The Collective at Sutherland — Local services in Knoxville

Greenbrier is a well-priced community for what you get. Specifically, it can be a little difficult to find a decently-priced one-bedroom apartment that includes a washer and dryer. While the washer and dryer were smaller than standard washer and dryers, I was still very thankful to have that option.

The office staff, specifically Jordyn and Maria, are very kind and helpful. Anytime I have asked Jordyn a question, she has provided me with a prompt reply. Maria is nice and helpful as well! I received prompt responses from her with any communication that was sent. Maria and Jordyn really helped me out during my move-out process. I had a lot of personal challenges come up, and they really worked to accommodate me as much as possible.

The maintenance staff are very responsive as well—even on weekends. This is something I have had challenges with in the past when living at other apartment complexes. Amenities are pretty standard and like other complexes’ amenities in the area. The location of the apartments is great as well. I have always felt safe at Greenbrier. There have been some car break-ins, but that is going to happen at every apartment complex. I have never felt unsafe living at this apartment complex, and my apartment was even located on the ground floor.

Now I’ll talk a little bit about the cons. The trash situation here is not good. This has nothing to do with the maintenance staff. They are literally always outside cleaning up trash at the dumpster. It honestly bothers me so much that they even have to do this because of the laziness of others. On weekends, specifically, residents will start putting their trash in front of the trash compactor instead of placing their trash bags in the compactor. This could be because the compactor is jammed, or, like a domino effect, once one person does it, others follow. Either way, the trash gets SO out of hand it isn’t even funny. Literal piles of trash that are 6-8 feet tall in front of the dumpster. This leads me to my next con, which is about the roaches and rats that are at the dumpster. Again, maintenance literally does so much to try to keep the mess under control, but when a whole complex is piling trash out, it’s hard to maintain an area.

In terms of apartment interiors, it depends on which model you get. I went with the “classic” style apartment, and I honestly was very pleased with what I got, aesthetically speaking, for the amount I paid in rent. However, some upgrades need to happen in these units. I had issues with my AC at least three times throughout my year living at Greenbrier. Each time, maintenance fixed it very quickly, but I think it may be time to update the AC units located in the apartments. The bathtubs could also use some updating. My bathtub had tile, which is not what is pictured in the “classic apartment” model photos online. My bathtub tiles had not been maintained by other residents, so there was still what looked to be like light grime/mold build up even after my year of trying different chemicals to clean/repair the tub. The paint used to paint the tub is no the correct paint that should have been used, so a lot of it has flaked off. HOWEVER, water pressure at Greenbrier is great. I’ve had some run-ins with pretty bad water pressure levels in my apartment-living days, but the water pressure at Greenbrier is probably the best I’ve experienced.

The move-out process was super easy, and as I said previously, Maria and Jordyn really worked to accommodate my personal circumstances. I really appreciated that. I got all of my deposit back except for the carpet cleaning fee, which is listed in the lease as an automatic deposit deduction, and fee for new blinds, which my feline friend had destroyed. I did not feel cheated at all and understood the charges.

All in all, I would recommend Greenbrier to a friend, and I would live here again if my personal circumstances were different. I would probably try to live in a “deluxe” or “premium” floor...

I lived here from June of 2022 to May of 2023, and during that time I've witnessed this apartment complex spiral downward in quality.

To begin, one of the reasons I chose this apartment complex was for affordability. Within months of moving it, it was announced that rent would be going up several hundred dollars, or about 45% of the current rent price. This was a unilateral and predatory decision made from an out-of-state group - Dominion Management Group - who had recently acquired the property. This decision was also my primary reason for not renewing my lease.

The new prices are wildly out of touch with what can be found elsewhere in Knoxville too. For a complex as out of date as Greenbrier, and in a poor location for noise right beside I-640, the prices should be lower. My current residence is over a decade newer in build, and cheaper by at least a $100.

Also, I spoke with many of my neighbors who were pushed out of Greenbrier because of the rent increase. Families with children that attended the nearby Pond Gap Elementary School were stressed about finding affordable housing close to that school. Sweet elderly people who had lived at Greenbrier close to a decade were now being uprooted. It's shameful.

