Tamarlane Apartment Homes

Current Resident 868156

Resident • 2010

---- is Awesome!

I m writing this review to give a special thanks to ----, an office manager at the Tamarlane complex office. Since meeting ----, she has been nothing but a ray of light for my partner and I who moved into a two-bedroom apartment at Tamarlane in May of 2009. Moving in and signing the lease was as easy as pie, so whatever you do don t be scared away by the Mixed bag Review and their legalistic description of signing the lease at Tamarlane. In fact during the lease signing, ---- thoroughly went through each part of the lease and gave accurate information regarding each section, and since then there have been no surprises, contrary to Mixed bag s Review . The same can be said with re-signing our lease this past May, and how helpful and considerate ---- was. Each time we see her she always makes sure to remind us of promotions at the local management office we are unaware of that includes gift cards or free food. Most recently ---- went out of her way to waive a late fee on our rent. I had contacted her and other management multiple times before the beginning of the month to let them know our rent would be late because of a delay in funds concerning student loans. For a day or so after paying our balance it looked like we were still going to be slapped with a late fee, despite always paying our rent on time. I had even tried contacting another Tamarlane office staff to get an explanation of how unfair this seemed. A day later I heard back from ---- who informed me the fee would be waived. I have nothing but good to mention about ---- and what she does for Tamarlane, and for those of you reading, most people pick up their dog s feces around here contrary to Mixed bag s review. Lastly I would suggest to Tamarlane and their corporate staff to change their attitudes when communicating with Tenants. I didn t enjoy reading what Mixed bag had to say about this and how unprofessional you can be. I hope that I never have to put up with that garbage. If it weren t for tenants you people would not have a job, your are no less or better than tenants. Also, don t slap late fees on tenants who pay their rent on time, its bad business, stingy, and down right unfair. Your company makes enough money as it is!

Current Resident 137207

Resident • 2010

A Mixed Bag at Tamarlane

1. Dog poop! If you like dog poop Tamarlane is your place. On the plus side they are very dog friendly. On the negative side, tenants too often do not clean up after their pets, creating a health hazard for other dogs, children, and other tenants. Management seems not to care and has done nothing to enforce the "clean up after your dog" rule. 2. Local management is generally very friendly. The maintenance staff is very prompt and do a good job. Response to tenant communications is often slow or non-existent. 3. Very well maintained property. There's always some kind of maintenance taking place here. It looks nice and the management gets high marks for taking care of the grounds and community property. 4. Quiet! I have been amazed at how quiet this place is, especially given the large number of students and young people who live here. I think it is a credit to the screening process for new tenants and to the tenants themselves. Your neighbors might not become your best friends, but you won't hate or resent them, either! 5. Bring an attorney when you sign your lease. The lease is longer than most mortgage documents. There's plenty of small type and it often is not clear what you are signing. The number of added fees is incredible and not clearly explained when you sign on the dotted line. Only afterwards do you find out what your real costs are. Why management cannot just provide a one-page summary of all charges suggests that they are trying to hide something. 6. Corporate management treats tenants like children or convicts. I have yet to receive correspondence from Residential Resource like it did not come directly from some corporate lawyer's desk. The communications are often condescending and rude. Case in point: there's a new rule that tenants have to provide management with proof of car registration and insurance in order to get a Tamerlane sticker. There's probably a good reason for this, but in its notice to paying tenants, there was no explanation whatsoever. Here's the new rule, do it, slaves! 7. Get late in your rent and expect to have a scarlet latter hung on your front door. I always know when my neighbor is late with her rent. Management puts a special "notice" on the front door where everyone can see it. It is pretty clear that their strategy is to humiliate tenants who are late. Not only is it rude, this is also a violation of privacy rights. It also seems to run contrary to their stated goal of treating tenants like good neighbors. With email and snail-mail, what is the excuse for this barbaric tactic? 8. The staff has been offering tenants special incentives to write and say nice things about them on this web site. Please read such positive reviews with caution! I think I have said enough. Bottom line is that Tamarlane is a nice place to live, probably overpriced considering all the added fees. Local staff is friendly and want to do the right thing but are often led into nasty communications with tenants due to a tone-deaf corporate management. The dog-poop is a problem that no one seems to care about. Would I rent here again? Probably, but the bloom is off the rose so-to-speak to I have more reasonable expectations about what to expect (or not expect).

mizmanda711

Resident • 2010

Great place to live!

Tamarlane apartments are newly remodeled....very peaceful...wonderful grounds and the POOL is amazing! I live here a year and half and I am very sad to be moving out actually :( I might be back who knows!!

Current Resident 563928

Resident • 2008 - 2010

The Best Ever...

The place is well kept and has great amentities. ---- in the office is very helpful. Everyone should live here.

Current Resident 822658

Resident • 2009 - 2010

Tamarlane

I have lived at Tamarlane for almost a year. The community is safe and clean and the grounds are immaculate. Plowing/shoveling is always completed in a timely manner as are any requested repairs from the on-site maintenance team. All of my requests have been met with no questions asked. The unit itself is simple and basic with a very efficient and low cost heating system. The staff is very friendly and accommodating and always make Tamarlane feel like a community. There is plenty of parking and when I have friends over there are always spots available. The grounds are pet friendly complete with a well-kept dog park and waste disposal bags. The pool is great and a new gym just opened! I highly recommend living here if you are looking for a safe, clean, and affordable apartment complex.

