River Oaks Apartments of Rochester Hill

rentsinOC

Resident • 2009

not a good choice for most people

while some of the apartments have amazing picturesque views, and some of the amenities (tennis, pool, volleyball) are nice, these apartments are way over-priced and now heavily dated. about 40% higher price for comparable space in the same area. carpet, cabinets, fixtures all dated. issues with maintenance were seldom resolved to satisfaction. carpet was in very bad shape on move-in, water damage around windows and doors, cabinets in both bathrooms were falling apart. perhaps the worst part - the staff. the stick is so far up there it isn't funny. they fit the bill, however - pretentious, rich looking people who lack any real substance or capacity to help and leave you regretting the fact that they lured you in with a vista view and a nice swimming pool. after reading the other reviews, i forgot to mention - and this is a real irony considering it is a gated community - our car was broken into about 2 months after we moved into the place. lost a GPS unit and some miscellaneous junk in the glove box. we ended up meeting another resident we had went to school with years back, he said he had a similar issue when an expensive bike he had locked up in his parking area was stolen. as mentioned in a previous post, those gates are randomly open all the time - the week we were moving out they were open for 8 consecutive days because a moving truck had damaged the entry system. gates were regularly down for 24 hour periods after being blown through by cars and moving vans. just an FYI in-case you were buying into the gated community thing. also as mentioned, the roads and parking areas are a nightmare in winter, as are the ominous emails warning you to move your car (where to, i am not sure) when it snows - because the plow guy will be there sometime between 2 and 48 hours after the snowfall...

Current Resident 236403

Resident • 2009

Very nice and affordable

Very Classy, clean, and quiet! We are happy so far. It's a great price for a nice apartment and beautiful grounds. Gym, pool, hot tub, sauna, tennis courts, sand volley ball court, and play ground. The couple of maintenance needs we had were repaired the same day we called it in. Only negative aspect: some of the office staff are snooty. Overall, we will gladly renew our lease here.

Current Resident 152794

Resident • 2009

Good price, beautiful grounds --- Some pros and cons

Poor insulation. Utility bills are pretty high and you can hear all of your neighbors conversations! The entrance and near the garbage area could use more salt when it snows, because it's on a slope and gets extremely icy and dangerous. I've seen cars get stuck and slide into things. Oh, and I've seen cars slide out of their parking spaces! On a more positive note, they do an excellent job shoveling off the sidewalks! And, when they get to the parking lots, they'll have everyone move their cars to plow the area thoroughly. We moved in this year and pay 830.00 a mo. for a 2 bedroom 2 bath plus 15.00 a month for our pet. The grounds are beautiful, and it's quiet so far .

Current Resident 757261

Resident • 2008 - 2009

NEVER again

I could barely wait until the end of lease to get out. Where do I start? The air conditioning unit was faulty, asked to have it fixed. It never got fixed and now we've got a bill got an astronomical bill from DTE because our faulty air conditioner was running on full blast all the time. Repairs (and you'll need a lot because these buildings are older than sin) rarely get fixed the first time you ask. The ceilings leaking and water damage are constant. The management is completely rude and acts like you're personally attacking them when you ask even in the most kindest of ways for something to be repaired. I'm not unreasonable, but when I pay $1,500 for a three bedroom townhouse a month- I expect to be treated with respect. Not to mention, all the people in my unit, we had our cars broken into and management did NOTHING. My neighbors had their GPS stolen and I had my hub caps off my car stolen. Another neighbor had her car window smashed in in attempt to have her GPS stolen. The cameras and "attended" gatehouse are a bunch of garbage!

MovedOut567

Resident • 2006 - 2008

Never again!

