River Oaks Apartments of Rochester Hill

Current Resident 227943

Verified Resident • 2015 - 2016

The apartment is nice overall. The grounds are gorgeous, and it is a very safe community. However, I would look elsewhere for an apartment. The increased rent is not worth the quality of the apartment. They also have very particular rules for winter parking. They send emails threatening to tow your car if it is in the wrong place. We are supposed to put our cars under the covered spot. We only get one spot, and if the second car it not under the sport, then it can get towed. However, there is no place to park it.

Nehan

Resident • 2015

The location is wonderful, but the staff is really bad. if they dont like the job, they must surly give opportunity to others who are interested. They are merciless and rude !

Current Resident 183696

Resident • 2014 - 2015

I would not recommend River Oaks to my worst enemy. The walls are paper thin, the appliances are very old, and the staff thinks they are God's gift to the world. I was regretting signing a lease one month into it. The staff make everything seem so perfect at first. Then reality hits and you're stuck in a dump for 11 months with awful staff.

PAULPITTS

Resident • 2012 - 2014

I lived at River Oaks for 2 years. I liked it very much. While a little dated, the apartments are spacious, clean and well-maintained. The heat works great. The grounds are beautiful, especially the trees. I enjoyed seeing deer in the snow from my living room window. There's plenty of parking. The other residents were quiet. The staff was nice and received many packages for me. When I moved, the staff agreed to let a car carrier company pick up my car from the complex (though it turned out I didn't need this). I gave the staff cookies when I left because they were good to me. The complex has good security. There's a security gate at the entrance that works 99% of the time. In addition, having an outside door to your unit is more secure than an inside door (because no one can see if someone is inside the building and trying to break into your unit). Prior to River Oaks, I lived at Regents Park. When the security gate broke at Regents Park, it took 2-3 months for them to fix it. They also left the basement doors unlocked, even after I complained about this. Predictably, we had a break in. So I appreciated the better security at River Oaks and the lower rent ($1170 vs. $1750 at Regents Park). When I left, they were fair with the security deposit. My only complaint about River Oaks was that the appliances were pretty old. Had to have my washing machine fixed a couple of times. In an area where there are few good apartments to rent, River Oaks was a great place to live at a reasonable price.

Current Resident 933894

Resident • 2014

Beware! This place has the rudest staff I have ever encounter in my life! and I have travel all over the world. I chose this apartment complex out of necessity but I could never recommend it to anyone. The staff has always been very rude and it seems that they dislike dealing with people or just do not like working at all. I can not understand how the person who hired the 3 of them can keep them working here after seeing how inept they are. If you have an issue you are better of resolving it yourself as they would not anything about it. The apartments are falling apart and feels like you are living in the '70s and if something breaks, well good luck calling the office, they never answer the phone and if you leave a message, they never call you back or have anyone fix your issue. They only have one guy working there for maintenance and he is very friendly but obviously he can not keep up with the whole community. Also if something breaks they will NEVER install a new one, of course, unless you are one of the 3 bitter monsters in the office, because those get new appliances and new everything all the time. Wintertime, well good luck because you are on your own! They only clean where the staff park and live and that's it! Do not waste your money here!! Rude staff will ruin your time here!

Prospective Resident 976393

Prospect • Visited 2014

Applied for an apartment here. Didn't like the attitude of the staff. The staff sounded very rigid and rude over the phone. Don't mind losing the security deposit. I am not moving here.

Current Resident 930945

Resident • 2013 - 2014

We loved here for a year 2013 to 2014. The pros: beautiful grounds, friendly neighbors, quiet, and the apartment was huge. We had a first floor 2 bed 2 bath. Cons: Maintenence was alright but often we would have to call 2 to 3 times for the same issue before someone competent showed up and didn't half --- the repairs case in point. Our front door was extremely drafty, first they screwed on some "weather strip" on the bottom which didn't help..The second time they said it was fine and finally the third time the guy said the door didn't fit the frame..but it was fixed. Next is the insane cold. The apartment was incredibly drafty. You could feel a strong breeze from the windows and the door wall. Maintenence even warned us it would be cold. So many bugs would get in. We would clean and vacuum almost everyday and nothing would change. Even when they had an exterminator come out it didn't help. Lastly be prepared to not only loose your security deposit but also to pay to replace the carpet. They will take a black light to it when you move out and even though you steam cleaned it and I'm assuming they have it professionally cleaned if there is any hidden stains that show up under black light, "it's not wholesome..I can't in good conscience let someone move in.." even though it's perfectly clean. It was also very expensive, we were paying $1197/month. Yes it's a beautiful and safe but not quite worth thay price tag..The pool is cold and often dirty as is the "warm" tub they have. The landscaping crew is obnoxious they damaged my personal property, promised to replace it, and never returned my calls. Overall it wasn't a bad place to live, but the move out was ridiculous. The insane expectations they force on you is completely unfair and unreasonable. You should take photos on move in and out.

