Amazing customer service! My package was marked as delivered but never arrived, and the team went above and beyond to help. They were kind, responsive, and quickly arranged a replacement. I truly appreciate their dedication--highly recommend! read more

1005 S 6th st resident 2023-2024 school year. Living on third floor corner apartment. Roaches all downstairs some sneak in I'm trying to kill them all I rarely see any but I imagine the issue is much worse on the lower floors. Can't wait to leave this place. Don't sign here I know it's nice living close to campus but there's no washers or dryers, roaches are so gross, furniture is so old and dusty nothings been changed, in the middle of the coldest day in years and have no way of changing the temperature because of old radiators you have no control of, super old windows with no insulation so it's super cold, leaky shower and sink the list goes on read more

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Dear University Group: I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to discuss the deductions made from my security deposit for my tenancy at 1107 S Fourth, Unit 3 during the last academic year. Upon reviewing the itemized list of deductions, I noted the following charges: Paint and repair: $400 Cleaning: $880 Item Removal: $350 Carpet cleaning: $205 The total deductions amount (1835 dollars) is a substantial portion of my security deposit. My roommate and I have not caused any damage to the property nor have we left a mess for you to clean. As a tenant, I am entitled to transparency regarding these charges. I request the provision of receipts for each service that was allegedly carried out. This is not only to verify the costs but also to ensure that these services were conducted by legitimate and operational businesses. Having consulted with my school's legal services, I've been informed that I have the right to request and review these receipts. To expedite the resolution of this matter, I propose two options: 1, Kindly provide me with the respective receipts for the aforementioned services. (I'll send it to my attorney to validate the legitimacy of the company and its service) 2, Alternatively, I am willing to accept a refund of 80% of my original security deposit, and we can consider the matter resolved. Should I not receive the requested receipts or the proposed refund within a reasonable timeframe, I want to inform you that I am prepared to escalate the matter. While I genuinely hope to resolve this amicably, I will not hesitate to seek legal recourse through my school's attorney to ensure my rights as a tenant are upheld. I trust that we can come to a satisfactory resolution promptly. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Warm regards, Peter Chen read more

1005 S. Sixth Street, HORRIBLE!!!!!!! DO NOT GO THERE. COCKROACHES!!!!!, Washer and dryer were broken for a month, and landlord had no interest in fixing them. They sent the tenants on a 10 minute walk to do their laundry. The apartment is hot all the time, and you have no control over that. And the worst part was the cockroaches. They were BIG and DISGUSTING. BEWARE AND STAY AWAY!!!!! read more

Super helpful, my leasing agent was Nick H and he always answers all my questions in a timely manner!

I lived in their apartment 1005 S 2nd ST last year. Although it is a new apartment, (this is the first year of this location) their wall and even doors were damaged already. We only did regular damage, and even deeply cleaned the apartment. They asked for $260 cleaning fee and $165 carpet cleaning fee and $180 wall painting fee. I posted the photos I took before we moving in here. Obviously they counted these damages into the deduction. I also posted some picture about the living room/ bedrooms and restrooms after cleaning. I also cleaned the refrigerator! And we still have to pay 260 cleaning fee?? Are they serious? I am pretty sure that if there were some "cleaning people" entering our room and tried to clean, they could take a rest for two to three hours! DO NOT CHOOSE UNIVERSITY GROUP! They might give you a good price before you moving in, but they will take your deposit later. I have heard that some people who cannot take their deposit back, and even have to pay more! What a Vampire landlord!! read more

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We submitted a application but was denied due to our credit rating. I think this agency rents to students mainly, so I am unable to give this company a rating. read more

University Group - Apartments Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

I was willing to overlook the perpetually slow-draining sinks, the mold in the toilet, the goddamn slim jim left in our couch by a previous tenant. I was willing to overlook the lax security in the mailroom, and the crummy, dirty popcorn ceiling, and the painted over cracks in the walls, and the inaccessible-to-disabled-people hallways. I was even willing to overlook the rust stains in the shower and the un-announced barging-in of pest control. The oven whose handle fell off in the first week of use, causing it to never fully turn off. the light that wouldn't turn on in the closet, too. that i could all turn a blind eye to. But just a few hours ago, sewage water from the apartment above me started leaking out of our kitchen outlets. My walls are literally weeping a stranger's piss. Also, despite being a tenant of 3 years in this same apartment who was always on time with rent payments, they leased my apartment out to someone else behind my fucking back for the next term. Maybe it's a good thing that this apartment was yanked out from underneath me. I don't know that i want to spend another year living in an apartment that can urinate. Fuck you, university group. read more

