Tenant Reviews for 1710 W TC JESTER

Great community and location was amazing. Walking distance to the gym, walgreens and even night time entertainment on 20th street. Overall great location and quiet community with easy going residents and easy parking.

Maintenance requests get ignored for weeks unless you actually corner someone to address it (which is next to impossible). Resident portal requests get ignored, emails are not responded to, no one answers the office phone, and if you leave a message, you will not be called back. There are a multitude of abandoned cars in the garage that have been there for months, and a few over two years. Lest not forget the car break ins and tires being stolen. Location is great but the quality of management has really gone down over the past three years.

Update: Ever since this property was bought by BARVIN, the property has gone downhill BARVIN is a TERRIBLE company that doesn't seem to care about its residents. We've had a multiple managers quit without notice or warning, and there's no communication between BARVIN and the residents when this happens. They've had 3 new people come in so far, and at least 30 different maintenance people. If there's an open item that you discussed with a previous manager, good luck getting it fixed. An example: I switched parking spots to one that's covered. The previous employee told me they switched it over and will only have one spot. Next billing period they change me for TWO spots. Another example: They request all residents to submit their home insurance form. Mine has been on file since I renewed, but yet again, I was being charged a fee for apparently not having one. It took them about 2 months before they fixed these issues. They seem to hire unexperienced, unprofessional, and rude employees that are not helpful. The complex itself stays full of trash/liter, as there's many lazy residents who just decide the ground or parking railing is their trash can, since the property doesn't have anyone to clean the grounds. The parking situation has gotten worse. Unauthorized cars continue to park in reserved resident spots. The Grove works with "Ranger Tow" ( a really unreliable and sketchy company, I suppose they both go hand in hand to screw you over.) which never shows up when you call. Their website says "less than 30 min arrival" and when they don't arrive within that time frame, they'll use the excuse " It seems there's no one available as of the moment. For now, please wait. I suggest checking to them again after 30 minutes or an hour." So that's a waste. There's been an uptick in abandoned cars left in the parking garage, taking up space, management does nothing. The salt water pool continues to break/malfunction about every two weeks, causing it to turn a gross algae green. If we're lucky, it may get fixed within 1-2 months. Their valet trash is also unreliable. They're supposed to pick it up Sun - Thurs, unless there's a holiday. We may get it picked up 2 or 3 of those days, that's IF THEY SHOW UP. I've had trash pile up because no one showed up and management didn't mention anything about any issues. Maintenance is also always changing. One very troubling thing I've noticed is that maintenance will enter your apartment without calling you or giving you heads up. They will also rifle through your personal things if they're in your apartment and no ones home. So make sure you have cameras set up inside. There is one perk. I've noticed a few people cooking on a grill just outside their front door. Guess management has allowed that (even though its a city violation.) ——————- I've lived at these apartments for almost 4 years. The staff is friendly, though always changing. It feels like we get new staff/maintenance every month. Speaking of maintenance, it can take them a while before addressing your problem. I've had my AC unit break down, took them about a month before it was back up and running. Their "renovated" units are merely painted over. Same old wood carpentry just...GREY! Appliances seem to be new but yet break down or parts fall off Garage gate breaks about once a month. They do get it fixed quickly at least. However, it feels like they don't care who comes in and parks. Cars are NEVER towed, so I'd you need to stash a stolen car or just want to park permanently, feel free to use this one. Not once in the four years I've lived here have I seen a tow truck. I've called them three times and yet they never seem to show up. The area is fantastic at least. Easy access to the bayou, lots of paces to eat and go to. So while you pay for the convenience of having lots to do around, this property needs to crack down on abandons vehicles, people parking in reserved spots, staff needs to follow through on their announcements and not just send out emails telling residents what they're going to do but never do. It would be nice to have permanent maintenance who don't take weeks before your issue is addressed

I've been living here for the past year and there have been so many issues on this property I will just make a bulleted list: -Unresponsive management that has no power to actually fix any issues, says they will get back to you and never does. You have to nag to get things fixed. -Maintenance is constantly changing and does sub par work. You often have to call them back multiple times for the same job because they don't check to make sure its truly fixed. -Car break ins are a norm. There are cameras on the property but they do not check them and say that there is too much footage to go through when a car is broken into. -When my apartment flooded back in February, they did not replace the drywall in my bedroom/bathroom where the pipes burst, nor did they remove the cabinets to assess water damage. I found mold spots on the walls which maintenance painted over instead of taking out the drywall and insulation. -Dog park is poorly maintained, filled with a bunch of holes and poop everywhere. I realize this is from residence not picking up after their animals, but management should address this and get the park cleaned up.

Listen up kids and old people. This complex is HELL on Earth. BELIEVE THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS!!! Dirty old rotten and I mean rotten HELL hole. Avoid at all costs. Don't heed my warning? In 3 months remember I told you so.

