The Lakes

Chaitanya24

Resident • 2003 - 2017

I am a long time resident of this apartment community. The location is excellent, it's right next to shopping and medical facilities. The current management is amazingly helpful, the new manager has turned the property completely around. Average to good maintenance support. Upkeep of the grounds and landscaping is excellent.

sprite50

Resident • 2014 - 2019

I enjoy living here. The grounds around the complex are well maintained and all maintenance request are completed within 24hrs. Anytime I've had to talk to someone at the office they were very helpful. The apartment complex is close to so many stores that you could walk to Kroger's, Starbucks, Panera Bread and many more restaurants. The office staff always keeps the residents informed of any changes that take place in the complex.

lurkinnvegas

Resident • 2013 - 2017

I have lived here for 3 years, now. All in all, I have had a pleasant experience. Although, the surrounding neighborhood was on a decline, NTS properties have always maintained standards and practices. The staff is always helpful and pleasant to deal with. Every year there is major project, to better the property. To me, that shows care and concern.

JHWillow

Resident • 2016

The Lakes are a wonderful place to live! The friendly staff is constantly putting on events for residents. The complex is extremely pet friendly with waste stations placed conveniently around the apartment complex to make picking up after furry friends quick and easy. The apartment grounds are impeccably kept, and the maintenance staff is efficient and friendly. It doesn't hurt that Starbucks, Trader Joe's, Kroger, Panera, and more are all within walking distance :)

Current Resident 738899

Resident • 2016

I have been living in The Lakes for about 3 months now, and it is awesome. The staff members are amazing. I have never once had a issue or question that they didn't answer in a timely manner. The maintenance crews is very fast and efficient. This is a very clean community and quiet. Even though I'm early in my lease here, I couldn't be more happy with my time so far.

Current Resident 668312

Resident • 2016

I've only lived in the lakes for about 2 weeks and I love it so far! The landscape is beautiful and the neighborhood is very quiet. The management is very friendly and helpful. Also the apartment is minutes away from everything that you need grocery store, movie theater, restaurants, etc. I highly recommend the lakes.

Current Resident 295576

Resident • 2012 - 2015

I've lived at The Lakes for three years. The apartments are very reasonably priced, and the staff is fantastic. I've had only a few "updates" to request over the past three years - some upkeep on my tub (regrouting), fix to the shower head, and a fix to my fireplace (small leak with rain). All maintenance requests have been addressed very timely and the issues fixed. I fully trust the staff to enter the apartment during the day, while I'm at work. I also feel that The Lakes is constantly updating the amenities and grounds - pool updates, grill area with patio, landscaping... Parking is not a problem - enough space for myself and my boyfriend to have a spot right outside out building daily. The units are clean - for someone with very bad allergies, I've had no issues! No mold, mildew, etc. All very clean. Rent increases are reasonable, and if you have tenure, the leasing company is willing to negotiate down a bit or maybe help with covered parking fees. On that note, parking fees are minimal - I paid about $45 a month and it can be cancelled at any time. The area itself is ok - south of 86th street is not a great area in my opinion, but north is great. I've never had any issues myself, but I am aware at night to not jog alone. Otherwise, I take jogs in the area during the day without issue or concern. There are alot of convenient stores nearby - grocery (Kroger, Fresh Thyme and Trader Joes), starbucks, small local coffee shop, gyms (multiple), Panera. These are all within walking distance. You're about 25 min from other major areas of town - Carmel, Broad Ripple, Downtown. Overall, I've had a great experience. I've seen no reason to move and The Lakes continues to be a great provider! I also wanted to note that I'm on a month-to-month currently with rent at $1150. When I was on a year lease, rent was about $900 a month.

pilotmike01

Resident • 2015

Apartment - We have a 2/2 with wood floors and a great balcony view. More than enough space. I am very happy with it and will definitely resign the lease next year. Noise is typical for an apartment complex and can't complain (I work irregular hours which has me sleeping during the day sometimes). Parking - Not bad. If you're coming home late, you might have to walk a bit more but nothing serious. I'm talking an extra 5-6 car spaces. No big deal. Amenities - The pool is well maintained. The exercise room is quite small but it gets the cardio job done. It's a very clean neighborhood. Safety - When I first moved to Indy, I was told to avoid living withing the highway belt due to safety. I was close to signing a different lease farther away but I'm glad I didn't. Not once have I felt unsafe. I'd argue that it actually one of the safest communities I've lived in. Walking distance from a great shopping plaza. Overall - For the price, location, and the actual apartment itself, I am very happy with my decision to move here. I encourage you to take a tour, meet the wonderful staff, and see for yourself.

