University City Associates — Local services in Philadelphia

I’ve tried hard to avoid this review because I have a deep respect for the GM Robin R (like most of these reviews note), but enough is enough. She’s the only person who makes this slum bearable amid the lack of professionalism throughout UCA and Campus Apartments (who “professionally manages” the building). TL;DR: Expect low rent, but lower standards and facilities.

Pros: Robin R: Robin truly stands out— she shines as the GM with her prompt responses and sincere efforts to make this place livable. Despite juggling a demanding role, her dedication to solving tenant issues is exceptional. Affordability: The rent is reasonably low, includes most utilities, and a flat $10 laundry fee. Location: Proximity to essential amenities and different campuses is very convenient.

Cons: Outdated: The building badly needs updates. Security Issues: Expect package thefts even with lobby cameras (who knows if they even work) and the front door to be wedged open throughout the day. Last week a stranger was sleeping in my hallway on the floor. Inadequate Amenities: No working intercom system for the building so you have to go answer the door for everything; the elevator was out of service for six months; unwanted mail often ends up scattered on the floor; trash piles up at the dumpsters; you’ll definitely see rodents in your unit. Poor Communication: They’ll email you about the office being closed or partnerships they have, but not about the SEPTA construction happening right outside the building or whatever construction UCA/CA has happening right outside your unit.

My specific experiences A bathtub refinishing job led to significant paint damage across my unit. Although Robin quickly addressed the issue with dry cleaning services and a cleaner, the effort fell short—the cleanup was only sweeping and mopping, leaving me to deal with paint dust for weeks. UCA advised filing a claim with my renter's insurance, which was ultimately denied, and then requested an itemized list of damages; it wasn’t worth the headache to do so.

Once my key broke while I was unlocking my door (it’s a plastic fob). Because it was after the main office had closed, I had to wait until the next morning to get a new key (and you can’t lock your door without a key). When I went to get a new one, the worker tried to tell me it was a $75 fee. Even after I explained the key broke in use, she kept telling me it was fee.

CA uses “Plaid” as a third-party platform to pay rent directly from your bank. Once Plaid disconnected and they charged me a $50 NSF fee even though CA claimed it was an “Invalid Account Number”. I tried to have a conversation with Roberta R. at CA about their system creating the issue and she simply wouldn’t listen; she just kept saying “you signed this in your lease.” She is one of the most unprofessional people I’ve encountered in CA.

Thin ceilings mean you hear everything from above, especially when they refuse to carpet the unit between new move-ins. The neighbors sound like they’re going to fall through my ceiling at any given moment. UCA told me that there’s nothing they can do since they “aren’t breaking any rules in the handbook” but that I can call the cops if I continue to have a problem with the noise.

SEPTA announced a 6-week long construction project right outside the building that's disrupting parking, causing noise, and possible water issues. We’ve gotten no notice from UCA or CA about it. Then yesterday, I saw a man walk past my window (I live on an upper floor) only to see scaffolding so close I could reach out and grab it (seems unrelated to the SEPTA project). I have no clue what this UCA/CA led-construction is or for how long it’ll be happening, but it’s completely blocking every...

1 star to many, where do I begin. UCA was the ABSOLUTE WORST apartment I have ever rented from. Staff is completely rude and likes to turn a blind eye to all issues present within the building. Pine street apartments had a mouse infestation and I put multiple requests in to get them to get an exterminator to come out to the building. Spending my own money to get traps, poison, foam, etc to try and cover all holes within the room since maintenance was horrible covering holes/ dealing with the issue, it was always an in and out quick fix. Robin was by far the worst manager to deal with as I expressed my frustration to her in emails multiple times and was told " to watch my tone" and that she would not be responding to any more of my emails. If I was a 40 year old woman that would have never came out of her mouth. She tried to treat me like a child because i'm a 22 year old student. My rent is always paid on time and I was always treated like a poor tenant every time I went into that leasing office, since I was never scared to voice my thoughts or put out the same energy they gave me. Akeem was also extreamly unprofessional multiple times within emails not even knowing what he was talking about on issues that had already been addressed to with maintenance with no help, continuing to give me nothing and smart remarks back. The Issue went on for over 5 months Jason Cohen who was supposedly a head of UCA reached out finally after months of asking for someone above Robin. He made it seem that he was extreamly sorry the issue that had been going on for so long and that I was receiving no help . Being super apologetic I had hope he would solve this mice issue in the building. I was told he would call me back first thing when they were back in office after the new year and it is now February and still no call... UCA is the most unprofessional establishment I have ever dealt with for this to be a college campus apartment, their entire staff does not treat us as adults and thinks we will just forget about the issue at hand. I've heard Robin and Akeem making slick comments in the office as if i'm an idiot and didn't hear they are both 2 BIG childish adults. Well they got the wrong one. I will voice my opinion and I would NEVER EVER recommend UCA to anyone looking to rent an apartment. I have stayed at UCH before and had an amazing experience with all staff/ maintenance. If the rent was cheaper for my old apartment I would have NEVER left. If you're looking for an on campus apartment check UCH, UCA is not worth the hassle by any means. Spend the extra money to be happy and not have to worry about mouse shit in your mailbox, or mice in your apartment ( I have pictures and videos of it all).

edit: To whoever the "owner" is commenting under this no issues were fixed. So whoever you're getting that info from is lying UCA solved nothing the issue is on going still DO BETTER...

If you are looking for a safe, habitable apartment and a landlord who respects your concerns and time, please DO NOT sign a lease with UCA. I have never had such a terrible experience in all of my years as a tenant in multiple apartments. Since moving into this unit, I have dealt with building issues such as recurrent mice and insect infestations, a window screen falling down onto the deck from the upstairs unit (also owned by UCA), and most recently, the collapse of a substantial portion of the living room ceiling (see pictures for reference). I suspect that this unit was not inspected for appropriate living conditions even though the lease stipulates a pre-move-in inspection. There were rusted nails half-buried in the carpet, a missing toilet cover in one of the bathrooms, nail clippings in the refrigerator drawers, disconnected shower rods, a broken window screen, and many more problems. In general, this apartment was in a shockingly dirty and unsanitary condition when we moved in. Throughout the duration of my lease, I have repeatedly been in contact with UCA management in an attempt to resolve the mice and insect issues and have been met with the bare minimum. Although it is the responsibility of the landlord to resolve apartment problems, it is always up to my roommates and I as the tenants to reach out first, come up with potential solutions for how to solve the issue, and then follow-up multiple times in order to get any sort of detailed answer or explanation. While maintenance response is typically prompt, the work is lacking and often leaves us with more problems than if they had simply not come at all. At this point, I’m tired of writing emails and making phone calls for problems that should have been solved months ago. I’d like to believe that this awful situation is unique to this particular building, but based on my personal experience I strongly recommend avoiding UCA to save yourself the time, money,...