Camden Shadow Brook

RFBusby

Resident • 2011

Camden Property Trust is a predator.

Recently purchased by Camden Property Trust chain from Verde. DO NOT rent here!!!! Camden does great marketing--really slick--but their customer service (driven, I'm sure, by corporate policy) sucks. Their sales office is a wonder. First-rate windows, finishes, and appliances. Do not assume that your apartment will be the same quality--it will not They will nickle and dime you for about an extra $100 a month for "valet" garbage service, charges for water and sewer (whoever heard of apartments charging for the sewer!!) and other ways to benefit their bottom line. My water and sewer bill last month, including a $15 "Admin/Billing Fee" was $53.00 for a 1Bd/1Bth--without a washer. The floors are paper thin (Verde's fault)--DO NOT accept a ground floor unit unless you want to hear the folks above coming and going, their pets/children running around, and hearing (too well) their sexual escapades and toilet habits. To a person, the always-pleasant grounds staff who were carried over from Verde hate the new owners. I needed a window blind repaired and the poor guy had to force an improperly-sized cheapo into my window and then use scissors to trim all 50-plus slats. And it still doesn't fit. Each unit is wired for burglar alarm. Left unsaid is that, due to poor installation, you'll still have to pay for a complete install and a $50 a month monitoring fee. The pools are poorly maintained, always having leaves, dirt, etc. The gym always has one or two pieces of equipment broken--and all the machines are grimy. The "laundry centers" feature low-grade machines--with one or more always broken--along with full wastebaskets and dirty floors. The "security" gates are broken as often as they are working--sometimes for more than a week at a time. Ironically, they have security cameras on the assets of Camden, but have no cameras on the gates or parking areas. There have been multiple cars and apartments broken into. The poor office staff are generally pleasant and do their best. This is simply a money-grubbing corporation that's taking advantage of the very tight rental market in Austin. I've been at this property for 3 months, and they've raised the rental rates--for new tenants--an average of 5% each month. To echo a previous post: "if you are a dirty, loud, obnoxious college kid then you will fit right in. If you're an advanced degree student, family, or professional STAY AWAY! The only plus is Claudio the maintenance guy. So nice, always prompt, and has his hands full!" Camden Property Trust is a predator. R F Busby Unit 614

frogdog79

Resident • 2009 - 2011

I've been here two years and so far so good

My lease is coming up in August and I started looking around to see what the deals in the area were. I found some nice complexes but overall I think where I'm at is better. I checked out some reviews for other places and wanted to look at the reviews here to compare - some of it I agree with (parking can suck sometimes-especially late at night). I don't understand the noise issues though. I guess I have quiet neighbors? I don't hear people coughing/snoring/stomping above me/talking/ect ect. Whenever I have an issue the maintanence guys are there and take care of it. I've only had one issue since moving in and the manager took care of it and was nice about it. When I looked at other places I thought some of the people were snotty and not helpful and I don't get that vibe here. Overall I'm happy and glad to not be moving.

Current Resident 772047

Resident • 2009 - 2011

Noise is the Worst ever... Avoid!!!

This place is so cheap. The builders must have skipped putting in the insulation because this place is noisy as hell. Everything in these apartments are the cheap, smaller & made in China (and will probably give you cancer) version of the original. I have lived in many apartments in the Austin area and have never experienced noise this bad. I have also lived upstairs and downstairs (1 and 2 bedrooms) within this complex and the noise problems are similar. Though they are a little worse on the bottom floor. You can hear your neighbors do everything, casually walking, dogs running, snoring, brushing teeth, water rushing though pipes (this sound will wake a heavy sleeper at night and is almost comical), normal volume conversations, sex.. you name it, you'll hear it all. Make no mistake... my neighbors were very sweet and were not loud people... it's the construction. In the future, I plan to look at the apartments construction and see if it is similar to shadow brook's as I will avoid those types of apartments. I plan to find out what company is doing this type of construction on newer apartments so I can avoid them completely and make people more aware. In the end, I really felt burned after renting from them and couldn't wait to leave. Anyway, live here if you want... waste your money, I don't care. You can basically rent a house for how much they charge for rent. I would only recommend this place to my enemies and not my friends. Please pay attention to the previous posters issues with noise and pay no attention to the obviously false "Shadow Brook Corporate" posts that love this place so much. The noise is a real issue. Avoid at all costs.