Current Resident 779116

Resident • 2014 - 2015

I've lived at The Lakes for a little over 1 year now. So far I've had a good experience. It's generally pretty quite and peaceful. Whenever I've put in a maintenance request, it's been taken care of quickly. The staff has always been pleasant to interact with. I'd like a bit more space (storage space in the kitchen in particular), but it's a 1 bedroom apartment, not a house, and I have friends that are paying more rent with less space than me.

Current Resident 768886

Resident • 2015

I have had a great experience living at the Lakes so far. I just renewed my lease for a second year. I know I can always contact the office when I have a problem and they send someone to fix it almost immediately or within that day. I had almost no issues since living here though. Everything was perfect when I moved in and even when I decided I wanted the fridge door handle on the other side they came and switched it. The appliances are new and up to date and they offer to paint your walls from selected colors for a small fee. Made my life much easier. They make things very convienent. And they do what they can to help you and work around your schedule. The location is great. It's close to 86th street and Kroger. I would definitely recommend The Lakes.

brodieanderson

Resident • 2015

I have been living at the Lakes for 5 months now and have enjoyed every minute of it. I feel very safe in this wonderful aparment complex. It is very well maintained and any issues I have had were resolved within 24 hrs (only 2 small mx issues). The girls in the office are very friendly and helpful with anything you may need.

Rochelle Forrest

Resident • 2013 - 2015

I have lived here 2 times. With life transitions it feels nice to be around an extended family. The staff is friendly and responsive. The staff do a beautiful job keeping up the inside and the outside of my apartment. If you are looking for a community The Lakes offers many different fun activities. I appreciate that the staff call me by name. Check them out! They standout from the rest! Rochelle :)

jgl

Resident • 2015

Very nice community. I have had two maintenance problems. Both were taken care of without questions, and in a very timely manner. No problems.

jacobjewell

Resident • 2014 - 2015

I have lived at the Lakes for a year now and have been very pleased with everything. I moved in to a nice, well maintained, and clean apartment. I have had to call maintenance one time and the problem was resolved promptly. The residents are friendly and the staff is great. I would recommend to anyone considering.

lovecost

Resident • 2013 - 2015

Overly priced. Poor staff. To many car break-ins. Only great thing is location. I wouldn't recommend. There are other apartments around the area that's worth your penny. My lease ends in a couple months and I could not be any happier.

Current Resident 811515

Resident • 2012 - 2015

I would NOT recommend this place to live. As the others stated in reviews. They are nice until it's time to move out. I was a good tenant for 3 years and even consider to stay there another year but Thank God I didnt. Upon moving out they told me I owe 900 dollars for damages. To reglaze counter tops 290. Which had normal wear and tear. The paint was coming off and they were out-dated wood reglazed counter tops before I even moved in. All they do is reglaze they stuff over and over again with cheap stuff. Why do I have to pay for that?! Esp after 3 years. They charged carpet stain 75. (Look at the pics) they lifted the carpet anyway because after so many years you have to replace. 232 for the window and it's listed on the move-out sheet at 75 for replacement. I mentioned that and the lady says o that wasn't accurate guess on the paper sent to me in January. I said well that shouldn't be listed as that if that's not the price when you guys get your quotes from vendors is how you set your prices. They want me to pay for reglazed of cheap tub which I got reglaze last year from them and still chipped(200 bucks. They don't keep records of anything or work orders. The ceiling which I have work order for caused the tiles to turn black and they want me to pay for that and they never fixed that. Who knows? I could be living in mold and my concern was brushed off as well as the window. As you can see in the pic and the tree with wind caused it to crack. Not like I broke it. I'm willing to pay for that of the price that was qouted on the move-out sheet not 232 dollars. The office manager has no idea on how to run those apartments. It's a big mess and even cooperate office of NTS were rude when they called and said they will drop it down to 600. I said no. She said well it's back to 939 and I'm sending it over to collections. What kind of evil person does that?! This is all in a week. How can you send anything over to collections without attempt to collect. I'm so happy I recorded everything and her convo and informed her I was recording. I have pics and I will let the courts handle the rest along with God. These people are rude, unprofessional and will try to cheat you out and try to make you pay for renovating on your dime if you let them. I want the world to be expose to how they treat people. They will be getting their papers served soon.

