Vairo Village

Current Resident 604859

Resident • 2010

In all honesty

We didn't start looking for an apartment until late spring, so we got stuck living at Vairo Village. Tawni Phillips seems like a nice lady, but I just think she wants your money. She wouldn't show us the apartment we would be stuck living in for the next year of our lives(12 month leases are all they have); she just showed us the nice and clean one bedroom apartment that I assume no one has ever lived in judging by its conditions. So I was completely clueless on how much room we would actually have, so I referred to their website- a terrible mistake. When I commented on how misleading their web page's floor plans were, they replied, "It's a generalized floor plan. I didn't have a dishwasher and I sure as hell didn't have a walk in closet; I wouldn't consider that generalized. One thing I do have to say is that maintenance is very helpful; when we messed up our sink, they were there the next day to fix it. Too bad they don't tend to them while people weren't living in them. Now, our neighbor has a newly redone kitchen with nice counters and beautiful cabinets and tile floors. We're right next door with walls that look so uneven and chipping from wear and tear, it disgusts me. We moved in and everything was really dirty. When I told them that they said it must have been a week since they cleaned. Anyways, thats some real b.s. I'm a clean person, and I don't think hair in my bathtub and dust everywhere is near my standards. I have to dust every week, and I have no idea why. It's just a really dusty place. My kitchen cabinets are the worst. The drawers are broken. They droop when you open them and the handles keep breaking off. I tried to clean the inside of the cabinets, because they smelled like piss; but the wood was literally disintegrating, because they're so old- so I got drawer liners... The floor is disgusting to me- both in the kitchen and bathroom. They are stained from the wear over the years. The painters have dripped paint in random spots on our carpet, so I am always thinking there's lint to pick up. No utilities are included, really, except for the cable you get with that amenity package. They can't keep their grass alive, and the acorn trees are obnoxious. Absolutely no visitor parking. Last week we had an ant infestation. The people who live above me stomp around exercising or something at like 7 a.m. I've just had a terrible experience here. I can't wait to move out.

minaz84

Resident • 2008 - 2010

Great place to live!

Vairo Village is a great place to live! It's a friendly neighborhood and extremely safe. What I loved best was that we have the option to pay rent online! Totally hassle-free. It's a quiet place. Bus stop is across the complex with the V-bus frequently running downtown. Close proximity to Wal-mart and Wegmans! All in all its a great place to live!

vairoismyhome

Resident • 2010

Vairo is my home

Vairo is fantastic! Just like normal people do there is little hesitation and nervousness about moving to a new place and learning the environment. Vairo has done a great job with helping me make this move. The first day of signing the lease they gave me helpful tips and anytime I have trouble they make sure it is resolved within the day. The 24hour hotline is great! I wish there was more recreational activity for tenants because I love meeting new people and helping. I love to swim and play sports so I think having a sports day for tenants would be nice. That is my suggestion but everything else is great!

vairorecreationalplease

Resident • 2010

Vairo oh Vairo!

Place is full of great people! Short quick story! I had major problems with my apartment upon moving but after talking with the property manager Mr. John, he handled everything and even gave me a financially blessing because he wanted to make sure that satisfaction was guaranteed! Satisfaction is guaranteed here and I love it! Whenever I have issues or just want to express my concern/idea those two lovely ladies at the leasing office always greet me with a smile. Now I do believe that there needs to be more appreciation for tenants so I would love to see more recreational events that the staff should offer. I love picnics, games, and anything towards getting to know other tenants. I think this would be good and would be great if it starts ASAP! Vairo please don't let me down! Let's do something together as a Vairo Family! This will be the start of something good.

Current Resident 507044

Resident • 2010 - 2011

I agree...

Vairo may not be your Penthouse Suite but it's better than most places in State College. They keep it clean and provide great help. A personal experience I can share is during the winter, I took a big fall on the ice. I did report it and they had someone to come and take care of it right away. Of course, you should not have to tell them how to do their job but I never had trouble walking out my door anymore. I am happy they keep the pool clean during the summer. I have visited my friend's apartments and it was a disgrace to see their pool. They are a huge fan of Alex's Lemonade Stand and I am happy to support it. The only bad thing I can say about Vairo Village is...well nothing comes to mind! Dependable, cooperative, and integrity is what comes to mind when I think of Vairo!