University Group - Behold, as the kitchen outlet into which my microwave was plugged weeps literal piss - Apartments Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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If you're a female this is a great place for you to live. Grown men barge into my apartment at all times of the day unannounced for various reasons. At times I have had unannounced visitors 3 times a week. I have contacted the office over and over that they need to give advanced notice but unlike any other landlords I guess that's not how they work. I feel ashamed that men I don't know have seen me completely naked since they don't even bother to knock. I have also continued to request maintenance for my broken dryer since I moved in 4 months ago and have been told it works fine, yet I still have to hang dry my clothes in the shower because my dryer clearly doesn't work. There's more than just these 2 problems but you get the idea. 0/10 place to live read more

University Group does not return security deposits. They use fake invoices from fake cleaning & painting companies. Take hundreds of pics & video of every wall, ceiling door, cabinet, shelf, baseboard, tub, under fridge & stove. When they take your deposit, file a complaint with the IllinoisAttorneyGeneral.gov. Upload all your evidence. Write a letter to UC demanding your money back. Tell them you will retain an attorney. If you got the $80, file small claims case in the courts & take the fake invoices with. Don't cash their check until after court case is settled. Search the IL Secretary of State Corp to see if company exists in some version of the name on the invoice. They flip words around so you can't find the company. Painting invoices never have addresses or phone numbers on invoices. File a complaint with the university too. I think they should have some of those 85,000 IRS agents come audit them. Bet they are expensing painting & cleaning plus taking peoples deposits. read more

They totally mess up with security deposits and treat students as dumb heads which they can rob of; While we cleaned out the apartment, after we move out they send us a bill charging $1,000 cleaning fee, carpet cleaning and painting (which are NOT ALLOWED in Urbana law!!) so basically we cannot get back the $1000 deposit, and even need to pay $600 more. They are unbelievable thieves who work against legal permission. I suggest anyone who's considering UGROUP do not ever get involved in these frauds. read more

If you want to live with water leakage over your bed and your desk. Then, they steal your security deposit.

The University Group scams people of their security deposits. They produce fake invoices for painting and cleaning charges and deduct that from your security deposit. This is straight up fraud- the "companies" in charge of cleaning/painting that they list are fake companies- try looking it up and you either cannot find them or the address is false. They fail to provide an itemized list of deductions, which they are required to do. If you are with U Group, I urge you to take PLENTY of photos in videos of the move in condition as well as move out condition. Document and save any fake invoices they send and demand your security deposit refund! read more

Zero stars. Please register your security deposit complaints with the Tenant Union in Champaign-Urbana. This business thrives on ripping off students. Do not rent from them. If you do, leave the apartment a mess. Because you aren't getting your deposit back either way. read more

STAY away from this place. I was subleasing an apartment that I did not even get in a 100% clean condition. I was sleeping on the floor for 2 weeks cause they didn't furnish the apartment as promised. I paid my deposit to the lesser and was promised to get a deposit back. Well, you can say goodbye to your money as soon as you sign the papers with University Group. Charged ridiculous amount for the carpet cleaning and painting walls and kept my check in their office for almost 2 months. Barely got 10% of what was paid to this scammers. Don't bother replying with your copy/paste answer, I will make sure to leave the worst reviews to your company anywhere possible and let all people I know in Champaign Urbana area to stay away from this company. read more

