Fairfax Square Apartments

Current Resident 50207

Resident • 2012

Moved in about 2 months ago and so far I've noticed: Pros: I haven't seen any bugs in my unit. The office staff seems nice. There is a big pool here, though I haven't got to use it yet. I always have hot water. It's a little cheaper rent. Cons: Parking lot is very full most nights after rush hour is over. If I get home too late I have to park far away. There are a lot of bad repairs and the maintenance staff seems pissed off all the time. I had to call them twice so far. Noise is a problem as the walls are very thin.

Current Resident 393067

Resident • 2011 - 2012

This place no good. Is old and broken and smells bad. Not good for children safety. Parking lot is like highway and my car get dents after first month.

GretchinNC

Resident • 2011 - 2012

One of the dirtier apartments in Fairfax. Definitely not worth the rent they're charging. Location is nothing when you look at some of the other places in this area that are charging less for the same quality. The apartment is downright old. Fixtures are falling apart, doors are loose on their hinges, closet doors feel like they're made of painted plastic. The place smells like musty dog and old carpeting that should have been replaced a long time ago. Kitchen is very outdated, chipped white appliances, leaking refrigerator, inefficient stove, old microwave, leaking garbage disposal. The wall under my kitchen sink has a gaping hole in it that basically pipes in smells and sounds from my neighbors' kitchen. Walls are really, really thin. Cheap walls with zero soundproofing. I hear everything my neighbors do. Flushing their toilets, coughing in the shower, laundry, you name it. Above, below, to the sides, there's no getting around it. I'm sure my neighbors hear me too. Most of my neighbors are kids, so they don't really care about being quiet. I guess it doesn't bother them, but when you're a working professional, you don't really want to hear all this after a long day at work. Parking is tight and my car has been scratched and nicked a few times. Lots of cars without stickers. In the year that I've lived here, I've seen a lot of turnover in tenants. The place has a "transitional" quality. I moved here last year because I needed something last-minute. Wish I would have taken more time to check it out.

Crawdaddy79

Resident • 2008 - 2012

Location: Excellent. Lots of stuff within 15 minutes walking distance. Driving, US-50, US-29, I-66, and I-495 are all quick to get to. Appliances: Gas stove, refrigerator, and microwave were all in good shape. The small sized washer/dryer were old and did a mediocre job at cleaning clothes. The HVAC was sufficient, but had to get a Freon recharge once or twice a year. There is a vent in the bathroom, but no fan. The garbage disposal worked like a champ all 4 years we lived here. Water: I've had issues at other places with rocks/dirt coming through the faucet. We had none of that here. Hot water was hot 99.9% of the time (the .1% occurred when something was broken, but fixed quickly). Parking: We never had a problem finding a space reasonably close to our apartment. Trees are large and provide lots of shade (the downside is that you have to be mindful of upcoming snowy/stormy weather). Noise: Walls are thin. So are ceilings and floors. If someone adjacent to you uses a vacuum cleaner, you will have to turn your TV up. Luckily (with the exception of one year), we had quiet neighbors. Outdoor noise was not an issue. Grounds: The grounds are well kept year round. There is the always ebbing/flowing issue of pet-created landmines in the grass, but this is the fault of the residents, and can be an issue wherever pets are allowed. Small bag dispensers are provided throughout the area for this purpose. Trash is taken care of through one of two large compactors. Occasionally residents will put trash in the chute and it will sit there. The next resident comes along and places their trash in front of that. Before you know it, the chute is piled up with trash, along with the area of ground in front of the chute when there's plenty of room inside the compactor. Safety: This is probably the safest place I've ever lived. Construction: The place is old. In our apartment, the floor was uneven, so most furniture placed at the edge against a wall would lean forward. The buildings otherwise seem solidly built. The layout of the 1BR is pretty nice. Large living room, large bedroom, lots of closet space. Outlets are plentiful. The windows let plenty of light in. No pantry though, so extra furniture may be required depending on how much food you like to store. Door hinges are placed close to the room corners, so behind-the-door storage is very limited. The lack of a medicine cabinet is also unfortunate. Electricity rarely went out, and when it did came back quickly (not sure why this is, but I'll take it). Windows open horizontally (I like this, as vertical windows sometimes like to close on their own). Maintenance: The maintenance is well done. Generally when you open a ticket, you'll get a knock on your door within an hour or two even when it isn't an emergency. Staff: Always professional, always friendly. We had a couple of unique issues while living here that the staff helped us work through, which is much appreciated. Overall: If we didn't have a third person on the way, combined with a new work location further east, we would probably live here indefinitely.