Current Resident 544926

Resident • 2010 - 2011

I see...Vairo

I see all the reviews about Vairo and I have been here for a few months. I get various questions about Vairo Village and the one comment I say plenty of times is show courtesy to them and they will return it 100%. I have seen rude tenants come in but the staff takes the bad and return with good. I am glad they are clearing most of the trees which is indeed a huge improvement. I was wondering if there will be any activities over the summer. Last year they had a BBQ which was great! Free food for college students is a WIN! I hope they have something soon. There are some bad such as noises from the neighbors but after staying in the dorm on campus I can say it's a little better. I like Vairo!

Current Resident 97501

Resident • 2009 - 2011

Vairo Village... Ahh Home!

All this nonsense about Vairo negativity is not right! I enjoy Vairo and the staff is remarkable. I don't find it a dump at all. All places have pros and cons but at least Vairo is willing to help in any way they can. Anything I request such as maintenance and staff assistance is quickly answered. Recently, my shower head became damaged and within the hour it was replaced! They even went a step further by checking my vanity set. About the money issue...I can say hands down that they are willing to work with you on such issues. Renovations... It's all improvement to make the living better. The Library is open and there you will find peace and quiet.

Current Resident 667031

Resident • 2009 - 2010

The place to be.

I have lived here for 6 monthes now. The complex is very peaceful and quite. This is the place to live if you DON't want to be bothered every night with partying. There is plenty of parking and the maintenance staff is speedy, polite, and helpful. I haven't had any real issues but even if when toilet was clogged they were in within 20 minutes. I even once complained there was no hot water. Someone was over quickly only to inform me that someone simply used all the hot water lol oops. It's bus stop is on the begging of the route so you always get on the bus which is a serious issue around here for the others that do not wait at the first stop. I recommend it to everyone!

Current Resident 885922

Resident • 2008 - 2010

Great place to live

This is a great place to live. Quiet in general. Pipes and bathroom fans are very noisy. The downstairs neigbhor's bathroom fan sounds like a freight train. Right on the V bus route- big plus. Office and maintenance staff are courteous and helpful. Recently I needed help with a plumbing issue. Maintenance was at my door within 20 minutes and fixed the problem on the spot.

topgun7196

Resident • 2002 - 2010

GREAT APARTMENT COMPLEX

The apartment complex is wonderful! I lived there for 8 years (4yrs in a 3 bedroom and 4 years in a 2 bedroom) and it was a place that got me through college, met my wife there and I started my career at Penn State while living there. The grounds have a wonderful pool, gym, laundry area and a lounge area. The staff and maintenance personal are always quick and polite to talk to. They treat you like they are your favorite neighbor and are willing to bend over backwards to help you! The apartments are very big and have a nice layout. The price is amazing compared to other complexes in the area. You can get an apartment for 2-3 bedrooms for 730-900ish instead of paying $400 yourself for a small bedroom and living room. Overall my wife and I are sad to go but it was time for us to move on to a house and start a family! Thank you Vairo Village (Hearitage Oaks) for everything! Eric & Terra D. formly of 227B and 223B

Current Resident 115446

Resident • 2008 - 2010

Vairo Village

Prior to living at Vairo Village I lived in a shared townhouse closer to campus. I must say that this is one heck of a place to live. There is a well maintained pool, laundry facility, tennis courts, picnic areas, and the best part; the staff. I must say that so far (2 years) my complex is very quiet and well maintained. I have had the standard wear and tear issues and they have always been properly attended to. One of the best things about living here has been the parking. It sounds simple, but in State College, getting towed seems like a way of life. I can have friends come over without fear of the tow truck. Also, the office staff are phenomenal. They have been nothing but kind and friendly and more than willing to help in anyway that they can. The apartment itself is well kept, and realistically quite basic. However, I can say that it is constructed well and keeps the elements out. All of the windows are brand new dual pane. Vairo Village gets a 5 star from me any day.

