I've lived at Royal Crest for almost 2 1/2 years. Now that we're gearing up to move out and move into a house, I figured a review is in order. It's easy to go into "BEST PLACE EVER!" or "WORST PLACE EVER!" mode when reviewing apartments, so I'll be as objective as possible. THE ESTATE: The estate is huge, and gives almost a campground feeling with its ponds and creeks and little wooden map near the beginning of the property. Location-wise, you really can't do any better. You're on Spit Brook and Daniel Webster. And since Daniel Webster is home to practically EVERY store imaginable, you don't have to go far for much. The grounds are very well maintained. I would say almost TOO well maintained. I can only imagine what the budget is for flowers alone every year. GYM: The gym is quite big, with two levels (cardio and weightlifting on the first floor, restrooms, changing rooms, and a dancing studio on the bottom). Most of the equipment is modern (3 of the treadmills are definitely from the last century, however). My biggest complaint is the lack of proper AC. I've experienced three summers at Royal Crest. During all three, I could barely use the gym. Whether there is an ongoing problem with the AC, or a misunderstanding as to how cold a gym needs to be, especially during those humid heat waves, the gym can get unusable at times. APARTMENTS: The apartments are a mixed bag. Some have been "renovated", some have not. The ones that have not really show their age. Old appliances, old cabinets. Not attractive at all. The renovated ones are a lot nicer, and it honestly boggles the mind that they put apartments up for new residents that have not been renovated. Bugs are an issue. Royal Crest gets a pass, given that it's New Hampshire, but it is still frustrating to kill pincher bugs and millipedes on a weekly basis. PARKING: As far as I know, only the AIMCO properties make you pay for parking in Nashua. We were originally told that the parking fees paid for security guards. But there are no security guards anymore, but still parking fees. Finding parking is frustrating, especially if your apartment isn't right by a major parking lot (and even then, good luck finding a decent spot after 4:30 on a weekday). There was an arms race for a while to buy "reserved" spots (which cost you even more in parking fees). I honestly paid less for parking when I lived in the Boston area. RENT: Rent is due on the first of the month. You cannot set up automatic payment. You will not be notified. You are considered late on the second (and the late fees are ridiculous). I never thought I'd describe rent policy as draconian, but really, there is no other term. This, coupled with higher-than-average rent and the fees (which I'll get into in a moment) makes for some very unsatisfied residents. FEES AND POLICIES: Let's be honest here: AIMCO policies make the two Nashua properties stick out like sore thumbs. On top of high rent and parking, you pay trash removal fee, you pay a building average for utilities (which means that, if you live alone, but are surrounded by families, you are paying more for your utilities because obviously one or two people will be using far fewer resources than, say, five). The kicker here is that, since you pay an average for utilities, that means you pay an average for the resources being used for laundry -- and that's on top of spending $4.50 a load for washing/drying. Now, let's get into policies regarding your last days at Royal Crest. AIMCO has quite possibly the strictest policy around when it comes to breaking your lease: 60 days notice PLUS a two-month-rent-equivalent fee. And then there's the policy of getting your apartment "new resident ready". I've lived in various complexes throughout my life, all owned by national chains similar to AIMCO, and I've NEVER seen this in any of my lease agreements. Certain things, like washing the carpets after a former resident has left, have always been the responsibility of the leaser. This also makes things like "pet rent" just another way to maximize profit. Pet rent is supposed to "make up" for the money the leasing agency will have to spend on making the apartment "new resident ready" because of the supposed "extra wear and tear" on the apartment. AIMCO policies are why Royal Crest gets a 2 star and not a 3 or 4. Because I've had nothing but pleasant experiences with maintenance, with management, even with people at the AIMCO headquarters. And I can't fault them for policies that they have no control over. But that doesn't make the policies right and that doesn't mean you should disregard them when making an apartment choice. It will be interesting to see what happens in the coming years, with new apartment complexes being built left and right. AIMCO will have to step it up to entice and keep new residents. And no amount of freshly-planted flowers will fix that.