The Mave — Local services in Stoneham

Edited 7/22/20 (4 to 5 Stars):

A new property manager, Robert, was appointed not long after I wrote my original review and I am thrilled to say that both he and his staff have continued to improve the property and are making Mave an even better place to live. People may not understand many of the past reviews that were less than glowing (including mine at one time), but those that spoke up were only doing so in order to bring attention to issues since the first property manager w/Dolben was not listening. I am happy to say that all of that is completely in the past and Mave is once again a superior place to live and I believe that this management team and the property owner would opt to better the property if they have the opportunity as opposed to maintaining the status quo. My husband and I have lived at Mave since it opened in 2017, but we'll be returning to NY next month and leaving Mave. We have loved out apartment, including everything from the choice of cabinets (I love the warm but modern kitchen cabinets and the darker high end looking bathroom cabinets) to the layout of my unit (which includes a built in desk and balcony that overlooks the resort-style pool area) and the fact that this apartment has been peaceful in terms of possible noise from neighbors (I can't hear the people next door on either side and although I sometimes hear soft footsteps above me, we live in an apartment and this is expected and not excessive). But, we are equally sad about leaving the truly wonderful management team (Robert, Rachel and Kelly) because they really do make a huge difference in your experience while living in an apartment like this. They've all gone above and beyond to make our experience here better when something needed to be fixed and Robert in particular went out of his way to do right by us recently and we are deeply grateful.

Since taking over management of Mave, some improvements that have been made include replacing ugly laminated signs (from the original owners) with proper signage above doorways both inside and out. The carpets are being cleaned in the hallways and tiled entry foyera are mopped on a regular basis. The parking garage has had significant maintenance last winter to prevent issues with water and they recently resealed the walkways leading from the garage to each floor. This is not a complaint (rather a wish when they are not busy looking after larger things), but I would like to see something done with the superficial rusting of the railings in those areas as it seems the original paint used by the builders did not fare as well with the extensive precipitation Massachusetts receives yearly. I am happy to say that Mave is in as good, if not better condition than it was when the new owners took over.

I’d also like to thank Rachel, who works in the office, as she has been wonderful to work with. My husband has spoken with her on a regular basis and we really appreciate all of her help. Kelly has also been a real pleasure and I've enjoyed every time I've had the chance to chat with her. It's obvious that Robert, Rachel and Kelly all really care about their residents and this property. I believe that in terms of management, Mave is the best of Dolben. I hope the property manager, Robert, and his staff stay here and that the level of maintenance and improvements on the property remain the same. I highly recommend this property to anyone looking for great ammenities, beautiful units and a great location (directly off of I-93, 2 exits South of I-95, 10 mins or less to Assembly Row in Somerville, and a 15 min drive to North Boston when...

DO NOT MOVE HERE! MOLD!! We lived here for two years. During those two years, we battled with mold the entire time. Ahna Becker, the property manager at Mave then hired John Consulting - a mold inspecting company- to do a mold inspection within our unit apartment 107. Johnathan nicoll from the John consulting company did find mold within our apartment, on his report he stated finding aspergillus/penicillium, which is a form of mold. Ahna, went on to tell me the mold is caused by us instead of taking responsibility and handling the mold issue. I later found out that several of our neighbors who were also currently living at the Mave apartments, but also previous tenants, has also battled with ongoing mold issues. Two previous tenants resulted in moving out and nearly suing the Mave, but Mave settled with them. Current ones complained of mold issues but nothing was done.

The Mold was within our walls. Not visible to the naked eye, but it showed in several areas of our apartment. The mold got so bad that I began experiencing severe migraines and vertigo, stomach pain, sleep disturbances, skin rashes, extreme coughing during the night, allergie like symptoms. My two dogs also began showing reactions; goopy eyes, skin rashes, runny noses, lose of appetite… I ended up in the hospital twice due to vertigo, stomach pain, and extreme headaches. I was told by two doctors and my dogs vet that this is the cause of mold being present in our home.

Ahna, provided us with a dehumidifier and an air purifier which we used and ran within our unit 24/7. The dehumidifier would get full of water within 4 hours. The air purifier filters would be full within a matter of a week. Needing changing.

Our property was damaged. Resulting in loss of expensive clothing amongst other items covered in mold. Our medical bills piled up. My water and electricity bill racked up as I was given instructions by Ahna and Jonathan to remove all items within our closet (where he stated he found traces of mold) wipe closets and wash everything in it. This process was repeated three times in a matter of two months, doing over 12 loads of laundry each time.

I then reached out to Brian Shapiro Regional Property Manager at dolben ( dolben is who manages/owns Mave) hoping to get some sort of help. My lease was almost coming to an end, he stated that I could move out sooner and I would not be charged for the last two months, and that my water, electricity and medical bills that were incurred by The mold would be paid for by them. This was not true, instead when I moved out, dolben kept my security deposit as well as my last months rent. (Because upon moving in, we were required to pay first month, last month, and security deposit) and the bills were NEVER paid for either.

This place caused me and my dogs our health, placed a huge financial burden on me, ended up being way more expensive then originally expected. And dolben did absolutely nothing. Especially when it’s a known fact that this building has ongoing mold issues.

Save your money and health, DO NOT MOVE HERE! It may look pretty, but few months into your move, you’ll start to see the...

I have a family of 4, wife and two boys (3 and 11 years old). We have lived at Mave Apartments Community for 6 years. While there were minor issues along the way, it's truly been the perfect place to live during our time in the greater Boston area. The location was perfect, with immediate access to I-93 and an entrance to a plethora of hiking and biking trails in the Fells Reservation.

The building and amenities are modern and clean (for the most part). As with any apartment community, you will have some neighbors who have no concept of communal living and disrespect the property. Given that, the staff take pride in ensuring issues are addressed as soon as they are informed. They have a dedicated maintenance team as well as Miguel, who cleans hallways, elevators, and common areas. The front office staff are truly friendly and make every effort to bring residents together with multiple monthly community events like book clubs, free pizza or donuts or even fully catered parties.

The pool is a highlight of the summer months. They keep the pool clean and well organized. The verandas offer many gas grills scattered around the property which is perfect for hosting cookouts and joining neighboring families for meals and socializing. There are newly constructed private home offices, an indoor virtual golf simulator, social lounge, meeting room, and cyber cafe with free coffee (hot and cold!).

The floor plan worked well for our small family with enough closet space for all of us! An added service is the bike room, where all residents can store their bikes with secured key fob access located inside the garage.

Historically, Mave has been targeted by vandals who have broken into the garage, searching for unlocked cars to steal cash or valuables. There was a spike in instances of serious car vandalism and theft around the exterior parking a year or two ago, BUT this was not isolated to Mave. They have installed cameras around the exterior of the property to enhance security, including a license plate reader for every vehicle that comes on property. They have installed cameras in the common package delivery areas to identify opportunistic thieves targeting this vulnerable space. The property managers have invested in deterrence measures as best they can.

It is generally a safe community, but we also live in the real world where determined criminals will do what they will. All in all, I would highly recommend living at Mave whether you have a young family, fur babies, a young professional, or retired and looking for community and connection. We do feel spoiled living here for 6 years and will miss all of the friends and neighbors we have...