Removed parking mid-lease + overcharged cleaning
April 5, 2023 - Review from Apartments.com
I had a poor experience living in this apartment complex. The only reason why I'm not giving this building one star is because of the maintenance team — they were super responsive when my closet doors broke and fixed the heat when temps dropped below 60° in the apartment in January.
But that's where the good stuff ends.
The management company (Cornerstone) removed our parking mid-lease and overcharged us for the tiniest cleaning issues that could have been easily handled with a quick spray of ...
Lysol.
Firstly, Cornerstone removed my included parking mid-lease. This change was incredibly inconvenient and disruptive, especially when you consider the consistent street sweeping tickets given to street parkers.
The removal of the parking happened when Cornerstone bought the building about six months into my lease when they mentioned, "The owner is implementing these changes." They then started charging $120/mo (lowered to $60 later when they sold virtually no spots) for reserved parking in a tiny, exposed lot.
This change felt like a complete breach of trust and a violation of the basic amenities promised to us when we signed the lease. Cornerstone mentioned that my lease gave them the right "to change the parking terms for the complex throughout the lease." Yet, my cost basis was clearly disclosed upon signing, with no additional parking charges. I'll let you judge the fairness of their character in handling this situation.
To make matters worse, the complex charged us $45 for trivial cleaning issues like rice grains, small smudges, and dust upon move-out. These issues were so minor that they could be cleaned up in minutes with minimal effort, yet we were still charged exorbitant fees for them. I asked to be assigned a more reasonable rate and was told, "we will report these charges to collections if they aren't paid". Again, I'll let you judge whether these charges are fair.
Overall, I would not recommend this apartment complex to anyone. Their true character was shown in these issues, and I'm just thankful that nothing else major came up throughout the lease. The complex is more interested in taking advantage of its tenants than in providing a comfortable living environment. Save yourself the hassle and find a better place to live.
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Property Manager Responded
April 10, 2023
We're sorry to hear you had a negative experience at Highland Park! Cornerstone is a third-party management company that has a responsibility to the owner of the building to enforce standard market-based prices on things like parking. However, we do understand that a change like that in the middle of your lease must have been frustrating. We are truly sorry for this inconvenience. We do charge standard cleaning fees if we have to clean up after you move out of one of our buildings. However, much of this cleaning can be done with a quick spray of lysol and minimal effort. We are sorry if we didn't make it clear that your apartment needed to be cleaned before you handed over your keys. We hope we can change your mind about this building and Cornerstone Apartment Services, and we hope you're enjoying your new home.
Best wishes,
Cornerstone Apartment Services
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