The very short version: Horrible! While the grounds and location are attractive, the apartments themselves are outdated, noisy, poorly designed and, in the winter, sometimes dangerous. A previous reviewer noted the slippery conditions in the entry drive area. This is true and those conditions extend throughout the entire property. Speaking of the entry drive, the gates are open a couple days a week. People simply driving through the gates and breaking them usually causes this. In other words, although, by definition, River Oaks is a "gated community", in reality, anyone can enter the property at any time without any hindrance whatsoever. Parking can be an experience also. You'd think your covered carport would be in front of your door, right? Wrong. In my case, it was down a hill and approx. 50 yards from my front door. Did I mention something about the slippery conditions in the winter? Or, how about the summer when you're supposed to emulate a salmon running up a river during even the slightest of rains. Now, do this with groceries in your hands. You may want to load your car with your own salt because they won't get around to it until the snow stops (same applies to the sidewalks). A liability suit just waiting to happen. The appliances are probably as old as I am, are rusty, noisy (a common theme in this complex) and are about as inefficient as an appliance could be. Complaining about them falls on deaf ears. If you're willing to take the chance on moving into this complex, make sure to demand new appliances (not that the management will give a rat's behind about your wishes). Now, having referenced the management, this is the absolute root of the property's problem. Terrible. Just in case you have any needs or complaints, no need to speak to anyone other than the manager because everyone else will simply refer you to her anyway. Basically, there is one manager and the rest are nothing more than potted plants. Incompetent, at best...and the manager will always take their word over yours, no matter what. For example, I moved out at the end of March (2008). Sometime in mid-December, I went into the apartment office to notify them I'd be moving out and asked what I would need to do to make it official. Put it in writing, 60-day notice. Fine. No problem. In January, I, again, made it known I was leaving and indicated it would be at the end of March (didn't have that timeframe until then). Please note: I was already living in another state at the time and otherwise traveled all over the world on business. One would figure they'd be able to take care of this "written" notice while I was in the office, actually speaking to them about it, right? Wrong. "You'll need to speak with the manager", is the standard response...oh, and she isn't available on weekends. In February, again, I asked, what exactly do I need to do (i.e. outgoing inspection, cleaning, etc.). This time, I was handed a standard form used for official declaration of intent to vacate. Why was this not given to me in December or January? Because the people who work there are nothing more than cheeks in a chair. Don't bother explaining any of this to "the manager". She couldn't care less. Instead, she'll charge you an extra month's rent as a penalty. They also charge you 2 months rent to break a lease ahead of schedule. I have no issue with that and that's probably standard elsewhere...an expected consequence. Of course, they won't tell you if new tenants move into the vacated apartment within that two-month period. In other words, they receive rent on the same apartment twice. In my case, a new tenant moved in at the end of April...not a peep from River Oaks. Instead, they sent a collection agency after me to recover that less-than-60-day-notice penalty (something I refused to pay). The way I see it, River Oaks owes ME one month's rent...plus my security deposit. If you still insist on taking the plunge into the depths of River Oaks, do not, and I can not stress this strongly enough, DO NOT rent an apartment that is not on the top floor. You will hear every footstep, every washer/dryer/dishwasher and every flush of the toilet above you. It is very loud. Headlights and loud stereos of cars parking in front of your bedroom in the middle of the night ll also wake you. A real joy. Anyway, in case you're still reading this drawn-out review, be most wary of these apartments. If you have an alternative location in mind, go with a place that is more up-to-date in appliances and construction. Also, keep in mind, a sales brochure with pretty pictures is nothing more than that. Alright, enough of this soap box. I've been wanting to get this off my chest for a while now. Just as FYI, I will copy/paste this same review to WM Properties (the company that owns River Oaks).

markitect

Resident • 2007 - 2009

Not Luxury Apartments

The only thing remotely nice about these apartments is the woods they were put in. The staff are rude, do not listen to residents. The buildings were poorly made with no sound barrier of any kind between units. They don't notify you ahead of time when they are going to perform routine work on the buildings. I cannot wait to leave this overpriced dump.

