West Van Buren Apartments

The front desk people are nice, so they get the two stars. The ventilation is so poorly built that smells from other units travel around. If smelling weed all day doesn't bother you, you may love it. That's just not for me. I hate it and can't wait for my lease to end.

This place is affordable, and the rent includes all utilities except electricity, including wifi, heating, AC, and water. The units also have their own washer and dryer, and the south-facing ones have great views. That's all I can really call a pro after several years here. Each unit belongs to a private landlord, so your experience may depend on your unit and landlord. For me, the building location feels unsafe, the apartment ventilation constantly smells of marijuana, and package pickup rules are extremely rigid. Packages have been returned while I was on vacation because I couldn't collect them in time. Hot water, wifi, garbage chutes, and elevators are often interrupted or out. One of the two garage elevators was down for nearly a year, and staff gave no updates. The building staff and management are stunningly rude and incompetent. Over my three years here, staff have yelled and screamed at me about different things. The freight elevator charges feel like a COMPLETE scam. I can barely understand a $350-500 reservation fee for moving in or out, but if you need to move furniture at another time and don't pay to use it, staff will yell at you and threaten fines of several hundred dollars. That makes selling or giving furniture to someone else incredibly impractical. Before moving out, I sold a bed frame and mattress. They wouldn't let me use the regular elevator even though both fit easily, and demanded a $350 freight elevator reservation. I HAD TO CARRY MY MATTRESS AND BED FRAME DOWN 33 FLIGHTS OF STAIRS TO THE BUYER’S UHAUL because management's staff wouldn't be flexible.

The maintenance team is great, the neighbors are respectful, and the units can be nice depending on which way they face. Some of the staff, mainly the male staff, are really kind. There's also a nearby dog park, a convenient downstairs grocer, and easy access to downtown and public transportation. Still, the cons outweigh the pros. Some front door staff are abrasive and unhelpful, and act like asking a question is hurting a child. I've never had such appalling experiences with front door staff, and I'm surprised this behavior is allowed to continue. It's made me regret living here. There's a lingering weed smell from the building circulation, and units are inexpensive for a reason. The freight elevator and move-in fees are obnoxious. If you're buying a unit and want an enjoyable experience entering the building, I'd highly recommend looking somewhere else.

The elevators are down so often that it's more normal for them to be out than for all of them to work properly. During the year and a half we lived here, several people got stuck in them. Luckily the fire department is across the street. We also had many days when the building's water had problems, was shut off, or had no hot water during winter. Management is some of the worst I've ever seen. When I moved in, I was charged $500+ twice because my wife arrived on a different day. They say it's not an elevator fee, but reserving the freight elevator for 2hrs is the only way to do that. My wife had to pay and reserve it for 2hrs even though she only had luggage. Moving out cost me $350, including 2hrs for the freight elevator. It was down that day. Management promised to reimburse me after I had to hire movers again to get the couch out once the elevator was fixed. They said I only needed to provide the invoice. After I sent it, they didn't respond for weeks, then emailed that the freight elevator being down was out of their control. I paid the movers another $400 just for the couch. If they hadn't promised a reimbursement, I would've moved it myself with friends.