Elly2010

Resident • 2011 - 2012

I've seen cardboard boxes with sturdier construction. This place needs some serious rehabilitation. The walls feel hollow, like they've been installed after the original construction. Noise is a constant problem. I had to leave my apartment on several occasions to find somewhere quiet to finish chapters. Drive through the parking lot at around 7:30 at night if you're thinking of moving here. Demand to see the unit you'll be renting. If they can't show you, don't take their word for it. You'll regret it. I haven't felt safe here either. It's definitely a mixed bag as far as the type of tenants who come here. Some people seem nice, others are really sketch. Take your own risks, but I don't recommend this place.

Current Resident 892725

Resident • 2010 - 2012

I was a tenant at Fairfax Square when I went to GMU. I haven't had a single bad experience. Parking can be tough if you come home late. I recommended a friend live there and he loves it. Likes all of his neighbors and said that they are enforcing towing now!

PageD

Resident • 2012

7 more months of hell. We moved in in April, and from the very first day we had problems. As an example, the first time I walked into this apartment there was a big, brown dog crap stain in the middle of the living room. Not a light brown, old stain. A brand new, smeared, huge brown stain. That was our first day. Within the first month we noticed our neighbors (we're on the ground floor) like to use our patio as a sidewalk out of their back door. They don't just walk through our back area. They walk right onto our patio and up to our living room and bedroom windows. We've called the office about it and nothing has changed. Imagine not being able to let in any sunlight because if you have the blinds open, you'll be greeted by a random stranger walking right by. On the ground floor you expect to see people out on the lawn. But not walking RIGHT UP TO your window. Noise is a definite problem. We had nice neighbors on one side (who have moved out), but could hear them and their child. Our neighbors on the other side are guest workers being put up by their company, and they have no respect for anyone's quiet. We can hear every cell phone conversation, every soccer goal on TV, their fights, their music. It's been so great! I don't know if it's shoddy construction or exceptionally rude neighbors, but this place is like living in a dorm. Our unit has had multiple things break down in the short time we've been here. Too many to list, but you can probably count on going a week without a washing machine and a couple of days without an air conditioner. The stuff is old. The parking is dicey. If we get home after 8:30, we have to park at the other end of the complex. The office will tell you there is plenty of space. Maybe several buildings away in the 1950s business park out front. Van Metre blows. 7 more months of hell.

srikant99

Resident • 2007 - 2009

I miss Fairfax Square Apartments out of all the apartment communities I have lived at. My favorite things about Fairfax Square: 1) Location! Location! Location! 2) Landscaping job that they do is worth an applause. I loved walking to the gym every night. I even used to walk to my favorite restaurant Carlos O' Kelly's accross the street from Fairfax Square. 3) Team at the office was awesome! But some of my friends that still live there, told me the new team is even better. Its always nice to hand over a rent check to a person with a smile. 4) Maintenance work is off the hook. There was never an instance that I called in a work request and it didn't get done right away. 5) Very helpful at the time of move out. I had to change my move out date twice. Staff was nothing but helpful. You guys rock!!

candlefork

Resident • 2009 - 2012

I have lived here in the townhome for a few years and I love my place. It spacious, backing to the woods giving me the privacy I wanted for my self. The rooms are big, the grounds are well maintened. The office staff is very friendly and maintenance team is always helpful. I love the events the management company do for the residents and the pool is divine, :) !! As for the gym and business center I dont have much use but I am sure residents who use it must be happy. Fairfax employees, keep up with the good work and do not be discouraged with the negative posting. It seems some past residents are not happy whatever reasons.