kjones2290

Resident • 2009 - 2013

I have lived here since 2009, when it was still Verde. Whenever Camden bought them out, the place turned into a hell hole. The loyal and friendly staff, wonderful trustworthy maintenance, and residents left. This place is completely different! The staff is awful. All the women are complete snobs. I overheard them talking about a resident right after she walked out of the clubhouse! How unprofessional and disrespectful! Maintenance is a JOKE!!! Sometimes it took 3 days before it was fixed. Don't be fooled by their "24 hour maintenance"... my water heater went out one night, as to be expected, I couldn't get ahold of any maintenance at 9pm. I even put in a request, but it wasn't fixed until 2 days later! I couldn't take a hot shower for 3 days!!! I understand that it's apartment living, but the noise is outragous. My upstairs neigbors have a bassett hound, which HOWLS ALL DAY AND NIGHT LONG!! I can hear their entire conversations at night. I can hear his alarm clock going off in the morning. I can hear him using the restroom in the morning, showering, brushing his teeth, and making his breakfast. AWFUL!!! Don't even bother calling the office to report noise. I called several times for the barking dog, and the issue was NEVER addressed. I wasn't getting any sleep at night! The gates are a piece of crap. They are always broken. The maintenance men are always working on the gate, usually because some stupid idiot ran into it. They fix it, a few days later its broken again. Maybe the maintenance guys should be fixing residents apartments instead of working on gates. The "gates" dont keep any crime out. There was a MUGGING TWICE! two girls were mugged right outside their apartments awhile back. Cars are always getting broken into, even though two police officers live on site! Overall, if you are lucky to live in a unit with quiet neigbors and never have to deal with the office staff, you might enjoy living here. I really miss Verde, the staff, and the maintenance. They truly cared about their residents. It's a shame!

Mendez-Wade

Resident • 2011

Friendly Staff & Beautiful Apartments

I visited a few communities in the South Austin area before I came in to Verde Shadow Brook. I was not sold on any of them. My last stop was at Verde Shadow Brook; Friday evening around closing time. As soon as I walked through the door I was greeted by two staff; Lucas and Candice. I was welcomed to the community and given information based on my wants and needs. Lucas kindly offered to show me a model apartment and answered my hundred questions (mind you it was closing time). He did not rush me and was very courteous. A few days later I decided to sign a lease and throughout the process Lucas was very helpful and tentative. On lease signing day Candice was there to help me; she gave me more information than I had questions-(a plus, if you ask me). She was very friendly as well. She and Lucas both went above and beyond to make me and my family feel comfortable and welcomed both prior and after move-in day. The apartment itself is amazing, crown molding, stand up showers, large garden tubs, upgraded appliances, island in the kitchen. The common areas of the complex have a polished look- the landscaping is precise and every apartment has its own "landscaped area". The neighbors are very friendly and from what I have experienced it is a quiet complex. I would definitely recommend this complex to family and friends.

Current Resident 826146

Resident • 2010 - 2011

Good spot!

Shadow Brook is a great place to call home! The sense of community I feel everytime I am in the office is amazing. I really feel that the staff including maintenance goes above and beyond for us. At times I may hear my neighbors but I do realize that I live in an apartment and there is always going to be some noise. I would gladly recommend living here to any of my friends and family, you will be very well taken care of if you are to choose SB as your new home. My lease is up in June and I will for sure be staying!!!

Current Resident 347320

Resident • 2009 - 2011

I love it here!!

Come on guys idk if you know this or not but you live in an APARTMENT!! Sure I can hear my neighbors everynow and then but not anymore than in any other apartment I have lived in. Over all I love it here! The place always looks so good and the staff is so helpful and knows what they are talking about, both office and maintenace. They even have a way to get out of your lease if you get laid off which I though was cool. Both gyms and pools always look nice and clean too. The loaction is great, which is a big plus. Overall I really love it here and plan on staying for a while.

