Apartment Review for Heritage - Columbus, OH

This is the letter than I turned in along with my notice to vacate. To Whom It May Concern: I want to make you aware of the many reasons that I will not be renewing my lease at Heritage Apartments this year. It is due to factors such as maintenance, upkeep/cleanliness and safety. Prior to discussing everything that is wrong with this company, I would like to commend the office staff. They are professional, friendly, helpful and caring. They did help to fix some of the problems that I have experienced here in a quick and efficient manner. I am also impressed by the fact that Molly greets me by name every time I enter the office. When I first moved into my apartment in September 2008 I was extremely disappointed and disgusted. It looked as if a cleaning crew had not been there and I had to clean the entire place myself. Closet doors were off their hinges and the mini-blinds were on top of the fridge. The worst part was the condition of the bathtub, which was appalling. It was full of black mold, soap scum and mildew. This is something that I might expect in Section 8 housing, but not here! I talked to he office about the tub that day and they assured me that it would be taken care of. For approximately 2-3 weeks I showered at a friend’s or at OSU’s RPAC facilities. I had submitted a written request, and after 30 days I went back to the office and threatened to put my rent into escrow. It was not until this point that they actually had maintenance come by to repair the problem… only they did not. They installed a low-quality, ill-fitting tub surround over the existing shower, which looks terrible. They failed to caulk it properly and it cracked only months afterward. They also refinished the tub itself, without properly cleaning or sanding the existing finish. Needless to say, it was peeling within a week. Even after maintenance came back to repair their shoddy work, they failed to do it appropriately again. It is still disgusting and peeling, and management has done nothing to remedy it, though they are aware of it. I have never once received an apology for all of the unnecessary inconvenience that I was forced to endure, nor given a rental discount. I have no idea why I was compelled to renew after that, but I certainly have grown to regret it more and more everyday. Over the past year the condition of the building in which I live has been steadily declining and I feel as if I am living in the slums of Columbus. The hallway walls are covered in scratches, scuffs, dents, stains, etc and the carpet is also full of big stains. I have never seen maintenance do anything but vacuum once every other month. The electrical outlets are missing their covers and hallway doors squeak ridiculously before slamming closed. There have been 3 burned out lights on the top floor for months, even though I have informed the office on more than one occasion. This certainly does not cause me to feel safe upon entering my ‘home’. Upon attempting to wash my laundry approximately 3 weeks ago, I was shocked to discover that a homeless man had used our washing machines. I inferred his status due to the condition/appearance of the clothing, mixed with the stench of feces and detergent. I find it so distasteful that our laundry facility was moved from a frightening and unhygienic basement, to an unsecured room on the first floor that any stranger or homeless man can utilize. Finally, the maintenance team here is absolutely terrible and is the worst that I have ever encountered. The only thing that they are ever seen to be doing is riding around in their ghetto golf carts and smoking until their lungs are black and shriveled. In the process of repairing things in my apartment they have managed to ruin a personal belonging with high sentimental value, left muddy footprints and dirty handprints, and just leave a mess. Why would I ever want a malodorous person with a complete disregard for the property of others to enter my apartment? The only reason that I have stayed at Heritage Apartments for as long as I have, is the location. There are some nice things about the place such as the fitness center (which is already going downhill due to a lack of respect from the tenants) and the mature landscaping. However, the negative aspects outweigh the positive by more reasons that I can take the time to describe. I am not sure what compelled me to renew my lease here the first time, but I will certainly not be doing it again. This site is dirty and unkempt, unprofessional and unsafe.