Hanover River Oaks — Local services in Houston

4 week update: The valet staff, leasing office, and concierge are top notch. They go above and beyond to be helpful and are always friendly. After a stressful day, it's wonderful to come home to see their smiles. After 4 weeks in the apartment, I've never heard one sound from my neighbors above me other than plumbing (when I am in the bathroom- not a big deal at all). I am used to hearing every step from above and I've never heard a sound in this apartment. The gym is huge, the theater room was a ton of fun to watch the NFL playoff game, the maintenance staff is fast, and the residents are always friendly. We will be here until we build our next home. I could never live in another apartment after experiencing Hanover River Oaks!

Staff- Tour: Samantha took us on a tour on a Saturday with only 15 minutes before closing. We were looking aggressively at all Hanover properties that day and were eager to see River Oaks before we concluded. Samantha was professional and had a lot of information to share about the property! She was absolutely great! Soon after her follow up call on Sunday, we decided to go with Hanover River Oaks and chose a larger 2 bdrm. Application Process: Johnathon has been fantastic with prompt communications and was able to show me the exact unit we will be moving into. He's incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. The total time from application completion to approval was less than 24 hours.

Property- This property is STUNNING! From the design, to layout, to amenities, this property has professional adults in mind. Future Neighbors: I have not met anyone at the property yet, but all of the people we have come across are friendly and kind. Tons of dogs too! If you love animals like we do, you will love this property. The hallways are quiet and well maintained. The floors have 10" of concrete between them, so I believe noise from upstairs neighbors will be minimal. At no time during our tours did we hear a peep from anyone upstairs- no footsteps, voices, tv, etc. Many apartments have a gorgeous view of downtown.

Amenities- The amenities are perfect for our family! There's a 3000sqft gym, golf simulator, and movie theater. We love that there is valet parking as well. The apartment includes 2 garage spaces, but we are going to try to use valet for one full time and have the parking spaces for the other two, so we do not have to pay for a 3rd spot. If I do decide to get one, it's only $50. They have 6 bell services carts for hauling up large items or groceries. They also have bicycle storage and large storage units on property (these cost way less than off property storage). If you have a motorcycle or want to keep your car in a garage, they also have garage units within the parking garage for rent.

Location- This location cannot be beat! You can walk for groceries, happy hour, shopping, etc.

Apartment- We chose an O floorplan (2bdrm, 2bath). It has a large master, tray ceiling in the 2nd bdrm, customizable walk in closets, gas range, wood flooring throughout, soft-close cabinets, and front load...

I am very sad to write this review. For the first year of living at Hanover River Oaks, it was a dream. Beautiful views and a really great building....but then about a year ago, the staff turnover started. They went from being a resident focused group that went out of their way to take care of the people living there to a group that seems more concerned about saving pennies while they lose dollars. The rents are very high (which are appropriate for the building), but sadly, not for the service part of what you are paying for. They continue to lose good employees and I am quite sure they will lose the last good ones soon as they have expressed their frustration to me about the current climate. The straw that broke the camel's back was my interaction on move out. I had decided to move to a house and so gave my notice. I was told at move in that picture hangars and such are normal wear and tear. Only a hole larger than a nickel was chargeable. So like most people, I hung a few pictures. When I moved out I cleaned the apartment. All they needed to do was basically paint and it was ready for another tenant. After move out I was sent a bill for $115 for sheetrock repair and a scratched cabinet. I requested photos and they sent me photos of the picture hangars and a very minor scratch. This isn't about the money. It is about the petty attitude of the building now and the fact I know and was told that standard industry practice is not charging for minor picture hanger nail holes. I had been a very easy resident for them. In fact they are replacing allllll of the windows on the entire exterior of the building due to them falling out randomly (if that doesn't scare you about the construction I am not sure what will) and they sent me a request to be out of my apartment for a day so they could do the work. I travel a lot and that was literally the only day I would be able to be home for nearly a month. I requested a different day due to that but they said no. I didn't argue or complain. I simply said ok and then had to go to my apartment in the middle of the night to change out my clothes and do laundry for a trip. I accommodated them to make it easier.... I can't say they returned the favor. I contacted the office to request that they not take the little bit of money out of respect. I didn't ask for compensation like other residents did for being put out of my home. They ignored me. Pretty much tells you everything you need to know. The building has become toxic and I have already spoken to several other residents who are ready to move. Good news is that more apartments will be available to those of you that don't heed this warning..... Good luck.

UPDATE: Their autogenerated feedback speaks volumes about how they are...

Pros:

Well-equipped gym with free weights and a variety of machines. 24-hour concierge service is friendly and responsive. Beautiful and aesthetically pleasing building.

Cons:

Package Safety - The common area used for package delivery is accessible to all residents. Unfortunately, I experienced package theft twice within a week. Although the thief was evicted, there was no reimbursement for the lost items.

Noise - The apartment walls lack sufficient soundproofing. Regular disturbances from my neighbor's conversations and TV noises were disruptive, particularly during sleeping hours. The process of identifying the noise source, assessing its level, and deciding if concierge intervention was required was stressful and inconvenient. Despite addressing this issue with the management, their only suggestion was to communicate with my neighbor, a solution that proved ineffective.

Parties - There were several instances of late-night parties creating noise disturbances after 10 PM within a month. I believe the management intervened as the noise eventually ceased, but the resolution process was rather lengthy.

Elevators - Often, only one out of four elevators is operational, leading to extended wait times. Residents on higher floors can expect the elevator to stop at almost every floor. Residents living below the 20th floor might find the elevator full by the time it arrives.

Cleanliness - Upon moving in, we discovered hair under the kitchen counter and ink stains in the cabinets. Despite promises of a 'move-in ready' apartment, we had to stay in a hotel for a few days while the issues were addressed. Although the office compensated us for the hotel stay, the experience was far from pleasant.

Privacy - I had an unsettling experience regarding waste disposal. I mistakenly disposed of a recycle box containing a tape dispenser in the trash chute. However, later I found the same trash returned to my front door with a sticker stating I should not dispose of it in this manner. Although I acknowledge my mistake, the manner in which this issue was handled was concerning. The fact that only staff have access to the trash chute after disposal led me to feel that my privacy was violated. This approach felt intrusive and aggressive when better communication options exist. I reported the incident to the management team, but no updates.

Management - Overall, I found the management team to be less supportive than expected. This might be due to a lack of resources in the office, but nevertheless, it contributed to a less than ideal living...