Botanic Apartments — Attraction in Pooler

STEER CLEAR of this rental NIGHTMARE!

I feel compelled to share my experience to help others make an informed decision. Unfortunately, my time here has been filled with numerous issues that have significantly affected my quality of life (not just myself by the looks of the recently updated reviews from other residents).

Health Concerns: The HVAC unit in my apartment had (I’ve since moved) 4 types of mold growing due to the condensate drainpipe getting repeatedly clogged. The mold growth included toxic molds. Despite submitting multiple service requests and fixing the condensate draining issue myself several times (as shown by the Maintenance Manager at the time of my first work order on April 17th), the maintenance team merely wiped away the residue without testing or treating it as mold, negligently assuming it is not an environmental health hazard. This approach does not address potential air quality concerns and poses a health risk as the air continues to circulate through my ducts. Had I not taken photos and sent my own petri dish and swabs away for analysis (thankfully I did this before they came and wiped it away or I'd have no proof as they keep trying to cover this up). I've had HVAC issues 6-7 times in 90+ degree heat this summer, taking 20+ hours (yes - apparently this is their response time it being an "emergency", as determined by the outdoor temp) for maintenance to respond in some cases or requiring persistent follow up due to recurrence and lack of long-term remedy being provided. Having had a condensate drainpipe issue in my own home (prior to moving here), they could improve flow by changing way the pipe is output from the unit to reduce resistance and enable the condensate to drain effectively.

Initial Move-In Issues: Moving here was my first experience with homelessness... due to the inability to move in on the agreed-upon date in the original lease, I had to spend excess time in an AirBNB on my dime. This was a major inconvenience and a stressful start to my tenancy.

Maintenance Problems: The HVAC unit was extremely noisy when I first moved in, requiring immediate support. Additionally, the maintenance and management teams alike have repeatedly failed to follow requests on my account to call before entering my apartment. As someone who works from home, you are expected to drop everything when the maintenance team shows up at your door unannounced, which is troublesome when you're in meetings. If you continue on your meeting and don't answer the door, they will just enter on their own accord. This is particularly concerning as I have a protective dog or could be unclothed or showering. In talking with the property manager about this concern in June, I was informed this is an issue for other residents too (one of which I was told was walked in on naked during "annual" inspections in June).

Lack of Responsiveness: Communication with the property manager has been poor. Emails regarding various concerns dating back to November 2023 have gone unanswered, leaving issues unresolved and tenants feeling unheard. When following up about this, I was told she delegated responding to my email to someone else on her team who was "out for blood" and no longer with the Botanic team.

Appliance and Pest Issues: Upon initial move in, my dishwasher was not functioning properly. Furthermore, I have encountered roaches and ants inside my apartment several times.

Electric Bill: In the B1U floorplan, expect to pay upwards of $250-300+/month for electricity... potentially in part due to the malfunctioning HVAC unit that runs excessively whenever it gets backed up (6-7 times in

