Island Bay Resort Apartment Homes — Local services in Galveston

I could tear into this place but the efforts were not worth the trouble. I lived here for two years (or just about) with my partner and over time we just got tired of it and its constant issues. Would we rent here again for the prices they previously had? Yes maybe... but would we now when the rent has increased by over 150 dollars for basically no reason on the same room (renovation to other units drove the cost up for new leases)? Definite no. For the money you're paying to live here, the apartments have a lot of work cut out for them. Islands Bay Resorts is comical since it's nowhere near that. Even with them offering to keep us at the same rate we were paying before (about $1200 a month depending on utilities), we respectfully declined and found other lodging. I'm just going to list a few of the reasons why we left and leave it at that. It's important to note that I wasn't on any lease so the management won't find me on their record based on this review, but I was living with my partner leasing there and paying rent. My experience is mine alone and might not reflect yours, and although ultimately we left feeling with a sour taste, for the time we were there it wasn't all completely bad, the bad just outweighed the good and and value of this place.

Cons: Pest problems, I understand it is Galveston and we already have pest problems, but the roaches that we likely got from another unit were extremely painful to deal with. No matter how much we cleaned and kept it spotless, even spraying our roach poison from Walmart and requesting pest control, they were never gone longer than a month or two. They get in through the electrical outlets as that seems to be their favorite spot. You live next to the water recycling plant or waste management plant (whichever of the two it is), so it affects the air quality and smell, and on the weekends alarms would always ring that you could hear even through the patio door. Extremely inconvenient and we grew tired of it. Security personnel seem like more of a CO for the residents rather than to de-escalate and secure the property. One time we were out and unloading a car saying goodbye to our family, and they strolled up all big and bad escalating the situation into something it didn't have to be. Luckily no one was beat up that night, like the Fourth of July occurrence earlier this year (another reason we're leaving with a sour taste). Which was really disappointing since this brings me to the next con. Felt unsafe, there's not ample lighting here at night, and before security was hired, we had multiple car break-ins, or cases of violence and overall sketchy situations happen here. Stuff we had to find out from other residents or friends living here because management never reported it to the community (like the shooting of a man during Mardi Gras). Security should have been a nice solution to this and would have helped us feel safer, but well just go back to the last con stated. It wasn't the case. Amenities locked away half the time or simply not available, the Gym is not available on the weekends for some reason, and the pools were available for seemingly only 2 weeks out of the month on random days. The one by the turtle pond was constantly closed so we never made much use of it. Overflowing trash cans with an unpleasant smell and dog poop on the grass. Mentioned above but I can't stress enough how little you get for the rent you're paying. There are simply better options right now. Towing is a huge issue, can tell that management might get a kickback or something, one time a family member was almost towed which made no sense because there were never any signs as to where guest parking was. I don't mean a flyer from the apartment we got there after that shows them, I mean there should be a physical signposted.

I hope if you live here, you have a much more pleasant experience than us. It's not all bad, but the bad outweighed the good for us. Maintenance was at least responsive at all times for major issues. Thanks for...

