Review for Lake Chase Apartments

Just a note first off that this property was sold in November of 2004, and that the current name is "Highland Lake at Westchase". The units are now being sold as individual condominiums. I highly recommend that whether you are condidering purchasing one of these units, or renting from an investor who has, that you SAVE YOUR MONEY, and RUN, DON'T WALK away from this heap!

My experience:

Like everyone else who first moves in here, I enjoyed the location and the layout of the units -- very few problems in the first year, and the leasing staff were initially helpful, courteous, and nonintrusive.

However, I made the mistake of renewing my lease a second year, and immediately grew to regret this decision. When I first moved in, I was advised by a member of the leasing staff that the windows were in the process of being replaced in some of the units, but not to worry, they had finished construction on my building. Shortly after renewing my lease for the second year, I received notice that they would begin construction on my unit. They stated that there was a manufacturers defect with the current windows and that they were required to replace them by law -- which I believe is BS. I had to take a couple of days off work to move and cover all of my furniture, and then endure the inconvenience and violation of my privacy as a dozen contractors and members of the leasing staff occupied the unit to tear out the windows and surrounding drywall. The stucco was ripped off the front of the building for months at a time, creating an absolute eyesore. I was told that the each building would be under construction for six weeks, but this project ended up lasting at least seven months. In the meantime, residents were forced to endure the constant pounding and scraping on the outside of the building, as well as regular short-notice "inspections" from the staff and maintenance. Interestingly enough, I had never experienced any problems with the windows to begin with, but as soon as these "improvements" were made, the building began leaking from the windows and up from the floors during the rainy season -- and I would imagine has caused quite a mold problem since then.

I believe that these apartments were built in 2001, and it certainly seems unusual that buildings this new would experience so many issues. They seem to have been very cheaply built, with walls and ceilings that are paper-thin. I can hear everything that my neighbors do -- EVERYTHING. I am awoken countless times during the week by their barking dogs, loud music, washer and dryer, and loud conversation. Even worse, I can often hear their bathroom noises. I drew the line when I was awoken at 5 in the morning by the sounds of these people having a three-way sexual encounter.

Additionally, the staff has grown quite unpleasant to deal with. They seem to like to pick and choose portions of the lease agreement to enforce, and ignore the rest if it does not suit their interests or conveniences. For example, residents are not allowed to park in handicapped zones or carports, unless they have paid for a spot, yet this happens all the time and goes unregulated. Yet, when I parked in the grass in front of my building to wash my car for 20 minutes, they did not hesitate to tag my vehicle. Furthermore, they have allowed their contractors to move my furniture when I was not home, causing damage to my personal property TWICE and given me a very difficult time before compensating me for it.

I could write a much longer novel detailing all my reasons for despising Lake Chase / Highland Lake, but you get the point. I am counting down the days until I move out. Fortunately for potential buyers and future renters, they would not have to deal with the problems with the leasing staff since they will soon be out of a job. However, please note that these units are being sold "as is", and for good reason. Caveat emptor.