Jennifer C.

Lived here in 2015/2016. The rent was over 2k/month, but the amenities including being a smoke free community, gym, pool, snow removal, and a tennis court made it seem reasonable. We lived in a garden level, 3-bedroom apartment. The positives we experienced were: - The pool is large and only 4 feet deep. The lifeguards are wonderful! - 3 bedrooms have laundry in unit - Lots of green space for kids to run around and play - Quick walk to the Franklin Elementary school park (path through the woods makes it easy!) - Convenient to shopping, Merrimack and the highway (93/495) is not too far - Well lit parking lots always had spots available in our lot - All the staff we interacted with (maintenance and office staff) were very nice Some of the negative things we experienced: - Residents smoking cigarettes and what smelled like other illegal substances directly outside of our building with no care for who was around - My daughter's bike was stolen by a young girl who swore at me when asked to return it - Men urinating on trees in broad daylight one Sunday afternoon - Targeted at the pool by a resident who asked if my kids were mine and requested that lifeguard check (The woman told me that she "wanted to be sure" they were all on my lease and was unhappy with people bringing their large families to the pool) - Dirty cat litter left on the walkway for over a week (We did put in a maintenance request) - Filthy gym equipment that hadn't been cleaned seemingly in months - A group of DOC Work Release Prisoners left unsupervised in the gym's male restroom (approximately 9 of them) for 10-15 minutes. The three officers waited outside for them. I was the only person in the gym at the time. - The hallway carpet is run down and smells, common area doors, railings and walls were dirty and dented. The common area was not thoroughly cleaned or touched up with paint during my 13 months there, but when we moved out - they expected me to ensure they have little to NO work to do to prepare my apartment for new tenants. At move out, it was made clear that unless we used their cleaning package, the Service Manager has the authority to deem my cleaning inadequate and take a $95 fee out of my deposit to "hire a cleaning crew". They also are starting a paint fee. Meaning, they'll give you paint and you can try to touch up your apartment yourself, but if it's not up to Aimco standards they can keep more of your deposit. It's all in the lease so read CAREFULLY when you sign. It's evident they had zero intention of refunding my full deposit. Had they said there was a fee for cleaning when I rented, I would have been prepared to loose that money and not spent ANY time cleaning at all. It's a catch 22. The Royal Crest is one of the only places to rent in town so they are the monopoly. I realize the manager is probably bombarded with complaints, but rather than improving the safety and security of the community, he said he feels these are matters for the police. I would have liked to see them hire a security staff rather than installing a dog park. To be fair, the leasing office staff and maintenance staff are positive about the property. They all seem so genuine and nice. It's unfortunate we aren't leaving with an overly positive experience. Bottom line, it's a low-average apartment complex with some nice amenities which are not all well cared for. For over $2000 per month, I expected so much more. EDIT: 10/01/2016: I did reach out to the Business Manager and further explained my complaints. I also filled out the MOVE OUT survey I was sent and outlined my complaints. I received an email yesterday that the Royal Crest is going to refund my $95.00 that was withheld. I feel that is extremely fair of them. I do still recommend people READ the lease before signing and be clear on what is expected. I also told the AIMCO corporation that I recommend they review their policies and potentially REVISE this area to be more explicit. EDIT: 01/07/2017: As of today, I've received a refund of .32 cents. I never got a check for the full $95.00. I do not know why I never got the refund they promised and have followed up with them regarding this.