The University Group is revolting. I am writing this review to warn parents to NOT let your children move into these apartments. My sister made the mistake of signing a lease with the group, and it is subjecting her to disgusting living conditions. Prior to signing her lease, she asked the group if there was a history of pest issues. She was told no. She specifically asked because she has some serious health concerns and is extremely immunodeficient. She signs the lease, sets mouse traps, and caught two mice before even living there a full 48 hours. She called my parents and I panicking in the middle of the night because she could hear the mice in her cabinets and in the walls, so loud that she could not sleep. Literally in her cabinets... going through her dry storage.... my skin was crawling. She contacted the University Group and they were extremely unhelpful, and did not seem concerned. They said something along the lines of, "Well you need to understand it is Winter and mice can get in." They sent "pest control" to come retrieve the dead mice and did not do much else. She obviously asks to be released from her lease, and is ignored. The sounds of the mice became so loud at night, that she had to spend HUNDREDS of dollars to put herself up into a hotel until she could figure out alternative living conditions. She returns to her apartment to find mouse droppings on HER STOVE and in HER SINK. This is beyond a small, resolvable pest issue. She sent the group photos of this, and they once again acted as if this is normal. Not only is this disgustingly unsanitary, this is harmful to my sister's health. Will they reimburse her for her hotel? Pay for her groceries after the mice were running around in her cabinets? Will they even release her from this lease? No. Here's the best part. She moved the stove to find a huge hole in the wall that was never repaired, an entry point for the mice to get in....with mouse traps nearby. University Group clearly knew this hole was there, avoided patching it up, allowing all of the mice to come right in the her apartment. But you know, it's Winter. She just needs to understand that mice get in when it's cold! Taking advantage of young college aged kids is a really sick way to profit. I'm ashamed that this is the way they do business. I will be contacting the health department as well as local news outlets. I suggest you all do the same. As a journalist I know that this is a great investigative story. I'm sure this has happened to hundreds of others. read more

I'm going to start this review off by saying if Yelp allowed negative stars I would have definitely given them. This was my first apartment on my own; I didn't know anything about leasing, and to top it off, I was subleasing the apartment. Big mistake. When I got the apartment, it was disgusting. I was told that it had been cleaned prior to my move in date, which was an obvious lie. There was hair and dirt in the showers and bathroom sinks, the carpets were disgusting, the paint on the walls that was once white is a now brownish scum color in most places. There were I'd like to say about three dozen nail holes in each room from previous tenants. Cleaning the whole apartment when first moving in was a huge ordeal. I brought this up to the person whom I was subleasing from an nothing ever happened so I just dropped it which was a mistake and I hadn't even thought to take photos of it all. About halfway through the 6 month lease, my roommate and I fell ill. We couldn't figure out why we felt how we did until one night after sitting on the couch I started to pass out and the CO2 alarm goes off. Turns out, a pipe wasn't installed right on the hot water heater and Carbon Monoxide had been leaking into the apartment, resulting in both of us having to go to the hospital at about 2 am for CO2 poisoning resulting in huge bills. I'm still wondering why the alarm never went off earlier... Now comes the "best" part. Moving out. I cleaned that apartment top to bottom, and was quite impressed that it could actually look pretty good once it had a deep cleaning. But of course, I didn't think to take pictures during my move out. So, I turned in my keys I had been given and forgot all about it until three months later I get a security deposit check and about $700 in "cleaning" bills. I knew this was BS. I contacted the UG and was met with a very rude response after describing my situation. After that I decided to try to contact the cleaning group "We Clean Plus" which has no search results on the internet. I was met with the response: "We cannot discuss your invoice with you". I have sent numerous emails to UG after this and believe I have been ignored by them. And lastly, again I knew nothing about subleasing. So when I turned in my keys, I was told I would keep the security depot the original leasees gave. I thought this was weird but didn't question in since I figured they knew what they were talking about. Come to find out thats not true. I suggest never renting from the UG. read more

Their maintainance guys are really great at their jobs. They get here in a timely fashion and have always been helpful. I'm living at Greg Towers again. They're pretty clear about the cleaning and carpet fees they take out of the security deposit so that's not really going to be a surprise . Sure it sucks to lose out on that money but it is an inexpensive apartment for the academic year and it feels worth it. Especially since it's 10 mins from the quad and like 5 mins from the BIF. Overall, don't expect anything fancy. read more

University Group - Apartments Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

We clean our apartment completely when we moved out. UG still charges us $1425 cleaning fees. Never choose this greedy landlord. They are thieves and liars. read more

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One star is very generous rating for me compared to what they had done. They are overall okay- but they refused to fix a boiler. Therefore I was frozen during the winter past year, and they gave me a space heater in my bedroom. The heater in the living room was also given, which turned out to be having only a AC function. read more