By the time I moved out, promised investments into the property had yet to materialize, such as a dog park that was supposed to happen. The basketball and tennis courts are in a state of disrepair. The single communal grill is grossly out of date. Pet waste stations are frequently overflowing with waste bags. The trash compactor is often overflowing as well. The only noticeable "investment" was the addition of a couple of new picnic tables. The fitness room was also being remodeled - I never used this facility, so I cannot comment on how good of an improvement this was.

If you have pets, prepare to walk your animals through a minefield of pet waste. The communal pet waste stations are frequently out of stock of pet waste bags. Additionally, this apartment complex used to be a part of the PooPrints program for animal waste (one of the reasons that I chose the complex). Shortly after moving in, I learned that Dominion Managememt Group had ended that partnership. As the year progressed, the issue of pet waste on the grounds worsened immensely. Walking your pet at night was even worse, with several exterior lights missing or out of service.

Dead animal carcasses, such as squirrels and rodents, can be found infrequently on the grounds as well. One such squirrel carcass was in the same spot for around a month before finally being removed. If your pet has a strong prey drive, then be wary of this.

Maintenance is unreliable at the apartment complex. I had an ice maker out of service for over half of my time at Greenbrier, ever after following up with the office several times over months to address it. I also had a mold issue with a bedroom window. This window was clearly poorly sealed and hard to shut (perhaps from the building settling, as the cracks in the drywall suggested). No fix ever came for the window, and the mold would just continually grow back due to the poor sealing.

Management is also unreliable. Consider this: In my single year at Greenbrier, I've had three different property managers. That high of a turnover rate of property managers clearly shows the systemic issues that Dominion Management Group possesses when it comes to managing their property portfolios.

The managers they do hire are overworked too. The neighboring Papermill Square Apartments were also bought out by Dominion Management Group, and the Greenbrier property manager had to also manage Papermill Square. That's a recipe for disaster, and it's no surprise that other reviewers have complained about management. I pity the next apartment manager for these apartment complexes.

I gave this two stars because it's location in Knoxville is good. However, I would never recommend a Dominion Management Group owned property to anyone....

The new parking policy here is a complete mess. Management now allows only one car per unit to have a parking pass, forcing secondary vehicles into “visitor” spots. The problem? There aren’t enough visitor spots, so residents’ second cars fill them up, leaving nowhere for actual visitors to park.

Meanwhile, plenty of regular spots sit empty. Instead of making life easier for residents, this rule punishes anyone with two vehicles. I now have to park on the far side of the lot and walk across the property, even though open spaces are right by my building.

A simple fix: allow secondary passes, even if there’s an extra fee. Right now, the policy is inconvenient, poorly thought out, and frustrating for everyone.

Follow up to response from (Owner):

I called the night I realized my car was towed and left a message. No response. I left a complaint message in the app for the leasing office. No response. I then followed up directly with the leasing office staff because I received no response. I was never given a parking pass, even though I was told I had signed for one. This was the same staff member I had previously given both of my vehicles’ information to for parking. When I expressed my frustration in person, the response I received was essentially a blank stare and a simple, “I’m sorry that happened,” with a promise to bring it up to management.

Since then, I have submitted another complaint and yet I have never received any follow-up or communication regarding the issue. The lack of response is especially concerning given the situation: my car was towed without any notice or communication while I was at work. I only discovered it was missing when I came home that night. I had to call the tow yard to learn it had been taken across town. I had to rearrange my entire next day, ask a friend for a ride, and pay $230 to retrieve my own vehicle even though I pay to live here.

What frustrates me the most is that while the leasing office is quick to send community-wide messages warning others that cars parked in office spaces will be towed while giving the owner a chance to move their car, I received no such courtesy regarding my own situation. Instead, I was left without answers, no resolution to the issue, and no reimbursement for the towing costs. It wasn’t until I posted a negative review that I finally received a response from you, yet we are still without a solution to the un-thought out parking policy or any attempt to address the financial burden caused by...