Saxony Apartments — Local services in Madison

Cooling- In August the rooms were steaming hot because there was a huge problem, the A/C was only in ONE of the rooms! And it didn't work that well! Fans cool the rooms much better and those are your only option.

Heating- In the summer it gets hot, and in the winter it gets cold. The walls don't seem to have any insulation in them (if you are visiting the apartments in the winter, touch the walls). During my stay here we could not change the temperature, so my roommates and I were often cold during the winter. Cold air will find its way in. You have to find ways to insulate the apartment.

Staff- The first thing I noticed when I moved in was how rude the manager was when I was loading my belongings into the apartment, and this moment set the tone for the rest of my lease. One of the discrepancies that I marked when I first moved in was that the toilet didn't flush very well. Whenever we had a problem with the toilet they would ask if we plunged it - which we did. We constantly asked for maintenance to fix it, but they never actually did. It got to the point where the manager raised her voice, and complained that the toilet was ALWAYS fine to begin with, when it wasn't. It nearly reached the point where she refused to have maintenance visit us anymore... Saxony Management threatened our security deposits and accused us of leaving toilet water on the floor, which left water damage to the floor below us. This was false. The water damage was from the room's previous tenants. We had water damage on our ceiling as well, and I could see that ours was not-so-discretely painted over. Between myself and the two other guys, two of us were military veterans, and we liked keeping our rooms clean as we were already accustomed to doing.

Price- For having insufficient cooling/heating, a nonfunctional toilet, small living space, rude management, and lack of a common living area, the price does not compensate much for these losses. Expect to pay somewhere in the ballpark of $500-$800/month (~2009 rates). Parking is expensive, and if you own a car, I suggest looking on Craigslist for nearby parking areas. You should be able to park 2-3 blocks away and pay as little as $45/month without having to move it for Badgers games. Parking here is $100+.

VS the Dorms- The only way in which Saxony is better than the dorms is that you get your own room. As far as the price and social environments go, the dorms are better. The people are friendly there, and electricity/heat...

I have lived in Saxony apartments for two years in a one bedroom, and have rented parking from them for one. What initially attracted me to the apartments is the fact that they are furnished (including a bed, dresser, desk, lamp, couch, armchair, and coffee tables). The apartments are recently renovated including with nice updated kitchen appliances, including dishwasher, and a good deal of cabinet space. Additionally, to make the most out of the space there is a little breakfast nook with two chairs by the kitchen in the one bedroom apartments which is very convenient. The square footage may not be huge, but it is a downtown apartment and comparable to others in the area. There is a pretty new AC unit in the apartments which can work as either AC or as a fan, which is great in the summer. I've had no problems with running it in one room and it cooling down the other. Heat is included which is nice, and electricity ended up being about $40 a month for the apartment on average. The staff is great, and they have lots of lease options depending on how long you're staying. I've rented for two full years from them, and have never had an issue with management. They always greet you and remember your name. Any time I've had a maintenance issue, which has been very few times, I have either stopped by the front desk or sent them an email and it was fixed the same day, often within 20 minutes. Even if it's something small like the insulation around my AC unit moved and was letting in a draft, they were extremely helpful and came right up to fix it. I've found parking to be cheaper than other options in the area, especially with lots of new buildings that don't have parking being built. They do monitor the parking lot to make sure that cars that do not have a permit are not taking up someone's spot. The parking spots are numbered and assigned that way, so you won't have to worry about trying to find an open spot when you come back. There is also a parking garage across from the Saxony building on Frances if you have guests who drive over. The location is good, it's a quick walk to State Street or the Kohl Center, and around restaurants like the Nitty Gritty, Ian's Pizza, and Dotty Dumplings. I would absolutely recommend leasing...

I have lived in the Saxony apartments since my sophomore year and I think that it is an excellent option for students and who want to live close to campus. When I moved in my unit had been recently refurbished and had an all new kitchen. The unit was furnished with tables, chairs, dressers, lamps, a couch, an armchair and a twin bed. There is also one window air conditioner in every unit that is easily strong enough to cool the entire apartment quickly. Each building has its own laundry room with new machines that were just put in (December 2014) which are the best I have dealt with in Madison. As far as what is included, the rent includes all utilities (that includes internet which is provided both via wifi and ethernet ports) with the exception of electricity and gas. The gas and electric bill during an ordinary month was around 30 for my one bedroom unit. The management is wonderful. They are nothing but helpful and, honestly, as long as you act like a responsible adult and you don't trash your apartment, you will get along pleasantly with them. The one maintenance issue I had in two years was taken care of within 24 hours. In addition I have never seen any pests in the buildings. The location of the apartment also a big plus. On the corner of West Johnson and Francis, campus is a short walk away and bus stops for routes that go to campus are just outside. For food, State Street is close if you want to dine out and the apartments are equally close to the Fresh Market and Capitol Center Market grocery stores. All in all the apartments are a great deal. I got a clean, modern apartment for far cheaper than any of the high rises around campus. I am very pleased that I decided to go with Saxony, especially having spent time in the dorms and in other apartments...