Vineyard at Arlington — Local services in Arlington

I like to think I am a good tenant. I have always paid rent on time and have never trashed a place. I have always had my deposit returned. With that being said, The Vineyards at Arlington may be the most horribly run apartment complex I have ever lived in.

Now, to get into the details of this whole ordeal. First, I already knew going in what kind of place this was. It was cheap and I needed a place to stay that was half way between my work and family. The appliances, as one can imagine, are pretty old and generally don't work well. My AC never worked during the summer and I put in two work orders. Then, when the rains came, my ceiling began to leak. I lived on the first floor and the laminate flooring began to bubble up. Again, work orders were placed, but the problems were never fixed. I never had any roach issues, but that's mainly because I put roach traps in every corner of the apartment.

The people in the front office are nice enough when you talk to them, but overall, are incompetent. When I moved out of these apartments I left everything clean and tidy. I gave them my forwarding address and made contact various times to make sure no charges would be applied to me other than the final utility bill. It was quite a surprise then to receive a massive bill straight from a collection agency over a month after I had moved out of my apartment. Let me state this in no uncertain terms-sending a tenant a bill over 30 days past move out date that is not itemized when they provided a forwarding address is illegal under Texas law.

Once I received this bill I made several attempts to obtain an itemized bill from the front office. I was hung up on many times and generally just given the run around. I finally drove to the office and demanded an itemized bill. What they charged me for is absurd. They charged me for carpet cleaning even though my apartment had zero carpet, only laminate flooring. I was also charged for changing the blinds even though they were not damaged. I was charged for resurfacing even though the damage was caused by the apartment staffs own neglegance to follow through with repairs. I was charged for a parking sticker return even though I was never informed it was to be returned in the first place. Since these unjustified, and illegal, charges have been sent to collections there is a chance it will sink my credit score.

I am currently challenging these charges. It has been a headache to say the least. I would advise any individual interested in these apartments to seek residence some where else. If you do decide to move in make sure to read up on your rights as a tenant. Ask for a copy of everything and take pictures of everything. They will try to squeeze every cent of they can out of you. I cannot say this more emphatically. This is the worst apartment complex.

response to management* First, let me say that I am glad you responded to my review as it seems it is the only way to get you to respond quickly. Second, it's funny that you say these charges are not on my account because I have proof, in the form of an itemized bill that I have sent to you in an email, that you sent them to a collections agency. I also received a copy when I went into the office. The law in Texas applies whether a security deposit is made or not. You, as landlord, acted in bad faith by not sending me an itemized bill within the 30 day window allotted to you after I moved out given that I gave you a forwarding address. In addition, while I should have entered the work orders online, I actually called in for repairs and was told a work order would be put...

I should have listened to my friend Kenny (she posted a previous review) when she moved in here and it was an absolute wreck but I didn’t because I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. So I was originally told that my move in date would be July 3rd and then maybe a week after I was told that, Shelly told me that my move in date would be July 7th to ensure the apartment would be ready. Okay, cool. “Ready” meaning clean and sprayed for bugs so I thought. I was also told that I could move in anytime between 10 and 5. I have text messages to prove it. So I lived two hours away from this location so me and my parents left our location at 8 and got here around 10:30 maybe so we walk into the leasing office and there are several other guests waiting and complaining about how they were told they were going to move in today but they couldn’t for some reason so they had to wait until the following Monday. It was finally my turn and I told the lady, Meggie or Maggie, I was supposed to be moving in today and she was confused. She then proceeded to tell me that no one can move in until 3 because the apartment needs to be “ready.” I thought it was getting “ready” during those 4 extra days that had my move in date moved. Anyways, I finally get the keys. Did not sign a lease because the printer was broken thankfully because when I got in the apartment... roaches everywhere. It wasn’t clean. Smelled like mold. It’s honestly disgusting here. Some lady is feeding stray cats in the front of my apartment so there are several cats outside and the smell of cat food every time I would open the door. I’m so glad that the printer was broken because I refuse to live here and if you think you want to live here, you’re absolutely mistaken. They don’t answer the phone in the office, Meggie or Maggie was extremely rude to my mother and then apologized when we were told the Assistant property manager was on her way to help out (which she never showed up, she had a “family emergency” 10 minutes after we were told she was coming). This place is absolutely terrible and you would be an idiot to purposely live here.

In response to the owner: It’s a shame that you could actually type a response that is an absolute lie. There was no truth to your statement whatsoever. I would never walk into an office, using “foul language” and then proceed to “throw” the keys at your employee. My mom was on the phone the entire time and I would never use foul language in front of my mom. I placed the keys on the desk and said “I won’t be moving in because there were roaches everywhere” and I left. You didn’t even address that which shows that you’re a terrible owner who tried (and failed) to put the blame on me by lying about an altercation that never happened. Also, no one has called me and I don’t want you all to call me anyways. There’s nothing to discuss besides the fact that your response was a lie. To say that you tried to call me is actually hilarious being that you all never answer the phone anyways. Why would you take time out of your day to pick up a phone that you NEVER pick up to call me “multiple times.”...

This apartment complex was a disaster! I should have noticed from day one. When I went in to sign my lease the gentlemen that assisted me was new. It was his first day with no help. He messed up on more than one thing. Told me the lease was for 12months previously and when I went to sign the lease was for 6 months. They ended up working with me on that because they had no choice and I had written everything down. After that was the move in day, I was unable to walk the apartment previously and so the move in day was the walk through day. So many things were wrong including the baby roaches all over the kitchen counter and cabinets. After that was the loud neighbors playing their music loud and leaving trash everywhere downstairs. Bottles, food, trash bags and more. After that was my friends car getting towed randomly. I got In contact with the office and they refused any assistance saying that they were independent and they had nothing to do with the towing. I had proof where the office highlighted the parking lot in front of my apartment saying where we could park and where visitors could park. She was parked where the lot was highlighted they still refused. After paying $415 to get her car out of the lot we requested a new highlighted parking lot to where it was okay to park. This is not all! Next was the break in to my downstairs neighbor. I was terrified after that. The whipped topping to this terrible apartment complex was the aggravated assault with a deadly weapon that occurred in front of my apartment in the yard on January 2nd of 2016! This year ladies and gentlemen! I was assaulted and beat with a bat by a neighbor that lived not even 5 steps next to me! The cops were involved and the perpetrator was taken to jail that night. At that point after almost a year of taking this all in I found it was time to get the heck out of here! Not only the assault but that my cellphone was stolen from the pool that had cameras and the perpetrator was my next door neighbors family member! They also got arrested and charged with theft. Thank god for the law in Texas for Victims of Arlington that they help you get out. The apartment complex fought for me not to move and even offered me the apartment right next to mine to move to! Let's not forget that the Thursday after the incident my neighbors front door windows were shattered and the lady across the way said she saw the person. It was family of the pepetrator that did it! How wonderful right!? Well I'm blessed and healthy and out of there! I have moved far away and glad that all of that is behind me but please do your research before you consider this apartment complex. It was hell for me and I want to avoid anyone going through what I...