Laramar Group/Woodlands of Crest Hill, IL. First of all, when you first walk in as a potential renter they treat you like gold. Show you a model in the first building which is probably the only clean building on their property. The colored walls, pictures hanging, flower vases, etc. The model looks really good until you realize that your actual apartment can't compare.
I was so excited to move into my apartment until the day I actually moved my things in. I didn't even sleep, I was so depressed! The place smelled horrible! I was so embarrassed by the scent and the dirty faded two different colors carpet in the hallway. I'm a very clean person and I never felt comfortable leaving my clothes on the floor or even sitting on the floor to watch TV. I didn't believe for one second that the carpet was new or even shampood. I had to clean the carpet myself and still didn't feel comfortable. I had a first floor apartment - big mistake!
The walls were so bare you hear the door opening and closing on both sides of the building! The couple upstairs didn't even have a kid but it sounded like animals running wild. I would even hear them having s*x! The windows would shake because the building had been constructed so poorly. Imagine sleeping at 6 in the morning and hear your neighbors every move when they wake up. Including their alarm clock and television!
Plus, since I was on the first floor every bug God ever made welcomed itself into my apartment. I saw everything but a roach!! I couldn't cook anything because the smoke detector would go off after 2 minutes of preheating the oven. I kid you not, even the neighbors detector would go off every other day!
The water has a lot of lime, after a week of living there I had lime and scuz on my shower curtain caused by the hard water. After taking a shower, I never felt cleansed or refreshed. Sometimes, the hot water didn't even work. I would take cold showers three times a week. Imagine running water and quickly splashing it on your body just to freshen yourself for work in the hot summer of 07!! Oh, that reminds me: my air conditioner was loud as hell but didn't breathe any cold air! I used fans throughout the place. I slept with a fan blowing on me every night risking a cold.
There are onsite laundry facilities but I was never able to use them. First of all, there are four washers and dryers that NEVER work and are to be shared by four buildings! I had to take my laundry to a nearby Laundromat. The neighbors would smoke weed and cigarettes in the hallway. Even allow their pets to leave their wastes near my door! I was too ashamed to even have guests! Afraid of what they might have to witness. Newspaper and mail throughout the hallway, garbage bags stinking up the halls, thugs hanging in the driveway, etc. I went out of town for 4 days to return with a hubcap missing! Who would steal a cap?!?!
This place was like living in a project building. You wouldn't think it could happen to you. The parking lots are dim, no lights at all so if you're a female you must be very cautious. As mentioned, I lived on the first floor and the blinds provided by Laramar would not close properly. Imagine worrying about who is out there peeping through your windows at night.
I documented contacting the office 3 times to the point I stopped bothering them about this one problem alone. Besides all of this, the rental office didn't even take messages for maintenance issues. Meaning if you call while someone is out, you're out of luck and literally have to hound them down. If you're able to get a hold of someone, they have an attitude like you're inconveniencing them when it's their responsibility to make you feel like they care about your livelihood. Not! They do NOT take care of their units or you.
After you're sold, they're done with you. The only way to get their attention is when if you're late on your rent, then you get an automatic court date for EVICTION so don't even bother calling for a payment plan. They will file for a court date anyway! So not only do you owe rent, you now are responsible for late and court fees rather you show up or pay them! This could cost you an additional $1000!!!
In my case, I paid up my delinquent rent and fees and still was evicted! Does that make any sense!? Laramar and The Woodlands of Crest Hill are crooks! So please don't waste your time or your money. This place could never be a home to you.
Mariah
Romeoville, Illinois
U.S.A.