Downtown 5th — Local services in Miami

Id like to start off by mentioning that I’ve witnessed a grown adult male relieve himself in the parking garage on a car, and this just sets the tone for the building.

I lived here for 2 years now and am making the decision to renew in November. This decision would be much easier if the staff was friendly and the building was clean and operated correctly. I have a career in hospitality and I have never seen worse customer service than from the management in the lobby.

First, after living here for 2 years I lost my key card once (it happens). You need a key card to enter the building from the garage (which is good makes me feel safer) or you can take the elevator in the garage down to the lobby so the front desk lets you in. When I parked on the 11th floor of the garage with multiple bags, I went to the elevator in the garage so the lobby would let me in. The elevator was broken (as is at least one elevator almost each day, not to mention the dog urine that stays in all of them and doesn’t get clean for days, just dries up) so I called the front desk to come open it for me. One of the employees by the name of FELIX answered and was extremely rude. He did not care about my situation and suggested that I walk down or drive back down 11 flights of the parking garage (there are no stairs in the garage). To which I answered with “it’s not my fault the elevators are always broken” and he said “it’s not my fault you lost your key card”. He continued to complain until I asked him if there was a security, custodian, anyone that can just take the elevator up and let me in (takes 2 seconds, the phone call took longer) he said “fine I’ll have to clean up here and lock up the office so it’ll take a minute” I said “okay that’s fine take your time” to which he replied with “of course it’s fine for you I’m the one doing the work” I was shocked to hear this attitude from him and confronted him when he finally came to open the door for me. When I said you were extremely rude on the phone he replies in a high pitched voice “how was I rude I didn’t do anything wrong” (you know he’s guilty or lying when he makes that voice) he was also nervous when I asked his name so he knew he was wrong.

Additionally, I work late and get home really late, as do many other people in the building I’m sure. Every single day for the past week, they have been testing the fire alarms at 10am with no warning. Today someone came and knocked on my door once and proceeded to unlock it while I was still in bed not dressed appropriately. This is the SECOND time they did not give me a chance to get dressed or open the door, this time I had to yell wait for them to not open it because I knew from the last time but I already heard them starting to open it. When I called down they said there are papers in the elevator as a warning. Every other building communicates with their residents through email. I have not gotten one email in the past 2 years. No notices about the broken elevators, no notices about fire alarm checks, nothing.

Additionally, the trash chute was blocked off for about a week (maybe more) and people were piling their trash up in the hallway sticking up the whole place.

They didn’t mention that there was a prison across the street when they were showing me the apartment. The prisoners are yelling all day, it’s impossible to have any quiet.

I love dogs but the people in this building don’t understand that if they have a full time job they can not also take care of a dog. The amount of times I’ve been woken up or couldn’t sleep because there’s dogs screaming and howling for hours at a time. I feel bad for the dogs and once had to send security to make sure the dog was okay. This of course isn’t managements fault but something to be aware of.

Also please know the owner is not the one answering to these reviews, that is also a lie. It is the same rude people from management who don’t care about their jobs that are in the lobby mon-fri 9-5

I’ve had plenty more terrible situations here however I’m running out of space. Don’t move to a...

I lived in this building for three full years, and while it can’t be considered a “luxury” building, it is one of the cheapest in the area. However, that “low” price comes with a high cost.

Pros:

• Location: It’s very well-located, with a Metromover stop right in front, allowing free and easy access to Brickell or anywhere in Downtown. It’s also close to I-95 exits. • Views: Being a fairly tall building, the views are spectacular.

The negatives (and the real issues):

Located across from a jail: Yes, you read that right—a jail. The inmates have a direct view of the pool, where some people, including OnlyFans models, pose naked to get their attention. This leads to yelling and shouting, which can be heard clearly throughout the building.

Vehicle theft: Car and motorcycle thefts are very common. I personally knew several people who had their vehicles, especially motorcycles, stolen.

Lack of security: Security is practically nonexistent. The main door is always open, there are no cameras, and anyone can enter. On top of that, package theft is a constant issue. I had multiple packages stolen, including expensive ones worth over $500.

Security deposit: They will NOT return your deposit. My case is a clear example: they charged me $1,160 for the floor, which I had reported as defective from the beginning and was never repaired. They even assured me it wouldn’t be charged. Additionally, they charged me $450 for a poorly painted wall, which was already like that when I moved in. I’m attaching the letter that details how they kept my entire deposit.

Maintenance issues: After two years, my apartment developed a mold problem. Their “solution” was to send someone to apply a product, but they warned me that if it returned, I’d have to pay for the cleaning.

