The Falls Apartments — Attraction in Raleigh

The Falls is okay, but from my perspective, you can find a better bang for your buck elsewhere. These apartments are very expensive for tiny spaces, especially when you consider that they constantly have the water shut off for entire days and sometimes multiple days in a row. Also, the electric bill was disturbingly high, perhaps from outdated appliances, or energy-inefficient appliances? I never figured it out but the same month at The Falls was $130 whereas it’s $70 at our new place, and our new place has much more square feet. Some months the electric bill was nearly $200 somehow. Also, NO OVERHEAD LIGHTING! That was a major downside because you have to use lamps, so get some good ones if you choose to live here.

There were more bugs than I’d have liked to see while living here, thankfully not an infestation but you’d see a big roach every so often, and carpet beetles.

Additionally, the fridge was set up in such a way that we literally couldn’t use one of the drawers because the fridge was right by the wall, so the door couldn’t open fully due to the handle size and door stopper, and as a result there was a drawer for vegetables at the bottom that we literally couldn’t open. There also wasn’t very much counter space. The balcony was nice though. The wood was rotting on the balcony in some spots where it gets rained on, but it’s nice otherwise because you can sit outside and enjoy nature.

The community of residents was really kind; I enjoyed the gym. The mailbox situation could get a bit frustrating because there were 3 locations that mail could go: the parcel office, your physical mailbox, or in front of your door. Random chance which one it’ll be. I never had a problem with noisy neighbors so that was great, the sound deadening in the apartment must be decent. Our neighbors did smoke pot and sometimes you could smell it in your own apartment. I didn’t care but others might.

We also had a major pipe burst in our unit. Literally me and my neighbors were sweeping pools of water out of our kitchen. Maintenance came and fixed the issue, very kind emergency maintenance person. Generally maintenance was kind. I had a request for them to fix something and it broke again within a few days because they sloppily fixed it (and even I could tell it wasn’t fixed properly), but after the second time, they got it together and fixed it right. The office workers seemed very nice. I enjoyed the community building events being hosted.

There is parking for residents who have lived there for a long time and I have to wonder, what is so good about this place that you’ve lived here for this long? They had the audacity to try to raise our rent when it was time to renew, even though we could literally see on the website that units were going for cheaper than we were paying for ours. Plus, there was a sheet that said the benefits of living at The Falls long-term, such as… if you renew, you can get 1 USB outlet upgraded. Ok.. that benefits The Falls (since the unit is being upgraded), not really me! Also, a carpet cleaning. Again, who is this benefiting? After 2 years you can get a one-time $25 rent credit. So basically nothing. You only get your reserved parking spot after 10 years, and of the list of “benefits” for renewing, that was the only one that was semi-appealing, and even then, not all that necessary because thankfully there was usually plenty of parking. I never had any late payments, was friendly with the neighbors, etc. so I felt offended by them raising my rent.

Overall, there were too many cons for me to stay. I found another unit that is twice as big for only $100 more than I was paying at The Falls. I just think you can probably do better. But let me be clear, there are also plenty of worse rentals out there. I would call my experience here mediocre.

Also, just a pointer - make sure to take detailed extensive pictures when you move in, and when you move out. TAKE PICTURES OF EVERYTHING! This is good advice for any rental situation, if you want any chance of getting your security deposit back when...

Updated comment: The move-out fee notice, dated August 23nd, specifies a payment deadline of 5 days. However, I received the notice on August 28th. It's puzzling how the management team seems unaware of the USPS delivery duration to another city, effectively pushing for an additional late fee rather than accounting for mail transit times.

