MELA — Local services in San Antonio

I am disappointed with my experience here. From the moment I moved in, it was nothing short of a nightmare. I arrived two days prior to my move-in date to submit my deposit, only to find the apartment unpainted, the carpet unchanged, and unclean. Despite assurances from the leasing office that it would be ready, I walked into a unit that was still in unacceptable condition; fixtures missing, construction debris left behind, and clear signs of poor maintenance. Since it was the end of the day on a Friday, I had no choice but to proceed with my scheduled movers for Saturday morning . Maintenance and the front office staff attempted a last-minute attempt at a cleanup, but it was clear this should have never happened. That alone should have been a red flag.(added picture of what I got keys to)

Throughout my time here, submitting maintenance requests became constant (maintenance team is great). While some issues were addressed, others were completely ignored, like a water leak in my guest bedroom that went unresolved. Management changed, but the service never improved.

Parking in Building 3 is a nightmare. A resident even attempted to block me from backing into a spot. On top of that, my husband's packages frequently went “missing.” When we contacted the leasing office, they insisted he wasn’t on the lease, despite him being properly added upon his return from military deployment. We had to correct this issue four times, each instance met with indifference and disorganization.

The property itself is poorly maintained. Trash accumulates in the breezeways and stairwells, and walking on the grass or sidewalks is a gamble due to the constant presence of dog waste. The pool was frequently green and unusable, while claiming it will be open year round. Valet trash service was inconsistent, though the monthly fee remained. Package lockers unusable for weeks at times. Some gym equipment sat broken for over a year. Thin walls; privacy is non-existent.

We purchased a home in January, and our builder agreed to buy us out of our lease. They needed the exact amount owed from the property to issue the correct payment. After receiving a calculation from the MELA leasing office that included two months’ rent and a termination fee, our builder sent a check for over $6,000. Despite this, I continued receiving late rent notices, followed by an eviction notice. The incompetence from the management team, particularly the manager Christa, was unacceptable. Even after multiple conversations, it was clear the manager/staff had no idea who was on a 60-day notice or that they had already received payment.

I was met with excuses. The manager claimed some fees couldn’t be "pre-calculated", leaving me with a supposed balance for water, valet trash, and pest control, internet totaling $198. Additionally, I was charged a penalty for “lacking renters’ insurance” since October — an outrageous claim, considering I’ve had valid renter's insurance since I moved in. Had the property been transparent and competent, our builder could have resolved any remaining balance. Instead, I was threatened with eviction notices due to their own mismanagement.

In addition, when I requested contact information for the property owners to escalate my concerns, I was denied. The refusal to provide any transparency further reflects the disorganized and unprofessional nature of this management team. I also asked for email confirmation of conversations, only to be told they “only confirm things over the phone.” If you deal with this place, I strongly recommend documenting every call, noting names and times, and keeping thorough records.

We are turning in our keys today, and I fully expect additional fees and for them to attempt charging a “cleaning fee” not on my lease I've been seeing on other reviews; despite the filthy condition of the apartment when I moved in. There is absolutely nothing “luxurious” about this property. Do yourself a favor and rent elsewhere.

Update 3/25/25 - Issues unresolved. No communication. Will add new review due to word...

Update 11/20 If you read my full review, you will see how I said to watch your money. I am only updating this to warn those to please keep track of your payment confirmations and emails. This past week the Asst. Manager, Gina, reached out to my roommate (without me on the thread) discussing the final balance. If this is a final balance email then all parties on the lease should be included. Told them what the outstanding balance was and that’s what was left to pay. THANKFULLY, my roomate reached out to me and confirmed with me that this was already paid before paying them AGAIN. We provided receipts and email confirmations from threads that she was on, as well. This marks the second time they have come back and accused us of not paying.

Also, no one has reached out me as mentioned in the response below. And I am still waiting on an explanation of why I was charged twice for the same damage with no refund for consideration.

11/3 I will break this down over the course of my living here:

PROS: very spacious Maintenance is so nice — love them and so helpful! Gorgeous pool Use your Pest Control — they are thorough and come as many times as you request Pawderosa next door is A PLUS if you have a fur baby - they’re awesome! Great neighborhood events — met some friends!