STAY AWAY! University Group is garbage, rude, and a nasty company. In short, I came for an apartment viewing and had the option between two apartment styles within a complex near campus. I told the rep which one I wanted, and he said he'd note it when he got back to the office. The following day I came back to the office to confirm and sign leasing docs, and was given my key. I went to the apartment and realized he had given me the WRONG APARTMENT # and key. I did not choose that apartment style, and I immediately went back to the office in which the rep then apologized for the error, suggesting the one had just been leased. Unacceptable, I requested that we void my contract asap, and they said "well you already signed a lease so you're binded". I fought back and forth with the manager and from there, I had to take legal action, and they have since reported the years rent on my credit. What kind of company does this? STAY WAY, they are horrible people, and a horrible company! There are tons of other options available near campus. read more

DO NOT CHOOSE UNIVERSITY GROUP. THEY WILL (AT THE VERY LEAST) TAKE YOUR SECURITY DEPOSIT. HORROR STORIES BELOW. When I moved into my (crappy) studio apartment at 307 E White St, I sent UG a comprehensive list of things wrong with my apartment, including cracked and peeling paint, mildew in the bathroom, etc. I hardly lived in the unit during the year (2019-2020), spending most of my time at my gf's nicer CPM apartment across the street and leaving campus in March due to the pandemic. When my lease expired, they charged me for a paint replacement, wall repair, and two cleanups (which was excessive and not even necessary since the unit was left clean by a subleasee). Of my $515 security deposit, I got $160 back. I referred UG to my list of complaints from move-in, specifically about the paint. They said they'd get back to me, but I never heard from them after that. I then threatened legal action, which they did not respond to, either. My experience is not unique. My gf subleased from UG one summer and the lessor did not get her deposit back, either. Several reviews I see here note the same thing. I ALSO KNOW OF THESE UG HORROR STORIES: 1. My gf's friend who leased with UG had a gas leak in her apartment. UG told her and her roommates to vacate IMMEDIATELY so they could fix it, but offered no compensation for them to stay in a hotel. Not only was this leak the result of poor maintenance by UG, not to mention very dangerous, but they made their tenants 1. leave at a moment's notice, which was very stressful and inconvenient, and 2. pay OUT OF POCKET to stay in a hotel while UG covered its own negligence! 2. Someone in the same building as this friend contacted maintenance several times in a week because they were not responding to a pressing issue, culminating in an angry voicemail. In the wee hours of the morning (~6AM) after the angry voicemail, a maintenance person entered the unit without permission, opened the door of a roommate of the person who left the voicemail, and started yelling at him while she was still in bed! This woke up the other roommates, who then got yelled at by this disgruntled maintenance man. Do yourself a HUGE favor and DO NOT CHOOSE UNIVERSITY GROUP. They will treat you like trash and take your money, guaranteed. read more

My daughter received the following email from the University Group in wake of UIUC's announcement that due to COVID-19 the university was "Suspending Face-to-Face Instruction for the Semester, Moving Students Out of Housing". University Group wasted no time in releasing their own announcement to their student residents. See the following...where is their moral compass? Hello University Group Residents, We sincerely appreciate your business and thank you for your patience during this tough time. The health and safety of our residents and employees is a top priority. We are actively following guidelines from the CDC, as well as other local and state organizations, and we will continue to monitor the situation. In an effort to practice social distancing we will be temporarily conducting all business via phone and email. Please give us a call at 217-352-3182 or email at leasing@ugroupcu.com and we will be happy to help you! We are aware that the University of Illinois has suspended all face-to-face instruction for the rest of the Spring 2020 semester and that you recently received correspondence from the University regarding student housing which may be confusing to some of you. Please be advised that our apartments are not University Private Certified Housing and that the recent correspondence you received from the University relating to student housing does not apply to The University Group or any of our apartments. The University Group is a privately owned company that is not affiliated with the University of Illinois. Your lease with The University Group is a legally binding contract and will not be terminated prior to the end of its current term, so you will need to continue to make your rent payments as provided in your lease. If you do not wish to remain in your apartment through the end of the lease term, or if you would like to avoid or reduce your rent obligations under the lease, then you may sublease to someone. We recommend advertising on our website https://ugroupcu.com/submit-your-sublease/, Craig's List, social media, etc. There are also good Facebook Groups like UIUC Apartment Hunters and roommate finding websites that are good for sublease advertising such as https://www.roommates.com/, https://www.roomster.com/, etc. Once you find someone to sublease the apartment we can easily sign a sublease agreement electronically, as long as we approve the subtenant in advance. The first step is for them to fill out the online rental application https://ugroupcu.com/rental-application-form/. If you cannot find a subtenant, you will need to continue to make your rent payments as provided in your lease. You can easily pay rent online at https://ugroupcu.com/pay-rent-online/. If you need to activate your online portal please contact leasing@ugroupcu.com. If you must pay with check or money order, please make sure your full name and full apartment building and address are on it and drop it through the night deposit drop slot located to the right of the front office door. If you need to pick up a key, please call 217-352-3182 when you are in the parking lot and we will bring the key out to you. Maintenance Requests The Maintenance Office is open for calls and emails Monday-Friday 10AM-5PM. You may reach them at (217)352 1472, maintenance@ugroupcu.com, or https://ugroupcu.com/contact-maintenance/ to log in to your online portal and click the 'Request Maintenance' button. Again, we would like to thank you for your business and patience during this challenging time. Thank you, The University Group read more

