Chapel Hill North Apartments — Local services in Chapel Hill

I lived at Chapel Hill North Apartments for the past two years in a studio (basically one bedroom) and moved out this past May. This will be my honest review living here and I will fit all that I can within the character limit.

Pros: The location is great for students and those who work in the area since the bus stop (NS) is only a 3-4 minute walk. UNC is a 10 minute drive and at max a 30 minute bus ride (usually only takes about 20 minutes). It is right off the highway (I-40), so getting to Durham/Raleigh is easy. It is also within walking distance to a bunch of businesses, a gas station, and a grocery store. Overall it is very quiet since there are no undergrads and mostly just grad students / young professionals (21+ community). The street facing apartments are a little bit noisier because of the traffic/businesses/etc. It has never bothered me though. The management team are nice as individuals. I rarely needed maintenance to be honest, but the few times I did, they addressed my issues quickly. I felt safe as a young woman living alone in my apartment. Most of the residents are really nice too. The apartment itself was nice, there is an in-unit washer and dryer and although my apartment was listed as a 564 sq ft “studio”, it was essentially a one bedroom because there was a door separating every room. Lastly, I received my full deposit back, so that was nice as I have heard other places like to try to charge residents random, unfair fees upon move out just to get more money.

Cons: Rent is high and increased by almost $100 my second year. The amenities do not necessarily reflect the rent. The gym is okay and there is not a whole lot to do besides go to pool in summer or play pool in the lobby. They have little events each month, which is nice, but definitely does not make up for the high rent. I think the rent is mostly worth it for location and how quiet it is. Something I have noticed in a lot of “luxury” apartments is that there are many review incentives. I did not know these existed until I moved here. Every so often, they would send us emails saying the first person(s) to write a review would get tickets to a local sporting event or would get a discount on reserved parking or some other type of incentive. There were different variations, but it always rubbed me the wrong way. The security within the apartment is fine as I have never had a package stolen or anything happen inside. However, as other reviews have mentioned, there are break-ins that happen. The main ones I have seen is with those who have Kias and Hyundais. However, the main thing I got upset about was that Chapel Hill North had posted signs that there were security cameras on the property and in the garage (one of the main reasons I was willing to pay more in rent), but after my friends who lives in the building had their car broken into and stolen, I talked to the office and they said that those postings are there to “scare” thieves, but they do not actually have cameras. Since I spoke to them, they took down the signs rather than actually getting cameras. Unfortunately, there are roaches here, but after realizing that American roaches are common in the south, I got desensitized over time because I never saw a German cockroach. Although you will see roaches in the building and probably in your apartment, I never saw one in my actual bedroom and stopped seeing them almost entirely after I had pest control come in regularly and set up sticky glue traps.

TLDR: Although this apartment is overpriced and definitely has cons as listed above, it is a quiet community and in a good location, especially if you work in the area or go to UNC. I do not think it is perfect and you can probably find a better deal depending on your circumstance, but if you can afford it, I think it is probably one of the better...

I lived at this apartment complex for about three years. Most of that time was alright - however the last 3 months were terrible and because of those months I can’t recommend this place to anyone (especially not women).

I’m going to get into why I can’t recommend this place but first, a warning, if you’ve been a victim of sexual harassment this might be triggering.... (tl:dr: head of maintenance hit on me in a really creepy way and the apartment management and HR person didn’t care).

What happened was that the head of maintenance hit on me twice while in my apartment as he fixed a couple of lightbulbs. Before he got started on the work, I had said how much I appreciated the help that the apartment had given me after my cat passed away in February. He then asked for a hug... which was weird and I really didn’t want to, but I did anyway, because I didn’t know how he’d react if I said no. Then, as he was fixing my closet light, he asked if I had a boyfriend (way to assume my orientation), and when I said no, and that I wasn’t having much luck on dating sites, he said, and I quote, “I wouldn’t mind playing with you”. I felt very scared but thought he was joking at first. After he had finished changing lightbulbs, he mentioned that he shouldn’t be saying this, but that he “really wouldn’t mind playing with me”. Gross.

I did tell the leasing agent, who was there that day, after it happened and she was horrified. But when the manager at the time talked to me the next day, one of the first things she said was that the guy could lose his job and did I know how serious my accusation was...

I eventually talked to HR, but I don’t think the woman believed me... she told me not to talk to the leasing agents about what happened and that they’d known the guy for years - basically trying to make it seem like I was a liar. They said they’d get someone else to do any maintenance work on my unit, but wouldn’t stop him from coming to resident events, nor would they fire him.

I did make a police report, and even then the apartment management and HR didn’t seem to take it seriously enough (they said they were, but if they really had been taking it seriously, they would have fired the guy).

Also, on the Friday after the head of maintenance hit on me, the elevator broke down and wasn’t fixed until the following Wednesday (I have a rollator/walker, was on the third floor, and stairs are very hard for me). I know that pissed off a lot of the residents.

The apartment did allow me to end my lease early without penalty, but I got the impression they’d rather get me to leave than do something about the creepy maintenance guy.

So yeah,...

Stay far away from this apartment! First and foremost, the building and apartment units are outdated. When I moved in, the apartment itself was completely filthy which delayed my ability to move in, the sink was completely clogged with hair, stove is rusted, and microwave was broken, fridge water dispenser had chunks of black mold clogging the actual dispenser. The amenities (lack there of) are almost always unavailable due to repairs being needed for broken equipment. A water leak in the roof caused damaged to several areas of my apartment and took over 3 weeks to repair while also leaving one area completely unaddressed and reeking of old water. The elevator hadn’t been inspected in over a year and as a result it has been out of service for several days, causing all residents to take the stairs (no consideration for my neighbor that has a physical disability and requires a cane for walking). The staircases are constantly covered in deceased and live roaches. When the elevator is operating, it has a pungent odor of dog urine and smoke. The staff are insincere, no deductions on rent for any of the inconveniences or sense of urgency to address residents’ concerns. The hallway ceilings are cracked and water stained. The roof repairs have been initiated with work starting early in the mornings with incredibly loud noise disturbances interrupting my ability to sleep. The events that are hosted are always with a low budget (Walmart food). This apartment complex is not worth your time or money. For it to be in Chapel Hill, the service, amenities, and professionalism are more in-line with an apartment complex located in the hood. Stay away from all apartment communities managed by Northwood Raven, tried to reach out on several occasions to provide feedback and inquire regarding my concerns, no returned calls or ability to leave any voicemails. Most of the 4-5 star reviews are obligatory for an exchange of raffle entries for a free vacuum or tickets to the local university’s basketball game. My experiences living in this apartment complex simply can’t be swayed by free tickets to a game or a cheap vacuum. There’s so much that needs to be addressed: leasing agents and their ability to communicate effectively and professionally, apartment units should be thoroughly inspected prior to allowing them to be moved into (cleaned thoroughly and all appliances and amenities fixed appropriately), and make the appropriate updates to make this community more aligned with the rent they...