Upper West — Local services in West Jordan

I lived at Upper West for 15 months, and while there were some good aspects, the negatives—especially the management—were hard to ignore.

As a student, I appreciated having amenities like study spaces and a year-round pool (rare in Utah with the snow). However, the pool was constantly shut down because of a few residents breaking the rules—usually for things like broken glass. Rather than addressing the individuals causing the problems, management resorted to blanket punishment. They even sent out an email threatening to close the pool entirely for everyone. This approach was completely unfair to those of us who followed the rules, especially considering the high fees we paid for these amenities. Management should take responsibility for identifying and holding rule-breakers accountable instead of punishing the entire community.

To make matters worse, there were recurring issues with people and even kids jumping the fences to access the pool and rooftop areas. It seemed like these intrusions weren’t being addressed seriously, which only added to the frustration of paying premium fees for amenities that often became unusable due to mismanagement and lack of security.

The handling of the deposit itself was another issue. I went out of my way to get the paint code for the apartment so I could repaint the walls before moving out, only to be charged for repainting anyway. On top of that, the move-out package essentially told us not to bother cleaning because “it won’t meet their standards.” So why bother? It felt like they were setting tenants up to lose their deposits no matter what.

The issues with management didn’t stop there. When I moved in, I was told I’d receive two key fobs for my two-bedroom apartment but only got one. Seven months later, I requested a second key fob and was charged $50 for it, even though it should have been free from the start. The leasing office staff promised I’d be reimbursed for the $50 if I returned the key at move-out, which I did. After moving out, my account balance was still around $130 after they took my $500 security deposit, and they refused to reimburse the $50 for the fob. Their excuse? The guy who made the promise no longer works there, and there wasn’t a written agreement.

When I contacted the accounts payable team about this, I was told not to reach out to the leasing office again because, apparently, this was a done deal. I couldn’t let that go—this was just ridiculous. Management should be accountable for what their staff tells tenants. It’s wrong to put the responsibility on tenants to know all the ins and outs of what they should or shouldn’t expect, especially when the leasing office is giving out misleading or conflicting information.

The parking situation was another headache. I paid extra for a reserved parking spot, but the public parking around the community was a mess. Fire lanes were constantly blocked by illegally parked cars. Management claims they enforce towing, but it only happens when the city pressures them. During my time there, they did one mass towing event that took care of the problem for a month, but after that, it went right back to chaos.

It’s funny because when I first inquired about moving in, they admitted that people park where they shouldn’t—like in the fire lanes—and suggested I could park there too if I didn’t want to pay for parking, but I’d have to "be careful" and park at my own risk of being towed. They also mentioned I could park at the adjacent TRAX lot, which isn’t meant for residential use at all—it's for TRAX users only, not for free residential parking.

The most frustrating thing is that management only seems to enforce the rules when it benefits them. Whether it’s punishing everyone for the actions of a few, failing to follow through on their own promises, or not taking responsibility for their mistakes, it’s clear that the rules don't apply to them the same way they do to tenants.

Between the unfair fees and unprofessional handling of concerns, I wouldn’t recommend Upper West.

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I would never recommend this place to anyone to live. When you get a tour they show you it is the best place to live but once you live here you realize it is not worth it. The facilities, especially the carpets are very dirty. They charge an excessive amount of extra maintenance because they supposedly clean "5 days a week" but since we moved in November 2021 they have not cleaned the staircase D at the entrance. Since the summer started the smell is unbearable, there is dog urine on every step and they have never done anything about it.

The pool, on several occasions, was closed for up to a week for maintenance because there were residents who kept coming in with glass bottles. There are always people drinking alcohol on the weekends, even when there are minors in the pool area. Upper West always sends emails notifying residents that they have taken care of these issues, but they never do.

On one occasion I booked the 2nd floor room for $250 for 4 hours, that's what Upper West charges, and as soon as we went downstairs to decorate the room, we noticed it was really dirty with Coke spilled all over the floor, balloons, confetti, fruit and crumbs on the kitchen counter and on the floor. i spent 1 hour cleaning up to greet our guests and then another hour picking up the trash. At the end of the day, we only used the room for 2 hours and paid $250.

I used to use the Upper West covered parking garage, which charges $65 per car. I used the parking lot for 5 months since I requested it. One day I came home and my spot was being used. I wrote an email complaint to the Upper West management team, and one of the team members wrote back saying that they forgot to assign me the parking space. In an attempt to cover up their mistake, the management team member told me that I had never paid for it during the time I used the parking space and offered me a new space if I wanted to start paying, however, I noticed that my rent went down almost $70 once I said I didn't want a parking space.

Upper West is the most expensive building I have ever seen for the few amenities it has. I should clarify that there is nothing fancy about this place. On the contrary, it is a very dirty place. On weekends there is usually noise until 3 am; this has never been regulated. It is normal to see the police on Saturday nights removing someone from the building for this...

SAVE YOUR TIME AND MONEY! Management is a nightmare, overpriced apartments, unsafe!!!!

This place is not worth the headache, or the expenses it takes to live here. I lived in these apartments for about a year and a half and genuinely could not wait to leave. They advertise that the apartment rent is a certain rate each month and then they will add on various expenses like communal electricity, trash valet, etc that you do not have a choice of paying or not regardless if you use the communal areas and trash valet.

The management employees are a nightmare to deal with. They are incredibly impersonal, rude, and lack basic customer service skills. Liz in particular is the main person who you will be dealing with if you live here, and she is horrendous. If they have an issue with you they will serve you a 3 day notice to comply or vacate before having any form of conversation about the issue. As I said, a complete lack of customer service and people skills in general.

The apartments themselves are extremely overpriced for what you are getting. They are built very cheap, the paint will chip off the walls by you simply brushing against them. Which is convenient for the management company because when you move out they will deduct $150 from your deposit even if you repainted the apartments yourself. You cannot really use the amenities, there are various limitations on how many people you can bring to the pool, and you cannot use the clubhouse even if it is not in use unless you pay an additional $250 (but you are still paying for its electricity to run around the clock!).

In my short time here there were two shootings, including one fatality from someone breaking into cars on the street. Parking is a whole new kind of hell. Street parking is always crowded, and if you ever plan on having guests over they always struggle to find places to park. There are tow zones everywhere further limiting the parking availability. You can pay an additional $25 a month on top of everything else to have a reserved spot in the parking garage, however people will park in your place frequently.

Regardless of my horrible experience here at UpperWest, I know there are better places out there where you will get more for what you pay! I urge you to keep...