CONS: I will start with the property, if you have a dog please beware that San Antonio has a lot of stray dogs and they tend to wander into the gated complex. Unfortunately, their staff cannot do anything and will let dogs around and they will attack your dog Their gym is gross they let roaches sit there even after I mentioned it to them multiple times WATCH YOUR MONEY BECAUSE THEY WILL TAKE IT! When we first move in, they badgered us saying we owe them more money which was not the case. We had to go line by line in the ledger for them to admit their fault — this also happened on the move out (even under their new management). They have damage liability waiver for damages to the property but will also charge you those damages without letting you know of the damages beforehand so essentially, you get charged twice for the same damage -- why have the liability program take money out monthly if you're going to charge me anyways but when asked about it the response is "I don't know" They didn’t clean our apartment when we first moved in and tried to move our move in date back THE DAY OF. The dishwasher was disgusting and smelled AWFUL but when we moved out they charged us $200 for cleaning (crazy, right) and nit picked every single thing — please make sure you get on a ladder and clean the air ducts because you will get charged for dust ($80). I cleaned the apartment before we moved out and they said “I should’ve hired a deep cleaner” I have never in my renting adult life had someone charge me for air ducts. They also posted a picture of the microwave saying it was dirty… I’ll post it just so you can see how ridiculous this is.they expect you to clean for the next resident that is truly unheard of especially because I’m not a professional cleaner why would I do that/ why would you trust that? Now charging for flat out filth and trash, I agree but water streaks?!? Crazy — maybe get better appliance so they don’t leak. The management staff is good with communication up until you sign your lease after that, good luck getting a hold of someone because they will send you to voicemail GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING! Because they will pull that “well we don’t do that” very quickly They also do random inspections with no heads up. I was out of town for an extended period and they randomly wanted to “inspect my unit” I tried calling and emailing and after a day or two I finally got a response and told them I do not authorize that.

All in all, I am a very particular and meticulous person and when people play with my money and understanding of how things work, I get really frustrated and insulted So, if you can handle stress well, by all means, the units are great! But if you can’t, I suggest renting...

I've lived at this complex since May 2023. Where I'm prepared to move, I am comfortable enough to write a review listing my various complaints against management and the apartment itself without the risk of reciprocation. I implore you to read this if you're considering moving into one of these units. I wish that I had heard the warnings before signing the contract.

Let's start with the Fire Alarm Control Panel. These devices are stored in control closets, and communicate emergencies to authorities. Our apartment is located next to one of these panels. This panel would constantly sound a warning alarm, sometimes for weeks at a time. You could hear it throughout the entire apartment so trying to escape the alarm by sleeping on the couch wasn't an option. We've been dealing with this problem on and off since May of last year when I moved in. It took threatening reports to city officials for the complex to take any of these concerns seriously. It had been going off just yesterday through about an hour ago.

Last month we had our bike stolen from out of our backyard. Mind you this is a gated community with "constant night security" . The useless security guard who drives around in a red late 10's model Honda Civic has been caught sleeping multiple times. By me, the maintenance worker (Alfredo, who is arguably the only good thing this dying apartment complex has to offer) and other residents I've discussed the issue with. He'll get mad at you if you ask why he isn't doing his job too. This is mainly applicable to first floor residents; If you value your personal belongings, don't store them outside, not even in the closets as there's no way to lock the doors.

During the summertime don't be surprised when the pool turns a sickly shade of green every other week. It's filthy 70% of the time, and there are sharp objects in the water. One of my guests last month had A PIECE OF FISH HOOK stuck in her finger after swimming along the bottom of the pool. Needless to say we stopped using it altogether after that incident. It often looks just as bad, if not worse than the riverwalk water.

The management here will make it seem like it's paradise, like it's a piece of heaven away from the hustle and bustle of the city What they don't inform you about is the constant car break-ins at night, the gunshots, the methheads who somehow figure out a way to stand between my car, and our backyard gate (with a knife mind you).

These are just a couple of the horrendous things I've taken note of while living here. Never got into the pest situation (roaches, ants, scorpions, etc.) the broken gate that allowed anyone access to the residents personal belongings and cars overnight. Please stay away if you value your belongings, time, money, and dignity.

Update: Yesterday I was informed by my spouse that management had contacted him to ask we take these reviews down. Unfortunately he did, but for me looking back on the stress and pain they caused? My response would be HELL no. This part is for management because I know they're read: How dare you ask for favors as if helping us was some form of olive branch. You absolutely did the bare minimum considering you fulfilled our request on the 30th day of our leave notice. We can talk about the fact that up until the past week my spouse and I were met with snarky, demeaning, fake responses of, "We'll get back to you in the next couple days- only to not respond until the last Godforsaken moment." all of the sudden the last week has been filled with "lukewarm hospitality".You know how many it took? Nearly thirty. Don't you dare harass us for leaving reviews of our experiences with this complex. That's fraudulent and frankly I'm calling...