Review History for anonymous

Mixed Feelings

My wife and I lived at Waterford Forest for several years while I was finishing my doctorate. When we originally signed, the lease terms and rent were very tenant-friendly, with a flexible and clearly spelled-out early lease termination policy. During our stay, however, the apartment changed management; the lease subsequently became unreasonably restrictive and the cost of living here quickly skyrocketed. Despite the fact that my wife and I were model tenants (always quiet and paying our rent several days in advance each month), had lived here for several years, and each had a credit score of over 800, the new management refused to negotiate flexible lease terms with me, instead claiming that it was beyond their power to do so (yeah right). (Because I was finishing my graduate degree, it was important for me to obtain a clearly spelled-out early termination policy, since the date of my defense and future location of employment were unknown at the time.) The current wording of the lease allows the apartment to collect rent for the full term in the event of early termination, and the apartment requires a 60-day notice of intent to vacate (even if the entire lease is satisfied). The apartment now charges cat owners both a non-refundable pet deposit (several hundred dollars) and a monthly pet rent. I can understand either charging one or the other; however, charging both is outrageous! The pet costs are especially unreasonable in light of the fact it is the tenant's responsibility to have his apartment professionally cleaned and treated for pet allergens (at his own expense!) at the end of the lease! What, in God's name, are the pet charges for then?! As other reviewers have pointed out, the apartment has a major pest problem. In addition to the monthly water and trash bill, the cost of pest control is passed directly on to residents as an additional fee in the monthly utility bill. Furthermore, and infuriatingly, the bill includes a "fee" for processing the payment of the bill! To be fair, though, when we finally left, the apartment was extremely fair with us. We were not charged any cleaning fees or for any damages, since we kept our unit immaculately clean, and we parted on excellent terms with the management. On occasion, we did have several serious maintenance issues arise, and I always found the maintenance staff to be very attentive.