I will echo many other reviews that they are completely dishonest with security deposits; I was extremely thorough with cleaning the apartment and was generally careful to keep the apartment in good shape during my stay exactly because I read all these negative reviews about move out. Still got a $450.00 charge. It seems like they take advantage of students not being willing/ able to get into litigation with them. Dishonest and exploitative. Avoid like the plague. read more

I leased with University group for my senior year of college at the Arbor apartments in 2018. The location right across from the Ike and the relatively low price was definitely a plus, but University Group's behavior and treatment of its tenants made me realize why it was so cheap. First off, the apartment complex itself is a nice location with lots of vegetation which I thoroughly enjoyed. The location is also great, but the buildings are in need of an some upgrades and fast. The buildings are very old and just seem to be having more and more issues. My friend who lives in the complex this year (and has for several years) was having issues just this month with leaking. Whenever his upstairs neighbor would use the toilet or shower you could hear water cascading down through the walls and it would leak into his kitchen which is frankly disgusting. His downstairs neighbor was also affected by this. University Group took out his wall and fixed the issue within a little over a week, but it does just show how old the building is. Now for my experience. I moved into my apartment in August of 2019 and was initially very pleased with the place. My largest complaint at the time was that the way my kitchen was set up in such a way that I couldn't open up my fridge door all the way and there was no way to rearrange the small kitchen to make this possible. However, after getting into October I found I started needing to use heat in my apartment. Lo and behold, my furnace did not work. I thought this would be an easy fix, but I called maintenance and they told me it was not an issue on their end and to call Ameren to come inspect it. An employee from Ameren came over and frankly told me that my heater was broken and that "those guys typically have no idea what the hell they're talking about." I called maintenance again the next day and they thought my pilot light was out. By now it was in November and getting very cold in the apartment. A different group of maintenance workers came in a few days later and informed me that I was to wait "two to three weeks" while they ordered a new part for the furnace because it was out of production and they had to get it specially ordered and manufactured. In the mean time, they gave me a single space heater to keep warm well into December by their own admission. Two to three weeks went by and by this point I was calling UGroup several times a week asking about when the shipment was expected to arrive to which they always found a way to avoid the question and at one point even admitted that several people in the complex were in the same boat as I and that I should stop complaining (see my previous comment about the building being very old). This all culminated with me contracting pneumonia which is of little surprise since my apartment was routinely under 40°F for a period of several weeks. I was lucky enough to have friends who let me sleep at their place and recover. At this point the apartment was uninhabitable and I called Champaign Neighborhood services to come inspect the apartment. They agreed with me and my apartment was to be condemned unless UGroup provided me with heat since space heaters (no matter how many) do not qualify. After this UGroup sent maintenance in and immediately installed mounted space heaters that skirted city codes and technically qualified as heating. It was definitely an improvement as I could now live there, but the heaters were woefully inefficient and my electric bill in the winter routinely came to close to $200 for a single bedroom apartment. I felt like I was being punished for reporting that my apartment had no eat during the Illinois winter. I hope they at least got a real furnace for the next tenant and from what I can tell these myserious parts they had specifically manufactured never came because I had to use the mounted space heaters for the rest of my lease. Oh and another note, for whatever reason an FBI agent with PTSD (according to signs he, and later UGroup, put around the complex) had moved into the apartment complex during the Spring and was harassing other tenants. Every time someone shut a door or was moving laundry I could hear him screaming and swearing at people. This happened multiple times a day and I was often woken up on weekend hearing him threatening people. He was luckily at the other side of my building, but my friend (who I mentioned earlier) was living right across from him and was terrified to leave his apartment. Now I don't know what laws there are about choosing who you can lease apartments to, but it seems like a terrible idea putting someone with PTSD in an apartment complex with college students right across from the Ikenberry commons with thousands of students. read more