Current Resident 101662

Resident • 2001 - 2014

I have lived at River Oaks for several years. I would recommend it highly for anyone that needs a short term or long term place to reside. Whenever maintenance is needed it is handled professionally and in a timely manner. The apartment is always left cleaner than when they arrived. The pool and fitness center are awesome and always maintained well. The events planned for the residents are always fun and done well....from the wine tastings to the pool party and holiday events. The staff is always there with a smile when needed. I really enjoy it here and would recommend it to friends and family.

robinettelynne

Resident • 2012 - 2014

River Oaks is a very nice place to live; the grounds are well kept and the maintenance crew as well as the front office is very friendly and helpful. They go out of their way to make sure your happy and satisfied. They provide alot of events for the residents and will help in any way they can. In the winter the parking lots and sidewalks are always clean. River Oaks is a beautiful place to live, the grounds are gorgeous and there are alot of places to walk your dog. The apts. are kept up very well and all you have to do is call the front office with a problem and it is taken care of right away. I have enjoyed living here with my golden retriever Bailey and we plan on staying for a long time. I have never heard of a apt. complex offering as much as River Oaks (their extra events ,raffles and just being kind.) The gym is great, the pool is beautiful, the tennis courts and park are always taken care of and clean. River Oaks is a great and safe place to live. Again, the front office and the maintenance staff are so friendly and will do anything they can for you in a timely manner. Lynne Robinette

RalphS

Resident • 2005 - 2012

As a past resident of River Oaks. I must express my total satisfaction with the staff, the condition of the property, the service, affordability, and the value of the rental etc. I would move back anytime, and I continue to recommend River Oaks to my friends and students. Ralph

aradhye

Resident • 2012 - 2014

I would have lived here for ever if I did not have to move due to familial reasons. It's been 2 months and I already miss this place. Over the 2 years that I lived here, I had a chance to test literally EVER aspect of this apartment complex. So let me begin. The management is extremely hardworking and almost impeccable as far as service goes. When I was looking for apartments in Rochester Hills, this was the ONLY place in a 5 mile radius from the university, that accepted online applications, as I was overseas at the time. The office staff went out of their way, to send me all the necessary documents and were unbelievably courteous over the email. Everything got done smoothly but that was only the beginning. Due to extenuating circumstances, when they were unable to offer me the apartment I had previously booked, they offered me a BIGGER apartment for the same exact rate as the old one. This meant about $200 loss for them every month. I was really pleased with the promptness of the whole procedure. The location of this place is very convenient. The neighborhood is THE quietest and safest neighborhood I've seen. All my friends who lived in other apartments around town, thought I lived at a holiday destination. Meijer/Walmart/Post Office,etc are a a couple of miles south, while WholeFoods/Kroger/Bushes, etc are 3 miles north. Downtown is conveniently located straight down Avon on the east, and the university is a mere 13 minutes drive, not to mention the freeway exit down the road. Adams road can be really busy at rush hour, so plan accordingly. Never had a problem with maintenance. Chester was always great with everything. Sometimes I'd send an email for some maintenance work and it'd be done by the time I'd be back in the evening. Did not even have to stop by at the office. Everything done by email with Tracey, Crystal, or Jessica. The upkeep is beautiful.The roads are well-maintained and the parking is well planned. Everything is paved and looks pretty through all the seasons of Michigan, but the fall is especially beautiful. I want to mention the staff one more time. I am still in awe of their work ethic and efficiency. There must be more than 200 apartments in the complex, and they took care of everything amazingly well. The 24hr Gym facility was one of the highlights for me. I am a night owl, and I loved to go to the gym at night. I lost over 20lbs at this gym because it was so convenient. The equipment is in top condition and they do regular revamps. The swimming pool is gorgeous during the summer and is quite empty most of the time. Which brings me to my last couple of points. No apartment is perfect. I had some issues with heating bills because I was in such a big apartment. People have mentioned leaks in the windows etc., but that is easily fixable. The trash area is kind of far for some people, if you live at the end of the complex like I did. But given the positives of this place, it's hard to even notice these small things. Lastly, I see that a lot of people have given negative reviews on this site. Given that everyone I knew here had an amazing experience, the only reasonable explanation I can give is that this site suffers from a selection bias. The only people who care enough to write reviews are the ones who had a bad experience. Those who had a good experience, like myself, tend to move on without mentioning it. Also most people who live here are busy professionals and don't have the time to write reviews. Don't let these silly things deny you this wonderful little place. I encourage you to actually visit this place and talk to people who live here. Thank me late. Aradhye

