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So Confused About Apartment Reviews!!!!!!!

Silly Kitty

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I'm moving the beginning of May. When I look at reviews on an apartment I see good ones and bad ones. I will say I see more good reviews than bad ones, but I don't know which ones to believe. I really don't want to regret moving into an apartment especially when it's kind of expensive. Has anyone had an experience where the apartment they were moving into had very good and bad reviews? I know people have different experiences, but I'm still hesitant.
 

spoiledwater

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It's difficult to decide on an apartment based on online reviews. You have to go in person, look around the area during the day, and at night...and tour the place, and you still might not know.

Almost all the apartments I look for have pretty terrible reviews unless the building just opened up, it costs north of 2.5K a month, or the place was recently renovated. People mostly seem to review apartments when they had a bad experience.

I have lived in one apartment that had great reviews and was kept up while I was there, but that was an anomaly. And there was still an issue with a neighbor sending faux "noise complaints", and the same one "grilling out" on a balcony right near the bushes.

I prefer being in single-family dwellings for this reason. Houses, duplexes, basements, anything other than apartments.

So many people seem to be completely miserable living in apartments and it spreads.
 
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petit nuage

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I'm not sure what to believe, either. I recently rented in a building with terrific reviews on Yelp. Come to find out that the management company bribes people with gift cards to leave good reviews, deletes anything remotely negative, or calls it "spam."
 

Zelda Pooh

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When I was renting, this one apartment was giving away apple ipads for positive reviews... what I used to do was do random drive bys and ask people how they liked living there.
 

froggy00

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When you tour, ask someone that lives there. Reviews can be fake and tenants can be incentivized to leave good reviews.
 

SuccessfullyMe

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Talk to a couple people that live in the building like 2-3. I always do that ... I have talked to my neighbors and told them not to move in the building or apartment ... they always move out before the lease is over or never renew. It was only one guy that lived there that was okay after my neighbor died and he was black, so maybe that's why he had a better time but dem spirits are not playing with these whites.
 

Delebe

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Eh. I take some reviews with a grain of salt. The ones I don’t ignore are the ones about theft, rat and roach problems, water being randomly shut off etc. The stuff about management etc a lot of times those are personal and management teams change a lot so I don’t really put too much emphasis on that. Go do a tour of pop up one day. Ask someone who lives there if you can.
 

bullish af

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Most of the apartments I lived in had bad reviews about things I never ended up experiencing. They usually HATE everyone in the leasing office. If they say something about rodents though...
 

suesnell

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I definitely pay attention to reviews about thin walls and roaches/mice. Asking randoms who live there about their experience is not always a accurate indicator because their next door neighbors might be quiet or their unit might not have bugs.

Doesn't mean your living experience will be the same/similar. That happened to me twice before.
 

pickle

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if the building is modern, and the building is family friendly..don't bother you'll probably have a family with a noisy child stomping on hardwood floors till 3am while you try to sleep move in right after you. my next move will be to an old building w/no amenities, and possibly no elevator, i find those old buildings to have thicker walls.
 

Humbled

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I usually live in apartments with moderate to good reviews, anything less I keep it moving. I also go there in person and talk to people. It's also good to keep in mind the straight up bitter people who leave false reviews just for the hell of it.
 

Poettree

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I moved into an apartment where the management company had awful reviews. But i loved living there. Stayed for two years before moving
 

VIVIAN

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I'm moving the beginning of May. When I look at reviews on an apartment I see good ones and bad ones. I will say I see more good reviews than bad ones, but I don't know which ones to believe. I really don't want to regret moving into an apartment especially when it's kind of expensive. Has anyone had an experience where the apartment they were moving into had very good and bad reviews? I know people have different experiences, but I'm still hesitant.
Depending on your concern you don’t have to rely on reviews. If you are worried about crime etc then you can have a call for service review of the address from your local police department for free. You just go in person and give them the address they will tell you every time they had to go out for a break in, noise complaints etc. sites like apartments.com reviews are usually pretty controlled. Google reviews are easily made up Word of mouth is always a good source. I chose my apartment because my friend lived in the same complex and loved it. I’m happy with my choice
 

TheSheVirgo

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Like others I review management complaints unless I see multiple complaints about the same thing. And even then it’s not a main factor. Like others have said I drive the neighborhood In day and night, ask questions and look at multiple review sites for the complex. I don’t tolerate bugs so that’s mainly what I’m looking for to see if complaints on infestations. And if the grounds are trashy
 

Cal Bear

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OP, I’m going through the exact same thing. I don’t know how much stock to put into the reviews. I check Google reviews then I cross check Yelp. My biggest dealbreakers are bugs and parking.

At my current complex, my car has been vandalized twice within four months and nobody gives a fµck. However, this seems to be a theme among most complexes whether their parking is gated, assigned or patrolled.

