Luxury apartments with health clubs, stainless steel appliances, and granite counter tops are all the rage these days with millennials.
But tenants in a new Loveland, Ohio luxury complex are saying "where's the luxury?"
Heather Poast showed us the unfinished community center at River Ridge apartments, 6 to 9 months after most tenants moved in.
"There's supposed to be a fitness center and coffee bar with free coffee," she said. But all that stands there is an unfinished building, surrounded by yellow tape.
Another tenant, who asked that we not use his name, said "all the apartments and everything else here is finished. That's the biggest bone of contention."
Paid extra for amenities
Tenants told us they could have moved to any number of other apartment complexes in Warren County for less money. Here, the average 2-bedroom, 2-bath apartment is $1,400 a month.
But they specifically chose this one for all the luxury features like a pool that they have yet to enjoy.
"We were told we would have a fitness center, we were told we would have a pool," Poast said. "There was going to be a dog run, community garden, and bike storage."
But all of it sits unfinished.
All those features appear on the complex's website, filled with photos of gorgeous granite and hardwood floor-appointed apartments.
What amenities do the tenants have at this point? "Nothing, nothing," a frustrated Poast said.
We contacted the complex owners, Metro Communities of Mason, Ohio.
In a written statement, managers said an unexplained permit delay was the main problem.
It says "we genuinely regret any inconvenience. But our contractor was unable to obtain a permit from the State of Ohio until March 2019," setting construction on the pool and clubhouse back by months." (See full statement below)
What all renters need to know
There's a warning here to all renters:
- Never sign a lease based on landlord promises of amenities or repairs.
- Get those promises in writing on the lease.
- Ask for a way to break the lease, or get a rent discount, if the promises are not fulfilled in reasonable time.
That's what these tenants want.
"I want it done, or want compensation in the form of lower rent," Poast said.
On-site managers told me they hope to have the workout facility open in the next 30 days, which they hope will finally calm the complaints.
The pool, though, looks like it may not be ready till next Spring, which will continue to keep a little bit of the luxury out of this luxury community.
As always, don't waste your money.
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FULL STATEMENT FROM METRO COMMUNITIES:
"We genuinely regret any inconvenience we have caused our residents with regard to use of the community building and swimming pool. The permit for the pool was submitted to the State of Ohio in October 2018, and the pool was scheduled to open in May 2019. It is unclear why our pool contractor was unable to obtain the permit until March of 2019. Representatives from our company were in contact with the State of Ohio Health Department attempting to facilitate issuance of the permit, but to no avail. This spring was (also) one of the wettest in recent history, which was not conducive to construction, and further delayed the installation of the pool. We apologize again to any of our community members who have been inconvenienced, but the issues concerning the installation of the pool have been beyond our control."
