After living at The Finmore at 241 for three years, I strongly recommend that anyone considering living here read the reviews and ask detailed questions before signing a lease. In my experience, the property looks nice on the surface, but the management, maintenance, and consistency are major problems.
The "luxury amenities" are often unreliable. The hot tub is frequently closed or cold, grills don't consistently work, and the study rooms do little to block noise from the clubhouse or hallways. Even the complimentary coffee machine has repeatedly malfunctioned.
Management has also been extremely inconsistent. In my second year, I specifically asked the office whether I needed to register a one-gallon fish tank and was told I did not because it was not a cat, dog, or larger reptile/amphibian. Despite following the information I was given, I was later charged $500 for a lease violation and two months of pet fees. What made this more frustrating was seeing other residents violate pet policies without receiving the same consequences.
My third year was particularly unacceptable. I moved into a unit with a bathroom door hanging off its hinges, and my maintenance request was never resolved. That same year, the building experienced a lithium battery fire. I later learned that the sprinklers had been shut off during the fire, which was especially frightening because my apartment was on the same side of the building. Just one week earlier, pipes on that side of the building had frozen for nearly an entire week.
Then, about a month later, my friend and I were trapped in an elevator for 30 minutes and had to be rescued by the fire department. The elevator remained out of service for another three months. As someone living on the fifth floor, this meant routinely fighting for an elevator and sometimes running down five flights of stairs just to have a chance of getting to class on time.
Parking is another major problem. The Finmore does not have enough parking for its residents, yet management will not transfer an unused parking spot from someone who has moved out to a current resident who needs one. Residents can end up paying for parking they aren't using while other residents cannot get a spot at all. That system makes little sense and is extremely frustrating.
Move-out charges were another unpleasant surprise. After my lease had already ended, I was charged $287.50 for paint. The resident before me had lived in the room for more than four years, and the room had not been repainted before I moved in. I completed the spackling and touch-ups I was responsible for and left the room extremely clean, as shown in my photos. Being charged hundreds of dollars afterward felt unreasonable.
Even basic services come with limitations. Printing costs money, paper and ink are not always available, and the office closes before many students are finished working.
After three years, my biggest takeaway is that The Finmore prioritizes the appearance of a luxury apartment complex more than the actual resident experience. There were repeated issues with maintenance, management, parking, amenities, and unexpected charges.
For a property charging around $1,200 per month for rent alone, I expected significantly better. I would not choose to live here again, and I strongly recommend prospective residents look beyond the amenities and carefully consider the day-to-day reality of living at The Finmore before signing a lease. read more