quietlyseekinggoodapt

Resident • 2010

Terrible

Do not be fooled. Walls are incredibly thin. You can hear personal conversations, tv's at normal levels, ppls refrigerators, and worst is hearing others have sex at all hours in bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchens (no joke). No use complaining because its normal noise levels but shoddy construction. Do not believe them when they say you can't hear ppl going up the stairs. You can hear them talking in the stairwell all the time. To add to it, add noisy neighbours in the mix and see if you don't go absolutely mental attempting to have even a little sanctity. O and the toilet flushing really does sound like a monsoon. I don't like all the reviews suggesting that the niceness if office staff overshadows the issues with noise because it doesn't. The noise issues are not exaggerated in any review that I have read here. I utterly regret the decision to move in and am counting the days until my lease is up.

lendingtree

Resident • 2007 - 2010

Pay attention to all the Noise Complaint Reviews - Very real problem

The noise is beyond terrible in this place, I've never heard anything quite like it in my life. The walls are ridiculously thin...... To give you a clue as to how bad this is, I can HEAR my neighbors snoring in their beds at night....no really, I can lay in my bed and hear the people next door snoring. So you can imagine all the other things I get to hear them doing, (yes I have to listen to people having sex at least a couple of times a week. It kind of creeps me out, but worse still I know that they can hear me in my "intimate" moments as well....really makes things weird). When the couple next door decides to have one of their frequent arguments, I can hear every word......sometimes I'm awoken in the middle of the night to screaming and banging of walls Then there is the issue of the loud neighbors upstairs, they yell and jump around at all hours of the night, I have been woken up and kept up all night so many times, I've lost count. I've been in College dorms that are quieter than this.....and while I hate to do this, I've had to call the cops at least 4 times in the past year. Yes, thats FOUR times! Where is Management you ask? Good question....they are a complete JOKE! I have taken this issue to them SO many times, I've gotten all kinds of responses from indifference, to flat out being asked to "deal with it...after all this IS an Apartment complex". That's a direct quote from Management btw. Bottom line, if you're a young college kid who doesn't care about noise, go for it....anyone else who values their peace and quiet, go find somewhere else to live. This place is NOT worth the $$$, do not be fooled by the nice looking buildings, they are all built like crap on the inside.

Current Resident 721868

Resident • 2010

Fire Alarm

The Fire Alarm has been going off and on since I moved in. My Ac broke and the Apartment fixed it where it was on 24/7. Hate to see the electric bill. I was told by the office staff since they changed the fire alarm and battery's I would have to live with it. Also, I had mold in my a/c vent. Took over a week to get them to come fix it after I put it in writing. The manager is nice, will say that. Just have not been able to sleep since I moved in. I am paying way to much for this!!!!

Current Resident 545261

Resident • 2009 - 2010

Verde Shadow Brook - S. Austin

Great Staff and Good Property.

Current Resident 517609

Resident • 2011

Considered looking for a new place and even visited some, but just didn't have the same "feel" or appeal as this place. So, we renewed for yet another 15 months. The office staff if great and Claudio is just terrific when you need something done or just to visit with! Cheers, Verde!!!

Current Resident 469838

Resident • 2009 - 2010

Luv it!!!!

At first I would hear Management is a joke! but they have improved so much there is no need to go anywhere else. I have lived here going on 2yrs and we plan to stay longer it is perfect for college students as well as families. The workout room and pools are nice and never any issues. First come 1st serve parking sucks at times but coverded parking avail if its close to your unit to purchase a spot. Overall would make this my long term home for years to come.

carolyn730

Resident • 2010

Home away from home

I loved living at Verde Shadow Brook. It was clean, the management staff was extremely friendly and understanding. It was a quiet "at home" atmosphere. The pools were great and never over-crowded. I loved it so much I referred two others there and ended up getting a referral bonus from both of them. The maintenance staff was friendly and were there the same day if I ever called. I never heard my neighbors either...a lot of times apartments have really thin walls. I loved my experience at Verde Shadow Brook and I'd still be there but I had to move for family reasons. Parking was never an issue. I wish there was a Verde Shadow Brook in Wisconsin!

Current Resident 123012

Resident • 2010

Verde Shadow Brook Apartments

This is a great apartment complex, and is a great place for a college student to move to. It is far greater than any of the tacky student living apartment complexes and is much cheaper, nicer, safer, and has much for square footage in the floorplans. Overall this is a beautiful apartment complex, and the amenities are as great as they sound.

Current Resident 984380

Resident • 2010

Fantastic experience!