Current Resident 292921

Resident • 2006 - 2008

Some good, some bad

I lived at River Oaks for two years and I have some good and bad reviews of the place. Pluses: - I had maintenance issues twice in my two years there. The first time, the A/C broke during the hottest week of the year and they fixed it within 48 hours. It was one really horrible night, but it wasn't a big deal to me. The next time, I was just settled in after the Giants opening score during Super Bowl XLII when I hear a splash from the kitchen. The garbage disposal had split in half and the opening neck part, and the dishwashed was dumping its wastewater into the cabinet under the sink. I called the emergency maintenance guy and he fixed it promptly. No complaints. - The grounds are gorgeous. Better than any other standard apartment complex you'll find in SE Michigan. Minuses: - They have one trash compactor area and taking my garbage there was a pain. I was actually in one of the closer buildings too. - The appliances are old. My laundry loads typically took 2 spins through the drier. - The place is horrendous during the winter. It had lots of hills and cars can't get to their spots. To top it, they send out threatening emails saying that everybody needs to park in their own spot during storms or they'll get towed to make room for the snow removal. I was trying to help an older gentlemen get his car up the hill once and I had to actually convince him to park where he was and walk, but he was too afraid of getting towed. - Another winter issue: When the snow melts, the water runoff freezes and makes things very icy. I parked in my covered spot one night and when I came out in the morning, my car had actually slid out from the covered spot. Luckily I had an end spot and didn't damage my car or anyone elses cars. - The fitness room is pretty pathetic, but this is true of most apartment complexes. - I received two noise complaints during my time at River Oaks. This is the only time in my 5 years of renting that anyone neighbor has ever had an issue me. After the first complaint, I called and left a message with the front office and they didn't bother to call me back. It was the week before thanksgiving and I completely forgot about it and didn't follow up. Then in January I went skiing in Colorado for a week. When I returned I got a letter (dated the day I returned to Michigan) saying that my loud bass in recent days had been disturbing my neighbors. I tried to talk to the office about it in person, but they refused to discuss it with me, and they cited my first noise violation as proof that I was the problem. I don't think River Oaks is a bad place. My real reason for leaving wasn't the complex or the management, but just that I wanted something a little less cookie-cutter and suburban. However I do think that they are terrible at dealing with real tenant issues. I tried to talk to them about their threatening "winter parking" emails once and I was basically blown off. When I talked to them about the noise complaints I wasn't given any information and basically told to stop doing it. (For the record, the walls are paper thin and I could regularly hear my neighbors TVs and stereos, but it didn't bother me). I was always civil with them, but their concept of tenant relations comes down to sending threatening letters and ignoring any requests to actually discuss the issue. Also, for the record, I received my full security deposit back from River Oaks, so this isn't a bitter attempt to get back at them.

Current Resident 610452

Resident • 2007 - 2008

Good Choice

We moved in from overseas and I let my husband pick the location. It was a very good choice and several other of my husbands colleagues have moved here too. I have had few problems but they were handled very promtly. I would recommend living here.

Prospective Resident 191543

Prospect • Visited 2007 - 2008

Company put me up here...

I had a 1 bedroom 1 bath apartment that my company owns and put me in for 3 months while I was relocating to the area. It is VERY close to the freeways and is in the heart of Rochester Hills. I enjoyed my apartment as it did it's job. When I was looking at apts for myself to rent I was turned off by how much the 1 bed 1 bath apt cost... For that price I went to Washington Township and got a much better deal... But I did enjoy River Oaks!

Current Resident 17259

Resident • 2006 - 2007

Beware of ice

Notice the beautiful small hill you roll down as you enter the gate. During the winter this becomes a death trap. We had one incident where there was so much ice that 4 cars were stuck trying to get into the complex (the main gate was broken). The visitor gate was unusable because a car slipped on the ice and took out the call box. I couldn't even get my car up the hill and I missed an important appointment that evening.

Current Resident 566453

Resident • 2006 - 2008

not a bad apartment, great area

we've lived here for two years and have very little complaints. maintenance seems to be very good for us when we've had to call. the buildings are getting old so minor emergencies have happened; ceiling flooding from upstairs water heater and front window leaking. the area is great and grounds nice to look at.

Current Resident 690445

Resident • 2007

Good area close to the nature

Well... I read some of the reviews and I have to agree with both some of the positive and negative sides. I ve lived here for half a year so far so I can not yet say anything about how the winter will be. The area is great. It s a gated community close to the woods. Animals running outside your window when you wake up. I like it a lot better than the sirens and noise I used to hear, and the view of the roofs in a downtown area. Washer and dryer in the apartments - which I appreciate (old equipment though). I great pool area, tennis courts maintained not more than ok, ok sandpit for beachvolley, a small gym. Some noise from neighbours & poor quality of the actual buildings are expected. It s built the american way - cheap & fast. Inspite of this I find it better than most places I ve seen in Detroit Metro, and for the summer time I for sure recommend this place. (i ll update if I survive the winter). No recycling which I think shouldn t be too hard to arrange...

optimax

Resident • 2006 - 2007

Wonderful introduction to Michigan for expatriates....

