Lakeside

Very old apartments with old appliances. The apartment I live doesn’t even have microwave. I am living in Lakeside since an year and the only reason why I choose this is for price. For the apartment conditions, prices were reasonable. But recently, they have increased prices like rocket high making us feel like they are luxury apartments: D. There are good options available around with much less prices. My recommendation is to keep away from Lakeside Apartments unless they advertise as Lakeside Luxury apartments.

Due to «renovations» to the apartments on the property (which include fake granite countertops, the same appliances in a different color, and some cheapo fake wood floors), I am effectively being forced to move after 9 months or I can pay $ 100 more a month, along with all new resident fees. Sounds like a great deal, huh? NOT.
The great neighboors have all moved out because now the apartments are overrpiced for what you get and now there are empty apartments all over the place, which seems to be attracting a bad element.
All the reviews I have read are correct in the assessment of the new owners and the complex. The online feature was constantly broken or being repaired so paying rent and scheduling repairs was incredibly inconvenient. Also, the owners tend to not adhere to 24 hour notice before entering (although it is the law) and the maintenance folks come and go as they please. I have also put a secondary lock on my door to prevent this. The buildings were painted a hideous mud color that made me just shake my head. The place is very old and rundown and the major improvements that could have made the facility better (such as roof improvements to stop leaking and rebuilding crumbling patios) were scrapped in lieu of more cosmetic elements so they could charge more in rent.
ConAm, even with their faults, were so much better at running this complex. Too bad Madrona Ridge is more concerned with turning a buck. Trust me, there are tons of better apartments out there so keep looking.

We have lived here for almost a year in a newly renovated unit. What a difference from other places we have known. The office staff has been friendly, accommodating and fast to resolve issues. The neighbors are generally very quiet and decent. The lake and surrounding neighborhood are great and we would recommend Lakeside to anyone. It seems to make a really big difference when the a company owns and manages their own property. That is the case with Madrona. They own this property and take good care of it. We see more and more units being updated every month and eventually all will be refurbished. Rents vary according to size, remodeled or not, and you will pay more for a deck overlooking the lake.

Okay, here it goes… this may get long winded but I swear it is a truthful and honest review, so please read closely
I lived at Lakeside (formerly known as Lakeside Village) for over 3 years, through 2013 and I saw the old management company Con AM get bought out by another management company called Madrona Ridge. Con Am wasn’t the best, but things went downhill when madrona ridge took over.
When I first moved here they were literally giving apartments away, they were offering less than $ 500 per month for a 1 bedroom in a nice part of town, with a lake view, so it was a good deal. For the first 2 years there it was pretty solid, the managers knew my name, they cared about my problems and fixed anything I needed immediately, I’m talking same day service. They were nice people. Con AM and the old managers were nice to me and actually tried to show customer service… unlike the new management.
Around the time Madrona Ridge took over things just got ratty. Loud and creepy people started moving in, bringing all of their loud and creepy friends with them. Supposedly they have a no crime policy and won’t rent to criminals, yet the very loud and vocal neighbors loved to talk about their DUI’s and jail time. A lot more weirdo people started showing up and walking around at night. I saw a drunk guy smash someone’s windshield in a fit of rage and sped off, and someone did a nice hit and run on my car while it was parked… and of course nobody picked up their dog poop… at all. The landscapers didn’t care to pick it up, the maintenance guys didn’t care, so there it sat.
Madrona Ridge promised all previous residents even better service than Con Am gave. I was wrapping up a lease when Madrona Ridge took over and they offered me an okay deal, so I stayed. But right after they started to get sloppy and dissapoint. They hired the current girls who manage Lakeside a few months later and their awful service started to show.
The current staff working here are probably the slowest, rudest, most impersonal women around. These girls Traci and Lucinda are NOT right for this job. They are NOT friendly or easy to deal with at all when you have a question or concern, they are NOT accommodating or welcoming, no smiles, just a bland «I don’t care» attitude. If you do anything to displease them or make them think hard they will treat you like dirt. They also won’t bother remembering your name or showing you any kind of human service, they’ll just call you «HEY» or «You.» Also, if you have a problem or a concern be sure to just walk in and demand to talk because they don’t listen to their voicemails or return phone calls.
I’ve had problems with bugs, repairs, questions, and rarely did they return a call or get anything moving unless you tell them again and again. In the early days when I needed something fixed con-​am would have it fixed in a day or two, these girls will make sure it takes over a week if you’re lucky. So either get good at fixing your own stuff or be prepared to wait, because as these managers know you aren’t that important. Seriously… how hard is it to FAKE customer service? At least try to remember someone’s name and care a little bit, a fake smile, anything helps, especially in a SALES position… you kill more flies with honey than vinegar. FYI.
I left when they offered a renewal notice at the end of my lease, they offered me a new lease agreement that was ABSURD and overpriced. The one bedrooms here are 600 square feet, just tiny little run down apartments from the 1980’s, and they are now asking $ 725.00+ per month… that doesn’t include taxes, pet rent (if you have em) and utilities. So basically they are charging around $ 800 per month for a 600 sq. foot hole in the wall in an old crumby complex, when you can go find a nice, NEW, cleaner mark taylor or other luxury apartment for only a few dollars more per month. Uhhh yeah, no thanks lakeside! I did just that and found a better, nicer, newer place for only pennies more than here.
Do not believe the website, it is totally false advertised. What you see online is NOT what you will get in person. What you’ll really see are outdated appliances from the 80’s, peeling paint, popcorn ceilings, cheap carpeting, tiny closets, and no storage space.
Lakeside used to be a lot better, I used to love it at first and I’m grateful for the good times I had while it lasted. The management used to be nicer, the grounds used to be cleaner, and the prices used to be reasonable. This place has delusions of grandeur… the managers think it’s a luxury complex and are charging people ridiculous luxury prices for run down, ugly little apartments that are not worth their price tag, and the service you get isn’t worth a dollar.
The area is pretty good and the lake is pretty at night time, there are nice walkways and some handy shops nearby, but honestly look elsewhere if you want both quality and value.

