Apartment Review for Harper's Point

I rented an apartment at Harpers Point starting in August, 2011. I was never allowed to view the apartment until the day before I moved in. It was occupied when I first visited and then was being turned the weeks before. I was informed at the time of looking at the model that the unit I was getting had not been renovated, but did not expect it to be so dirty and in such poor condition. There were 2 major cracks in the foundation (slab) of the living room floor. One crack was repaired, I believe some kind of filler was used to ramp up the difference in the two levels in flooring. The other portion of the crack is about 8 feet long and varies in width from 1/4 inch to 2.5 inch, this portion was not repaired. Due to the fall of the floor in this area, there is also a crack between the floor and the bottom of the wall of about 1/4 inch. This past Fall, you could hear crickets in the living room, I assume they were right below the crack (I have video of this). Now that it is Winter, there is a good amount of cold air coming through the crack if you lift the carpet and also through the space between the floor and wall. In addition, there would obviously also be moisture and any other exposure that is present in the ground below; the crack is obviously all the way through, this condition still exists. My major concern at this point are what molds, allergens, or other contaminates are entering the unit through this open crack to the ground.

The bath and kitchen were exceptionally dirty. The ceiling of the kitchen at some point had fallen through above the cabinets as there were remnants of the ceiling material on the tops of the cabinets and the new repaired area of the ceiling bows below the rest (the remnants were cleaned off the top of the cabinets). The dining room is carpeted, which was supposed to be vinyl tile according to the model and other units. The metal blinds in the living room and bedroom are bent and are very dirty (never replaced). The shower head that was installed in the bath was unusable and the shower head base was not attached to the wall (these have been repaired). The bath counter and countertop are in poor condition, scratched and finish is worn off the wood. The outlet in the bath was coming loose from the wall (this was fixed). The light fixture above the sink had paint on it and was rusty (this was fixed). The floor drain in the laundry room has been painted over so many times that the majority of the drain is covered (this has not been fixed). The furnace and ductwork is extremely dirty (this has not been looked at). The light switches and outlets were extremely dirty, coated in dirt. The unit reeked of stale cigarette smoke, which has finally dissipated after 5 months. There was so much residue left that when I hung a damp towel over a door, what I believe is tar from smoking ran down the door (also have photos of this).

Word of advice, get everything in writing and make sure you are able to view what you are getting before you sign the lease. I was advised by the rental agent to document all problems on a walk through inspection and they would be taken care of. About half were. Major lesson learned for me, a very dishonest group.