I agree with the other two reviews. I have lived here for 3 years and the new management that came in between the last weeks of August of 2014 and early September 2104 is HORRIBLE. I have never complained about living here until now. The office staff is rude, the manager doesn't even bother to come speak to you if you're having an issue and you're at the office. She's there most of the time when I've gone to complain about something but she always stays upstairs. I'm sure she hears everything you're saying while you're talking to the office staff but instead of coming downstairs to help with the issue she gives them orders by the phone so that you can't hear. They seem to only be interested in making money and don't really care about the people who live here and that is no way to run a business. They are renovating everything and that's great BUT I'm sure the rent is going to significantly increase to the point that everyone who currently lives here will not be able to afford it and will have to move out. You can only renew your lease for 6 months now because of the renovations....so they're kind of preparing you for the huge increase in rent when they're done renovating so that you can leave if you can't pay and they can take the people who are willing to pay much more. They never informed us about the gate remote not working the same way so I had to go to the office thinking my remote was not working anymore and that's when they told me the gate had to be opened by having the remote at close proximity to and facing the control box. How the hell was I suppose to know?! That's their job, to let the residents know whenever there is a change in the system. Another issue....the power went off in my living room and kitchen area late in the afternoon. I called the emergency maintenance number because the office was already closed. They told me, that was not an emergency and they didn't could not send anyone to go fix it until the next day when the office staff and maintenance staff are available (oh, and they open the office until 10 am Mon-Fri). I told the lady that I understood the lights going off was not an emergency BUT when my fridge and freezer don't have power too then to me THAT IS an emergency because I had just bought groceries and didn't want to go bad! After I told her this, she STILL told me there was nothing they could do! Really?...to me the tone she gave me over the phone just sounded like it would be a hassle for them for send someone to fix my problem and it wasn't a priority to them. The next day I called the office at 10am when they finally opened and told them the issue. I had to go to school so I left hoping power issue would get fixed soon because all the ice had melted in freezer over night and all my food was already getting warm and thawing. So around 1pm I called the office to make sure they had fixed the issue and they hadn't even placed the service order with the maintenance staff! I had to leave school to personally go to the office and let them know it had to be fixed because by this time, all my food was no good anymore. I told the office staff to let their manager know how upset I was that I had spend money on groceries that no one was going to replace. This issue happened two weeks ago and to this day, I have not received any calls from the manager or office staff to apologize for what happened. I'm a student at UTMB and already have so much stress from school, the last thing I need is stress from dealing with the new management here at Island Bay. I'm already looking for other places so that when my 6 months are up, I at least have an idea of where I can move when they hit you in the face with $800-$1,500 rent after the renovations. They're going to lose a lot of business because all my neighbors feel the same way. We're not recommending this place to...

I moved here in April due to my husband taking a job with the city. When we first got here and started apartment hunting and we thought we hit a gold mine with Island Bay Resort. Come to find out it’s anything but resort living. Mind you, we moved in early April, and it’s beginning of October when I’m writing this. I walked outside this morning to go to work, and my car was missing. Immediately I thought my car had been stolen!! In a panic I called my husband first. As I’m walking up and down the parking lot praying I’d find it somehow and nice lady stops me and asked me what’s wrong. I tell her “I can’t find my car” she looks at me and says “baby, do you have the sticker in your window?” I said “yes, I’ve been here since April” she then proceeded to tell me there is a new sticker (parking permit) I need to get, and that they most likely towed my car! I told her I had NO IDEA we had new ones! (My old one was still in the window like it was supposed to be.) THE BEST PART OF THE STORY IS YET TO COME!!! I start to look around and sure enough there are new stickers. I call the tow company and of course MY CAR GOT TOWED!! once again, let me tell you I HAD NO IDEA. Not an email, not a flyer, nothing. The property manager Sheena, lives two doors down from me. In the mist of the chaos this morning, tears, and panic I tired calling her and knocking on her door. No answer.. no call back either. I was confused as to why I wasn’t getting an answer because shorty after I moved in, her and I sat on her patio until 2am as she drank some wine, we hung out and talked... not only that, she called me one day asking if I wanted to work in the office!?? So I didn’t think it was out of line to try and contact her about my car?? I go and get the car, $300 later. I then go up to the office and ask for two stickers so this doesn’t happen again. I go into detail about what happened this morning, and of course it’s 4 against one. They all proceed to tell me how they sent out emails, and put up flyers in everyone’s doors to warn them. I continue on with the I HAD NO IDEA! If I would have gotten any warning of this I obviously wouldn’t be so upset! I really hoped they would’ve been understanding of someone who was in this situation, but they were the least be sorry or apologetic. Except the lady with dark brown curly hair. She was at least trying to look my email up and make sure it was correct. My email is correct, but I didn’t get any information that things were changing. And how frustrating is it to get ganged up on after you have already had such a horrible morning. Sheena, who was listening the ENTIRE time, poked her head out of a room in the lobby once I said that I had tried to call her, and told me “just because I’m your neighbor doesn’t mean I have to answer your calls” NO it doesn’t! But when you think you have a friendship with someone and you go to them for something, and thats how you’re treated?? It doesn’t make sense, but I guess I should have seen it coming because the night we sat on her patio she told me plenty of stories about her time here, and asked me to “please go give us good reviews”. It’s NO WONDER nobody likes her. She is a petty, back stabbing person. If you think she’s your friend I’m sure in time she’ll prove you wrong. I am not leasing here again. The lady’s in the office couldn’t have been more rude and SNOBBY! I hope this never happens to anyone else. Avoid those women as much as you can,...