Apartment Review for Windsor At Arbors - Alexandria, VA

Pro: Apartment looks good from the outside. Apartment was built in the 80s, but it was renovated a couple of years ago, so the appliances and cabinets are relatively new. Limited access into the building. Exercise facility and swimming pool, although I don t personally use them. Con: Lots of hidden charges (which I will go into more detail below) Very limited parking if you don t purchase a garage parking spot. Termite and roach problems (which I will go into more detail below) Noises from the fire station across the street This place is not accessible for wheelchairs, which I found out about it when I try to get some furniture delivered here. There are no ramps for the delivery man to wheel the heavy items up. I was a resident of this complex for almost a year. I decided to upgrade from a one bedroom apartment to a two bedroom in the same complex instead of renewing the lease on the one bedroom. I was repeatedly verbally assured by the management staff that the only fee I needed to pay was a $500 transfer fee. It turned out not to be the case. As soon as I moved in to the new apartment, I was charged $250 for the cleaning done in the old apartment - a charge that could have been easily avoided if the management had informed me and given me the choice whether I want to clean it on my own or incur the charge for the cleaning process. The thing that gets me is that they also charge new residents a move in fee, which they justify as part of the charge in making the apartment clean and ready for the new occupants. The $250 fine includes 2 bended blinds, a frayed carpet corner, an easily cleanable stain on the toilet seat, and dirty stove drip pans. The former two problems were caused by my cats, but the management still charges me for them even though I had already paid a $300 nonrefundable pet fee and a $30 per month cat rent. I have lived in many apartments since college, but I am such a neat freak that I have never been charged for damage or cleaning to any apartment before this. The management at Windsor at Arbors obviously has a very different definition of what consists of normal wear and tear, compared to every other landlord I have encountered in the past. I asked the manager what she considers as normal wear and tear, and her response was "if the sun came through the blinds and cause fading to the carpet or the wall, then that s normal wears and tears". That certainly is a very odd answer and different from what majority of people consider as normal wear and tear. The bottom line is expect a big bill when you move out, if you even consider doing anything other than just sleeping in this apartment. The windowsill in the old, one bedroom apartment on the first floor was infested with termites. This was never resolved and I know the termites will come out again when the weather gets warmer. The two bedroom apartment which I recently transferred into is not infested with termites since it is on the third floor, but it does have a cockroach problem. Both apartments in the same complex have some kind of infestation problem. I have a 6 month old baby just starting to crawl who likes to put everything in his mouth. I am dreading the safety of this place if they decide to fumigate. The turnover rate here is high as the policy here does not favor old residents at all. If your family status changes, you pay them money. Got a new cat? They charge you $600 pet addendum fee, more than the fee they charge a new resident with a cat. Need a bigger apartment when you have a baby? That will be $500 even if you honored the lease.