Also, the rents go up everyday. I had a complex on my list that had an available unit for $1750, now the unit they have available is $2000 and this unit has carpets and an old looking fridge while the cheaper unit appeared to be renovated. There’s brand new buildings in more idea areas that aren’t even starting that high, so I don’t know who the fµck they think they are, but I was told by another complex that the rents increase in the summer.

My lease ends at the end of may so I’m trying to find something by the end of April so I can give my landlord a 30 day notice.
 

Icon J Blige

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I mostly only pay attention to the ones that mention mice/roaches and how the maintenance responds to those issues.

Other views don't really impact me that much.You will see a few that mention service levels, rowdy neighbors, trash, etc. In that case, I usually try and do a drive through of the complex and see how well it is kept on the outside. I have done that a few times. Just drove to the complex so I can actually see for myself what the community looks like before I did anything.
 

boogie79

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if you can, go there on the weekends, that should tell you if you have noisy neighbors and how trashed it can get. Also, the city should have a crime map that will show you how often a particular crime happens in that area.
 

WadsofCASH

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Okay so my first question is where are you moving to ? is it a City or more out of City Area ? like other OPs said that you go to the apartment complex at night and in the day to see what is going on in the area. Also, if I were you I would defiantly schedule an apartment tour for each building that are your favs and scope it out and ask alot of questions that you're concerned about (ex. "I've researched and read online that ABC happened, is this frequent ? Has management fixed the ABC issue ? How long did it take?") because how would you really know anything in regards to the apartment only from reviews. You do not want to be stuck at a place and even in a lease for that matter, were you are unhappy and cant make your home a home in the sense of how you want it. Unnecessary stress that is not needed if you just do your part first.
 

Cherrybabe

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You need to go and see the apartment. You can't trust reviews. After all this will be your apartment, not your hotel room.
 

Sackboy

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It’s interesting reading so many people say they ignore reviews if they contain complaints about management. Why? Lol sometimes the staff does suck.

I read a review once where someone was complaining that the staff was accepting packages on their behalf (like they’re supposed to do) but would never actually have the packages when the resident would come looking for them. They were stealing. So the person was complaining that the staff cannot be trusted. That seemed pretty important to me!
 

Miss_Christmas

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When I used to live in apts before I became a homeowner, I would ask people around the complex. I would go take a look after hours or on the weekend, then you will get a good feel for the complex. The office workers giving you the tour is just trying to rent the apt...basically salespeople. If I saw someone out & about walking their dog, taking out their garbage or something like that I would just nicely ask them if they liked living there. Most people will tell you the truth if their not a part of mgmt or work there. Basically try & ask ppl that actually live there if you want the real story. Online reviews are usually only 1/2 the story, but if you do take them into high consideration, only stick with apts that have 4 or more stars out of 5.
 
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Who?Me?

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the only complaints about management I'd suggest you pay attention to are those that pertain to maintenance and how they handle requests/issues.
 

curiositykilledthecat530

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I'm moving the beginning of May. When I look at reviews on an apartment I see good ones and bad ones. I will say I see more good reviews than bad ones, but I don't know which ones to believe. I really don't want to regret moving into an apartment especially when it's kind of expensive. Has anyone had an experience where the apartment they were moving into had very good and bad reviews? I know people have different experiences, but I'm still hesitant.
Look everywhere! Google reviews, Yelp, apartment.com. That’s what I did when signing my new lease a few months back. Compare and contrast and go with what has majority positive reviews. Also, if you are able to see the place that should also help weed out some concerns.
 

LustNLuxury

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It’s interesting reading so many people say they ignore reviews if they contain complaints about management. Why? Lol sometimes the staff does suck.

I read a review once where someone was complaining that the staff was accepting packages on their behalf (like they’re supposed to do) but would never actually have the packages when the resident would come looking for them. They were stealing. So the person was complaining that the staff cannot be trusted. That seemed pretty important to me!

I don’t necessarily ignore them but there are bigger issues for me besides management. I can deal with sucky management. What I can’t deal with is infestations and my safety.
Now if I read that management was stealing then I wouldn’t overlook that. The management complaints I’ve read have never been that extreme.
 

Just A Princess

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Look on multiple sites, Trulia Apartments.com Google etc and see what they look like across the board
Also look at the dates. Some places have great reviews but the few bad reviews are all from the past year and usually that place changed management companies or something like that.
Trulia will show you if the place is in a high or lower crime area
Your best bet is to ask people in person when you visit the property
 

THRILLHO

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Honestly it's near impossible to know before moving. Apartment living is a roll of the dice.
Firstly, people are more likely to leave a review if they have a negative experience.
Many people are sh!tty tenants and cause problems for management (late payments, noise, dirt, etc) and when the blding management gets in their azz, the tenant leaves negative reviews about management.
Some buildings had bugs at some point, and now no longer have bugs.
Sometimes the building management company changes, and the service changes for the worse or better, but nobody left an updated review.
Best thing is to go see the apartment, and if you have the opportunity, see it more than once, and also familiarize yourself with the surrounding area.
As far as online reviews the most important things to look at are safety, repairs/maintenance, and cleanliness (pests).
 

sonoko

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When looking at reviews, see what the bad ones are complaining about. If they are complaining about not getting helped right away or something small then you know it is because the person was pissed the same day and decided to write a bad review. When looking at a good one if they say EVERYTHING is perfect with the apartment or seem to only glow about how amazing it is, take that with a grain of salt as well because they could just be paid by the company to leave reviews.