I could honestly go on forever about what a great experience I had at this apartment complex. From the moment I was shown an apartment the office staff has done everything they could to help and accomodate me. I was never made to feel like I was just an apartment number. My maintenance requests were always tended to immediately whether it was a problem with my AC or my kitchen light bulb being out. On two separate occassions I put in transfer papers to a sister complex they have in Houston (I thought I was moving for a job)and both times I had to cancel. No one was ever rude or short with me about it. They're facilities are always clean and the grounds are well maintained. I am a young, single female and I never felt unsafe walking in the parking lot at night. Their care staff is also always reaching out to make sure everyone is satisfied, and even organizing events so that people can find a sense of community. I have recently had a terrible experience renting and it has bruised my trust in landlords and corporate leasing, but Amy and Leslie in the office have truly helped restore my faith! I would recommend Shadowbrook to any family or friend. What better testament is there than that?

Current Resident 260561

Resident • 2010

Great place to live!

In the 20 years of renting/leasing places, I can say that my experience at Shadow Brook was stellar from the moment they were showing me property until I left for a job in San Antonio! They are friendly yet professional. I'm new to the area so the ladies in the office were giving me advice on great hair care professionals to where to get my nails done to places I should visit in Austin. They make you feel like you're part of a family. The maintenance crew are fantastic! I like the security gates and lighting because I felt safer living alone. The workout facilities and pool are beautiful and well maintained. They rock!

ump524

Resident • 2009 - 2011

Major decline

I have lived at VSB since August of 09. At the beginning the property was great; quiet, clean, safe, an overall good value. Now, it's so noisy that I cannot sleep without noise canceling ear plugs. I have made numerous complaints to the office staff as well as called for the services of the curtesy officer, but nothing is ever done to fix the issue. If the officer does arrive it's usually an hour later. Some will blame the thin walls/poor construction, but I have seen many neighbors come and go and they were never this loud. The place is being over run by noisy, drunk, partying college kids. I picked a place I thought was far enough away from Texas state and UT to avoid this type of crowd. Even though there are numerous dog clean up stations, people never clean up after their animals, so it always smells outside. The gates ate always open or broke and car break ins are on the rise. Now the property has been sold to Camden management group (notorious for their student housing) so I can only guess the surprises in store. But thankfully I am levying at the end of the month, but I felt compelled to warn others before they make a huge mistake. But if your a dirty, loud, obnoxious college kid then you will fit right in. If you're an advanced degree student, family, or young professional STAY AWAY! The only plus is Claudio the maintenance guy. So nice, always prompt, and has his hands full!

Current Resident 553327

Resident • 2009 - 2010

I hate South Austin, but I do love this complex...

I moved into this apartment 2 weeks after it was finished being built. Everything was really nice and new of course- I love all my appliances soooo much! The floor plan is pretty standard 2/2, perfect for a roommate situation. The pool (closest to me) is beautiful, but often very crowded with really annoying people. The gym is super nice and very convenient. The valet trash is great, so nice to not have to take the trash out- seems lazy, but you can't help but love it! The bad things are what most other people say. My neighbor and I seem to have our beds against the same wall, so, keep in mind I am a light sleeper while reading this, but I often am awakened by either, his alarm clock, or his snoring. That is pretty annoying. The people that used to live above us were really loud, but the current residents are pretty quiet. Pretty normal noise from what you'd expect in an apartment. There have been some safety issues as well, but management has been great about keeping the community informed, our gates are working 97% of the time and since we have to have renter's insurance anyway, I feel like myself and my property are protected. You're never 100% safe anywhere really. Little things aside, the people here are amazing- I don't ask for much, but when I do it is handled promptly and professionally. The maintainence staff is the nicest group of guys ever! They really go above and beyond to make sure you're totally ok with everything. Work orders, which you can conveniently request online, are always completed super fast, even if it's something relatively unimportant. You can also view/pay your rent online which is a really great feature as well. Overall, although I don't care for South Austin, having lived West or North forever, I'm not going anywhere for now- it's a great place to call home.

veronicaj66

Resident • 2009 - 2010

Great Place to Live

I have rented here for over a year and I really enjoy living here. The Office Staff is very friendly. They go out of their way to help you and make sure your needs are met. Even if you are a pain in the rear. The residents are also friendly. There is alot of events for everyone to enjoy. You even get a special gift on the month of your birthday. The maintenance crew fixes issues you have in a timely manner and go above and beyond in helping you. Even my guest like to come and visit here. I recommend this apartment to anyone who want to feel at home.