I will try to keep this short but I have lived here for 1 year and 6 months now so forgive me if I dump too many details.
Problems started when I moved in, the day I moved in. ConAm was the owner of the complex at the time. I came in to my apartment the day I signed my lease and I found women’s hair stands in the bathroom and a couple in the kitchen, there were strains on the wall and it appeared the place hadn’t really been cleaned by professionals.
Next problem was a few months later. I had a (literally) crazy neighbor who was always screaming and yelling at her boyfriend. One night I caught her downstairs breaking a window to another person’s unit because she «had to save the cat». I called the police and that’s where the real problems began. Every week or so she would come to my door screaming and banging. When I advised the front office I never received a response until I told them I was going to break my lease if they did not act. They said it was out of their hands which shocked me when I learned she wasn’t even a resident here but just my neighbors girlfriend. This is private property and they can set a no trespassing order on a disruptive individual. This continued for several months.
Next problem was when Madrona Ridge took over. This might seem petty to some but not to me. I was working two jobs and their office was always closed when I was off work and closed when I went in to work in the morning. I was used to paying my rent online with ConAm and I could not get in touch with the new office to see if they had that option and they would also never return my calls. Finally, I had a couple of hours the very day after rent was due and told them I had been trying to call them for the past four days to find out how to get them their money. I asked that they please waive the late fees as a customer service courtesy but the lady said no because then she’d have to waive everyone else’s fees. Really?
The only reason I renewed my lease with Madrona Ridge is for the price. I only pay $ 560 for a one bedroom. If you are paying any more, they are ripping you off. This place is old and rundown. I only signed for six months but from December to now there have been some minor problems for me and one critical problem on their side with regard to how to run a business.
I had a leak in my ceiling whenever it rained. I had to notify them by phone several times but they would never return my calls so I had to send an email. They fixed it but the ceiling still gets damp when it rains. I don’t really think their staff are educated or even licensed contractors for that matter.
The next thing is very petty but it made me hate this place even more. They painted the whole complex an oppressive, ugly, ridiculous cinderblock gray with a greenish-​brownish trim around the windows and the doors are bright sea green.
Then, the new maintenance people think it’s okay to just come in even when you haven’t received notice they are coming in. I’ve had to put a piece of wood at my door so they can’t just waltz in.
Finally, I was trying to give a 60 day notice that I was vacating. I again, called to ask if I needed to sign something, I also emailed and no response. When I went into the office, it was 56 days before the end of my lease so now they have forced me to pay them for four extra days after my lease should have ended. Today would and should have been my last day.
About three weeks ago they inspected my apartment because they are going to renovate it and upgrade it after I move out. If they try to charge me ridiculous fees for cleaning and whatnot I will be livid. They are going to tear out all the carpet and tear apart the kitchen and all the fixtures. I know because I’ve seen them do this to the apartments around me when they are renovated. Obviously I am going to leave it very clean but still, this place is ridiculous and I’d be naïve to believe my problems have ended just because my lease is over on June 4, 2013.