Summary: change of management team, lack of training of new staffs, lack of empathy and long delay response. In July 2023, I submitted a money order for my July rent. When I visited the office, I informed the team that my bank account was currently locked and in the process of being closed. Since this is my only bank account, the autopay option couldn't go through. At present, I only have $50 cash left, so I had to borrow money from a friend to make the rent payment. The person I spoke to at the office mentioned nothing about the NSF fee and agreed to hold the money order to pay for the rent. However, I still received an unexpected warning stating that I hadn't paid my rent on time and that I needed to pay both the NSF and late fees. Frustrated, I went to the office and reiterated that my bank account was locked and that I had already paid the rent with a money order last week. Unfortunately, the person I spoke to showed no empathy towards my urgent financial situation. He expressed his indifference towards my bank account issue and insisted that I must pay the fees. Furthermore, he did not apologize for the mishandling of the money order I submitted. Eventually, he agreed to waive the late fee, but I still have to pay the NSF fee. Then, when I presented the money order to cover the NSF fee, the lady at the counter did not attentively listen when I asked her to note and sign the receipt for the money order, and she also seemed unaware of the NSF fee which shows that the new staff is lack of training. Throughout all of these unexpected events, I haven't felt any sympathy for my financial difficulties from the team. Despite losing my job during the COVID pandemic, I have always paid my rent on time, even if it meant borrowing money. It seems that none of the team members can truly comprehend the predicament I am currently facing. Then, I sent an email to the manager telling them all the challenges and frustrations I had encountered. However, it took them 9 days to respond, and when they did, their reply sound like a robot. Due to your team's mistakes and lack of training, residents have had to bear the responsibilities and financial losses. Is it reasonable?

First of all, I don't know why there're some negative reviews under this apartment, but I have to say this is a great apartment with a fair price and perfect location in Raleigh. And they never ask for a positive review and I don't get any benefit from this 5-star review. Very good and professional customer service. On the move-in day, I got a call, while I was driving from my previous apartment with a lot of luggage in Greensboro, said my assigned 1b1b was not ready and I was not able to get the key and move-in on that day. After 40 mins discussion, they provided a PERFECT solution for avoiding me to take another 1.5 hour to drive back to Greensboro. After I moving in for a month, they gave me a follow-up call and asked me if my apartment had any issues. This is my first time to get a follow-up call from a management team of apartment ever. I've been renting apartment for more than 10 years in NC. And they are the only management team really cares about their residents, not just money. Also, I love the environment. It's very quiet and clean. And the package storage is also great. I never worried about losing my package. A 200% Great Apartment Rent...

Review from a tenant with a 1bedroom apartment on the 2nd floor:

Lived at the Falls for 1.5 years and overall had a pretty good experience living there. Going to list pros and cons below. Apartment size or storage space shouldn't be part of these reviews considering people know what they're getting before they sign. Also bad/loud neighbors are always a dice roll and will be anywhere really, I can't blame them for that.

I do want to say if I did it again, I would want to live on the third floor. They probably have the best sound isolation.

Pros: -Maintenance was always very fast -Exterminator comes by monthly -Package locker system was convenient -Experience with office workers was usually good -Provided a noise complaint once and they handled it appropriately -Great water pressure and heat -Nearby dumpsters for each apartment

Cons: -I wish the gym had more equipment, it could only really have 3 people in it at once -I never used the pool, but I dont think adults will ever want to go there unless they have kids. -The paint on the walls wasn't the best, it would chip around some windows and my command strips couldn't grip it well

My only genuine complaint is the lease renewal rates. When my initial 13 month lease was coming to an end, they offered me different renewal rates, all based on the number of months I resign for. At the time I was unsure about some things, so I resigned for 4 months, which is several hundred more than 13 month rate, which I expected. However when I considered resigning after the 4 month lease, the 13 month rate was the rate of my 4 month lease and not close to the other rates I was offered 4 months before. I went to the office and asked if it was correct or if it could be adjusted and they just sent me the exact same renewal rates offers a week later.

Regarding the bugs I see on some reviews. I personally didn't have a big issue. I saw a total of two large bugs my 1.5 years there, which will happen anywhere. However I was on the 2nd floor.

The Falls was my first apartment in Raleigh and I had to move here during the beginning of the Pandemic, overall I had a positive experience. I think these apartments are great for people just joining the work force or people who are relocating...