Current Resident 336265

Resident • 2007 - 2010

I have to agree...paper thin walls are really bad

I was reading the reviews for Verde Shadow Brook, and I have to agree that the walls are "paper thin" (not an exaggeration) as someone else wrote. This is a very real problem, but could be worse if the neighbors were noisy every day. They do get noisy on weekend, but one can become accustomed to that. You really can hear neighbors talking, in a normal voice but quite clearly. The part about toilets flushing sounding like Mother Nature's vengence is also true. Not a good thing when a neighbor has to flush at 3:00 AM, and you have to get up early for work. Unless you sleep with ear plugs in your ears, the toilet-flushing noice will wake you up frequently. I rented here because the apartment locating service that recommended this place told me that it was built to "townhome standards". That was a lie. One would expect much better from a place that charges $1,000 monthly. We also have car break-ins, and I've read (management's notice) about apartment break-ins as well. Security-wise, it is better than average for this area, but we do have car and apartment break-ins.

Current Resident 234461

Resident • 2009 - 2010

Nice

I've lived in the complex for the past 8 months and don't have any major complaints. The only issue that I've had since I've resided here is the fact that the previous tenant had animals, so there's cat hair all over the place and it still smells like a litter box in here even after requesting the complex clean the carpet (twice) and my own cleaning. I've become accustomed to it. However, I do have a problem with paying $30 for valet trash. I can walk my own trash to the dumpster; the valet service needs to be optional. If you do chose to utilize the service, be aware. Raccoons will get into the trash and scatter it all over the place (they don't move either if you shoo them away) if it's set out too far in advance before the service comes around. Also, you get fined for keeping the emptied trash can out past certain hours.

doright198

Resident • 2009 - 2010

A place above the rest

I've lived here for almost a year & I have no complaints! People need to understand that there are worse things to be unhappy about, but it sounds more like their just ungrateful. The noise isn't bad & if it is there's always the country :-) From the front office to complex, and inside the apartments...the beauty never ends. The staff is great & I look forward to being here for awhile :-) There's always room for improvement & they seem to take that upon themselves to keep getting better (great quality)!

renter1242

Resident • 2009 - 2010

Way too much noise

Shadowbrooke is actually a pretty nice place. The apartments are new and nice inside. New appliances, nice big bathtubs and plenty of closet space. The grounds are kept up, maintenance is nice and quick, there are areas where you can use the on site gas grills with free gas, valet trash, and the office people were always friendly and will generally listen to your problems and try to fix them as best as they can. Parking can be a hassle but it depends on where you live in the complex. The construction looks nice but is deceiving. The Walls and Ceiling are paper thin and you can hear any little thing that your neighbors are doing. Whether someone is watching TV(at a normal volume), closing cabinets, having sex, playing with your pets or just walking around, everyone else will hear it. If a toilet is flushed, it sounds like a GIANT wave of water rushing through your walls. If you or your neighbor lets the door shut by itself, the impact of the door will shake the other doors and frames in your apartment, very annoying. I have lived at a lot of apartment complexes and I have never seen a noise issue this bad. This place is also a college apt complex so there is a good chance that your neighbors will be 2 selfish teenagers. In closing, I would not recommend this place to anyone. The noise issue is too much for me but hey maybe noise does not bother you. If you had to live at Shadow Brook, live on the top floor, its a "little" quieter and your bedroom window will not face the headlights of a loud and drunk college kid's car at 3am. Also, don't live near the pool area or you will have to put up with loud music all day and night.

Current Resident 439528

Resident • 2009 - 2010

Bad Place!

This is NOT a good place to live!!! I just got behind on 1 just one month of rent (due to the fact that I lost my job) It had only been about 2 days after my due date, and one of the girls came over to my place to drop off an eviction letter(which is fine) but not only that she actually tried to get in to my place and was not able to because I had the second lock on. So I mean for them to give me all the letters that they want is cool, but for them to see my car outside, knowing that is my car, knowing that I'm in my house and still try to get in ... that's taking things a little to far. Real bad customer Service.