BuckeyeMan

Resident • 2008 - 2015

I rented my apartment starting April, 2008 through current (March, 2015). My daughter, her husband, and son rented their apartment at The Lakes (NTS) property two years before and they were happy with their experience there before they had their own home. After my divorce, I had a stroke that left me without the ability to speak for about two years. Fortunately, with the aide of speech therapists, I'm able to converse relatively well these days. The kind office staff and maintenance staff at The Lakes made my transition from a large home to this apartment made this move very helpful. Their prompt attention to my emails regarding questions and the occasional maintenance requests were most welcome since I couldn't speak very well at that time in my life to talk to them in person or to leave a phone message. Since I was "disabled" for a while, I learned that several people in this community had some disabilities, had some caregivers living with them, and other people helping them through their daily travails. Since we're very close to St. Vincent's Hospital on 86th Street, we have a lot of nurses and support staff in our neighborhood. Although we have a few kids in our community, on the whole, they are very well-behaved, respectful, and relatively quiet. The whole neighborhood has a lot of senior living residences within one mile of this apartment complex. Despite being close the commercial strip of 86th Street, this community is relatively quiet at night. Most of the residents keep their cars down to 15-20 mph and we don't have any loud or obnoxious music. People here value their quiet lives. I did knock down 1 star for the "noise" component since we had a problem with several very young post-HS students living here attending either ITT or Lincoln Tech with several roommates per unit in 2008 through 2011. They had a "corporate deal" with those apartments for several years I'm told. They were working on their cars all the time and didn't respect the other quiet residents. They are gone now! Despite being over 20+ years old, these apartments are very well-built. The walls, doors, and windows keep the noise down nicely. In the spring and fall, we can enjoy breezes through our window screens. The small porches or verandas are very nice. Many people here decorate their porches with flowers, bird feeders, or chimes. The electric furnaces and A/C units are older but adequate. My apartment is very quiet and I cannot hear any noise from the other units at all. So, the insulation must be very good on the 2x4 stick-built walls. Cons: the countertops are original and a little worse for wear; the closets are adequate but very tight; the carpets are "builders' grade"; and the cabinets are original and cheaply made. But, NTS gives me an n/c voucher to clean my carpets annually for free when I renew my lease. Except for the new microwave oven, the appliances are original (?) standard apartment/builders' grade. The 28" refrigerator is very small. Here are the major capital projects I've seen to upgrade these apartments since 2008: pool upgrade including installing new beautiful tiles; the outside pool chaise lounges are great!; repaved the streets (TWICE!); striped and seal coated the parking spaces; reroofed the whole complex; painted ALL the exteriors on ALL buildings; replaced ALL the interior shades; replaced ALL shrubbery and added some more; cut down all the Ash trees (dying due to Emerald Ash Borer infestation very prevalent in our area); installed new two commercial HUGE gas burner grilles; new tables with canopies and chairs next to the pool area for the residents' use; new canvas tops for pool area and picnic table areas; converted some carports to garages due to demand; installed new higher-capacity downspouts and gutters; and in spring of 2015 - NTS is installing new floodlights around all buildings to make the community much brighter and (hopefully) deter the thieves that occasionally break into the residents vehicles. The maintenance and grounds components are OUTSTANDING. The grounds are groomed every Thursday and the flowers are replanted 3 times per year. Any trash is picked up daily by the staff. Maintenance requests are handled expertly and a timely manner per my experience. Leaves and snow removal is, again, OUTSTANDING! Safety: other than the occasional vehicle break-ins, I haven't heard of any apartment robberies or anyone being assaulted in our community. The whole north-end of Indianapolis apartments is plagued with vehicle smash-and-grab incidents once in a while. We have many people walking their dogs in the morning and evening, walking for exercise, and many stay-at-home people watching their apartments. I would rate our community as a "safe place" to call home. The new addition of many more floodlights will make this area safer than it was in the past. Office staff: the NTS staff is highly intelligent, listening, caring, professional, and they communicate with the residents very well. We have monthly newsletters that are emailed to the residents; they have sponsored summer BBQs, New Year's parties, pool parties, get-to-know-you happy hours, and monthly resident breakfast appreciation day. NTS/The Lakes management will reinforce their rules concerning parking, loud noises, trash, excessive speeding, and safety for their residents. Some people won't like their rules. As for me, I'm fine with this community's rules. Costs: The base cost of my apartment is currently $941 for my 2-brm/2-bath 1,035 sq.ft. unit. The annual increase of my base rent for the last 6 years averaged 2.3%/year. By contrast; the cost of my AT&T U-verse/internet/TV 300-chan went up an average of 5.6%/year; water service was up 8.2%/year; and sewer-drainage costs were up 9.1%/year. My IPL bill is very stable at just under ~$100.00/month on average.