You really got to focus on what is going on with the review and visit the place if you can. Visiting and knowing firsthand what the units look like is your best bet really. Also maybe while walking around the unit if there is a resident outside, walking their dog or something then you can ask their opinion (from a distance) about the apartment complex.
 

jme2011

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I would echo what everyone has said, but I would also look for themes in the reviews if everyone is complaining about management I would caution staying there. Yes, in most cases you won't really interact with them but when you do, you don't want it to be a stressful process. For example I currently stay at an apartment that I have had very little issues but recently I have been going back and forth with Management for the past month and have come to realize the customer service is non-existent. Looking back through older reviews there was mention of this but I brushed it off because I rarely interact with management. Also pay attention to the apartments policies especially when it comes to maintenance and what you are responsible for. Also never get an apartment that is near the top of your budget, the rent will go up at the end of the lease so if you plan on staying longer than the current lease you need to account for that.
 

Archive Wife

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me personally, if i see ONE review that mentions bugs of any kind then i cross those apartments off my list.
 

THE STANDARD

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I'm not sure what to believe, either. I recently rented in a building with terrific reviews on Yelp. Come to find out that the management company bribes people with gift cards to leave good reviews, deletes anything remotely negative, or calls it "spam."
That Should be illegal!
 

Suchababe

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Moving from a house to an apartment was a culture shock for me, but landlord was sh!t. Lease is up in a couple of months and can’t wait to move! Sticking to a house after this.
 

t1gress

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I'm moving the beginning of May. When I look at reviews on an apartment I see good ones and bad ones. I will say I see more good reviews than bad ones, but I don't know which ones to believe. I really don't want to regret moving into an apartment especially when it's kind of expensive. Has anyone had an experience where the apartment they were moving into had very good and bad reviews? I know people have different experiences, but I'm still hesitant.

It's difficult to decide on an apartment based on online reviews. You have to go in person, look around the area during the day, and at night...and tour the place, and you still might not know.

Almost all the apartments I look for have pretty terrible reviews unless the building just opened up, it costs north of 2.5K a month, or the place was recently renovated. People mostly seem to review apartments when they had a bad experience.

I have lived in one apartment that had great reviews and was kept up while I was there, but that was an anomaly. And there was still an issue with a neighbor sending faux "noise complaints", and the same one "grilling out" on a balcony right near the bushes.

I prefer being in single-family dwellings for this reason. Houses, duplexes, basements, anything other than apartments.

So many people seem to be completely miserable living in apartments and it spreads.


im on the prowl too and have noticed the same pattern. i usually check reviews on more than one site...like just google the apartment name and look at all the review sites.

i read a few and if they only talking about how terrible the office managers were or noise or other things i dont care about then i just write it off as the ppl being grumpy (even though might be legit). but if they complaining about pests, roaches, real big issues like mold then ill take it more seriously. i can deal with alot but bugs are a no go
 

Jasmine Ross

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Lol y’all got me paranoid to move into an apartment. I live with my parents and I wanna move out so bad. I was always lowkey sheltered though so moving into my own apartment is definitely gonna be a shock to me.
 

RichNatural

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I'm not sure what to believe, either. I recently rented in a building with terrific reviews on Yelp. Come to find out that the management company bribes people with gift cards to leave good reviews, deletes anything remotely negative, or calls it "spam."
Hol' up, businesses can delete their Yelp reviews? :bulgyeyes
 

petit nuage

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Hol' up, businesses can delete their Yelp reviews? :bulgyeyes

Yes! Yelp may deny it, but I’ve seen it happen. When COVID hit, my friend wrote a review for his complex, saying that he was chastised for not wearing a mask by maskless staff who flouted all the other protocols they forced on residents and his review was removed with quickness! Or places will move “problematic” reviews to a hidden, bottom section of each Yelp page called “labeled spam” or something like that.
 

JuneBug29

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People usually complain when they have a bad experience.

Look for signs of infestations and break ins, otherwise, if you go visit and it's in a nice area and looks good, it's probably fine.
 

Cheverly

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Search and find ones that have non-management controlled facebook pages. You can get honest answers there and see what the people living there deal with. You can also see how quickly management responds.
 

redbud tree

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I look at the mid-range reviews and look for consistency in what's bad or good. I do that with all online shopping, if possible.
 

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