Current Resident 550201

Resident • 2007 - 2010

life at Tamarlane

I have been here for a few years and am very plesed with the changes that have been going on around me. The grounds are well taken care of. There are a few problems at snow removeal time but we all seem to get through it. The in ground pool was changed over to saltwater, a fitness center was add, and many apartments have been update. There was new pool furniture bought last summer along with a new gas grill for the residents to use by the pool. I have told many of my friends to check this place out. Some have moved here. I think I will be here for a few more years.

TamarlaneDavid

Resident • 2009

Tamarlane-the future looks "Rosey"

Having moved to the state recently, Tamarlane was the second place we looked at, the first should've been condemned (seriously) it was that bad. Tamarlane is a palace in comparison. Tamarlane's rent was actually better value than 'Place A' and that's before they put in a dog run, gymnasium, and all the other great upgrades that have been spoken of and i can see in progress from my window. Maintenance on the property itself is carried out on a regular basis and done well and the the place looks more beautiful as Spring arrives. Flowers already in bloom. Any household maintenance issues have been worked around my schedule and carried out to a very high standard in a professional and timely manner. There is also 24hr on call maintenance (never had to use them) nice to know they care about their residents, many apartment complexes i have lived in just want the rent check. My only complaint is the snow removal, this has been reported to Rose at the management office and i understand it will be dealt with in time for next winter. Talking of Rose, she is the major reason we moved here, nothing is too much trouble for her, calls are answered professionally (or returned promptly) she is understanding, cares about 'her' residents and is willing to go the extra mile both for us and the complex as a whole. I would happily recommend Tamarlane AND Rose herself to friends and colleagues in the future, tbh pretty soon there is going to be a waiting list to move in!!!! EDIT TO ADD Just read through the other reviews and would like to add the following re the dog mess issue (if there is actually one). I have personally asked for an extra doggy waste bin/ bag supply station and the complex were happy to comply aside from the trash dumpsters already here that residents can also use. There are other people (non residents) who walk their dogs through the complex and i would hazard a guess that any dog mess issues are theirs and therefore the complex would not be at fault. I also carry extra bags when i walk my dogs and would be happy to give them to anyone who found themselves without.

Current Resident 222696

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Tamarlane is ok...

Lived here for almost a year. they arent luxury apartments, but they aren't horrible either. most pet owners don't clean up after their dogs, I've stepped in it while walking my own....it's frustrating. People don't know where to park and the management doesnt seem to care. snow plowing was an issue this year. it's typical apartment living. the carpet is cheap the doors don't close or fall of the tracks. but maintenance comes to fix things quickly and efficiently. despite my neighbor yelling and cursing with his windows open, or blasting his tv or computer at 5am or the lady that owns the annoying dog that constantly barks. I've met people that have moved because of that dog. The complex is ok. there is a nice pool/tennis court/basketball court. it would be nice if management showed concern when calling to complain. the complaints are to make the complex better, to make it more livable. the price is a little high, could probably find a larger place for the same price. but Tamarlane does allow dogs so, for now it will do...

tparker7777

Resident • 2008

Response to Wolfe in Sheeps Clothing

Thank you for your response regarding the snow removal at Tamarlane. We will look for better ways to handle the extreme snow in the future. Management

Current Resident 713242

Resident • 2009

In between until we purchased our home

i stayed at tamarlane while i was building my new house. they had a short term lease which helped us out. the property wwas nice. we enjoyed our neighbors.

Current Resident 385076

Resident • 2009

Being a Resident at Tamarlane

I have only lived here for a few months however have had a great experience. As far as the Portland area goes, I certainly find this particular neighborhood both community based, clean and friendly!

Current Resident 312420

Resident • 2007 - 2008

Wolf in sheep's clothing

Tamarlane is a beautiful apartment complex with friendly neighbors, however the management is very tight around your throat. Snow removal consists of a plow wildly beeping at 10 at night, expecting you to rouse yourself out of bed so that he may plow even though it's been snowing all day. the next morning you find that there is a foot of snow on the ground and it is impossible to get out to the parking lot as well as your neighbor has no parking space now due to snow being piled over it. There has been a mailer distributed about several breakins to cars on the property as well. I also still have a laundry list of things that need to be fixed in my apartment.

Current Resident 478675

Resident • 2008

One of the best places in Portland

I have lived at Tamarlane for 6 months, and I love the place. It is so convienient being so close to everything in the city, but the area is so quiet. It is surrounded by trees on all sides, and the whole compound is just so quiet. It's nice to find a place where you live in the middle of a busy city, yet you can sit on your back patio and read a book with nothing but the sounds of birds (and the occasional ice cream truck). I wholly recommend Tamarlane to anyone who is looking for a place to start out but isn't quite willing to buy a home yet.

Current Resident 837823

Resident • 2007

NEVER RENT FROM HERE!!!