Current Resident 803116

Resident • 2013 - 2015

*******RENTERS BEWARE*************** I regret signing a second year lease. They will brush off your concerns about maintenance, safety, and just about everything else. Also be mindful and cautious that they can be spiteful when you try to leave and give you a bad review for your next move. Prior to this I had 8 years of clean rental history and never had to pay a high deposit on new places to move in. I will never rent from NTS properties again.

godisgood9373

Resident • 2014

This place is not what I expected compared to the model I was shown. I was told there was a wd in the unit but that's false. There's only a wd connection. The appliances are outdated.The refrigerator is very old & too small. They are so cheap they couldn't even replace countertops. Instead they put a glaze on the countertops & it is horrible! Carpet looks cheap. Great split floor plan but master bedroom closet is too small. Everyone talks about how great maintenance is but that's a joke. They have been in my apartment more than once to fix my ice maker which STILL doesn't work! I didn't even have them come back because I am tired of the whole thing. You CAN get nicer for the same amout of rent!

Prospective Resident 681168

Prospect • Visited 2014

They refuse to post my review because they don't want to face the truth or even bother to address my complaint. I visited the complex and thought it was very nice...rooms are a bit small but I could have made it work. But when they entered my information into their database...I was turned down in seconds! No explanation was given...I was just told to call a toll free number! I have no felonies...I have no judgments. ..I have never been late with any other landlord because I've own my home for the past 10 years and was not late! So glad I found a more luxury apartment with more square footage.

Current Resident 416523

Resident • 2012 - 2014

The Lakes Apartments are a fantastic place to live. We currently live here while we are searching for a new house but the place and people are wonderful. The apartments are a great price for such a nice space. The cabinets are a little outdated but they are still spacious and very functional. The grounds are well maintained and the area surrounding the apartment complex is very nice. There is plenty of things to do within 10 minutes of The Lakes. Also, if we ever have an issue with something in our apartment the maintenance staff is there to fix the problem right away. The entire staff at The Lakes have made our stay here that much better. They are very kind and are always willing to try to help us out if we need something. I would certainly recommend The Lakes to anyone looking for a new apartment to call home for a while. The apartments are very nice and the people helping you are too!

