Cottonwood Forest Apartments

The leasing agent in the office is so wonderful bottom line nicest agent I talked to and with moving from 85 miles away I must have talked to at least 30 different apartments. The apartment is nothing too fancy although for the area it is the one with everything my family needed with a fair price. Appliances are probably my favorite part of the apartment. Brand new stainless steal, my stove is a gas stove which is very nice. Also we love the built in microwave definitely saves us some counter... space which is nice in a smaller apartment. We have a brand new stackable washer and dryer in our unit which for a family with kids is so nice to not have to use community washer and dryer or take it to the laundry mat. But it is an apartment size so smaller loads and bedding does not always fit, although not every unit has a washer and dryer so there is a normal sized washer and dryer conveniently located on the first floor of my building. They also keep their updates in email and they are very active on their Facebook page so that is nice to feel like we are still receiving contact from the leasing office after we signed and they aren't only available to collect rent. I requested a few things be worked on in my apartment and the maintenance guys responded to my work order immediately it didn't lay on a desk for when I move out. They were fast didn't take to long to complete their work and they were super nice. I had a great conversation with them while they worked. They also indicate on their site that they HAVE breed restrictions but do meet and greets with the aggressive breeds. I am not certain but I believe this is for them to reserve to the right to refuse an aggressive animal. Lets be real for a second here in a very pet friendly community with a majority of the residents having animals, this is a liability concern if an animal was be aggressive with another animal or resident. I have a Pitbull and they did her meet and greet she is a lover and we moved in no hiccups with our fur baby. The negative, some people suck. Although the staff is awesome some of the residents don't clean up their pets waste which is a shame since the complex is so accommodating with breeds. BUT I did not let this affect my rating because management is attempting to be all over this. Moving into this area was so much easier then I had excepted thanks to the kind team of people they have here. Thanks everyone for making us feel welcome in a new area. Lee mas

We lived here Aug 2022 - July 2023 and throughout the year we had enough problems to not renew. The dog park was closed for months at a time. Hallways and community areas were cleaned a total of once while we lived there. even though upon move in we were charged a cleaning fee, we had to completely clean the apartment because there were obvious signs it had not been cleaned before move in. we decided to move out after being notified there would be an increase in rent if we resigned, but nothing... in the apartment or community would be updated. upon moving out they charged us another cleaning fee and to "deodorize" the carpet even though we had thoroughly deep cleaned before turning in our keys. the property manager refuses to negotiate returning the entirety of our security deposit because they decided to replace the entire carpet. maintenance was prompt and efficient and the leasing office lady's were always nice, but unfortunately the bad did outweigh the good. would not recommend and would instead asvise to look elsewhere. Lee mas

Prior to move-in the apartment was poorly cleaned. Newly renovated homes have poor touches. Not worth the continually rising prices.

When I was in-between jobs and no complex would look twice at my application, Cottonwood's management was willing to be flexible and let me rent. I'm so thankful I found them! The management has bee friendly 99% of the time and available for any need we've had in the past two years. Rent is very reasonable for the area and they gave us a discount once we upped our lease to a 1 year contract instead of every 6 months. We pay our electric bill and Comcast - the rest is included.
Yes, the units are... decades old, yet they are certainly still comfortable. When I moved in, they did install new carpet, tile, and a bathroom vanity, as well as give everything a fresh coat of paint. I believe they are in the process of doing this as long time residents move out. The closet space is wonderful for an apartment. If you're in a model with a den you would have even more room. The walls aren't thick, but that's to be expected. We hear our upstairs neighbors occasionally, but nothing out of the ordinary.
I can confirm that not all units have a dishwasher, as we do not. Kitchen counter space is limited, but that could be remedied by buying a kitchen cart or a small table.
The laundry room is convenient and frequently available. It's actually cheaper than local laundromats. Heating and cooling are decent, remembering that we live in Michigan. The brick buildings get a little damp, but that is manageable. The management keeps up the lawns and roadways nicely. You are responsible for keeping your own deck/patio and carport clean.
Cottonwood is tucked away from the main roads, which is nice for noise. School buses come inside the complex to pick up kids. Senior service shuttles may also do the same. The carports are in good condition and some offer additional storage space.However, the traffic is very busy on Baldwin and Cottonwood. Planning travel times carefully is a must if you want to get out on the main roads smoothly.
Cottonwood is an affordable place to live realistically. It's not luxurious, but it's safe and comfortable. We've been glad to call it home and it will be remembered fondly. Lee mas

I live here for a year in 2009-2010 and again for the entirety of 2013.

The office staff is friendly and answers questions promptly. The owner even worked with me to allow me to keep all three of my cats, instead of allowing only two per the lease.

There was a water main break that shut off water to my building and a few others in the cluster. It was fixed within two days and bottled water was left for us in the mean time.

The only real issue is that the units themselves are a bit dated. Some... don't have dishwashers and all of them, to my knowledge, have baseboard heating. The heating keeps the main room and kitchen heated, but the rooms get cold, especially the "master" at the end of the hallway. Maintenance has been out twice to look at it, but I've just settled for heavier blankets. There is also only one washer and dryer per 8 units in one building. I have yet to be able to do my laundry here because it is ALWAYS in use when I'm home.

Neighbors are a nice mix of families, older folks and college age adults. My neighbors below me have a child and I haven't heard her crying once this past year.

It is a great place to live! I'd be staying if my situation was a bit different. Lee mas