MJ Shortstay Bank Apartments

The concierge team and building manager Darren are a big part of why The Bank Apartments feels like home. Since I moved in, the service has been great. The concierge staff are friendly and professional, and help with parcels, questions, or even just a warm smile after a long day. They go out of their way to make living here easy. Darren is a gem. He's approachable, proactive, and clearly cares about residents. He sorts out issues quickly and checks in to see how things are going, which gives the building a real sense of comfort and community. If you're thinking of moving here, do it.

The elevator doesn't work, and the concierge is going to cause you a lot of trouble. Think carefully before moving here. It's inconvenient, and the people are uncooperative. Having illiterate people managing the building makes for this kind of difficult living. I'd reckon you can find something better than living in the '80s in 2022!

The balcony on about level 10 has air-conditioning units and bright fluorescent lights that stay on constantly, shining into nearby apartment windows and bedrooms. It makes the building seem badly managed.

The spice-like smell never went away, even after two months, and I eventually had to break the lease. I lost quite a bit of money, sleep, and peace of mind after two stressful months dealing with Emma and Samuel, who I found unprofessional, dishonest, and unhelpful. I had considered going to VCAT and other authorities, but chose to move on for my family. This began when I rented the furnished one-bedroom at 1810/163 City Road, Southbank, Melb through Ray White Southbank. Emma was the agent I spoke with several times by phone. The rent was $565 a week, and I signed a one-year lease and paid $5K for the bond and first month. We couldn't inspect in person, so I asked for a video after seeing the online photos. Emma described it as spacious, fully furnished, in good livable condition, and older in style, which I didn't mind. She sounded positive and professional, so I trusted her. When we got to Melbourne, my wife picked up the keys while I was at work. She called me in tears. The place smelled so strongly of spice that it was hard to breathe, and everything looked and felt dirty. Half the TV screen was dark and hard to see. The couch was smelly and stained, and the mattress and pillows were filthy and smelled bad, with so many stains it seemed like pets had slept and toileted on them. The smaller items were disgusting too. It didn't feel fit for people to live in. Seeing the photos made me feel sick, and the thought of using the couch or sleeping on that mattress, along with the smell, gave me headaches. I called Samuel right away. He offered to have the couch and mattress steam-cleaned that day, but cleaning wouldn't fix the smell or stains, and I wondered why the place hadn't been properly inspected or cleaned before we arrived. We were paying $2.5K a month and felt disrespected. There was no apology or empathy. After speaking back and forth with the owners, he agreed to replace the three-seater couch for $317, the queen mattress for $270, and the TV for $400. Samuel sent me product links, and I had to buy the cheapest options. If I wanted new, better ones, I'd have to pay myself; otherwise they'd steam-clean the badly damaged furniture. Without spare money, I would have been stuck with it for a year. There were more problems with the replacement furniture. At first we had to pay for everything ourselves, with the cost to be taken off the next month's rent. The owners didn't want to cover it, even though they had already received the $2.5K first month's rent. Delivery took eight working days, within the quoted maximum of 10. We couldn't stay in the apartment while waiting for the mattress and couch, so we stayed at a hotel and couldn't cook, meaning we ate out for every meal. When I asked for a week's rent credit, they refused, saying we were away by choice. The $270 mattress was hard as a brick, and its springs hurt our backs so much we gave each other massages daily. The $317 couch felt like it might collapse if we didn't sit carefully. Getting rid of the old furniture also became a challenge, with endless stress and emails back and forth with Samuel.