The biggest problem are the termites. Not all the apartments have them but how is one to know which one's have problems and which ones don't because of course they won't ever tell you when you look at apartments. We have them, they are never really gone once they are in the building, any structure for that matter. They come out at swarming season which is the end of Aug. and can last well into Sept. and even Oct.
Rick Selby the owner, owns 26 properties besides this one and his method is to have exterminators come out and spray. Which works a little but isn't the same as a fumigation which would entail him spending more money to relocate tenants who have no friends or family to stay with for a night or two, while the buildings are fumigated. And he would need to pay for security to protect our belongings in the buildings. So this is his preferred method. We had exterminators come on the average 6-7 times last year to our apartment. We unfortunately could not move when our lease was up and are stuck here one more year and it is termite swarming season.
The exterminators last year eventually recommended fumigation and told them they could do no more. So they fired them and hired someone new who will take their money and do spraying which works a little, but not enough if one has to have them 6-7 times to the same apartment. Right now they are swarming in the hallways and ceilings but of course they won't pay for the new exterminator to spray there. They are again in our apartment too and the exterminator will come this week. So we begin this futile dance again.
Some tenants here are paying a lower rent due to some apartments being rent subsidized. We are not, we pay full price and again this stuff goes on. They get into the kitchen area making wanting to cook and eat disgusting. Termites not only can get into the wood furniture, also paper such as books and even open food. I don't care that they have two pools and a work out room. I would trade those things for a land lord who had fumigated these buildings several years ago when in 2002 they had them. I don't know how many years this has been going on, but the Pest Structural Board has them on record beginning with exterminators in 2002. Again of course they wouldn't dare tell you this when you are thinking of renting and looking at the apartments. I would say stay far away from this place. On a smaller note, the elevators which are to be inspected every single year have not been inspected since 2003 and it says this inside every elevator on it's certificate. In our building they do break down a lot and they get worked on only to break down again and again. I would say management just doesn't care enough. At times there has been some loud noise and arguments in the hallways or outside the building in the parking lot. These are due usually to it being a Friday or Saturday night and I assume alcohol is involved. We have smelled pot on a few occasions in the hallways too.
Also they have a terrible history of not giving back people's security deposits or very little. So much of a problem they were taken to court and lost a few years ago. This can all be found on the Internet by googling them. Rick Selby had to return the security deposits of God knows how many people because they had to pay out millions. This has not stopped them from this practice because others have also taken them to small claims court and won. Isn't life hard enough at times without termites, druggie neighbors and having to fight to get any of one's security deposit back?
FYI: this is such a thing as pre-treated wood and some apartments and houses are built with this. They don't have termites when pre-treated wood is used to build instead of non pre-treated wood. When looking at any apartment or house to rent or buy I would say contact The Pest Structural Board to see if any termite complaints were ever made. Any time an exterminator comes out a report must filed with them. Also hire your own exterminator to check before buying anything. Ask about pre-treated wood, if they don't know or play dumb then there is your answer. If the buildings are built with pre-treated wood I bet they will have no problem telling you this.