Hugh Jaas

I found two sites that rate/review apartments across US, the reviews are by ex/current residents (but I get the feeling some of the reviewers are the management)

Some of the apartments were recommended and when I checked them out here they take a proper hammering. I guess it depends on people’s taste, or if they’ve had a personal ruck with the management.

http://www.apartmentreviews.net/index.html


http://www.apartmentratings.com/


I don’t know where on the forum it would be appropriate to post these sites, so I’ll post here.

NC Penguin

Thanks for reminding me about apartmentratings. I read reviews from this site when putting together my shortlist for apartments.

I've just posted my review on my old apartment "community".

Chessiet

Those apartment ratings sites can be touch and go as far as their reviews. If you're looking for an apartment, a good apartment locator service is worth its weight in gold. They only make their money (from the rental property, not from you) when you sign a lease, plus they get referrals from happy customers, so it's in their best interests to scour properties, pester the management for specials, and make sure a customer is satisfied with the selection they're given.

Over the years I've lived in NY, RI, NH, MI and TX, and have dealt with locators all over. If a locator service charges you a fee, don't use them. If they don't give you a good selection, ditto.

ladylisa

[QUOTE=Hugh Jaas]I found two sites that rate/review apartments across US, the reviews are by ex/current residents (but I get the feeling some of the reviewers are the management)


I have just looked up my old apartment complex and the review has obviously been written by the Manager posing as a tenant. I mean would you spend your time commenting on the many facilities around the neighbourhood and what value for money (even though its the most expensive complex by far in the whole area) ....God some of them will stop at nothing

USBound

Wow - I just read up on mine.... what a load of crap.

apparently we have vermin, faeces in the pool, no washing machines that work, homeless people sleeping around the place, gun toting criminals walking around, dog faeces in the halways and trash left all over, incompetant management, units falling to peices...

strange - never seen any of that? Have I been lucky or is someone just disgruntled

Sites like that with absolutely no comeback can pretty much NEVER be accepted as gospel

Chessiet

Yeah, people who provide feedback on sites like that have one of two agendas: either they work for the property (and write glowing reviews), or they have a beef with something and want to verbally vent some anger. That's why I stress that you should talk to an apartment locator instead. They visit the sites, they can see what's going on there from an unbiased viewpoint, and they'll very often have 50-60 properties that they'll be comparing in a given area.

NC Penguin

[QUOTE=Chessiet]Those apartment ratings sites can be touch and go as far as their reviews. If you're looking for an apartment, a good apartment locator service is worth its weight in gold. They only make their money (from the rental property, not from you) when you sign a lease, plus they get referrals from happy customers, so it's in their best interests to scour properties, pester the management for specials, and make sure a customer is satisfied with the selection they're given.

Over the yeaQrs I've lived in NY, RI, NH, MI and TX, and have dealt with locators all over. If a locator service charges you a fee, don't use them. If they don't give you a good selection, ditto.[/UOTE]

How does one find a good apartment locator service? In the time it takes to find one and go out with them, I'm sure some apartment hunters out there could also do research themselves without going through a middleman.

Chessiet

[QUOTE=NC Penguin] You look in the yellow pages, ask around at your workplace for recommendations, etc... A lot of the research can be taken care of with one phone call to a locator. You just tell them price, location, bedrooms/baths, and any extra amenities you need (like pool, covered parking, large dog allowance, workout center, etc...) and they should be able to fax or email you a list of properties that meet your requirements. The GOOD locators will also sniff around and try to get deals and specials for you.

NC Penguin

The way you're writing makes you sound like your are an apartment locator or working in a business that provides them!

USBound

or someone who moves around a lot ?

Chessiet

[QUOTE=NC Penguin]The way you're writing makes you sound like your are an apartment locator or working in a business that provides them!QUOTE]

Hah! Hardly, I'm in the aviation industry

I've just had uniformly good experiences with them in NY, Detroit and Dallas, so I thought I'd let you all know. I just hate to think people will overlook a free resource that's probably one of the best tools you can use in apartment hunting.