I put off writing this review for a while, but it would be a shame to see anyone else go through what I had to. I signed a sublease agreement with the University Group in December 2018 and lived there for a mere 72 hours before discovering it was rodent infested. I asked prior to signing the lease if there were any pest concerns due to another apartment problem I recently had and being immunocompromised; I was assured there were no pest concerns. When I first moved in, I discovered a large amount of droppings all over the kitchen and in the cabinets... I was assured that mice have not been a problem within the building, yet again. So, I decided to set up mouse traps... Within a couple of hours, i caught multiple mice. This continues to happen over the mere 72 hours I lived there. Not only did I catch mice in my apartment, but I heard them scurrying throughout my kitchen cabinets. I ended up staying at a hotel for a week until I managed to find a new apartment. Whenever I contacted the leasing office, I had various responses that never once apologized for my inconvenience or even addressed that there was a legitimate rodent problem....Amongst the avoidant responses I received was one where I was told that I "need to realize it is winter in Central IL and mice happen"... So basically the University Group telling me to get over it... Don't get me wrong, I understand that mice happen but I don't understand how it's possible to catch 10 mice in 72 hours if there isn't an issue that needs to be addressed ... On the second day of living there, I was assured there were absolutely no possible entry points for the mice within my unit. I moved the oven and discoverd a GAPING HOLE IN THE WALL. There was a container of mouse poison already there, so the University Group was aware of this hole existing back there. I message them... They respond as if they had no clue. I went back and forth with The University Group for months because this issue was not resolved and mouse droppings continued to be scattered all over every kitchen surface while I still had the sublease. Never once did they own up to the fact that THEY were responsible for mice coming in through a giant hole in my wall... TL;DR.....Over the course of less than 1 week, I caught 10 mice and still heard them within the cabinets and walls. The University Group did nothing to help. The ONLY redeemable thing about The University Group was their maintenance department. They were great throughout everything and were the only ones to legitimately respond to my concerns. read more

There were rats in the apartment and then they didn't return half the security deposit. Charging over 500 dollars for carpet cleaning (apartment was majority hardwood) and general cleaning. Use American Campus Communities instead read more

BE CAREFUL when you choose to rent from here. I received my security deposit today and I was shocked that this company charged me about $200 for different kinds of cleanings - Carpet Cleaning, Wall Paintin and Light Clean, whihc is definitely UNREASONABLE because I have spent lots of times and efforts on cleaning all stuff before I moved out. Even they charged the cleaning fee, I doubt whether they actually cleaned it because when I moved in, the apartment is not clean at all. THINK CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU SIGNED LEASE WITH THIS COMPANY! read more

It is rather unfortunate that the overgenerous rating system doesn't allow for negative stars. Renting from these people can become a nightmare of biblical proportions. AVOID. Many reviews mention the shady practice of offering tenants a dirty apartment when moving in, while still charging hundreds upon hundreds of dollars worth of the "cleaning" they never do, upon moving out. They've been called on it innumerable times, but they continue this banana republic, corrupt practice. They even respond to reviews with great pretend "innocence" but recidivate over and over and over again. Greed, dishonesty, incompetence, and shamelessness are just the polite ones among the attributes which define "university group". If you don't value your health, by all means go ahead and rent. If there are 5 degrees out there and your heating breaks, or if there are 100 degrees and the AC fails, they will do NOTHING for many long days, not to mention the insolent, callous, crude attitude of the employees, when you "dare" to complain. In this hospitable, lovely university town, with hundreds of honest, welcoming businesses, "university group" is a Stain and a Disgrace. Save your money and your health, find a landlord who knows the meaning of decency. read more

This is most terrible experience during my years of stay in CU area! Definitely a ripoff! Our deposit is 1480 dollars and they took 1145 from it. When moving out, we cleaned the apartment like shining and recorded video as proof. However, they charged 1145 in total for cleaning. This is nonsense. Where is that wall painting 370 dollars come from since there is no dirt on the wall at all? How come you charge a unit way much cleaner than its move in condition for 600 dollars? How come you charge carpet cleaning for 175 dollars when we did carpet cleaning ourselves? We have video proof and they do not respond to our email to the account inquires service address at all. Now We wonder if we shall seek for legal service help that the university offers. read more

