West 22 bedroom. Photo Credits: Jackson Louneoubonh
Mold, canceled maintenance requests, false advertising for amenities, pest issues and unhelpful leasing office staff. Multiple Kennesaw State University students living off campus say their apartment experiences have fallen short of expectations, despite paying more than $1,000 a month in rent.
Popular complexes in the Kennesaw area include West 22, The Retreat, Shiloh Greene, Sova, Indy and Bixby. Many advertise convenience, affordability and luxury-style living for students.
Shiloh Greene describes itself as a “tranquil, getaway-style sanctuary” four minutes from KSU. Bixby promotes “modern amenities, spacious layouts, and a vibrant community,” while West 22 advertises that it has “everything you could ask for in a home and more.”
However, some students say their experiences have not matched those promises.
Bixby roommates Christian Jones and Nehemyah Mitchell each pay more than $1,100 a month and say they experienced what they described as black mold in their apartment.
“For about 2 months during the summer we had to deal with living with black mold in the vents, causing the majority of my roommates to fall ill,” Jones said.
Jones said multiple maintenance requests concerning leaking floors and ceilings were ignored, allowing the issue to continue.
“We brought up the issue to the leasing office, put in multiple maintenance requests that were ignored, concerning the floors and ceiling leaking which caused the mold, and there was no urgency whatsoever,” Jones said.
Mitchell also expressed concerns about the leasing office’s response and said he had to move rooms because of the mold.
“I had to bother the leasing office too many times and had to be moved to a new room when there was a mold infestation in our previous apartment,” Mitchell said.
He also said the model apartments shown during tours do not reflect the units residents receive.
“The apartment defiantly false advertises with the model rooms when you initially tour the complex,” Mitchell said, adding that the model room features newer appliances, including the refrigerator and microwave.
Brianna Malone, a Shiloh Greene resident who pays $1,100 a month, said problems began before she moved into her apartment.
“Something I feel the staff could’ve handled better was having my apartment fixed before moving me in,” Malone said. “They could’ve accommodated for all the things that weren’t even finished in my apartment.”
Malone also described concerns with the upkeep of the complex’s amenities.
“The pool is always dirty; the study rooms are small and not upkept, and even the pool house bathrooms are disgusting,” Malone said.
Elizabeth Johnson, a West 22 resident, described a different experience with her apartment’s amenities, saying they have been satisfactory.
“I feel like the amenities at West 22 are nice, and everything has been working properly. I haven’t had any issues with the amenities themselves,” Johnson said.
However, Johnson said she experienced confusion surrounding her lease before moving in because the rental price changed after she signed.
“We had some confusion with our lease because we signed it, and then the price went down, despite the office telling us that we had to sign as soon as possible because the rates would increase,” Johnson said.
Johnson also described pest issues and maintenance requests that were marked completed without the problem being addressed.
“Every time we submitted a request regarding the pests, it would be marked as completed, but maintenance would never actually even come to the apartment to address or fix the issue,” Johnson said.
For Jones, Mitchell, Malone and Johnson, living off campus has brought unexpected challenges, from unresolved maintenance requests to poor communication with leasing offices.
With limited on-campus housing available, many KSU students depend on off-campus apartments for a convenient place to live while attending school. However, students paying more than $1,000 a month say they expect more than just a place to stay.
For these residents, the issue isn’t just about expensive rent. It’s about whether the apartments they pay thousands of dollars a year to live in deliver the quality of living they advertise.