Cons: Security - Do not move here unless you want your tires stolen or your car broken into. The gate at the parking garage has been broken for a while, we've put in an emergency request and have called to have the gate fixed. Tires have been stolen in previous years as well (at least 3 times before with multiple cars). Packages - We have lost multiple packages since the new management has came in (Barvin). We've never had issues with our packages until they took over. Leasing Office Staff - Unfriendly, not helpful, rude, and not proactive regarding requests to ensure safety and security. Air Condition - The AC would go out (these apartments are quite old as well as most the AC units). The worst is during warmer months. Pros: Dog Parks - 2 pretty large dog parks on site Trail Access - Direct access to the White Oak Bayou Trail Neighbors - Friendly folks live here. Wishing I could say the same for the leasing office staff. Pool - Salt water pool

My boyfriend and I signed a one year lease at the Grove at White Oak with our one dog. From the beginning we were off to a bad start. We didn't immediately move into the apartment so we were unaware that the fan in the AC unit was malfunctioning and blowing air non stop. So for the one and a half weeks that apartment was unoccupied (but the fan was blowing) we had an electric bill of $225. Despite this being the complex's fault for moving us into an apartment that wasn't ready, they took no blame at all. Next, the dog parks are filthy. No one cleans up after their own dog in the parks or on the complex and nothing is done about it. The fences are old and our dog literally slid under the fence and got out. When we told management nothing was ever fixed so we couldn't go to that park anymore for fear we would lose our dog. We just took advantage of the Bayou Trail and walked him there every time he needed to go out. The pool is also not well maintained and during one month in October it was literally covered in leaves the entire month. They didn't bother to clean it once. Next we had an issue in our shower where mushrooms were growing from our roof for almost a month before they finally fixed it. I kept notes on my phone so they're attached below if you want to read my day to day experience with that. Our neighbor also had his apartment flooded for the person above him and he had to go to the office almost every day to get them to fix his apartment. And apparently this was the SECOND time the guy flooded his apartment. Nothing will ever get done here unless you practically beg them to help you. We switched our garage key four separate times because it would stop working all the time. It got to the point where we would just put our code in the gate because it wasn't worth the hassle of having to deal with the apartment. They are now under different management and they don't care one bit about you or anything about you. Yazmin is incredibly rude and is one of the reasons we didn't renew our lease. When we tried to negotiate our rent price to possibly renew she wouldn't even hear us out. We were paying $1300 for a 700 square foot apartment but online it was now going for $1199. When we brought this up she gave us some BS explanation like always and told us the market value for our apartment was actually $1400!! Despite everything that had happened to us in the year we lived there we always paid our rent in full and one time and she was trying to raise our rent. No way. When we asked for our sixty day notice she didn't even bat an eye or try to make us reconsider. She just dropped it in front of us and ignored our presence. When it came to our final bill they charged us for carpet cleaning despite us giving them the receipt that we steam cleaned it ourselves. Our $400 pet deposit we paid was considered a pet "fee" by the new management that took over so that money just disappeared instead of covering any damages caused by our dog. Long story short they charge way too much for what this place is worth. For $200 more we have 300 more square feet and endless amenities at a new apartment so save yourself the trouble and don't live here. It maybe be a little cheaper but in the end you'll end up unhappy and feeling robbed. Shower Issue Initial complaint made Sunday June 2 via online service. Maintenance didn't come to apartment to look at ceiling until Friday June 7. Then they informed us the people above installed a bidet, flooded their bathroom, and failed to report it. Said they would come Monday June 10 to fix it because they had to fix the problem upstairs first. Said they would come Monday June 10th, never came. Went to office again on Wednesday June 12th to see when they would come to fix our roof because there was a yellow sac in the ceiling that we noticed Tuesday June 11. By Thursday night June 13 there was a fungus (looks like mushroom) growing out of the roof. Made another service request via internet late Thursday night June 13. Went to office again Friday June 14 and was told Maintenance was coming at some point today. And also told by Sascha it was "weird" and she didn't seem all that concerned. After three trips to the office to speak with Sasha and LaVondra Victor came around 4 on Friday June 14 and pulled the mushroom out of the roof and put a fan to dry and dry the ceiling. We were told Monday an outside company would be coming in and replacing the sheet rock. There was a hole in the bathroom above us causing water to continuously leak into our roof. Victor sealed the hole. Outside contractor came in around 1145 am Monday June 17 to tell us he came in "blind" & thought he just had to patch a wall. Said our ceiling wasn't dry enough & ripped down some of the popcorn ceiling. (Also didn't clean up his mess). Then said he was going to Home Depot & would return but never did. Went to Sasha at 3pm to see what was going on & per usual she didn't know. Wednesday June 19 the contractor came by around 3:15 despite us repeatedly telling them we have work at 4 so he couldn't do the work. Told him AGAIN to come any day before 3. Thursday June 20 called office to see when they were coming by and Jessica was covering for Sasha and was completely unaware of the situation but said she would call when the contractors arrived. Neither happened. And at this point our ceiling is still ripped open from the June 17 contractor visit. Called office and LaVondra again said she would call when they arrive but didn't know if they were going to come to our apartment. Finally a contractor came another three days later to fix the roof but it was just putting a bandaid on the problem. They did not replace any part of the roof that had been soaked in water for almost a month. Rather they just dried it and painted over. I wouldn't be surprised if that apartment doesn't have some kind of mold in those walls. And just a side note that when a new mushroom grew and someone would come to look, all they did was rip it out of the roof and consider the problem fixed for that day.