Current Resident 653687

Resident • 2009 - 2013

Pros: - Grounds are beautiful. - The neighborhood is diverse and most neighbors are friendly. - Perfect location in Rochester Hills. - Staff are friendly. Cons: - The insulation is terrible. The front-facing bedroom is extremely cold or extremely hot depending on the season. - Insulation issue cont. - I can hear everything, from private conversations and intimate moments next door. Ugh. - Patio door is dated and extremely drafty (think blinds moving whenever the wind blows). Expect your living room temperature to be drastically different than other rooms. - Appliances are old in some units. Flintstones garage sale, pre Digital Era old appliances. - The apartment itself is dated - Fixtures, appliances, flooring, windows, bathrooms. All outdated materials and fixtures. - I mentioned old windows, that's a big problem for anyone wanting to reduce energy consumption. Not possible in these apartments. - The AC never worked properly. Maintenance will do a quick fix and you'll be ok for a few months. Expect to have your AC recharged or fixed every summer. I thought this was due to the poor insulation. When your AC is on the lowest temp. setting and it feels like a fan... HA! Literally, not cool. - Rent goes up every year. It has gone up $100 since I moved in. In a nutshell the apartment isn't worth the price tag. I would have stayed if the owners cared more about making updates to these apartments. I loved Rochester Hills and my neighborhood but was unhappy living in this apartment. Having to worry about how cold or how hot I will be and how high my bills would be from month to month was stressful.

Current Resident 524527

Resident • 2009 - 2013

Rather than rate the apartment complex, here are some wise thoughts management should take to heart. Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar No one can make you serve customers well.....that's because great service is a choice. Harvey Mackay, tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point. He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey. He handed my friend a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.' Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said: Wally's Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment. This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean! As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.' My friend said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.' Wally smiled and said, 'No problem I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice..' Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke.' Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.' As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card, These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.' And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts. 'Tell me, Wally,' my amazed friend asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?' Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day. He had just written a book called You'll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd..' 'That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally. 'Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.' 'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said. 'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.' Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting. Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles. How about us? Smile, and the whole world smiles with you... The ball is in our hands! A man reaps what he sows. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up... Let us do good to all people. MANAGEMENT : BE HONEST,CARING,FAIR & SHOW THAT YOU WANT TO WORK WITH YOUR TENANTS. TAKE SERIOUSLY THEIR CONCERNS RATHER DISMISS THEM OUT OF HAND. Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar. Have a nice day, unless you already have other plans. SORROW looks back, WORRY looks around, and FAITH looks UP... "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain." And while in the storm, give it to God and let him handle it.

Current Resident 786056

Resident • 2011 - 2012

The grounds of these apartments look good but don't let it fool you! The apartment is in TERRIBLE condition, the windows are old and let in more air than I have ever seen. Even maintenance admitted that the windows are awful. We paid tons of money for heat because of the condition of the windows. We had to put up the plastic covers and the wind was so bad that it was completely bubbled into the apartment from the wind. We had bugs in our apartment because there was a gap between the wall and the floor that basically made our apartment a tent, and more air came in through there as well. It was so bad that it was actually WET when it rained. Maintenance tried to re-stretch the carpet but it didn't help and then they were told there was nothing more they could do. Then there was a leak in the wall and I had to have men in my apartment for 3 days straight, running huge economy fans on my bill, and I had to leave my apartment while they were there. The women who run the office are impossible to deal with and RUDE RUDE RUDE. Proceed with caution!!