Current Resident 755129

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Acceptable

I've lived here for almost two years. This is a very big apartment complex. It is true that the apartment buildings are old and the walls between different units are thin. However, the maintenance is good. Typically maintenance people respond to my request in a timely manner and fix problems quickly. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Since I moved in, I have seen a lot of improvement in facilities and grounds. I read some comments complaining about the noise. I think this really depends on which building it is since there are so many buildings here. Overall all, the apartment is acceptable.

Current Resident 311734

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Not bad

I don't have a problem with this place. I've lived in an efficiency apartment here for 2 years and haven't had too many problems. I was recently locked out of my apartment because my key broke in the door and the manager himself actually came to unlock it. He was very nice. Anytime I've had any issues requiring maintenance, they came by within a day to check it out. The apartment walls are a little thin, so if you have a rude neighbor that likes to listen to loud TV or music, you will definitely hear it. All depends on your neighbors though.

Current Resident 446367

Resident • 2009

Pretty decent for State College

It's actually a pretty decent place to live--assuming you have a good unit (on the second floor). Units are generally nice, facilities are very nice (nice new gym and pool) and the grounds are kept in good shape. Running water noise is loud, but not unbearable. AC and heating worked fine for me this past year. The apartment itself overall quite pleasant. I know other people have complained about maintenance, but honestly, I've only had good experiences with them. When I've called about problems, they've usually been resolved within 24 hours and by friendly people. The management staff are overall very nice, although some policies they have are asinine. For example, you can't get a spare key from them for any reason, which is ridiculous. Also, when maintenance put a water heater into my clothing closet taking up half my closet space (without telling me), the management staff's response was less than sympathetic. That said, they are very professional overall and quite friendly. The property manager himself is very friendly and attentive. So, if you can get over some annoying idiosyncrasies, management is quite good (at least, much better than just about anybody else in State College). So, overall, I recommend this place--decent value for price, overall good staff, overall decent apartment units.

almightyjean

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Irresponsible Management, poor facilities

Vairo Village is the absolute bottom of the barrel when it comes to housing in the State College area. DO NOT live at Vairo Village if you have the luxury of choosing another location. Although the rent seems low, you will spend enough in extra fees and unexpected costs to offset the low base price. My new apartments this year are vastly superior, but with all the extra costs I no longer have to pay, the actual price per month at the new building ranges from $20 less than Vairo, to $20 more than Vairo, depending on the utility bills. The facilities are very poor in general. One issue is that the walls are paper thin. Every noise made in the adjacent apartments is clearly audible through the walls. There is very little insulation in the walls, and the heater cannot keep up with the heat loss. We had to wear multiple layers at all times during the winter months; I personally slept in my clothes for 2 and a half months. On several occasions, I resorted to drinking whisky right before bed in order to feel warm enough to sleep. I lived in a ground level apartment, and the plumbing running to the upper apartments was extremely loud. The upstairs showers and toilets were so loud that we had to turn up the volume on the television just to hear whenever the people above us used the restroom or took a shower. The grass was always long in the summer months. The management made no real efforts to keep the sidewalks clear of snow in the winter. The administration can be difficult to contact, and they are not very knowledgeable when they do answer the phone. At its best, the management is evasive, ill-informed, and unprofessional. At their worst, they are downright dishonest, engaging in practices that are borderline fraudulent. They almost always leave the impression that they either do not know the answer to your question, or are trying to hide something from you. Laundry was a huge hassle. There are no washers or dryers in the units, and it costs $40 a month, on top of the increased utilities, to install your own. The Laundromat is expensive; I generally spent $9 dollars to wash two weeks of clothes. The dryers almost always take multiple runs to dry the clothes (and no, I did not overload the machines). The credit card/lion cash machines were broken for most of the year (the first third and the last third of the school year), and there was no working change machine, so you had to bring enough quarters. The advertised wireless connection is almost completely useless. During the school year, the only time I was able to use it all was the middle of the night (3-6 AM) when I could get a very slow connection. The only good thing I can say about Vairo Village is that I never had any serious problems with parking, although I have heard rumors that people were towed for relatively minor infractions, and when they complained to the management, were told that the towing was done by a third party, and that Vairo Village has no involvement, while the towing company would pass the blame back to Vairo Village, with the end result being that no one would take responsibility. The bottom line is, live at Vairo Village if you cannot find anywhere else. It is better (marginally) than living in a cardboard box in a parking lot downtown, but otherwise, if you have another option, PLEASE TAKE IT.

