I would give 0 starts if I could.
My fiancé and I have lived at Walnut Grove Apartment homes operated by Water Valley Management for over two years, and our recent experience has left us incredibly disappointed. Our lease was initially for a year, ending on December 1st, 2024. Last December, we decided we did not want to sign another full-year lease and sought a short-term 3-month lease instead. Initially, the landlord insisted they do not offer short-term leases and we would need to sign a year-long lease with a homebuyer's addendum to reduce the termination fee if we bought a home. This was not a suitable option for us as we had other living arrangements in place.
After some back-and-forth (it was abundantly clear the attempt to lock us into another year long lease was so they can collect the fee when we wanted to terminate the lease early), the landlord finally agreed to a 3-month lease, effective from 12/1/24 to 2/28/25. During our discussions and negotiations, it was clear that we intended to move out at the end of this period. However, unbeknownst to us, the lease contained a 60-day notice to vacate clause requiring written notice at least 60 days prior to move out.
Given our extensive discussions about the short-term lease, we assumed the landlord was fully aware of our intention to move out at the end of the lease. Unfortunately, we are now being charged a $500 fee for failing to provide written notice, despite the clear context and our conversations. We had multiple conversations and the property manager (Brian Smith) even admitted to us he was aware we were leaving but since we didn't provide notice in writing he's moving forward with the charges (and landlords wonder why they have such bad reputations and stereotypes surrounding their profession.)
This lack of transparency and understanding from Water Valley Management and property manager Brian Smith has been incredibly frustrating and disappointing. It's disappointing to see such disregard for long-term tenants who have always paid on time and communicated openly. We expected better treatment and consideration. Save yourself the headache and avoid water valley management.
Outside of the situation I mentioned above the complex driveway is shared with a nursing home and I often found myself having to wait in the driveway for 5 minutes due to nursing home traffic before I was able to get to my unit.
Save yourself the frustration and do not rent from them. There is another complex right down the street from walnut grove I would recommend instead. read more