brokenfoot

Resident • 2010 - 2011

Not the only one with problems

I lived there for over a year and had the same issues as a previous poster with move-out expenses. I had to replace the entire carpet as there were allegedly urine stains throughout the apartment. We ended up mediation to get some of the charges resolved. Tracey was quite rude on the phone when initially trying to resolve the issue, hence going to court. I was initially shown two pages of pictures of damage, denied copies of pictures, then in mediation, magically, more pages of damages appeared. Very poor insulation. We had to get a space heater to keep my daughter's room adequately heated. We even briefly had a neighbor who moved out in about a week because it was entirely too cold to have a baby in the front bedroom. Be very, very careful if living there. It's an average place at best, but possible trouble with management puts the place at below average to failing.

mic10104

Resident • 2010 - 2011

Fraud

River Oaks will make up anything to not only keep your security deposit but also charge you more. I was charged over $1900 to replace the carpet and replace the laundry room door. Management claimed that the carpet was covered in urine stains from my girlfriends dogs. My girlfriend lived out of town and visited an average of one weekend per month. The dogs were never left alone for more than a few hours, were taken outside on a regular basis, and they were potty trained. When I told management that the dogs were only there one weekend per month and that I took a video of the apartment when I left, they said they performed a "black light" test to determine that the carpet was covered in urine. I asked for pictures numerous times and never received any. Management also claimed that the bottom of the laundry room door was damaged from the dogs. IF there was even damage to the laundry room door, it was caused by flooding of the laundry room, which was caused by the person above me pipes bursting. Management was aware of this and fixed the problem. It is time to put a stop to River Oaks fraudulent activities. Do not fall into managements scare tactics. If they keep your security deposit, dispute it within seven days and management must take you to court and prove their claims or return your money. Two sites that I found useful for writing the dispute letter are: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Management will then send you to collections. Unless they can prove that you damaged something, the collections agency will not be able to do anything. If you receive a letter from the collections agency, dispute the charges within 30 days. Use this website to help you dispute the charges. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Most important, to prevent Management (AKA ---------------) from performing fraudulent activities in the future send a complaint to the Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau. Use the following sites to file the complaints. http://---------------------,4534,7-164-17331---,00.html -------------------------------------------------------------------- Please email me with any questions or if you need help with your case. Thanks, Michael

Current Resident 904551

Resident • 2011

Relaxing in Rochester

My wife & I recently signed a 2nd 12 month lease at River Oaks. Over the past year we have found both the management staff to be professional & efficient and the maintanance crew to be capable and responsive I leave for work prior to 5:30 every morning and even though Mother Nature dropped an immeasurable amount of snow & ice onto Oakland County this past Winter,my path to Butler was cleared EVERY morning.I attribute this to a iron-clad relationship between Management & the snow removal company. The resurfacing around the pool typifies Managements effort not to patch a problem but professionally address a situation that needed attention. The pool area is beauitful Because of how well River Oaks is maintained,my wife and I have never looked back and regretted our decision to sell a beautiful Home and attempt apartment living Thanks TDJ

Current Resident 916858

Resident • 2010 - 2011

Very Impressed Tenants

We've lived in River Oaks for over one year and we have an overwhelming satisfaction of how the property is managed & maintained.The management and maintenance are both responsive and dedicated to maintaning a property at a high level of efficiency. We are constantly being impressed by the efforts to beautify the grounds and provide a safe place to live. We love living here!