Deer outside your patio, squirrels, chipmunks, raccons and blue-jays. What impressed us most about River Oaks Apartments was nature at your doorstep. It's basically like living in a park, with nature the view from most apartments, loads of parking, surpurb ground maintenance, and a dedicated management team that ensured fast and problem-free response to any problems. Fitness center is ok, but more than made up for a glorious outdoor pool surrounded by mature trees, but with sunshine until 7:30 pm all summer long. For expatriates assigned to the Auburn Hills/Troy/Rochester Hills area, an added bonus is contact with other people here for a while to work and experience US Business and culture. We enjoyed our year long stay and have been sufficently impressed by the area that we are buying a house. Part of that has been to do with the ease of our time at River Oaks Apartments.

Current Resident 190647

Resident • 2006 - 2007

Not perfect, but best in Rochester Hills!

There are definitely things I dislike about River Oaks, most of which are due to poor management decisions in my opinion. However, it is by far the best Rochester has to offer! The community is beautiful and makes you feel like you actually live in a subdivision instead of an apartment complex, the pool area has tons of reclining chairs, the gym is decent enough (I use it quite often and while it'd be nice if there were more and newer machines, it's good enough for me), and the maintenance responds fairly quickly. The rent is a bit steep, but you get a LOT of square footage in exchange! We have cathedral ceilings, which is very nice as well. We have lived here for 1.5 years and will stay here for at least a year or two more!

Current Resident 541102

Resident • 2006 - 2007

Marginal management

The grounds are generally beautiful and reasonably well maintained. The apartments are old with outdated appliances and poor workmanship. Maintenance has been a constant problem as they will respond quickly to simple repairs but on repairs requiring more "investment", they will do a quick patch and pass it off as fixed. If you keep bugging them, they will eventually fix the problem but act as if you really put them out. We made one complaint about people (in general) not picking up their dog waste and the management's response was to put a threatening letter on every door of our building. Our neighbor complained to the mgt about noise from our apartment ( which is usually very quiet) and their response was to again place a threatening letter on our door. Not good for tenant relations! The gate system does not work very well with occassional logjams. They forgot to notify two buildings that the blacktop would be patched the next day and then ran around rousing people to get up and move their cars. The main entrance was blocked but no sign as to how to exit the complex.

Current Resident 732054

Resident • 2005 - 2007

Beautiful neighborhood!

I love this place! I feel like it's my home and not just an apartment. The landscaping is wonderful, the people are great and maintenance is experienced and professional, especially Chester. I have had very few problems but when I did, he took care of it and with a great attitude. It's also a great location. I lived in downtown Rochester before and the traffic was horrible. I have also referred my co-workers here.

cadburypink

Resident • 2006 - 2007

Excellent value for the price!

I have lived here for the past year and I love it! It's close to my school and work. It's close to M-59 which is conveient, but holds lots of traffic around rush hour trying to turn out of the complex. There is tons of room in the apartment, and everything seems well kept. Washing machine/dryer included was really an advantage over the places with communal washing facilities. The only real complaint I have is that the dishwasher gets mouldy and requires regular hand cleaning. The noise is minimal, and I feel like I have privacy. Highly recommended!

donaramco

Resident • 2006

Loved this place

We moved in to River Oaks after living in another complex for 1 1/2 years, and I wish I knew of this place a long time ago. They treated VERY well, responded immediately to repair issues (we had vey few, and minor at that) and made us feel welcome. They had a great resident appreciation week when we moved in during summer - all other residents were friendly.. The entire staff, especially Tracy, was very helpful and understanding when I had to transfer out early and break the lease as I moved out of state. If I ever have to move back to Michigan, I would definately come here first. Kudos to the staff of River Oaks.