Update 2 - As of 8/22 - shower is not still not fixed and not a word from the leasing office. The water pressure in the shower is so low (partly because the shower head they replaced to "fix" it and partly because of the leak I guess), it takes forever to take a shower. The work order was requested on Aug 9. Last Friday, they sent someone to fix it but the maintenance guy said he needs some parts and was going to get it from Home Depot, however, leasing office decided to order it instead and here we are. Almost 2 weeks, shower still not fixed. Update 1-Wait until something needs to be fixed in this apartment complex. Yes, shower is still leaking and still noone cares. After our unpleasant conversation last night, they said they were going to send someone over but it would take 40 min. I waited 2 hours noone showed up. I left a voice mail, still no answer in the morning until 9 45. I call, they put me on hold forever only to say to call me back later. I walk over to the leasing office, they are well aware of this low rating and mention it this is why I am being ugly..because of this post. Apparently they have time to read posts but no interest in doing their job. Here I am stuck in my apartment, waiting for them to fix the shower (obviously they are not capable of fixing a shower without someone overseeing them). I reported this last friday like I said, nothing fixed, I went to the leasing office to ask what is happening, here are the answers that I get to my questions, quote for quote: - I have not seen the maintenance guy since you left your request (phone, text, maybe?) -I am not his boss, I put the order in, that is all I can do. Back to today, I am once more reminded that it is what it is and they take of requests in the order they receive. AKA not getting a shower fixed in a week. Only thing that I can say at this point is they take your money, they do not want to work. Apparently , they learned the fact that all machines need to be hooked and working before a renter moves in, oh the shower too. Looking at the positive comments, they got that part. Wait until something gets broken. Here it is 10 35 AM, their main maintenance guy is off, they are trying to find someone else to fix the shower that they did not for a week. Here I am cannot even use my broken shower in case they come and I would miss them and the fault would me mine again. No updates..no clue..Because according to what they say I want special treatment... I do not recommend this place at all and I am looking forward to moving out of here once the lease is up. I lived in my former apartment complex (Lenox) for 4 years and was hoping the same for here but unfortunately not going to happen. I have had nothing but issues since I moved here but was trying to be understanding but today was the last drop. I moved into an apartment with none of the machines hooked up (washer, drier, washing machine) plus the shower was not working hence I could not even take a shower after moving an entire apartment. Next day they fixed it, it literally took almost 5 hours to make everything work. Same week they had to change the entire toilette as it was clogged after renovations - no one bothered to check it. I had a leaking shower last week, reported it, they "fixed" it and I came home it was still leaking. I went back to the leasing office informing them the shower that they "fixed" yesterday is still leaking and the only response I get is a cold "ok, we will look at it". By today it has been an entire week and as I call them they say it may be today or tomorrow. Just a leaking shower head, an entire week. When you contact them, they cannot care less and their go to statement will always be "it depends on whether we have A/C issues or not" or "I understand you are upset" I guess A/C is another issue here. This place is not worth your money, I really regret leaving Lenox. It was an old place but the staff was incredible. This place does not deliver. No isolation, I hear my neighbor walk upstairs all the time (just walk). I am sure people below me hear me too. I wrote about these issues in their survey, no one bothered to contact me so here I am in their terms "being ugly" and writing from here because it is obviously my fault that they cannot take care of their business. Yes, I was called I am being ugly because I complained that they cannot fix a shower in a week. Only one positive thing about this apartment complex is its closeness to the bayou but there are plenty of other places so choice is yours.

The management here is awesome. I had such a seamless move-in experience (which was great since I have never rented before and wasn't familiar with the process). They have an awesome pet policy, which was a huge plus for me as I have 2 very large dogs. The complex is always peaceful and well-kept. I really enjoy living here!

My partner and I moved to The Grove in July 2017 and have had an all-around great experience. Our maintenance requests have been completed in a timely manner by technicians who are professional and courteous. Living in a large city like Houston, we have taken every precaution to make sure our vehicles are free from items that may look enticing to a thief and have not been subject to any break-ins. The valet trash is a great service, they always show up on time. As a property manager myself, I am sensitive to the behavior of office staff, and the staff at The Grove have always treated us with courtesy and a professional attitude. The apartments themselves are on the smaller side and lack some of the premium features of a luxury community, but we are living there primarily for the location. There are 2 grocery stores, a Walgreens, a Subway, a veteranarian, several restaurants, a car repair shop, and a dry cleaners within 200 yards of the property. You couldn't ask for a better location if you hate to drive to everything and enjoy walkability.