Belmont Apartments

Young fem w cat - I lived in 581 3rd floor facing West (important) for almost 3 years; here’s my review :)
PROS:
-amazing older building charm, the windows are AMAZING especially on the top floor. you get a view of city lights downtown every night and you can sit on the sill. I miss the windows so much.
-Andy is very helpful and kind. He gives off the energy that he will take care of his residents.
-Maintenance wasn’t needed for me often, but was prompt when requested.
-the people who live... in the building are (mostly) all super chill and amazing to chat with outside (or in the basement when there is a tornado). great community!
-I never felt unsafe. The alley with parking is tucked away with downtown wanderers every now and then, but no real anxiety there for me
-heating/water/etc included in rent, boiler in basement, and cost is affordable

CONS:
-A/C not provided and the sun is HOT (at least facing West) you must get blackout curtains and a/c for the summer on your own dime if you dont want perpetual heat-headaches in the summer
-walls on 3rd floor, which is different than the lower 2 floors, are pretty thin, so you can hear everything in the next room - not that big of a deal most of the time
-the space I had was pretty small for my cat and I. not much room to do much of anything other than sit and lay on the ground

I moved out of town, but if I were to stay in Columbus, I probably would have stayed at the Belmont for a while longer until I decided I needed more space. I definitely recommend anyone to live here if you are a chill neighbor to have! Lee mas

I lived in building 581 for a year before I had to move on unrelated circumstances. Had things been different I would’ve stayed longer, the rent is very affordable, Andy with management is quick to respond and very helpful. It’s near downtown with good views and walkable distance to lots of things to do, but still relatively quiet. My neighbors were always quiet and pleasant to talk to. I didn’t have any issues in my time there that required maintenance so I can’t speak on that, but all things... considered I really enjoyed my time there. The parking is first come first serve but I was always able to park within the block, and never had any issues with my car being broken into. There was a strong community in the building, and everyone was very polite and helpful If I needed anything. I’d absolutely recommend trying this place out if you’re considering it. Lee mas

The Belmont was an OK place to live, however, as soon as my lease expired I couldn’t wait to move. I lived there for a year. The laundry facilities are not cleaned, so bring Clorox wipes down to clean the machines before you use them. People also just leave clothes and trash strewn about in the laundry room, and there are cobwebs caking the windows and pipings in there also. I have seen cockroaches in the laundry room, however, the landlord is always quick to fix that issue. The washers and... dryers are out of order sometimes. The hallway and other common areas are not cleaned often, and the building smells. When we do call maintenance, the fix is always the bare minimum, and often needs repaired again a month or two later. The building always reeks of marijuana, despite the no smoking signs. Oftentimes the smell seeped into my apartment, so I always had to have candles handy. Parking will be an issue, so look into renting a garage spot. You get what you pay for. Lee mas

I lived at 581 Town St for 2 years and have absolutely loved it! Andy is so fun to talk to and makes apartment living very easy. Andy is also very responsive and always has a great attitude. The building is very quiet and despite being downtown the street is very quiet as well. I rarely had to call for maintenance but when I did it was taken care of very quickly.
I never had any issues with pests or even loud neighbors, everyone has been so friendly. I felt very safe here and my car has... never had any damage with the street parking. I have recommended Belmont Apartments in the past to friends and will continue to do so. It is downtown living at a great price! Lee mas

Overall, the Belmont was an OK place to live. Not terrible, not great. On the upside, it’s in a neat area, walkable to the topiary park, main library, and art museum. There are a lot of cool places close by in Olde Town East as well. The price isn’t bad for a central location, and for the most part noise wasn’t an issue when I lived there. In addition, the landlord Andy was very kind.

On the downside, the fixtures and appliances in the building were dated. On top of that, maintenance was very... hit or miss. Nothing was ever fixed or replaced beyond the bare minimum. Many of my windows didn’t work correctly, the tub faucet dripped, and the bathroom faucet had corroded. Also, the hallways often smelled weird. While some quirks are to be expected in an older building, many of these were easy fixes that simply went ignored.

Although the building is allegedly non-smoking, some residents opted not to observe this. As a non-smoker I found this incredibly off-putting, and would not have moved in if I had known, but your mileage may vary. Be sure to invest in a window A/C as summers can be brutal.

Parking lot space was first come first serve, which wasn’t ideal, but I was never unable to find a place to park within a block’s distance. My car was broken into once, though I had nothing of value taken. As with the rest of downtown, there is the occasional shady character in the area. It always pays to be vigilant.

Again—not terrible, not great. Although the price is good for the area, in the end it wasn’t worth the frustration for me. Lee mas