9/19/23
Safety/communication concerns
The apartments themselves are pretty nice, with the exception of the bulky AC units they’ve placed on the walls of the living rooms/bedrooms and the odd shape of the rooms (non-symmetrical, difficult to place furniture).
That being said, there are several key issues that future tenants should be aware of regarding safety around the building and the communication with the staff:
SAFETY - while my husband was standing on our front porch, a random man tried to enter our patio from the street. As... this obviously shook us up and impacted our feeling of safety living here, we brought this to the attention of the leasing office, who was very delayed in responding, and provided no real solution other than a hefty lease termination payment, or the option to pay $500 to move to a new unit. I was hopeful that given the gravity of the situation, they may be able to negotiate or make an exception, but they refused.
The area has a lot of police activity and arrests. One of the first nights we lived here, a cop approached us saying he had received reports of a woman screaming and asked if we had seen/heard anything.
COMMUNICATION - do not expect to hear from the leasing office for days at a time. They have an automated response message with a provided number to call for immediate assistance, but they will never answer that number. I called several times throughout the week at varying times, and did not get through to anyone at all. I also left a voicemail specifically requesting a call back from them, and never received a call. Email response times are often a full 48-hrs.
Additionally, we were originally quoted $2,090 by the leasing office to terminate our lease. A few emails/days later, they clarified that they were mistaken and it would actually be $2,489. Not sure how they mixed up the numbers. Even after emphasizing the concern around the incident with the man trying to enter our patio, they refused to work with us, which is very ironic considering they kept stating they prioritize safety and that they have security on site (which I have never once seen patrolling or walking around - this was news to me).
In each response, they were sure to claim that their “primary concern is to ensure [our] well-being and satisfaction as a resident.” However, when it came down to our safety vs. the money they could receive from us, you can take a guess at which they prioritized.
Review from Apartments.com
Property Manager at Connolly Station responded to this review
Hello Eileen, We deeply regret the incident on your front porch, which understandably shook you up. We acknowledge the delay in our response, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused. The safety of our residents is paramount, and we will... continue to enhance security measures in the area. We also apologize for any confusion regarding lease termination costs and will ensure clear and accurate communication moving forward. We want to inform you that a team member has reached out to you via email at ConnollyStation@essex.com. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, don't hesitate to respond to the email or reach out to our team. We are here to help and ensure your concerns are addressed promptly. We hope we can start by improving your experience at our community. Your satisfaction is important to us, and we are committed to addressing your concerns and enhancing your living experience.- Your team at Connolly Station