Neighbor issues: I had a problem with a neighbor whose dog kept urinating on the balcony above mine. At first, it happened daily, and even though I reported it multiple times, nothing was done. Eventually, it decreased to about once every two weeks, but the issue persisted for two full weeks straight at one point. When I finally went to the office in person, things took a bizarre turn. Instead of the issue being the dog, it seemed like a person was the one urinating. I’m not exaggerating—I’m attaching a video as proof.

Dogs in elevators: Every single day, dogs urinate in the elevators. Since there are no cameras, management can’t do anything about it, leaving the elevators smelling awful most of the time.

Sidewalk problems: The sidewalk in front of the building is nearly impossible to walk on. The residents do not pick up after their dogs, leaving it covered in poop. While they clean it in the morning, by nighttime, the smell is unbearable, and walking there is disgusting. Again, since there are no cameras, they can’t issue fines to irresponsible pet owners.

Poor-quality finishes: The finishes throughout the building are extremely low quality. The doors are poorly made, not properly aligned, and feel flimsy. The paint is so cheap that it scratches just by looking at it. It’s clear that everything was done as inexpensively as possible. Melo buildings: After some research, I’ve found that all buildings from Melo have the same recurring problems. Poor security, bad maintenance, and lack of accountability seem to be a trademark of this developer.

Limited rent payment options: While they do offer an automatic withdrawal option, they don’t provide the flexibility for tenants to transfer payments manually when they choose. This lack of modern, tenant-friendly options feels outdated and inconvenient.

In summary, while the location and views may seem appealing, the security issues, poor maintenance, neighbor problems, lack of cleanliness, poor-quality finishes, dishonest handling of deposits, inconvenient rent payment systems, and Melo’s reputation make this place a terrible choice. Think twice before...

Long story short: They should have waited to move residents in. The staff lack customer service and communication skills. Valet is terrible. Great views, the building has potential.

*Keep reading for a THOROUGH review.

Leasing Office Staff/MELO Group: They don’t let you see the apartment/do a walk-through until after you’ve already signed the lease and pay. Everyone gives different responses. There’s no consistency whatsoever. They don’t answer emails nor do they answer the phone. To get assistance from maintenance is a HEADACHE. They tell you to send them emails and don’t ever respond to them. They’re almost always standing around, doing nothing but talking to each other. There’s no renter portal (which would make their and everyone’s lives so much easier!) and they don’t offer renters insurance. You have to get that elsewhere. They only accept money orders or cashiers checks to pay rent. They give you a piece of paper as a receipt. But I ask for the other half of the money order as extra proof. They are quick to call the police on residents. But not quick to attempt to resolve issues or complaints. They printed out an invoice that states the RESIDENTS name with how much they owe and placed it at peoples door. What happened to confidentiality??? They could’ve placed it in peoples mail boxes and have sent out a mass email where they blind copied everyone stating that this was in their mailboxes. (Side note: No one told me my mailbox number or where the mail room is. I found out by walking around the first floor.

Apartment: They didn’t measure things correctly because to close my closet doors with my clothes hung up is a mission. Moved into the apartment and there were quite a few things that had marks or tape on them, things get marked fast (seems like materials are cheap/poorly made). Appliances are nice though. Love the layout I chose. It’s spacious! Some things were broken or not screwed in correctly. Power has randomly gone out, some outlets don’t work, wiring is terrible (every time I turn on my lamp it flashes until it stops. Light can never just be turned on and stay on.

Amenities: Gym is huge and has nice views. Plenty of equipment. It’s usually quiet no matter what time you go. I just wish it was open 24/7. Pool isn’t ready. They don’t know when it’ll be ready. Where is the so-called kids room? study room? Parking: Valet isn’t the greatest. It’s crazy that they still charge you $13 if you park for even 5 minutes. They misplaced my moms keys, didn’t give her the orange ticket to show she left her car with them. She had to help them look for it and found it in less than a minute…and they still charged her. The supervisor guy is also rude. Terrible customer service.

Here’s my suggestions: Get a client portal where residents can (if they choose) to pay online and have various methods like e-check, credit or debit cards AND can submit maintenance requests that they can track instead of having to constantly go to the management office downstairs. Provide residents with EMAILED updates regarding completion of amenities. TRAIN your staff on how to PROPERLY respond to anyone whether for simple issues or when people are expressing their concerns Prepare a document like a “cheat sheet or a how-to” to give to residents on move-in day with instructions on how to pay rent, pool hours, gym hours, etc OR better yet post the hours with a proper sign and not a piece of paper…. The doors should be locked especially after a certain time with residents needed a fob or something in order to get in.

I’m sure I’m missing somethings. But, you should get the point by now… If they can truly get the above issues (and what other residents have stated as well) resolved and done so in a pleasant, respectful way then this could truly be a great place to live. But as of...