On March 21, 2023 was the first time I inquired about moving to Botanic Luxury Apartments. They were not open yet but it was supposed to be opening on March 31 which worked perfect for our timeline of moving across the country. We were going to be in town with all our belongings on April 14. This starts the series of the ever changing dates that are in this review. To be clear, the dates changing was an inconvenience however we understood due to construction things can be unpredictable, the issue lies with the transparency of the dates which I believe the lies were because they were worried we wouldn’t lock in the apartment or walk away. After picking out the floor plan that worked best for our needs and paying the upfront cost, on March 27, we were told the apartment would not be ready and that it had been delayed until April 14. This puts us believing we would be going straight to the apartment. March 31, we submitted all needed documents and confirmed no deposit was needed. On April 6, there would be another delay for construction but the date would be April 20 but they were still hopeful for sooner which now leaves us pulling the trailer for an additional 6 days and paying out of pocket additional days for the trailer. April 7, we were told all we were waiting for was just state and local inspections and April 20th was still a go. April 14, we were set to arrive and we reached out because a lease still has not been signed. But Botanic was still suppose to get word of approval or not. We reached out and we were told it had failed. April 17,I inquired about us using a detached garage so we could at least not have to pull the trailer around. We had wanted to rent an additional garage anyways and building 1 had passed and was opening. We were told they would have to get approval and would get back with us but we would have to sign a lease for it. We got approval for the garage and on April 18th, we went and paid for the garage and got the key for it to unload the garage still with the expectation that we are getting the apartment on April 20th. April 20th comes and we get a call that the apartment still is not ready. So I requested to speak with the property manager. She reaches out on April 21st and I asked if she had an apartment that was open for a temporary move in until ours is ready. They needed approval for that in which they did receive. However, we had to wait until they had the CO and the building had been cleaned. We get the move in date for the temporary apartment for April 28th. This is after being in a hotel for 2 weeks which cost money. At this point, our actual apartment only needs power. When we move in to the temporary apartment, building 3 was not close to being finished. We still see that there is counter top in the garage, flooring outside, all the appliances in the garage and stickers still on the windows that were open. You can see this from looking over the mesh green fence that was up. Just power right?? We signed a lease on May 23rd for our move in date of June 1. But they let us move in a few days early and on May 26th. I arrived later and was there at June 2, with my dogs. Upon our stay there, no one picked up after their dogs and while showing my mother the computer room, there was even dog waste in there. Owners did not leash their dogs and it was a constant problem. When we no longer needed the garage, they told me we typically don’t let you end the garage however after approval and the garage being in high demand, they took back the garage. When it came time for us to leave earlier than our lease end date, there was no working with us on the fees even after the experience we had there. We move out after paying everything. On a better note, the apartments are beautiful and the nicest in the area. The gym is really nice however, cable machine cannot be used due to improper setup. There is only one dumpster for the entire apartment complex. Spiders are a problem even with weekly spraying you have to check your clothes, shoes, bed,...

I used to love living at Botanic. Truly. When I first moved in, there were some bumps along the way, but the team on-site made it feel like home. Colton and Lillian were always there to help! Colton would go above and beyond, even helping carry heavy packages across the property. Lillian handled every issue with speed and empathy. She even took the time to hand write a welcome letter when I moved in. The maintenance crew, Warren and Vinny, were the best I’ve ever experienced. And Cass, the cleaner, worked nonstop to keep the community spotless.

Even with poor leadership from the original managers, Jada and Ashley, the rest of the staff kept the place running smoothly. You could tell they cared.

But all of that has changed, and not for the better.

Now, the community is completely unrecognizable. There’s an entirely new team in place and they clearly have no idea what they’re doing—or worse, they just don’t care. Taylor, the new property manager, is completely unresponsive to residents. It’s like she’s allergic to communication. Don’t expect a returned call, email, or even a “hello” if you see her in person. She vanishes into the back office and avoids any interaction.

Michelle, the assistant manager, keeps the lights off and the doors closed so frequently it genuinely looks like the office is closed most days. I’ve seen people come and go, confused as to whether the leasing office is even operational. Spoiler: it barely is.

Maya, the last team member who genuinely seemed to care and was holding the place together, is now gone too. Honestly, I can’t blame her. It looks like she got fed up with the disaster this place has become and moved on to something better—and who wouldn’t?

Resident events? Used to be fun, creative, and community-driven. Now it’s one “pool day” where someone threw bags of chips at residents and called it a party. That’s the extent of what the current team thinks community engagement is.

The grounds are no longer clean. The building feels neglected. The entire vibe is off—like no one is home and no one wants to be.

I truly miss having people around who actually cared about the residents. The old team made this place worth living in. The new management has turned it into a ghost town with a locked door and a silent phone line.

If you’re considering Botanic, my honest advice? Keep looking. This isn’t luxury living. It’s mismanaged, uncaring, and headed...