I lived at Arbors at Arundel Preserve from 2008-2013 and loved it enough to miss it after moving. Back then the buildings were new, the amenities were great, and staff were professional and helpful. I was in the building with the leasing office, fitness room, party room, and theater, with a view of the pool. Lease renewals included complimentary carpet cleaning, the amenities deposit was reasonable, and maintenance was phenomenal. When water from the tenant above damaged my storage, they quickly moved me to a bigger space for the same price. I returned in December 2020 after having to leave another Columbia, MD apartment quickly because tenants were allowed to smoke there and it was a nightmare. A young woman at Arbors was great to me. After two years dealing with a noisy, nasty neighbor, things improved. The leasing office staff were great, though maintenance had changed and some services weren't as good as they had been ten years earlier. I loved my one-bedroom with den facing Arundel Mills Blvd, though street noise could be a lot sometimes. Noisy neighbors were worse. I was unhappy about being sold an apartment with a fireplace that I couldn't use during my three years there. Every time I turned it on, the smoke detectors went off. I was told that would happen often and I was better off not using it. Then stop using it as a selling point. When I moved this year, I was told maintenance wouldn't take down the curtain rods, although they had put them up in 2020. I also learned I had to patch the picture nail holes, and paid someone to do it. An HVAC vendor Bozzuto used damaged the blinds in 2022. I left the broken pieces in plain sight for maintenance after it happened, but they sat on the windowsill for two years. I repeatedly asked about a move-out inspection and was only told to return my keys and sign the move-out document. In the past, I've always gotten my deposit back from apartments, including from Arbors in 2013. This time, three weeks after I left, I was told I wouldn't get my $250 deposit back because of damaged blinds, described as cheap LOEWS or HMDPT blinds, in the bedroom and one in the living room, and a furniture stain on the carpet. At Avalon Russett in Laurel, maintenance had told me years ago that carpets are removed after a tenant moves out. I took photos and video of how clean my apartment was. I feel blindsided and robbed, and what they sent me didn't add up to $250. Who waits three weeks after a tenant leaves to inspect an apartment? The two young women in the office are very nice, and I appreciate the help with moving out. But keeping most of my deposit is unacceptable. One of the other leasing agents has a Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde personality. I won't give Arbors a good review because I feel they handled this duplicitously. Great location near the airport and shops, but get your move-out done while you're still there. Arbors, stop trying to make up for pandemic rent you couldn't collect between 2020-2022. Those of us who paid during the pandemic shouldn't have to suffer for it.