I'm sorry university group is the worst company in the town of champaign. My roommate and I pay our rent on time every month for 1005 S 2nd St. Our water bill is included in our rent. For the fourth time this year, our water has been shut off because University Group has not provided their correct billing information to American Water. After talking to maintenance and someone in the office, they said they cannot turn the water back on till during business ours after 10am. It's urgently 7:00pm. This is stupid and we should get our water back on immediately since we are paying for it and the university group continuously is making a stupid mistake. I recommend to everyone to not rent an apartment through university group unless you want to be scammed. read more

The apartment was pretty dirty when we moved in and we had to clean the entire apartment all over again; it's fine, whatever, I can live with it (CPM is worse). Their maintenance for our building at 610 E Stoughton was pretty efficient and I can't complain too much about it. But the real kicker is after you move out, they try to fuck you over with all the deposit charges. This is where it gets ridiculous, $195 for regular cleaning, $125 for carpet cleaning, and $120 for wall painting. What the flying shit. What kind of regular cleaning warrants $195?! University Group should pay me and my roommates instead to do the cleaning because we cleaned the shit out of that apartment when we moved in. Anyways, the cleaning company is called We Clean Plus. I looked them up on google and couldn't find anything, so I actually called the number to see what was up. Turns out, it's one old dude who says he does all the cleaning for UG. University Group has a shit ton of apartments, so I highly doubt he actually does any cleaning besides filling out invoices to help University Group scam students. And then the wall painting company is called Advanced Painting. Again, nothing shows up when I google this company, and the invoice is a joke. I'll include the pictures if I can, but that sheet literally doesn't have any information about the company. No address, no contact info, nothing besides the charge for six walls painted at $20 apiece. Those ridiculous charges are most definitely applied to every tenants after they leave, so I highly suggest people to take photos of the apartment when they move in and and when they move out. I was originally gonna give UG two stars for their maintenance effort during the school year. But after ranting about all these bogus charges, I've changed my mind. Fuck you UG, you despicable piece of shit. If you don't refund us, I'll see you in small claims court. And you get a one star. read more

I stayed at their property for 1.5 year and I can assure you that they are one of the most dishonest people I have worked with. They charged us all our security deposit for "painting" "carpet cleaning" and other charges. The building itself was in horrible condition and they were renovating it for the new year. So what's the best way to pay for the building renovation? Charge all the tenants their security deposit. And it's funny how all the charges add up exactly to 25-50 dollars less than security deposit. All my friends have similar complaints. I would recommend to stay away as far as possible from them. read more

University Group has been incredibly helpful. Kathryn at the front desk is so kind and really cares about the tenants. I will continue to lease with them for the remainder of my time at UIUC read more

I truly hope students and families will not give time nor money to University Group. We lived at the Apartments on Gregory by the IKE building, Sycamore Building 1111 1/2 3rd Street. Our apartment unit had cockroaches, inadequate air conditioning, poor appliances, and a very small closet/bathroom/kitchen. The security deposit was less than half of what we paid and showed insufficient evidence to what they used the money for, regardless of "receipts". If they stole half of the previous renter's deposit for "cleaning" and "repairs", then they didn't take enough because that apartment was damaged/dingy from floor to ceiling. There is no security other than the rusted locks on the 1-inch thick wooden door. This includes no security for the building itself as well as for your packages and even mail. The company, in general, did not give their time at all to dedicate help or assistance with questions, for maintenance repairs, leasing agreement, a room condition report, subleasing, or the cockroaches. I truly wished I researched more into what I was getting into but now I can say I learned from this mistake and will make sure I won't get robbed again. I would not recommend to anyone. read more

Disgusting The building has horrible acoustics. It is possible to hear all pedestrian and car movement of the street, besides the train, which honks all night. The cleanliness of the building leaves something to be desired. The tenant is impacted with police and towing threats at all times, even without a car. Very difficult to communicate UGwhich should be facilitating. I am totally dissatisfied with the rental. I do not recommend that other people go through this. The TV is awful. The bed too. Old and difficult to clean stove and refrigerator. Sofa, uncomfortable. The windows (on the outside) are dirty, full of bird dirt and they don't wash the windows on the outside. It is unhygienic. I never rent anything else from this company. Horror sets. read more