DMarconi

Resident • 2012

Definitely NOT recommended. Wish I could, but there's just too much bad outweighing the good. Take this review or leave it, I can only speak from my experience. Have lived in three apartments in the area, and I would recommend steering clear of this place. Pros: The pool is nice Fitness room is clean, sorta new, small, less than basic equipment, but it's there. There are trees throughout the property I guess the office staff is ok? Read on this site before I moved here that they take things personally. So, I tried to avoid them as much as I could. Not looking forward to my deposit disappearing. Cons: Noise - Inescapable, loud neighbors, slamming doors, thin walls, plumbing noises all day Smells - Carpets smell like dog and carpet shampoo, smoke, fried food in the halls Cleanliness - One of those places that feels dirty even after deep cleaning with bleach. Dingy. Parking - Tight, cramped, people don't respect the lines, don't expect to find a spot after dark Neighbors - Not the most considerate, loud, leave trash everywhere, dog crap Garbage - Area in front of the dumpster is always full of somebody's move-out junk. Broken TVs, stained mattresses, dripping boxes Safety - It's downtown Fairfax, so there are lots of people walking across the property who don't live here. Equipment - Appliances are old, inefficient, breaking down. Dryer smelled like burned hair the first time I used it. Washing machine bangs, dish washer rusting out. Like I said, wish I could recommend this place. Moved here because it was affordable, but didn't realize I would sacrifice more than square footage for cheaper rent. Sad thing is, they're charging pretty much the same as other, nicer complexes. People here just don't know. Can't wait to move out. Definitely NOT recommended.

looker29

Prospect • Visited 2012

Great looking property in Fairfax Va. Will be moving from the taxed me out of my home state of Maryland. Very informative and extremly professional staff. Grounds and buildings appear to be well kept, as well as the recreation facilities.

Current Resident 391422

Resident • 2011 - 2012

One of the worst apartments I've ever lived in. Some noise is always expected with apartment living, but this place is beyond anything you'd consider normal. I've lived here for a year and can't wait for my lease to be up in a month. The noise level is hard to overstate. You will hear everything your neighbors do or say, piping through your walls. You'll get to hear their fights (that's the most fun), their television, their parties, when they come home from work, everything. The parking is terrible. They do not enforce permits, so you will routinely come home after 8:30pm and have to park way far away from your door. As you walk from your car to your building, you'll notice 5, 6, 7 cars without a parking sticker or guest pass in their windows. Those cars will still be there in the morning when you leave for work/school. So you're essentially paying for people's friends to park outside your apartment. The hallways reek of smoke and food. If you're not a smoker, you will be one if you live here. The common areas smell like a bar and it will seep into your unit. If you smoke, you've found your home. If you don't, too bad, you're going to be a second-hand smoker whether you like it or not.

newando4587

Resident • 2010 - 2012

This place is comfortable for my needs and close to my place of work in Tysons. I have been a Fairfax Square resident for past three years and plan on staying another year if all goes according to plan. The area is clean and i feel safe walking my dogs at night. Maintenance is quick to fix problems and are friendly in my experience. I do hear noise from my neighbors upstairs but it is no different than my last apartment. I am lucky to have good neighbors and that will have a lot to do with liking any apartment. Pool is pretty awesome and I use the gym frequently. Usually the gym is not crowded and easy to find equipment to use. I wish we had a tennis/basketball courts...But overall, I am satisfied with my stay.