I’ve lived in this complex twice. The first time was from October 2006 until April 2008, the second being October 2011 until December 2012.
To be honest, the first stretch I would have given the place 4 stars. The only reason I moved was because the owner at the time, ConAm, decided to go condo and was not renewing leases. The apartment i lived in was kinda small at 625 sq feet but it fit my needs, the price was right and not far from my job. The office staff was also very nice. When I left, no fees and good feelings all around.
When I came into the market to move again, I found out ConAm still owned the place and they were renting again figuring the condo gig wasn’t a great idea. I felt a little uncomfortable as the new agent pidgeon holed me into a place of the same size as I had before and wanted, but it was on the lake side rather than the side I lived before and closer to Dobson Road where I worried about road noise. There was another of the size I wanted but it was not going to be ready for another 7 days which they insisted could not be ready any earlier.
I let myself get talked into the place, which was my bad entirely. I paid the deposits and came in to the sign the lease. We covered the paperwork which for the most part was run of the mill. I rather balked when they told me if I wanted to move to another apartment after my lease is up it’d be a $ 500 deposit. No mention was made and I did not recall seeing mention of cleaning fees unless I left the place in disrepair.
Well, the road noise wasn’t horrid. The lake was nice however on the other side of the lake where I was ended up being a nice view of a back side of a shopping center and the patio of a bar. The TV was routed through a central satellite system like the last time but the provider now charged either an additional bi annual or quarterly maintenance fee, with no cable available and no individual satellite setup available for north facing apartments.
Now, right about the time my lease was ending ConAm sold the property to Medrona Ridge Residential. The notification went out hardly a week or so before the transition took place. The management companies were nice enough not to charge me a month to month fee as I told them I was looking for a new job and was worried about a lease since I did not know where I would be.
The new management was pretty nice to me for my remaining time there. I did have to move as I found a new job that was pretty much on the far side of town, at least most of the way. After having been unemployed for 6 months and being on shaky financial ground, a 150 mile commute a week didn’t make a lot of sense.
I thanked them for their pleasant service and promised a positive review if the service kept being so good. Imagine my surprise when I got a $ 120 bill for carpet and apartment cleaning. I called to question it as it was NOT discussed at the lease signing and I interpreted the lease as being no charges unless the place was in bad repair.
Well, I was told that if I had a carpet cleaners receipt they’d wave that fee. The apartment cleaning fee was due to it not being move in ready, which boggled me as not ever having been mentioned let alone a criteria with ANY place I’d lived in the past.
Of course I had no grounds to dispute it as the online version of the lease was gone when the old management’s site was taken down for that complex, I could not find my lease hard copy and I’d been month to month anyhow.
I asked for a payment plan, to which the manager agreed to however I felt talked down to for the conversation from there on out. I managed to get the funds together to pay them off, despite robbing Peter to pay Paul as it were, and the staff that was there was nice to me but, honestly, I’m not sure I can give this place a positive review.
The place I am at now costs less than the $ 1 per square foot than I was paying here, the place I am at now also has newer appliances than I had at Lakeside, more space and some of my utilities are actually covered where I had to pay for everything there.

All I can say is their website is false advertisement. It looks updated and nice, but the real scoop is only a handful of their spaces are that way. I’m so happy that I do not live in this old run down property.