Campus Lodge — Attraction in Columbia Township

Fun fact: I get to write this review from my phone because the internet has been down for hours for the 11th time this month, and that is a literal fact with no exaggeration. This is my third year at campus lodge, and I have mostly negative experiences here and would not recommend it. When first moving in to campus lodge with my roommates, our washer, dryer, microwave, and stove did not work. It took about a week of constant complaints to get these things fixed. The furniture they give you is disgusting, old, and uncomfortable. The apartments are incredible outdated in every way. I stayed after my first year and some of my roommates moved out, and campus lodge never came in and properly cleaned the rooms. In fact, two of the rooms in my apartment do not close and can be opened just by gently pushing. For the first time ever in my third year, campus lodge did a “quarterly apartment inspection”, and this pretty much is them coming into your apartment to see if you have any violations so they can charge you. While they “took notes” of things needing to be fixed and my complaints, they never followed up, and when I called in the front desk had no notes of these changes being requested in their system. The internet and cable are garbage, and their provider is incredibly difficult to work with. I have not had my analog channels for over a year and a half, and despite me complaining to the cable provider and Campus Lodge, nothing has changed. Also the rent itself is too expensive. Nicer apartments nearby are cheaper and more modern. Campus Lodge will often promise you gift cards, but are terrible about ordering them. And in the agreement for the gift cards, you pretty much have to say you can’t do anything if you never get the gift card. Twice I have dealt with the gift card issue, which they say will be in within a week or two of move-in, and I believe we didn’t get them until around October. Also, you need to pay to get a physical copy, which takes even more time to be delivered. So I hope you aren’t relying on the gift cards for groceries like I foolishly was. The shuttle breaks once a week, and with the way it is scheduled almost always will force you to have to run to class to be on time. I will say that ultimately the maintenance staff and front desk are friendly, but the management is incompetent, straight up disrespectful, and only have their profit in mind. If you really hate yourself, go ahead and sign...

Update: Campus Lodge posted to their Instagram today offering raffle tickets for good reviews. Tricks like that are why they have any positive reviews whatsoever. The apartment is fine. It is fairly spacious for the price, but a little run down. I have no real complaints about that. Except the parking lot lights are so bright that you will never get any sleep unless you install blackout curtains. Also the walls are paper thin so if people are driving loudly in the parking lot, you will also never get any sleep. Everything else about Campus Lodge is absolutely awful. They got my roommate group wrong, luckily they were able to fix it eventually. For some reason, the management thought it would be a good idea to have every single person move in on the exact same day! I was in line for over four hours in the heat and sun. When I finally got to the front of the line, they made me pay rent for all of August right then even though I only got to live there for a week in August. Then, I get to my apartment, and they didn't even clean it!!! They eventually sent some people up to clean the common areas, but they wouldn't clean the bedroom because I had already moved in. They also gave all of us the wrong keys to bedrooms and mailboxes, and when I asked for a mailbox key, they straight up didn't have a master key for my mailbox that they could duplicate. Seriously?? How do you not have a master key? Also, they put me in the wrong bedroom in the system, and it took me going into the office and asking SEVEN times before they finally put me in the correct room. The shuttle is somewhat reliable, which is necessary because while they advertise that it is close to campus, it is not. It would take well over an hour to walk to campus. The electricity billing is terrible. I've been billed for the same month three times in a row. Plus there was a non-refundable fee of $60 just for the privilege of receiving electric bills. Good luck ever trying to get ahold of the office by phone, they never pick up. Also, be prepared to need new suspension on your car from the horrible speed bumps. Don't even think about living here if you don't have a car. Overall, it's not a terrible apartment, but the incredibly horrible management manages to mess it up completely. This place is the cheapest for a reason. Notice all the five-star reviews posted exactly one day before mine, all mentioning the exact same things? Pretty...

I recently concluded a one-year stay at Campus Lodge, and unfortunately, what I hoped would be a positive experience turned out to be quite the opposite. One of the most glaring issues is the poor security on the premises, and what makes matters worse is the lackadaisical attitude of the management in addressing these concerns.

My ordeal reached its peak when my electric bike was stolen right from the building's hallway. Not just any bike, mind you, this was a birthday gift from my spouse, a cherished symbol of love and a significant financial investment. But Campus Lodge? They yawned in the face of my loss.

Here's how it went: bike vanishes from the supposed "secure" hallway, I reported it immediately (within 5 days!), and their response? Crickets. Despite their "24/7 recording," the "footage" conveniently disappeared faster than my bike. Reporting the theft was a frustrating experience as well; the case seemed to be treated with minimal significance. Follow-up from the management was practically non-existent, leaving me to initiate contact repeatedly, only to be met with the same generic questions and apparent disinterest in resolving the matter.

The disappointment led me to make the tough decision to relet my apartment, and the management's response was nothing short of shocking. Their primary concern seemed to be centered around financial matters, with my security deposit mysteriously not being returned. Upon questioning this deduction, I was informed it was due to the reletting of my apartment, a condition not outlined in the leasing agreement.

So, what can Campus Lodge offer you? Well, if you fancy affordability and you're thrilled with the idea of living in a constant state of “buyer beware,” where your belongings are at the mercy of phantom thieves and your concerns are met with the emotional depth of a paper towel, then you've found your paradise. But for those who value security, responsiveness, and even a shred of basic human empathy, steer clear of Campus Lodge.

Overall, here is what you enjoy when you move into Campus Lodge and hence, my one-star rating:

• Affordability • Poor security leading to a significant theft. • Unresponsive and dismissive management. • Unwarranted withholding of security deposit. • Overall lack of care and empathy.

To be forewarned is to...