indygirl10

Resident • 2011 - 2013

If you're a single female, or anyone who values a sense of security, do not move here. I lived at The Lakes for two years after having a friend who recommended it (they lived here from 2009-2010). I visited her multiple times while she lived at The Lakes, and liked it enough to sign a lease myself when the time came. This place used to be so nice, safe, and well-kept, but it took a sharp turn for the worse soon. The tenants they were renting to towards the end of my time there were less than desirable, especially for what you'd expect given the monthly rent. People cramming way too many people into units, leaving upholstered furniture on their balconies year-round, allowing their friends and relatives to stay with them for extended periods of time (I'm sure they were approved by management and passed a background check...). I saw the police there a few times during my residency, mainly towards the end of my lease. I simply did not feel safe there anymore, even with an alarm system. I couldn't be any happier with my decision to move up to the Carmel area. It's a longer drive to my office, but it's worth it. No more worrying about someone breaking into my car or apartment, or having to deal with the low class tenants and their friends. I know crime knows no address, but it seems to have zeroed in on The Lakes. Too bad NTS doesn't seem to care as long as they're still collecting rent checks.

Current Resident 496571

Resident • 2013 - 2014

Don't waste your time here! For what you pay at the lakes there are a lot nicer places to rent on the north side. The new manager is as useless as the last and the place seems to be falling into a state of disrepair. Walking around areas that we didn't get shown on our tour is a real eye opener into what the place is really like (felt conned). We have seen the police here dealing with other resident's bad behavior/life choices on too many occasions (that is our biggest concern). Low class, dirty, expensive - grown to accept it as tired of thinking the lakes is something its not. As soon as our lease is up we are out of here!!!

Current Resident 859027

Resident • 2014

I recently relocated from Lafayette LA to The Lakes and I couldn't be happier. I was very nervous to move to large city but The Lakes has since settled my worries. Living in an apartment can sometimes be very noisy but I haven't had any issues with any neighbors being loud! The Lakes has a great feel of a community because the office is always trying to do events where the people who live here can interact and meet each other. That has been so great since I was relocating from another city and knew little to no one here in Indianapolis. The maintenance guys have done an excellent job in making sure that the parking lot and sidewalks were cleared any time it snowed! I love that everything I need is so close! There is a Wal-Mart and Kroger within walking distance and there are so many places to eat around the community that you really don't need to travel to far! As for the office staff, the girls in the office have been nothing but nice. They showed me my apartment before I even signed the lease and for me that was huge because other places I have lived didn't let me do that. I would recommend this apartment complex to anyone!

Current Resident 670198

Resident • 2013 - 2014

I've lived in an NTS community when I was in Nashville, TN, and liked the appearance and location of The Lakes when I relocated to Indianapolis. It is right across from Brebeuf Jesuit, and close to many amenities, grocery stores, and restaurants along 86th and Michigan. I really like that it's so close to a Costco, Trader Joe's, and Aldi's, as that's where I do most of my grocery shopping, but there's also Sams Club, Kroger, Walmart, Lowes, and many other stores within 5 minutes of my apartment. Staff were very helpful in directing me to different areas around town, and were very courteous when I moved in. I haven't really had to interact much with them since, as my rent is paid each month via direct deposit, and the only time I've had an issue (a small wasp's nest that developed outside my unit), it was resolved by maintenance within the day. I can't speak to the exercise room or pool (I've not used either) other than to say they exist and are kept clean, as are the rest of the grounds. Parking is mostly open lot, although there are reserved carports and garages available for an extra fee. My only have a couple of criticisms, the first being that while lighting on the streets is ample, lighting on the sidewalk that goes behind the office isn't always well lit, and while I've never had a reason to not feel safe here, I still don't like walking outside at night in dimly lit spaces. The other one, that's hard for any apartment to control, is that a couple of my neighbors are too lazy to pick up after their dogs despite the fact that the apartments provide free cleanup bags at several dispensers throughout the community. I should say that a lot of people here DO own small breed dogs, so if you don't like them, you're gonna get used to seeing them, at the very least. On the whole, I've been really happy with my experience here, and I'd recommend it to any of my friends and family if they're looking for something that's near Carmel or Broad Ripple without being right up in it. I'm probably looking at moving into a house in the next year or so, but as far as apartment living goes, I've enjoyed my time at The Lakes.