If I could give 0 stars, I would.
Please do not live here…read more
I lived at Saga for three years. I initially signed because I was a new graduate student moving to Columbia for the first time, and I renewed once because it seemed affordable. Looking back, that was one of the biggest mistakes I've made.
Over the last three years, the internet, water, electricity, and air conditioning have gone out multiple times, often for days at a time. The worst experience was going without air conditioning for two months during June and July, and I wasn't even provided a portable A/C unit for the first month. The water has also been completely shut off for as long as three days.
Despite these ongoing issues, my utility bills regularly exceeded $150 a month for a one-bedroom apartment, even though I was rarely home. Whenever I asked for a breakdown of my utility usage, I was told they couldn't provide one because everything is managed through Landmark Properties' resident portal. The response was always, "Unfortunately, our hands are tied."
What was even more frustrating was the lack of support from the leasing office. I actually worked in this leasing office during my first year living here, so I understand how things operate behind the scenes. In my experience, "Fair Housing" was often used as a blanket excuse for not helping residents, even in situations where assistance could have been provided.
One example was when my car was wrongfully towed. When I asked the office to contact the towing company, I was told they couldn't because it would be "against Fair Housing" to waive my fees if they didn't do it for everyone else. Rather than advocating for residents, the default response was simply that nothing could be done.
The Resident Services Manager was one of the most unprofessional employees I have ever dealt with. The Community Manager was nearly impossible to speak with directly, even when issues clearly needed to be escalated. I repeatedly had to contact Landmark Properties myself just to get action taken, including finally receiving a portable A/C unit.
The amenities are also not what they advertise. The pool is frequently dirty and often green or brown instead of clear. During tours, prospective residents are told that problems are due to ongoing renovations, but I rarely saw actual renovations taking place. Most of the outside maintenance seemed to be temporary fixes rather than real repairs.
Move-out was another frustrating experience. They claimed to have "lost" my move-in inspection checklist and attempted to charge me for items I strongly disputed, including a trash removal fee for trash that was not mine and a flooring cleaning charge based on what appeared to be normal carpet shading rather than damage. They expect residents to leave the apartment in better condition than when they moved in, essentially doing the cleaning, painting, and carpet maintenance themselves.
Even after moving out, I was charged extremely high utility bills despite everything being turned off and the thermostat set to 77 degrees. On top of that, residents are billed for an estimated final utility charge based on projected usage rather than actual consumption. Then, after all of that, they still attempt to charge additional move-out "damages."
The parking garage gates and elevators are constantly broken. Security cameras frequently don't work, and access to the building is far less secure than it should be.
Overall, this was the worst apartment experience I have ever had. Between the repeated utility outages, poor communication, lack of accountability, questionable billing practices, and unprofessional management, I cannot recommend Saga to anyone.
There are far better apartments in Columbia. Don't let the model units or promotional pricing convince you otherwise. I genuinely wish someone had warned me before I signed my lease.
