Steve Brown Apartments

Madison, United States

3.5

Closed now

8 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

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Telephone:
+1 608-255-7100
Website:
www.stevebrownapts.com
Address:
120 W Gorham St, Madison, WI, 53703
Capitol
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Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
By Appointment Only
No

Today

Today 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Madison) 20:56 Thursday, 5 June 2025

Business hours

Monday 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Tuesday 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Thursday 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Friday 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

Rent your next apartment from Steve Brown Apartments and enjoy free online rent payments, 24-​hour emergency maintenance, a free SBA Red Card, and professional employees who are excited to have you as a resident.

What Our Residents Think:

«Steve Brown Apartments staff are all professional. There are so many horror stories about irresponsible landlords and I am glad that this is never the case with SBA. The staff are all really nice and helpful.» — Peter C., 2012

«You guys are by far the best and most fair rental company in Madison. Thank you and keep it up!» — Nicholas M., 2011

History

Established in 1980.

It may sound strange, but despite owning 56 properties and housing over 3,200 people in the Madison area, Steve Brown doesn’t consider himself a landlord. Never has in his 30 years of owning real estate.

His early experiences have tainted the term «landlord» in his eyes, and he prefers to think of himself as more of an «owner.» However, after a closer look at how he’s conducted his business for the past 3 decades, the term «service provider» seems more appropriate. And in this arena, he is one of Madison’s best…

Read the full story at www​.steve​brow​napts​.com/​story.

Meet the Business Owner

Steve B.

Business Owner

Steve is a graduate of Michigan State University (1970) and the University of Wisconsin Law School (1973). Steve earned his way through both colleges as a Resident Assistant in the university residence halls.

Steve is active in his church, and in the community, having financially supported or served on many non-​profit boards and advisory committees associated with the housing industry, such as Project Home, Porchlight, The Road Home (formerly Interfaith Hospitality Network), and the Salvation Army.

Steve regularly supports the arts community, particularly the nationally recognized Shakespearean Rep American Players Theatre, in Spring Green, where he serves on the Board of Directors. Steve is a founding member of the External Steering Committee of the Lubar Institute for the Study of Abrahamic Religions (LISAR) at the University of Wisconsin-​Madison. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Higher Education Business Roundtable, and on the Board of Governors of the

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8 reviews of Steve Brown Apartments