leo730

Resident • 2011

Very Poor Insulation

Just moved here this past weekend. Let me tell you, these apartments look real good especially with the accented wall we chose. However, after our first night in the apartment, we were very disappointed. The entire house is cold! The windows and patio doors let in a ton of air. We called the office and maintenance and they did nothing about it. I was told by both the office and maintenance guy to buy those plastic window covers to seal off the incoming air. As ridiculous as that was, I went out and got them. Spent a couple hours putting up the plastic and blow drying them to shrink and seal. Let me tell you, these windows were letting in huge amounts of air because after I put up the plastic, it was ballooning up from all the air. Well, now our rooms have less incoming air, but the cold has not went away. This leads me to believe the apartment is very poorly insulated. My wife and I have a 6mo son and last night, we touched his arms and they were cold! Now we have to make him sleep in long sleeves and another shirt over that. I'm very angry about all of this. We decided to live in an apartment rather than a house because we barely have time to do anything let alone upkeep a house. Now we find ourselves doing the same type of maintenance that we would do in a house. I will be having a discussion with the management today. If they can't come up with a solution, I will be knocking on each door and asking people to sign a petition regarding the insulation. If any of you reading this are a current tenant, please reply and let me know if you are experiencing the same cold living space during the winter. By the way, I have my heater on at 75 minimum 24/7 and it's still cold. I can't imagine what my bill is going to be like. Oh, and the heating vents are all on the ceiling or high up on the walls. HEAT RISES! They should be on the floors. This part was a stupid oversight by me and had I remembered to consider that, I just might have avoided this so-called "luxury" apartment. Totally unacceptable River Oaks. Your prices hover just under/over $1k. There's absolutely no excuse for the lack of properly insulated windows, doors, and walls. You can give me a year's worth of free rent and I still wouldn't recommend this place. Severely disappointed.

Current Resident 886786

Resident • 2007 - 2008

cold inside the apartment during winter, Good place- out the apartments.

The front room was not ventilated well. The front room of the first floor home gets very cold. the materials used in the housing seems to be cheap, so the insualtion is poor. The patio doors and windows could not hold the cold weather outside. i could see them leak cold air. We just could not sleep in the front room of the apartment. My friends complained the same. so i had to forget using one room in the winter because of poor insulation on the walls and the furnace could nto heat up the room.Consider only top floor homes in this apartment for heating comfort in winter. If you want to heat the full home well, the only way would be to increase the thermostat to 75 ( and keep heating continously) and waste a lot of energy.

Current Resident 293023

Resident • 2008 - 2010

No Way!

Price discrimination is rampant. Maintenance is poor.....my washer dances across the floor after numerous requests to fix. The furnace filters haven't been changed in over a year. Good luck if you move in here.

Current Resident 565637

Resident • 2008 - 2010

A very nice place to live

We've lived at River Oaks for almost two years and I've found it to be a very nice place to be. The grounds are beautiful and the amenities, especially pool and tennis courts, are great. I will agree that the sound-barriers are not good and there's a serious draft in the winter on the back wall of the apartment. If you're looking for a diverse community that's safe, convenient and well maintained, this is a great place to live.

mblancad

Resident • 2007 - 2009

Un professional staff

I lived in River Oaks for 2 years and despite the fact that the you can listen to the neighbors clearly, it was ok, not outstanding but acceptable. Nevertheless, there are better complexes for the same or lower price. What really messes things up is the staff that runs the community, specifically ------ -------- and ------- -----. They not only are rude to customers every time they are contacted, but were super unprofessional in the evaluation of our move out expenses. Please, to all those that intend to rent here, make sure you tape and take pictures when you move in and do the same when you move out or you will have to pay unreasonable charges.

Current Resident 864072

Resident • 2005 - 2010

Picturesque Grounds, Great Price!

Priced much lower than ALL comparable complexes in this area - with twice the amemities! This is not a new complex and still utility bills are surprisingly low. Beautiful nature setting, and well kept grounds. All of our neighbors are working professionals. Repair issues have been minimal and addressed and corrected fast. Full size washer and dryer in the apartment. We are very happy here and would definitely recommend this complex.

jackavery

Resident • 2006 - 2009

Check your neighbors first!

We've lived here for over 3 years and things seem to get worse each year. Living on the first floor you hear EVERYTHING from your upstairs neighbors, especially when they are rude and like to stomp constantly. I've never had to call maintenance so much at a place as I have here. The windows leak, so much that black mold started to grow in one. You can feel the cold air through the floor around the walls in the winter, great heat bill. There are ALOT of children in the complex who have parents who do not watch them. There are children from about 2 years old and up wandering in the parking lot all hours of the day and night. Complaints do not do a thing. They will play on their bikes and with balls all around your car, not caring that they hit it. I was also just in an accident leaving the complex by a visitor who was in the WRONG lane and turend too soon into the apartment while I was stopped at the stop sign. The gates are a joke. At least once a week I see them either broke or stuck up. Whats the point? I know so many people having their bikes and motorcycles stolen here. The pool is nice and great location but thats about it. Cant wait till our lease is up to leave this place!!! I've heard complaints about the staff, I honesty havent had to deal too much with them so cant agree or disagree there.