Current Resident 582451

Resident • 2007 - 2008

Old facilities with bad maintenance staff

Pros: They did a good job in getting new tenants. Everything looks fine when you pay the first visit. The gym, the pool, the friendly staff. Cons: The facilities are old. You only know that after you move in and use them. The shower is noisy. The AC/heater is old and noisy too. Buy a box of ear plugs when you move in. You will need them. The insulation is so bad that you don't have to go outside to know the temperature. Just open the door of your mechanic room (where the AC/heater is), you will know the temperature outside. That means you may have to pay extra for AC and heating. The leasing office staff is fine, but the maintenance staff is horrible. They treat you like you owe them money, yet they are badly trained. You sometimes need to call them a few times to have one problem fixed. Yes, the price is not bad, but keep in mind that there is an increase in rent every year. If you can afford some extra bucks per month, look around for other options.

pte419

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Not that bad

I lived here my last year of college. The were fixing the roof of the building across from mine, and the workers were pounding away bright and early every morning. At first it was annoying, but I got used to it, just like people get used to living next to train tracks or a busy road. I lived downstairs and could hear every step my upstairs neighbor made. The flooring under the carpet was uneven, and the plumbing was really loud. That being said, it was a $550/mo apartment in a really good location... what do you expect. Everyone in the office was always pleasant with me and responded quickly the few times I needed something. The pool was being renovated last year, so I didn't get to use it, but they did build a gym and lounge area that looks really nice. Now that the construction is almost done, I would rent here again.

Current Resident 395300

Resident • 2007 - 2009

Can't Get Enough !

So I l've lived here since DEC '06 left for a little while and have been back since MAY'08 LOVE LOVE LOVE this place, and JODI ROCKS really the price is unbeatable, I live in the Alcove studio BY MYSELF for less that $500 with all utilities included. Try fiding a bus route friendly roomate free utility included awesome apartment for less that $500... I'm very happy very please never had a problem EVER! If you can get it pick this place you will not regret it. The only thing I could wish for is more closet space:)

Current Resident 760232

Resident • 2009

Very happy in my new apartment!

I just moved into the complex about a month ago. We did have some maintenance problems but even when we had to call on call maintenance, someone came and resolved the problems. Everything is good now and I like that it is affordable and close to everything, and that they take pets. Overall, Jodi (the office manager) is very nice and she gets everything taken care of and Jimmy (maintenance) is very helpful. I would recommend to anyone!

208523A

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Great place! But no cure for stupid...

I love this place. Well, let me rephrase that: I love the people that operate it and the apartments are nice with comparable prices. However, it depends on what type of moron you live next to. Some people have a way of ruining everything. With that said, as long as you get a neighbor that is considerate, you will love it here. I warn you: they do not require IQ tests, so you may end up with some pretty "special" people living next to you.

devin_lee

Resident • 2008 - 2009

the best manager ever!!!!

my husband and i have lived here for for almost a year and i can honestly say that i love it here. and i compltely disagree with the negative statement about the new house manager she is not in anyway racist and i know this because i myself am of ethnic backround and my husband is not. jody has NEVER said or done anyting racest to me or my husband. my experence with her hase been great she is always fair and honest whith every thing that she has done. and if we have a complant she hase always delt with the situation promply and efectivly. jody is friendly to everyone and she is by far the best house manager i have ever had. and the matenence is great jim is the best he is always fast about fixing what ever needs fixed. it is a nice quiet place but like any appartment there will be little noises here and there but as long as your not a noise hypercondryac you will love it here.