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Place rating: 5
Madison, WI
Henry Gilman– If only I didn’t have to relocate due to my job, I would have stayed in this building until I graduate from my Ph.D. program. This building may look ugly from the outside, but it is actually a gem in the inside.
My husband and I were happy residents living in the 9th-​floor unit overlooking Mendota, which is breathtakingly beautiful every single day! We lived in one bedroom apartment with two balconies in the living room and bedroom so we gotta enjoy the downtown Madison and beautiful Mendota every day! It’s constantly stunning in every season!
Aside from the beautiful view that we got, the location is unbeatable! It’s only one block away from State street and a five-​minute to ten-​minute walk to campus (depending on how fast or slow you walk, of course!).
This building also has a gym, a free printer and computer access and a community room of which you can use to have a gathering. Nicollette has been very kind, nice, and helpful! She is one of the best apartment managers that I ever encountered! She is very responsive with emails and to our complaint. She always tries her best to accommodate us.
If you have anything broken and needs to be fixed with your unit facility, they are only one call or email away! They usually try to fix it on the same day or the next day if things get busy. Heru and Nicollette really give their best to make our living experience in Madison easier and smooth.
I would def. recommend anyone to choose Henry Gilman. In fact, I have had two friends moving to HG after they visited our unit for a few times! :)
Of course it has its own downside: the only complaint that we had was the neighbors who often smoked weed so we could smell it at the hallway. We covered our door gap so we didn’t have to smell it in our unit. I would recommend to have one if you decided to live in this facility!
Place rating: 5
Madison, WI
I have been living at Lucky Apartments for a year and have always been pleased with the quality of the complex, the location in the city, and the hard work and dedication of the staff. My experience has always been top notch and I have no regrets with my decision.
Lucky Apartments was built with quality in mind. From the impressive three story water feature as you walk in to the floors, light fixtures and paint scheme, it is all meant to impress and welcome.
The location is absolutely perfect for both the student and non-​student if looking for a downtown apartment. Close to classes, the Kohl Center and State Street, it is perfect for anyone interested in taking full advantage that Madison has to offer.
The best part of my experience is the hard working staff that ensures you are always happy to live with SBA at Lucky. The few times I needed assistance, such as new caulk in the shower or repairing the screen door, I never had to wait more than a few hours until the repair was made. The 24⁄7 concierge desk was always available and willing to assist with any need or request.
Special shoutouts to Sam for being such an awesome manager and making sure that everyone had their needs covered, including mine. Laura and Alan are amazing leasing agents and take care of any request or concern that I have ever needed while also being great people to just have a conversation with. RJ and Russ are the finest concierge employees that welcome every resident with a smile and laugh. I know that whenever I grab the elephant handles and walk through the beautiful glass doors, I am home.
Place rating: 1
Madison, WI
The large property management companies in Madison are generally speaking an oligopoly — that is, due to the large on demand market for apts. they can afford to provide pitiable value to the customer, while maximizing all opportunities to make money.
I pay a pretty penny to live in one of their nice new units and get nickled and dimed for everything. I can only imagine what the move out charges will look like. One of their best tricks recently was to invite the city in with no warning to the secure non-​capacity 2 floor parking to distribute tickets. An email heads up to those of us that have paid (in fact are locked into contracts), but didnt know that stickers were needed would have been common courtesy. But, again, its about par for the course here in town. You are much more likely to have better luck renting from an individual in my experience.
Its almost enough to make you want to start a property management company here in town. Clearly there is an unmet market need for good customer value.
Place rating: 4
Madison, WI
I love Steve Brown Apartments as a landlord company. I lived at the Windsor (undergrad-​y area) in an old one bedroom apartment for 2 years and currently live in a much nicer property on the West Side. I found them to be very fair. They allowed me to have a dog I used for anxiety without any headache (unlike other landlords in the area, who do not know the law on therapy dogs).
I painted my first SBA apartment and installed pretty shelving brackets (& left them) and they did not charge me for altering the premises, which I thought was fair given that I considered those to be improvements, and even if they weren’t, it’s not like the place was brand new or in great condition when I moved in (it’s a very old building).
All of my maintenance requests were handled in a timely fashion, although the maintenance people did not always fix things properly. For example, both my kitchen and bathroom sinks leaked into the cabinets below the whole time I lived there, and this issue was never fixed even though I put in maintenance requests, maintenance people came, cabinets were replaced, etc.) It seems they just didn’t know how to fix it. I got most of my deposit back although they charged me for 4 hours of cleaning. I thought that was pushing it since it’s one of those old places that never gets clean, although I have to admit I barely cleaned it (cleaned tub/​sinks/​fridge, but did not really scrub/​vacuum floors). Given that they didn’t charge me for the painting, I’m not complaining about it.
I just moved into the Brownstone and I love it. The leasing office on the West Side is amazing, and offered to walk my dog for me when I gave them a heads up that my lifestyle was about to change and to let me know if they got complaints about the dog whining when I was gone more than I used to be. They are super sweet, and do little favors that aren’t in their job description (once turned on my slow cooker for me when I was desperate for someone to do it). After a brief stint with RPG rentals (I almost rented with them the year after I moved out of the Windsor), I came to appreciate the professionalism and fairness of SBA, and I suspect I’ll live on the West Side in the Brownstone until I buy my first home.
Place rating: 5
Madison, WI
I can’t speak to the undergrad properties, because I didn’t move into a Steve Brown apartment until after undergrad (when I was tired of the state st life). That being said, I absolutely love my apartment on the west side of downtown. It’s a 15 minute walk to main campus, but I live in a real neighborhood (and I have a fireplace!). They’ve always been quick to respond to the small maintenance requests that I’ve had, and I particularly like that the gardner does his work in the afternoons (lawn mowers in the morning aren’t really my thing).
A clean apartment on move-​in, reasonable prices, and prompt replies to my emails are all I really want in a landlord, and I am more than satisfied with the service I’ve gotten with SBA.
Place rating: 2
Madison, WI
Desperate for somewhere to live when I came here for grad school and unable to travel to Madison before I moved, I chose a studio with Steve Brown
It was absolutely miserable-​though more because of my obnoxious apartment neighbors.
I think the image I’ll take with me about living in a Steve Brown apartment follows: around Christmas, my neighbor’s door had a box of chocolates (that they gave all of us) placed under an eviction notice.
If you’re an undergrad who needs someone to hold your hand as you move into your first apartment, then SB is right for you.
If you’re a party animal who likes to throw keggers in your studio apartment, SB properties are also good match for you because the management won’t even reply to emails and phone calls from your fellow residents about your rock-​and-​roll lifestyle (despite a clause in the lease that forbids disturbing neighbors).
If you’re actually an adult who likes to sleep and who would rather have more square feet in exchange for some of the programs they offer that really only suit younger students, look elsewhere.
Place rating: 5
Madison, WI
I went to UW for four years. I lived in the public dorms freshman year. I hated my housefellow, so that meant I wasn’t really fond of my «landlord» either. I stayed with a total slumlord on Mifflin Street my sophomore year. I had to threaten him with a lawsuit just to get an exterminator to come after requesting one for 4 months. After two years of crappy housing, I was hoping for a change. My junior year, I lived in a Steve Brown property on Langdon Street. The apartment seemed a little pricey, but I shared a room and was able to make it work.
The one little problem we had was that our apartment was a little dirty upon our arrival because the previous tenants had apparently moved out late and left the place dirty. Steve Brown sent over a literal team of 4 maids to scrub the place for free the next day, and offered us some State street gift cards to make up for the problem.
One of my roommates was pretty upset about a charge to his security deposit, but given that he left a 3 foot hole in the wall, I think he got what he deserved.
I ended up enjoying my stay with Steve Brown so much as compared to my previous landlord, that I moved into another one of their properties for my Senior year. The place was clean when we moved in. Repairs were made promptly throughout the year. We didn’t get charged a late fee when we were late one time on the rent.
I don’t ask for a lot from a management company. I just want to get what I paid for and that’s what the deal is with these guys.
Place rating: 1
Palomar Park, CA
This is possibly the worst management company ever. Not only is every apartment overpriced, they’re not even quality apartments. My junior year I rented from them, and when i walked in, the new couches we had been guaranteed were not in sight, the stove actually had pools of grease in the pans, there were pubes in the bathroom and a very used plunger, food in the dishwasher, not to mention, there was NO DOOR ON MY ROOM??? Steve Brown decided that they’d send in a maid after they assured me that one had already been there, and a month into my lease, finally brought me a door. They ended up firing our leasing agent Marilyn. At the end of the year, I wrote to Mitch, our new kind of idiot of a replacement representative (in his defense, Marilyn probably screwed him over big time by not leaving decipherable files, so he never had a chance at making us happy), for a return for my parking deposit, called numerous times, wrote again, emailed, called, left messages, and three years later, I have yet to see a check. If my lawyers fees wouldn’t be way more than my 200 dollar parking deposit, I’d have already sued them.