Horrible experience - they failed to pay the water bill, which is included in the rent. Our kids were without ANY water for 12 hours with numerous calls made to them. Finally taken care of due to the pity of one very nice maintenance worker. read more

I will never live with University Group again. Firstly, the University Group agent will never notify you when they show the apt to people. One morning, I was sleeping in my bedroom, then I heard some noise in my living room and someone is knocking my bedroom door!!!!!! I thought it was a thief break in!!! I am a girl living alone. Can you imagine how terrified I was at that moment? There are 3 men in my living room and I was in bed. This is RUDE! They have my number and email. Why don't they notify me in advance?! I feel so lucky I were not taking a shower when 3 men came in. Second, they deducted over half the money from my deposit after we cleaned over the whole apt. The $160 is due to painting the wall, which is hilarious. There is no hole or anything dirty on the wall, and we just live for one year. I can not think of a reason for the wall to be painted again. If the wall is clean, why it is us to be charged!!! Third, when I asked them to provide the receipt for the painting and cleaning fee deducted, I found that the cleaning fee is the same for every apt in our building. I do not believe every apt has left with the same condition when people move out. So they just charge a cleaning fee for your apt even if you have cleaned it. Lastly, my friend come to visit me in summer. And the parking lot is almost empty during the summer. So my friend parked at an empty lot. Then the car get towed. I am 100% sure that the guy who rent the spot is not here during the summer. So who called to tow the car? Why don't you leave a note for a visitor's car? I personally parked at another landlord's empty spot when I visit my friend for around 8 hours during the same summer. And I got a notice from the landlord not my car get towed. This is how differently landlord treat with their tenant! Anyway, I will never ever live with UG for my rest few years in Champaign!! read more

I moved in to my apartment on August 23. When I opened the door the stench was overpowering. Honestly, i sprinted to the window to start airing it out. It smelled like the last tenant was someone with 25 cats. And that was nothing compared to the fact it was so so dirty. Obviously, no one had even looked in the apartment (I found things of the last tenant's still in the cabinets) or cleaned anything. There were even stains on the walls. To top it all off, I had no power in the apartment when I moved in. When I called, the realty company basically told me that it was a problem with Ameren and not their problem. Now, I had specifically set up my power utilities prior to move-in as instructed by U-Group. I moved in on a Saturday afternoon. I called the realty company repeatedly about the problem, and tried to tell them that I HAD set up my power. Ameren's office is only open weekdays so I couldn't get a hold of them either. I spent Saturday night in a smelly apartment with no power. On Sunday, I waited until 5pm and after I was still not getting any help from U-Group, I paid for a hotel room. Monday morning, I was thankfully able to get through to a very nice woman at Ameren. She told me what I knew all along- that my power HAD been set up and that power had always been "flowing" to my apartment. She told me to call my landlord. Near tears, I explained to her that U-Group basically refused to come help me, and could she please talk me through how to fix it myself. She explained to me how to go to the back of the building and find the meter for my apartment. All it took was a flip of the meter on the exterior of the building. The woman was surprised that I had to do it, as the meters are the responsibility of the building owner. I now had power. No thanks to U-Group. When I called again and tried to vent my frustration, I was basically brushed off (would not reimburse me for the hotel room) but they did send a maintenance guy to fix my (broken) oven. The maintenance man was very nice and told me the down-low: the previous tenant had refused to move out after his lease ended, and when they finally got rid of him, they found piles of garbage everywhere. Long story short: they let me move into a disgusting apartment recently vacated by a hoarder that was smelly and dirty and had no power. To top that off this has been the worst customer service experience of my life. Did I mention this apartment is $513 a month not including utilities??? I also filed a report with the U of I housing department to try and discourage other students from ever renting with them. I highly recommend any other company (I've lived with both Bankier and Roland before, they actually care about their tenants). read more

University group is cheap and notorious for horrible customer service. They try to add additional fees for just about everything. The property manager, Katie, is the worst property manager I have ever had. In the time that I have had my apartment, we were charged $100 for insufficient funds, (which we later contested with the bank and got our money back), $150 for not having an electric account (although no one was occupying the apartment and all the utilities were off), and $50 for subleasing to a new tenant, though we could have done that on our own for free. If you have any sort of technical issues, they are no help at all. God bless my Chase bank and the electric company Ameren for their excellent customer service in all our apartment issues. read more