Complaint Review: Park Place at Expo Apartments formerly Siena Gardens mananged by Echelon Property - Aurora Colorado

Park Place Apartments at Expo (renamed in July of 2012 and previously called Siena Gardens Apartments), still managed by Echelon Property Group, located at the corner of Exposition and Havana in Aurora, CO, is just as poorly managed and unkept as before changing their name. 

Do expect to hear wide-eyed, enthusiastic promises by the office reps on showing of units.  This is when Echelon informs of all the great things Echelon is supposedly doing, and that they're here for the tenants comfort and happiness; how the tenant, once a resident, will never be expected to handle anything; if any issues, maintenance, or concerns arise, to simply call them and they'll take care of it; how terrible the previous management company had been, and how much better Echelon claims to be etc.  

Once signed, long standing and internet noted complaints of the same issues by other and previous tenants (posted under the original name of Siena Gardens) can be expected.

Roach and bed bug infestation issues logged online for years to present under the name Siena Gardens: Expect to be immediately informed by Echelon of how common such problems are, that they're found in all their properties, how no one can know how they get in or spread, that they are unrelated to cleanliness or lack of etc., followed by examples of how they could be the complaining tenants fault...then that they've never had a complaint from that particular unit (despite online complaints from the same building dating back for years) etc. 

Also expect management treatments to do nothing - the tenant can spend more time during the lease packing up and having to live around and step over packed cabinet/closet items, whether for complex wide mandatory roach spraying, or unit by unit individual address when complex wide spraying of what reps assure is simply vinegar based, doesn't kill anything - or unit by unit for bedbugs, and research states that bed bug's can't be successfully eliminated without full-on complex wide address, usually with heat.  The bugs can actually be witnessed coming out from between bathroom tiles and fixtures, cabinet caulking, wall outlets etc - they are literally in the building walls.

General maintenance and facility operation is rarely on time, and is generally offensive, expecting gratitude for whatever it does do.  Tenants' time schedules and lives are not considered of importance.  Office doors open at 10a and don't on Sunday (which might be fine if things actually worked, and were handled).  Facilities like the laundry rooms are locked up between 8p and 8a, so whatever the tenants work schedule, it's the tenant who must first arrange their hours to fit Echelon's stated facility hours.  These are rarely ever upheld by Echelon though. 

If the tenant schedules their day to leave around 9:30 or 10am on a day off in order to be able to use the laundry facilities at the 8a stated opening, the maintenance staff still only arrives to unlock sometime between 8:30 and 9:30 am - and if on a holiday like Labor Day,  the tenant can expect to be informed by an irritated maintenance person that they were asleep at 8:30a,  that it's a holiday, and that the maintenance person will open the facilities when they get in (turning out to be around 9:30a - This tenant had planned to be done and out by 9:30am, but had to cancel scheduled arrangements to do laundry - and around Echelon's sleeping schedule as opposed to posted hours.) 

It seems to be a running joke among tenants passing in the hallways when waiting for some same issue address, whatever that is at the time, that Echelon might ever do anything as promised, much less on time - whether open facilities or address malfunctioning building smoke alarms and everything in between; and Echelon's response always seems to be some puffed up reason for the tenant to be grateful for what they do do, and how it's not really their problem. 

Likewise, if maintenance says they'll be by on said date and time to address a maintenance issue, when they don't appear and are called, they respond as if the tenant is being demanding and expecting them to stop what they're doing to come do what they themselves assured they'd be there by said time to do.  Whatever they do finally do, expect to hear how nice they're being for doing anything, and how it's not their job, but also, what a mess the previous maintenance group made of the same job (in other-words, more double speak).

There is a general air of arrogance and self importance expressed by the management (as if, if they state it and create an air of assurance in what they state, that's all they ever have to do - no actual action or follow through required - just keep repeating the same thing every time it comes up), and not only according to this tenant; researching other Echelon managed properties turned up the exact same complaints, and all inclusive of the same offensive attitude accompanying these same issues - often followed up with an Echelon rep post assuring the complaining tenants (or other readers) of Echelons dedication to quality and the tenants happiness (which this tenant has also heard - in somewhat demanding tone), but never any actual follow-through, address, or resolution of the issues brought up.  The guarantees are always vague and flowery and read reassuringly, but again, say and promise nothing related to actual issue resolution. 

There is little so miserable as not being able to comfortably "live" in and utilize the place you're bound by lease to call your home, except maybe knowing that you're bound by lease to pay for it regardless.  Renting here has been nightmarish and inclusive of much more than mentioned in this space, and having discomforts and concerns responded to as if the tenant is simply the over-reacting, difficult, and ungrateful one; and having to compare notes online with previous and other tenants to verify validity of concerns in the face of this response, is actually one of the most stressful and uncomfortable aspects of the whole experience.

Just a few other complaints posted, dating years back if visiting the additional links at bottom, and dating up to present can be viewed at https://plus.google.com/102883179055036067624/about?gl=us&hl=en