Renting from Tamarlane is one of the worst things I have ever done. Don't do it. First of all they charge way too much for what you get. The management is rude (when you can get a hold of them). They also try and control every move you make which is unlike the other Maine apartment complexes owned by Equity apartments. The management is very unprofessional and if you do rent from here- keep track and keep proof of every cent you have given them. They are not really pet friendly. Also read your lease very well and understand every part because they don't really like to follow what's in it. Again it's the worst thing I have ever done and you would really save yourself some trouble and just find somewhere else to go, even if it is a different complex owned by equity- I know people who live in two other complexes owned by equity and it is not half as bad there as it is here. And the apartments are redone for the tenant but it looks horrible like it is rushed and 90% of what is in here is either falling apart or doesn't work.

Current Resident 195853

Resident • 2006

More Rave Reviews

Read the Yarmouth Woods review entitled <br>The Saga continues, even after I moved out.<br><br>Note the final paragraph describing how the local military community feels about YW specifically and Equity in general.

Current Resident 474392

Resident • 2000 - 2006

To Educate and Elucidate

Now that I have completely severed all ties with Tamarlane, I feel that I can and should speak candidly about some of the problems at this apartment complex. This is meant to educate prospective tenants if and when they decide to rent or not to rent at Tamarlane. I will try to be critical, fair and open-minded. I will try to provide examples of what I experienced over the 5 years that I lived at Tamarlane.<br><br>• It is very difficult to reach the management or front office. One had better get used to leaving a message on the machine and hope that they “get back to you.” Office hours are posted or stated on the phone voice message but oftentimes nobody is in the office for the days they say they will be. The phone voice message is rarely updated, often outdated and if the manager is not in for the day (e.g. due to sickness), there is no way to know that. If you want something done, try calling Foxcroft (one of the other Equity properties located in not-so- nearby Scarborough ME).<br><br>• The vast majority of the tenants are respectful, courteous and mindful of their fellow tenant’s rights. But in my opinion, there has been a decline in the character and quality of some of the newer tenants living in the complex. It seems that over the last 1-2 years, there have been more and more of these inconsiderates moving into the complex and making life less enjoyable for others. I have noticed an increased frequency of garbage heedlessly discarded on the property, police visits, vehicles being driven on the grass, revving of 4x4 diesel pickups, noise, and other activities that erode the “quality of life” for the other law abiding residents.<br><br>• A November 2005 article in the Portland Press Herald reported that Equity, parent owner of Tamarlane, was considering selling this and its 4 other Portland area properties. I believe that this has created decline in worker morale at Tamarlane and a “wait and see” attitude from Equity when it comes to doing anything with improving the complex. That same article also quoted “we don’t foresee rents increasing for the upcoming year…we are not budgeting rent increases”. I’ll believe it when I see it.<br><br>• In my opinion, there has been a general decline in the North Deering neighborhood area around Canco Road and Washington Streets.<br><br>• My rental unit had leaky / non air-tight windows that rarely closed properly. I brought this to the attention of maintenance about 3 years ago. They told me that “they don’t manufacture those windows anymore” and left it at that. Better head on over to Home Depot and invest in weatherproofing materials (the 3M window plastic seemed to work well). Remember, all tenants are contractually liable for mold growth (the Mold Addendum) that results from excess moisture and condensation that forms as a result of defective windows. <br><br>• Dangerously icy locations around the complex. If you ever discarded your trash at the dumpster located off the parking lot for units 9-21 you know what I mean. That ice rink is a lawsuit waiting to happen. It turns into a river in the spring.<br><br>• The foot-thick ice sheet that forms at the entrance to the complex making the turn into Tamarlane downright treacherous. If you slow down to less than 5 mph and swing it to the inside (close to the granite Tamarlane slab) you should be OK. Nothing is ever done about this. In the spring the problem melts away. Then all you have to deal with is the deplorable condition of Canco Road. <br><br>• Don’t be fooled by the new coat of paint, swimming pool, tennis courts, new privacy fences, fresh landscaping, guard shack, new patio slabs for they are merely cosmetic. Any complex that uses the word “Luxury” in its title should be viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism. It would be nice if they spent some money on other things that would truly add value to the units such as weatherproofing, windows, closet doors that don’t fall off, newer appliances.<br><br>These are just a few of the things that I observed and personally experienced while living at Tamarlane. <br><br>I sense that the situation there will continue to deteriorate, a gradual yet steady decline in the overall quality of life at the complex. The decision to live there is up to you. If you decide to rent, print this off for future reference.<br><br><br>

jughead1975

Resident • 2004

Important to Read!!!!!

Equity Residential Properties Management Corp manages this property. They have 5 properties in the Portland, ME area. You should review the Ratings and Reviews at the other locations to get a feel for the company. The company is a national company and owns many more properties as well, but here are the other Maine locations so that you can consider other tenants opinion’s at their additional locations. In Yarmouth Maine there is The Junipers at Yarmouth and Yarmouth Woods. In Scarborough they have Coach Lantern and Foxcroft. In Portland they Have Tamarlane. I would encourage you to research all the feedback they have received at all these locations.