Current Resident 819749

Resident • 2011 - 2012

Fairfax Square is a great location and I have enjoyed living here for a year now. I have had a few maintenance issues that were dealt proffessionally and in a timely manner. As for nosie, i hear my neighbors every now and than but it is part of apartment living and i am not really too pushed with it but it it escalates I will contact the management. The managment has been only helpfull and extremely friendly towards me and I see thats how they are with everyone. They go out of their way to help you. I like their towing policy where they give a warning prior to towing. A couple of my friends got the warning and we all have been on top of getting parking permits to avoid being towed. It was nice that my guests did not had to pay $ 125.00 dollars to get their cars back. The grounds are beautiful and well maintainened. The Maintenenace guys are friendly and do their best to resolve issues. I love the resident events here as well. The most recent one was they played a movie on the pool on a big screen. It was a lot of fun. OVer all, I am satisfiend living here and enjoy the amenities greatly.

bilal18

Resident • 2010 - 2012

If you are looking for top of the class customer service & high standard living without paying top dollar, this is the place for you. We have lived here since April of 2010 and are very sad to leave here today. We won't move, if we hadn't purchased our home. The things we loved the most about Fairfax Square Apts was staff members - leasing staff, managers, maintenance, everyone! Swimming pool, Fitness Center, Grounds were always better kept here than any other place we have ever lived. We experienced that huge snopocolypse here and they worked their butts off to make sure resident would be able to get to their cars and out, if need be. Donnie, Asma & Sheila are awesome! We would be lucky if we can find staff like these guys anywhere else. Good job guys and keep it up :-)

Current Resident 491765

Resident • 2012

Not for professionals or students who need quiet to study. So far, all the negative reviews of this place are dead on. The noise is unbelievable. Walls are paper thin. Even if you have considerate neighbors, you'll still hear every cell phone conversation they have and tv show they watch. Not even muffled. It's as if they are in your unit. Get ear plugs and forget having peace and quiet. Also, each month, we've had something break down. First month, the AC had to be replaced. Second month was the washing machine. This month it was the mail box. Now the fridge is making odd noises. Maintenance does respond in a day or two. But that's little consolation when so much breaks down. This place will test your patience, be warned.