MistyBetancourt

Resident • 2005 - 2006

River Oaks Apartments of Rochester Hills = MOLD

photobucket dot com slash albums slash n196 slash riveroaksmold (It will not let me display address)<br><br>River Oaks Apartments of Rochester Hills did not properly maintain or repair our apartment. As you can see in the pictures below, our apartment had standing water outside and MOLD growth inside. Their reply regarding the mold changes each time the issue is discussed. Replies from River Oaks have included:<br><br>1) That we did not want the mold repaired and that we were ok with living with mold. How many people are OK with living with mold in their childs bedroom? <br>2) That there never was mold in the apartment.<br>3) That they repaired the exterior foundation cracks (they never did) but we refused to let them fix the inside damage.<br><br>We lost the use of one apartment bedroom for an entire month. Our rent was $1,250 and they offered to comp us $94. Does that equitable to you? <br>

Current Resident 361954

Resident • 2005 - 2006

I would not lease at River Oaks again.

Pros: The staff of River Oaks has been above and beyond polite, courteous and friendly. Pool is actually nice. Gym and Tennis courts are convenient as is the location. The grounds are well kept and clean.<br><br>Cons: The apartments are very aesthetically outdated. They are not LUXURY and I am still at a loss as why they are advertised as such. The appliances in most apartments are very old and do not work well. The lighting fixtures and cabinets are very dated and tacky. It looks like the walls and trim have about 10 layers of sloppy paint.

Current Resident 918342

Resident • 2004 - 2006

This place sucks!

I moved here in 2004 and when the cabinets broke in early 2005 Tracy Peterson the manager told me and my son that we broke it and that we had too pay for it. This was after we called her over 15 times asking for it to be replaced but she refused to talk to us. We did have a window break after some kids threw a rock through and when they gave us the bill for $275 we took it to a company who said it would cost about $200. On another occasion the cabinet broke and was slanted but she refused to fix it. The carpet is the poorest quality ive ever seen and it falls apart every time we vacuum. So Tracy Peterson is the worst manager ever who is rude and mean to everyone.

cmann

Resident • 2005 - 2006

The manager is to blame.

<br> I have lived here for one year and I can’t wait to move out. The surroundings are beautiful but that’s about the only plus. The buildings are built as cheaply as they could be built, the cabinets are wont close, and the carpet if you move in here you will start out with crap stained carpet to begin with and then they will charge you 400 dollars to replace it. The maintenance will fix some stuff but will refuse some stuff and says its fine. But what makes this place really do down hill is the manager, she lies right to your face and will do anything she wants. She is the least professional manager I have ever met. She acts like she owns the place. Don’t move here you will be disappointed with the apartment and mostly the manager.

Current Resident 986108

Resident • 2003 - 2006

Shame, shame, shame

Don't count on your security deposit. River Oaks will find a way to keep it and charge you with even more preposterous things.($ 700 for carpet cleaning is just the beginning.) Tip: Don't live there, just pay your monthly rent and you might have a chance. <br>Like to deal with morally corrupt people? The manager has the ability to lie in your face and do everything else to aggravate you. If you needed help, on the other hand, they always found a reason why they couldn't do anything for you.<br>Do you like sub zero temperatures? Move right in--that's what you will get in your bedroom.<br>How about cabinets that fall apart any other week? River Oaks will be happy to accomodate!<br>Liked the Flintstones? River Oaks must have bought their appliances!<br>What about families with children? There's a 30 minute Easter Egg Hunt once a year... on the other 364 days of the year the complex there is not much to laugh at River Oaks for the kids (they better be quit and content with sitting on a shelf 24-7).<br>The best thing is the gate: never opens when you need it most, but doesn't keep a single intruder out (how about walking up the hill behind the apartment to get in?)<br>All in all, this place has been ruined by the rude management. Don't say we didn't warn you!

lilyt03

Resident • 2003 - 2005

I would move back if I could!

My husband and I lived at River Oaks for over two years and just loved it! We had a beautiful one bedroom apartment that overlooked the woods and we always enjoyed watching the deer in our backyard. The office staff was so friendly and pleasant to work with. We would move back in a heart beat if my husband had not been transfered.

Current Resident 839631

Resident • 2004 - 2006

The "Luxury" Scam at "----" Oaks

Move here if you would like to have to deal with:<br><br>1. primal appliances and cabinets that constantly fall apart.<br><br>2. a gate system that hardly ever works and therefore prevents you from getting access to your own living space.<br><br>3. a rude and unhelpful manager.<br><br>4. freezing bedrooms due to poor insulation that will have your heating bills sky-rocket.<br>(temperatures were probably warmer outside than in our son's bedroom. Repair requests were repeatedly denied.)