Apartment Review for Huguenot Apartments - Richmond, VA

I've been an apartment renter for over 12 years at different communities. Never in my life have I experienced living in a place where they do not fix anything! They say they do this, and check that, but no real results come out of it. I moved in here November 2008, and during the winter time I really liked it. Then came summer. Totally different story. I have had many problems with the a/c in here not being able to keep up with the sweltering heat outside. I like my place cooler (lower 70s, like 70-72). This POS a/c unit could only get this place down 75-76 degrees. It works too dang hard to get the inside cooler. I only have a 1 bedroom, and because it cranks and cranks and cranks, my kWh on my electric bill ranges from 1900 - 2600!!!! My bills are $250-$300 a month. The rental office and maintenance refuses to acknowledge that something is wrong in this apartment. Maintenance comes every time I call them, but only tries to band-aid the problem without actually fixing it. When I requested from the rental office to reimburse me for half of the 3 months of outrageous electric bills, Sarah Klein, the property manager I have never even seen nor spoken to, writes back saying my bills are based on my usage. Well, that is true, however, it is the responsibility of the apartment complex to make sure the equipment they provide is in proper working order. To this day, it is still not. And let's now talk about the never ending cracks that seem to be showing everywhere. I believe they were there when I moved in, however, instead of fixing it properly, they just painted over them. I have a nasty crack over my patio door that runs from the top right corner and across the ceiling. There are cracks forming over the top of the door frame of the bedroom closet, and other cracks beside the dining room ceiling fan, and the vent in the bedroom and one in the living room. The windows in the bedroom do not have any kind of weatherstripping, and they do NOT click shut like the one in the kitchen does. I had a problem with my bathroom exhaust fan, and they said it was installed upside down, so they fixed it and turned it back right side up. In doing so, they caused a HUGE crack to form, and I can see the other side of the drywall. I have asked them to fix that three times, and it's still sitting there. Now I have water spots in the bedroom wall and in the living room ceiling as well. I have pictures of everything wrong in this place, including the horror that is the closet where the a/c unit is. It is so gross and disgusting in there with nasty water damage on the ceiling, duct tape holding things together, and an exposed light-switch type on the side wall (see uploaded picture). The entire left side of the inside door frame of the utility room has a crack that goes from top to bottom. There is exposed insulation from the pipes at the ceiling that are adjacent to the washer/dryer. God only knows what's happening between the roof and my ceiling since I'm on the top floor (2nd). I'm surprised I haven't fallen through my floor to my downstairs neighbors apartments because I can feel some of the floorboards and a few spots have lots of give to them. Now let's talk about the things they don't allow. Sure, you can have a washer/dryer in your apartment, but you can't use it between the hours of 9pm and 7am. If you have a different shift than a day person, you're out of luck there. You have to sign a document you agree to that. You also have to sign a document that states you don't open your windows when the humidity outside is 50% or greater, because that increases the risk of mold. How is someone supposed to know the exact percentage of the humidity outside?? It changes by the minute of every day. So, because of that, I felt I couldn't open my windows at all, and forced to use the faulty a/c unit. Even if I would have kept my thermostat at 75, it would still overwork to get it there. It rarely shuts off during the day. Don't come here if you like burning candles, because you won't be allowed to, either. OH, if you require a handicapped spot, YOU WILL BE FORCED TO PAY FOR THE SPOT, which I still think is illegal. They say it's reserved for you, but it's not. It's not marked as reserved, it's just a regular handicapped spot. There is nothing stopping anyone else from parking there as long as they have a handicapped placard or license plate. As for me, I'm gone as of the end of October to a better built complex, and an even better rent special. With all the pictures I've taken, I'm building a case to take this place to General District Court. I've already spoken to a lawyer. I've also convinced a Chesterfield County Building Inspector to come out and take a look at this apartment, too. Can't wait for that inspection. Just beware, you may think you are getting an awesome apartment because of all the space, and the provided gas utilities for heat, hot water, and cooking, however, you may just find yourself in a position where this place costs you your savings.