Current Resident 568030

Resident • 2006 - 2008

Worst apartment complex in the area

I lived here for two years and had maintenance never respond when something was urgently wrong(such as when my air conditioner was broken for three months over summer), yet whenever I was home from work at 5am and trying to sleep, there they were at 7am banging on my door to tell me they were going to come in the next day to do something useless, or even worse, just coming and leaving with no notice at all. All buildings are old and falling apart, and have had the bare minimum of work done to maintain them, and the office staff is unpleasant and unhelpful with any kind of request. Do NOT live here.

Current Resident 733105

Resident • 2005 - 2008

Happy to live here

I have lived for 3 years and I am happy with the service that I receive. I lived under the old property manager and I must say that it is nice to have someone in the office when I call or stop by. James is great and always cleans up after himself.

Current Resident 83467

Resident • 2008

First Floor is AWFUL! Worst rentral experience ever!

Do not rent here, especially if you get a FIRST FLOOR APARTMENT. I hear when people upstairs walk. I hear when they use the garbage disposal. I hear when they watch TV. I hear when they take a shower at 6am. Sounds like a 747 jet combined with Niagara Falls in my bedroom. THE WALLS ARE MADE OF PAPER! I here the walls and ceilings creek every five seconds. It is impossible to ever get a good night's sleep. I practically know my neighbor's schedule better than I know my own. When the neighbors come home, sounds like a heard of elephant up the stairs. When I was shown a model apartment, they took me up to a nice upstairs apartment. I was fooled. Don't let it happen to you! Outdoor lights go off randomly at night which is a safety issue. Feel free to contact me with any questions. I absolutely hate that I am stuck here until August of 2009. I was trying to find another place to live, but everything else was rented! One positive is the very friendly office staff as well as the maintenance supervisor. He spoke with my mother at length when I was moving in, and made sure issues were fixed in my apartment. The appearance is very nice of my apartment, it is just so hard to get good sleep. I actually purchased ear plugs from Walmart, but they do not do much (don't wanna block out the smoke alarm). Also, there is ample parking. CONS: NOISE, CONSTRUCTION PROS: FRIENDLY STAFF, WEIGHT ROOM So, perks are nice, but everyone needs to be able to get a good night's rest and have a sense of peace and quiet in their own home.

sickofbadlandlords

Resident • 2006 - 2008

Used to be great.

I've lived here for over two years in two diffrent aparments. The last manager was great. Every problem I had was fixed-- he was wonderfully helpfull. It was a quiet place to live because they used to take care of any problems. The first apartment I rented when I left I got my full security deposist back. Now there is a new property manager and she is terrible. One more then one occasion she has lied to my face about several issues including what she can legaly do, on top of that when I've had real problems she has given me a full on additude as if it where my fault or I was doing something wrong. It's gotten so bad I've actualy had to get a lawyer involved to get out of my lease do to her negligence. A year ago I would have recomended these places to anyone now only my worst enemies. P.s. the new property managaer can't even keep important information straight and will lie to your face. While my lease has stated that harasement and yelling aren't allowed and that if you are caught twice you'll have less then 30 days to leave and she told me to my face that it's o.k. that my neighbors scream swear words and threats because they don't keep it up for hours unbroken (it's o.k. that they do it for 3 to 12 hours straight because its only sustained for 2 or three minutes with five minutes inbetween). Seriously she can't do her job right and is actualy worse then the people at the apartment store. Another thing is she is clearly racist. When I've complained about white people makeing noise she has been arugmentative and rude and claimed she can't do anything. However when the two times I've complained about black people she has gone out of her way to encourage me to complain about them more then I need to. Literaly she would stop me outside of my apartment and tell me that if they make any more noise not to hesitate to call her even if it's very minor. Also she would thank me anytime I would complain about a black person yet would fight with me if I complained about a white person. If she left I would recommend this place to anyone, while she is here stay away. P.s. the maintnence guy is awesome and helpfull and very quick and skilled! Mad ups for James.