Birchstone Northlake — Local services in Northlake

Like many others I would feel it would be irresponsible and dishonest if I did not at least try to make aware to new potential tenants of the many issues with this property.

To begin, in our 15 month lease we had 3 different management company transitions. That in and of itself is a major red flag. First it was RPM Living, then Tarantino, and weeks before moving out, a third I didn’t bother to commit to memory. All of which I made sure to steer clear of after putting in our notice of non-renewal. It wasn’t even a question, this was by far the worst leasing experience both my partner and I have had since living on our own for 7+ years. Not to mention in all of this our $500 deposit got “lost”.

To save time and breath I will bullet point the ongoing issues we incurred: Re “amenities” — • The one pool was closed the entire summer of ‘24 up until the very last minute - all because light posts were broken. • The dog park is constantly neglected. No waste pick up by residents or groundskeepers, there were months where no doggy bags would be provided to at least incentivize clean up. • The community gating was an ongoing issue. Not long after we moved in RPM ripped out the call box making the faulty app the only source of entrance. During the switches of mgmt. companies we would have no access to get in and would be stuck outside our own home waiting until a car came to exit to be able to get in. Absolutely absurd. • The lakeside “access” is false advertisement. All of the entryways are chain locked besides the largest one that you catch seldomly open. • Towing is their favorite hobby. Our own vehicle was towed less than 24hrs. after instating a new company because “we had failed to register”. Keep in mind they have all of our car info in the lease. There is zero accountability or initiative across the board from staff. As a single car household we had to uber ($80) to south Fort Worth and then pay $350 to release our car. To no surprise of our own, no reimbursement was made.

Re inside the apartment — To note, we lived in one of the “upgraded” units. • Hardware was consistently breaking with the cheap fixtures. Ex: the vinyl floor peeling up from the initial move in, to the move out. We ultimately had no towel hangers because they had all fallen loose from the wall and door. The toilet had black mold no matter how often you cleaned it. The glazing on the bathtub started to peel immediately and only continued to where there was practically none. For those that don’t know you have to vacate the apt. for 48-72 hours for reglazing - with no family in the area and rent raising in the middle of our lease (which is illegal) this was not an option. • Maintenance - besides the one male who stuck around for all management transitions. We would create work orders just for mgmt. to close them out with no actual attempt in repairs. This happened several times. The living room blinds broke twice. The toilet overflowed in the middle of the night, water spreading to the living, dining, and bed rooms. On call emergency maint. took close to an hour to respond. The following day they brought in a humidifier with no compensation for the added electrical use for the two days it ran continuously. Also no offer of a cleaning company to relieve of us the dried up sewage water. Outrageous.

Our renewal rate raised over $100 to $1600+ for what?! It’s devastating because we loved the location and appeal of the place but the property needs a serious reality check. Ultimately we moved less than 4 minutes up the road and are happier and more satisfied at $1300/monthly. Do...

If it was possible I wouldn't place a star on this complex at all. Been at these apartments for almost 8 years and NEVER had a problem until the new management came into play about a year ago. Lawn is rarely mowed and unkept. They now have a huge dumbster taking up valuable parking spaces instead of fixing what needs to be fixed. I had to buy and replace my own Garbage disposal cause I never could get ahold of maintenance. They do not give you sufficient notice on when they want to assess the apartment and get upset when your pet isn't put up. I am single and have no one that can take care of my dog without enough notice, so its really hard when they give you less than 24hours. They recently had a water leak and charged all the residents extra in utilities. There are unmarked fees that I have no idea what they are for. I just moved out in September. Tried multiple times to get in touch by phone to the office during working hours and no one would answer the phone, left multiple voicemails and no return call (I work as a nurse and it is difficult for me to ask for time off and I work odd hours). I finally had to email and I did received a response the next day. Now they are making me pay 2 months rent after the fact because I couldn't get written notice into them on time. They certainly have no problem signing lease documents via DocuSign (or whatever they use for online document signing) and not in person, funny how they can't do the same for lease termination. When I went in person to take care of the termination I was told by management that I would only have to pay for October and maybe some utility fees and now I'm having to pay for another Month (November). When I called the manager about this she proceeded to hang up on me and when I called back she refused to talk to me and would only talk to me through other staff. I never once complained in the last 8 years I've dealt with this complex. Not when my packages kept getting stolen off my door step a couple of years back. Not when the neighbor refused to clean up after her dogs and I repeatedly stepped in dog poop. Not when the upstairs neighbor had there kid running around all hours of the night. Was on time for all my payments and felt like I was a decent tenant. To be treated this way feels pretty horrible and I will no longer be encouraging anyone I know to reside at this apartment complex. Yes it may look nice but definitely be wary of...

We have lived in many apartments in many different areas. There are certain expected sacrifices you make living in an apartment complex. Neighbors can be noisy at times... no big deal. Parking can get crowded occasionally. so what? The issues with this community rest solely on the incompetent shoulders of the management company and staff. This community has been sold 2-3 times in the last few years. And each management company seems to vying for the title of most ineffective and indifferent. The grass and landscaping surrounding the community has become an unkempt breeding ground for bugs and other pests. Months drag on before the lawn is cared for. The money being invested in the property is akin to hanging a chandelier in an outhouse. Sure the grass hasn't been mowed and there is graffiti on some of the buildings, but look we put new screens on the windows! Who cares?! We didn't ask for those screens or the new "improved" fence around the property. How about responding to your tenants in a timely manner? How about fixing the trash compactor so there isn't a dumpster in the middle of the parking lot for the last 6 months? There is nothing trashy about the people or the area. The most recent development is the unrequested contracting of new towing company to further inconvenience the residents of this never ending hellscape. According to the paperwork we received, we are required to provide copies of our insurance, license plates, and lease agreement to the towing company. To clarify, we are required to provide personal and private information to a third party company with whom I have no direct relationship or dealings with. Considering how trustworthy and honest towing companies are known to be, this is not a cause for concern at all. Be careful, the agreement clearly stipulates that a vehicle “reversed in” to a parking spot will be towed at the owners expense. The management company seems more interested in charging for as many fees as possible, rather than ensuring the community is a place people are...