apartment was pretty good. The inside was dated but comfortable. Con's- He had a sixth floor we were told they electric would be about $60 per month instead it ranged between 125 and 320 in the winter. Air conditioner in the bedroom was broken the first day and he put in a repair notice and it was fixed middle of the next summer. The living rooms worked well but was old and probably was one reason the bill was so high. We asked for paint the first day and never got it.To be honest my son didn't push any of the issues so it may have been addressed better if he had contacted them again. The fire alarm went off if you took a hot shower. The trash was in a creepy basement and If it had been a daughter I would have moved her for that reason alone. They need to move the trash bins near the door at least so you don't have to walk all the way through the underground parking ... it's creepy and poorly lit. The second year the price went up and the internet price went up too. My guess... it's because they know you won't want to move? Entry always smells like smoke. Rusty water regularly so my son used a Britta filter. Pro's- Has it's own gym. Laundry facilities are good. Great location. Walking distance to everything! Nice views. Spacious apartments. Safe College neighborhood. We did get our deposit back in full but honestly it looked way better when he left than when he moved in. The on site manager was friendly. The building was quiet. Over all It was a good place to live. Just a few drawbacks but that's to be expected in apartment living. read more

Terrible experience. I currently live in a steve brown building on University Ave, and ever since I moved in, I've been extremely disappointed. There were many issues with the apartment that had not been addressed before we moved in, and the overall condition on the apartment was poor; obviously not a lot of upkeep had been put into the building. I submitted a maintenance request to have the most pressing issues addressed. After not hearing back from them for over a week, I called to inquire how long it would be before anything was fixed. They assured me that the problem would be dealt with eventually, but my problems were of "low priority concern." After another week, I called again. They had lost the maintenance request, and told me to submit another one. Yet another week later, I sent an email to the resident coordinator of the building and FINALLY got a response. I've emailed the resident coordinator for the building several times before, and it usually takes her about a week to respond, which I find to be unacceptable. Every time I call the office, I get different answers from every different person I talk to, and none of them seem to communicate or really know what's going on. They try to cover up issues in the apartment with paint instead of actually fixing them, and are lazy and unreliable in their repairs. I know someone else who lives in this area who has submitted 6 maintenance requests to them and still has not had anyone come to fix their issues. Maybe if I lived in Lucky or one of their expensive new building they would care, but clearly they don't right now. read more

Highly unprofessional and accusatory landlord that routinely makes immature excuses for the poor quality of their buildings (on multiple occasions, including water leaks in a carpeted basement leading to black mold, non-functional washer/dryer, etc, I was given the reason "well you know how it is with these old buildings") and then makes no effort to improve living conditions; toes the line *so* closely with the contract and tenant laws that they actually have a habit of crossing it and then making a lame excuse; deducts cleaning costs from your security deposit but then doesn't actually clean the apartment; charges far too much for substandard accommodations. The only positive experience I had with Steve Brown Apartments was when I finally turned over the keys and realized that I'd never again have to deal with their rudeness or incompetence. read more

Steve Brown Apartments are one of the worst landlords in the city of Madison. They charge you for every thing possible. They are not accommodating whatsoever. They charge you $175 for a sublet fee, they double charge you for renters insurance. The people who work for Steve Brown are not friendly and incompetent. Unless you want to be scammed and nickel and dime for every possible made up charge you can think of DO NOT rent from Steve Brown Apartments. I would give them zero stars if possible. read more

This is possibly the worst management company ever. Not only is every apartment overpriced, they're not even quality apartments. My junior year I rented from them, and when i walked in, the new couches we had been guaranteed were not in sight, the stove actually had pools of grease in the pans, there were pubes in the bathroom and a very used plunger, food in the dishwasher, not to mention, there was NO DOOR ON MY ROOM!!!!!???? Steve Brown decided that they'd send in a maid after they assured me that one had already been there, and a month into my lease, finally brought me a door. They ended up firing our leasing agent Marilyn. At the end of the year, I wrote to Mitch, our new kind of idiot of a replacement representative (in his defense, Marilyn probably screwed him over big time by not leaving decipherable files, so he never had a chance at making us happy), for a return for my parking deposit, called numerous times, wrote again, emailed, called, left messages, and three years later, I have yet to see a check. If my lawyers fees wouldn't be way more than my 200 dollar parking deposit, I'd have already sued them. read more

My friends and I lived in one of their houses on Johnson St for a year, though none of us spent much time there because of all of the MICE! Since Steve Brown didn't do anything about it after our request, we had a city inspector who came in and said that it was the worst he'd ever seen. This problem continued throughout the year (they gave us some lovely inhumane mouse traps that barely worked), and we kept paying our (too high) rent all year. The house was disgusting and their staff was rude. read more