U Pointe on Speight

SAFETY CONCERN PARENTS PLEASE READ: Some of the staff are very kind and helpful. I’ve personally had a good experience with Ashlynn, Justin, and some of the maintenance crew (Cash or Nash I think is his name). HOWEVER, please listen to the reviews from actual residents. “Local guides” and prospective residents do not know what it is like LIVING here. My experience raised several serious concerns regarding safety, maintenance, and management practices. SAFETY: When I toured the property, management told me and my parents that female residents were not placed on the first floor for safety reasons. Despite this, I was assigned a first-floor unit directly across from a gas station. Homeless individuals were often right outside my bedroom window, which created significant privacy and safety concerns, especially when I stayed alone during the summer. When my roommates had moved out and I was the only person living in the unit, maintenance and management entered the apartment frequently to “check” the vacant rooms. This happened sometimes multiple times per day with different employees who appeared unaware that the rooms had already been inspected. When I asked about this, staff could not explain who had already entered the apartment or why their records did not reflect it. Management does not appear to properly track or log who has the master keys or when units are entered. When staff cannot confirm who has been in your apartment, it raises major security concerns. During that same summer, I came home from work several times to find my front door left unlocked. I do not know whether it was maintenance or management entering, but someone was leaving the door unsecured. Additionally, papers are placed on front doors during the summer indicating which rooms are occupied and by how many people. This made it very obvious that I was living alone, which was extremely concerning from a safety standpoint. Another ongoing issue was the frequency of inspections. While routine inspections are understandable, they occur extremely often and with little notice. Just between February and March alone, maintenance or management entered our unit three or four separate times. Notices are also often sent once school breaks have already started, when many residents have already left. MANAGEMENT PRACTICES: When staff do enter the apartment, it can feel invasive. One summer evening, EIGHT staff members entered the apartment at around 7:30 p.m. Sometimes the staff doesn’t even wait for the door to be answered. It’s uneasy walking into my living room to see several staff members entering my unit. Mail and packages are frequently mishandled. Mail is left unattended on the floor in the lobby and packages are sometimes left overnight where anyone could take them. MAINTENANCE: I moved to a second-floor unit after my first year. Upon move-in, several issues were immediately noticeable: missing floorboards, non-working ceiling fans, an AC unit that leaked, and a kitchen and floors that were extremely dirty. Pest issues have also been a problem. We have consistently dealt with cockroaches and more recently carpet beetles. Despite deep cleaning, the beetles continue appearing around the window and even on my bed (they eat holes in cotton). Like I said earlier, I have positive encounters with the maintenance crew when I cross paths with them. However, that is only when I put in a work order myself. Maintenance and staff sent unexpectedly by management is never a good experience. While the complex markets itself as “affordable living,” there are many other apartments nearby with similar or better pricing that provide far better maintenance, communication, and most importantly, safety. The staff are friendly during tours and the complex frequently advertises giveaways and events, but the actual living experience was very different. After 3.5 years here, I cannot recommend this property due to the ongoing safety and quality-of-life concerns. It comes to no surprise the 1 star reviews from residents are buried by 5 star reviews from tours.