The Helmsman

DO NOT LIVE HERE. A Complete Scam That Preys on Students. If I could give this place zero stars, I would. The absolute only reason The Helmsman gets a single star from me is because the front desk staff at least tries to be nice, and the utilities work sometimes. Beyond that, this place is an absolute nightmare, and I cannot warn people away strongly enough. They aggressively prey on college students (especially SCAD students) by promising "luxury living," only to trap you in an overpriced, unsafe, and unlivable situation. Let’s start with the most glaring issue: many of the bedrooms literally have NO WINDOWS. Not only is it incredibly depressing to live in a dark, claustrophobic box with zero natural light or fresh air, but it is a massive safety hazard. If there is ever a fire or an emergency in the hallway, someone is going to get killed because there is no secondary way to evacuate. Furthermore, you will not feel safe walking home. There is a shelter right next door to the building, and I have been aggressively catcalled and harassed on multiple occasions just trying to get to my apartment. You would think a building charging this much would take resident safety seriously, but they don't. I was even stalked by another resident inside the building. For the insane amount of money they charge, you are moving into a building infested with cockroaches and riddled with mold. It is completely unsanitary. When you aren't dealing with the bugs, you are dealing with the plumbing. Expect to take freezing cold showers regularly because the hot water is incredibly unreliable, especially when you have early morning classes. On top of the health hazards, the walls are paper-thin. You can hear absolutely everything. I dealt with ridiculously loud neighbors blasting music and partying at all hours. Despite filing multiple formal noise complaints, management did absolutely nothing about it. Don't expect to ever get a quiet night of sleep or be able to study in your own apartment. The pricing is a massive bait-and-switch. When I signed my lease, my rent was supposed to be $1,686 a month. Out of nowhere, my monthly bill shot up to over $2,000 because of hidden fees tacked onto the portal. They slowly increase your utility charges and add random administrative and service fees every single month, even when absolutely nothing about your usage has changed. It is entirely deceptive. From the roaches and the mold to the freezing showers, zero security, and exploding rent prices, EVERYTHING about this place is awful. Do yourself a massive favor, save your money, and sign a lease literally anywhere else.

I have many concerns regarding the safety for the students living there. They are located directly across from a night homeless shelter. Anyone can walk in the building and use elevators without a key fob.

I originally believed this to be a decent place, but over time my mind was changed. I’m going to get into their water issues, wall issues, noise issues, high costs, unprofessional employees, and how they take advantage of young students. Every single shower I took was cold (I lived in two different rooms, even adjusted the temperature limit stop, so no it wasn’t my specific shower). I never got sleep at night due to my window being 5 feet away from a very active homeless shelter. Which is fine, but it makes me question why is rent almost 2k? The walls are not sound proof at all, I could hear my upstairs neighbor running a marathon pretty much 24/7. I tried to move out early, but since it’s “student living” they won’t let you move out until you find a sublease. Well I found a subleaser, but an employee ended up promoting their other rooms to my subleaser when she called them about being interested in my room, taking even more of my money. I just saw in their Instagram that they just gifted my “almost subleaser” an electric scooter, but I haven’t even gotten my referral money? They promised me a $500 gift card for “referring”, but it’s been over a month. Which I believe isn’t even enough money for the emotional distress they’ve caused. All of my other sublease options backed out because the helmsman charges $500 just for a sublease application fee, along with making us pay an INSANE amount to transfer it over. Maintenance men have entered my apartment without asking, any warnings, or any emails. This is equivalent to a dorm, rather than an apartment. The one thing I do like is the pool, even though it faces towards a hospital! I will be using that pool this summer since it’s nearly impossible to find anyone who’d want to sublease here. I will also say their snack room is convenient, but makes me upset thinking that I wasted even more money here. I truly don’t want to hear any excuses for y’all treating students this way, which I noticed was a pattern in your responses. Just simply do better. I also expect to see the referral money I was promised THIS week (it’s shocking enough I was only offered a $500 gift card after being taken advantage of). I’ve lived at another complex for 3 months now and it’s 100x nicer for half the price, trust me and take my advice. Do not do student living, but specifically do NOT live at the Helmsman.