Current Resident 372175

Resident • 2009 - 2012

You can hear every single thing going on in the units surrounding your own. Additionally if you work shift work, don't expect the property management to work with you at all. I was already working 3rd shift before I moved into this complex, and made this known at the time and asked that it be noted in my file that I did not want to be called at any time in the afternoons, but that before noon was fine. Literally every single call I've ever had from the Property Manager or her staff has been in the afternoon, sometimes even at 4 or 4:30pm. These calls were not emergency or anything of the like. During each call I would reiterate my desire not to be called during the afternoon unless it is an emergency. This was the extent of the issue with disturbances from the property management staff itself, until this year at least. On 4 separate occasions I have been suddenly woken by 'construction work' being performed during the afternoon. I finally had an opportunity to check the sound levels (needed the tools first). The ambient noise level of my apartment is about 34db, but during this 'construction work', there were percussion type noises (think hammering/banging) averaging between 75dB and 84dB and spikes over 100dB (measured, was perceptively louder at the time I was woken up and thought the building was going to collapse on me, but before I could measure the noise levels). This banging and general construction noise was sustained nearly 3 full hours. And while this was the afternoon, these noises have effectively prevented me from being able to obtain more than about 2 hours of sleep (from 1pm till approximately 3:15pm). This is not the first time that 'construction noise' like this has occurred without prior notification. Additionally this 'construction noise' was not related to any type of emergency work. This was instead due to the fact that a tenant moved out. My only request was that if/when this work needs to be performed, could it please be performed prior to noon, or if absolutely necessary 1pm or give me a day's notice so that I can make other sleeping arangements. Asma's response to my complaint about the noise is that if I don't like it I can just move out (presumably at the cost of an early termination fee, which would be due at the time of notification with at least 60 days notice and a fee equal to 2 full months rent). Afterwords, Asma instructed the contractors to continue what they were doing. Do not expect this property manager to respect your wishes or to have any regard for your concerns. One of the previous occasions (every day for an entire week), a contractor working on the roof kept setting up a portable generator right outside my bedroom window. Fortunately that contractor was willing to relocate the generator to a better location. On the plus side, the parking is adequate. The units do include gas Heat/water/stove so you will still be able to cook and take a hot shower should the power be out. The local power is also very reliable at this unit (buried from the street to the building) and Dominion Power has been pretty reliable. I've only lost power 3 times, with two of those being due to severe storms, and the third was a scheduled power line upgrade. The two trash compactors are rarely able to keep up with the approximately 400 units this property contains, and that's not including holidays when the trash increases or when someone moves out and blocks the compactor with their old furniture. Parking is usually fine, though sometimes people park without a permit (like if they're hosting a party and have a bunch of people over). You may not get a preferred space, but you can almost always find one adjacent to your building. The surrounding area is pretty quiet, though there are a few spots that the lighting could use some adjustments. For example there's a step located right between two trees, but the shadow from the tree pretty much lines up with the step itself, so if you're not paying attention you may trip on it at night. This spot would've been better with an incline to the sidewalk (as there's only 2 steps, and room for the sidewalk to be sloped). The unit doors have a deadbolt and door handle, though both seem to be of very low quality. There are trees throughout the community and some have fallen in recent storms and caused significant property damage (either to the property or sometimes even to vehicles). The property is not gated and parking permits are not enforced. I was told by a member of the property staff that they don't enforce parking. The furnaces are very old and inefficient and you will easily see a power bill over $100 for a 1 bedroom in the summer (even using CFL bulbs throughout, and setting the thermostat for 76 in summer). The controller in mine appeared to have received some 'creative repairs' in the past (seen when the maintenance crew was working on the furnace) and has failed at least once (sometimes twice) each winter (needing a replacement thermal switch each time). Now for the only true plus to living at this apartment complex, Verizon FIOS is available (along with COX). In the metro DC area, Comcast service is abysmal and I'm not sure about what COX's service is like. Basically if you can afford to live elsewhere and get what you need/want in an apartment, do so.

shifuimam

Resident •

Good and bad...overall acceptable

I lived here for a little over a year, sharing a 2BR/1BA unit with my then-boyfriend. I would have been happy to stay, except we broke up and neither one of us could afford the place on a single income. Oh well...s**t happens. The rent is pretty high ($1650/mo when we were living there, including pet rent for three cats), but they were one of the few places willing to let us have more than two pets. The apartment was nice. We had a corner unit, and there were no issues with leaky windows or doors or anything. The washer and dryer were very small capacity but worked well, the bathroom fixtures never had any problems, and the kitchen was outfitted with mid-grade appliances. We didn't have any major bug issues, just the same stinkbugs and camel crickets that seem to be endemic to the entire DC metro region. Maintenance responded quickly to any issues we had. We did have an issue with our neighbor keeping his music up way too loud a few nights and had to call the police on him once (he ignored them...gg), but other than that everything was okay. One of our friends had a unit in another building, and his neighbor was a smoker - I was very, very thankful none of our neighbors smoked. The pet rent and pet deposit were high, in my opinion, and I wasn't a big fan of the $250 "Administrative fee" that this place - and most places in NOVA - charge in lieu of a refundable deposit. Unfortunately, one of our cats had some litter box issues and ruined the carpet in the dining room - the leasing office told me they had to recarpet the entire apartment for a cool $530. I wasn't real happy about that, but there was nothing I could do about it. Overall, the amenities were nice and the apartment was pretty decent. I'd recommend this place if it fits your budget and you don't have pets.

