Lived at Haven from July 2020 - June 2022.
Everything seemed fine when I moved in, but issues quickly started popping up.
Firstly, the buildings are OLD. The fresh coat of paint they slapped on the buildings only goes so far.
---THE BUILDINGS ARE LITERALLY SINKING. About a year after moving in, I became unable to open any of my bedroom windows due to differential settlement in the building's foundation (which was maintenance's explanation who also said it was happening in multiple buildings, not just a random assumption of mine). One window was so loose that it would literally fall off, the other was becoming so pinched that I physically could not open it. When I contacted maintenance, I was told "just don't open them anymore." HUGE fire hazard.
---AC/electric costs in the summer also get insanely high (I'm talking $150+ even though I live alone and rarely have more than one light on at a time) even keeping the unit at 75 degrees, I think because of the extremely old windows and very poor insulation.
---My unit was NOT clean when I moved in. There were long black hairs everywhere from the previous tenant, and yellow drip stains all over the white doors, cabinets, and walls that was insanely difficult to remove. There was gunk around the base of the toilet. The dishwasher was also caked in food waste and absolutely disgusting. The carpet cleaners also weren't called to come in until the DAY that I moved in, which was really inconvenient.
---The walkways between units are PACKED with dirt and mildew and seemingly never get cleaned.
---The complex itself may seem quiet, but trust me, you will get to know your neighbors against your will as the units have next to zero sound insulation. I could clearly hear my nextdoor and upstairs neighbor's conversations, televisions, music, microwave beeps, and even sneezes.
---Other reviews have reported issues with mice and spiders, which thankfully I never had, but I did have stink bugs everywhere and wasp problems on my balcony. Pest control only sprays under the sinks of the kitchen and bathroom when they come.
---There are fireplaces in the units, but their care and maintenance is not brought up anywhere in the lease, and who knows how long it's been since they were inspected or cleaned, so I never used mine.
Secondly, a lot of the amenities often do not work.
---The gates were broken and propped open more often than they worked. I think of the 24 months I lived there, there was never a time that both gates worked. Near the end i think they just gave up.
---Potholes everywhere throughout the complex. It felt like driving through an obstacle course.
---My code often didn't work for guests.
---I think I saw a patrol car circling the complex maybe once per month, if that. Kind of a bad neighborhood, a lot of gunshots.
---All three summers I was there, the pool opened very late into the summer and was often closed for chunks of time.
The only pros were living here were that the grounds were quiet, and maintenence was pretty quick and efficient until they all left. The location was alright, close to I-435, but it takes a minimum of 15 minutes to get anywhere you want to be, including a HyVee and Walmart.
Brighid Hegarty
July 29, 2022