Current Resident 949792

Resident •

Missing Little Comforts

Having lived in Fairfax Square Apts for several years I was so happy to leave. If you are not easily bothered by any of the following this is the place for you: 1. Thin, thin, thin walls! You will hear everything your neighbors do and each argument they have. Not to mention the absolute JOY of living below someone who does their laundry between the hours of 2am and 6am each weekday morning. 2. The sweet, succulent smell of dog feces...especially pungent after the lawn crew mows over all of the bagged and un-bagged mess left all over the lawn. Many work mornings were enhanced by stepping into dog feces before getting in my car and driving to work. 3. Stolen Patio Furniture - enough said! Don't live with a patio that is accessible to others. 4. We all got to change our parking permits so that they could tow vehicles that are not registered...still have a lot of utility vans in our parking lot. Often you will have to park far away from your apartment, especially if you are a college student who has a late class. Folks who don't live here will easily take your space. 5. Dust and Allergens are rampant in this complex. They use cheap paint and cheap carpet. The carpet had been shampooed so many times I had to purchase a new vacuum upon leaving because the dusk/dried soap ruined the filter and vacuum beyond repair. You will also be able to smell anyone smoking cigarettes in their home or whatever they may be cooking. 6. My bathroom had no fan or window to help circulate the moisture. Be ready to clean your bathroom a lot to prevent mold from growing biweekly. 7. The maintenance crew tries their best, but caulking everything is not a solution. The cheap, hollow doors in my apartment began to split apart as with the siding on the kitchen countertop. All caulked. Maintenance isn't best at telling you when they will come, so be prepared to be surprised. As stated earlier, if none of the above things will bother you this is a fine place to live. If any of those things seems a little sketchy and like you just might be paying too much I would look for another place to live. There are better deals out there at nicer places with friendlier staff.

ER2131

Resident • 2011 - 2012

No complaints - I'd recommend it to anyone

I had a good time living here - the community was surprisingly quiet for being close to George Mason, my neighbors were all friendly but kept to themselves, and the public areas are kept clean and free of snow in the winter. I used the fitness center quite often, and they just got three new treadmills and a few new ellipticals that have tv screens. I found the office staff to be friendly, and I know that several of them live in the apartment complex. I made two or three service requests while I lived here, and each was addressed within 1-2 hours of being placed. I'm moving out of the area because of a job, but would recommend the complex to anyone. For the price, it's much nicer than most of the other apartments in the same price range in the area. I think your experience will probably have a lot to do with your neighbors and if they're loud or whatever, but the complex was nice, clean, and priced just right. The only complaint I'd have is that parking gets tight if you come in after 9pm, but there are spots - you just have to walk a bit farther from your car. I think if you pay your rent on time and don't give the people in the office any problems, you'll probably be happy here.

romikathy

Resident • 2007 - 2012

Fairfax Square experience

I've been living at Fairfax Square Apartment for over 5 years now, all I can say is its been a very wonderful experience ever since, from ample parking space, well maintained clubhouse, gym and swimming pool,spacious bedroom, kitchen and a quick response maintenance team, not to mention the most friendly and accommodating staff they have at the rental office. A special mention to The property manager Ms Asma Mahmud for a Job well done! looking forward for another great year, Thanks fairfax Square!!!

Reza00

Resident •

Great Place to live!!

I love living here! The apartments are very clean and spacious. There is nice scenery filled with trees, green grass and flowers all throughout the property. The community is wonderful. People who live here are all very kind and friendly. The property manager is awesome!! She is very helpful and considerate of her residents. Her staff is well trained and extremely friendly as well. The maintenance team is prompt and very efficient. I couldn't ask for anything more. Thank you Fairfax Square Management!! You guys are doing an awesome job!!

PyneR

Resident • 2012

Thank you for everything

We moved in a couple of months ago and have absolutely loved every moment since. It is a great community and everything is so well managed. Thank you for everything. -Robert Pyne

DAnnaLee

Resident • 2012

Good Customer Service

Good customer service - Deanna Lee

drob024

Resident • 2012

Renewing my lease

I plan on renewing my lease. I would refer this property to other renters! David Robinson