Former Resident Summary – Barber Park Apartments (East Orlando)

I lived at Barber Park Apartments in East Orlando for one year while the property was managed by Hawthorne Property Management. The community is now under Atrium, but many of the same on‑site staff members remain.

My experience during my lease was overwhelmingly negative, and it ultimately led me to relocate rather than renew. Nothing was completed from the initial walk through I submitted the entire time I lived there for a year!

Management & Office Experience

During my time there, communication with the office was extremely difficult... especially with the Assistant Property Manager who purposely ignored me whenever I went to the office with a concern.
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The assistant property manager was often unapproachable, dismissive, and unresponsive when I attempted to discuss any concerns including my lease renewal.

Despite multiple attempts to speak with her in person, I was ignored or avoided, even when I was waiting in the lobby.

The property manager was rarely on-site, and I did not receive responses to concerns I raised from her neither.

Overall, I felt that resident needs were not taken seriously, and professionalism was lacking BIG TIME.

Maintenance Issues

Maintenance was one of the biggest problems I experienced.

Phone calls to the office frequently went unanswered.

Maintenance response times were very slow, even for urgent issues.

I went 5–6 months without a working AC, and the issue was not resolved until I contacted Orange County Code Enforcement myself.

I did not receive any compensation or accommodation for the extended lack of AC.

Based on my experience, maintenance did not prioritize resident well‑being or timely repairs, and are very rude to non-Hispanic residents as a entirely Hispanic maintenance staff.

Pest Control is a joke!!! You will be charged every month, and you have to request to have the pest control personnel to come out every month. If you do not request it you will continue to be charged every month!!!

Resident Treatment & Environment

I often felt ignored, dismissed, and treated differently compared to Hispanic residents.
Interactions with staff left me feeling uncomfortable and unsupported, and I did not feel that the environment was welcoming or respectful. The assistant property manager was the WORST... And is always flirting with her maintenance staff in office every time I visited the office. I remember overhearing her say to her staff Jessica "he can wait" while she sat and talked to the maintenance guy for another 15 minutes, and closed her office door. I ended up leaving to return to work, and NEVER heard anything from the staff since.

Parking

Parking was consistently a problem throughout my lease, with limited availability and frequent frustration. I have seen one bedroom apartments that have multiple families living in them, and vehicles left on property by non residents for weeks at a time. I had to park 1/2 mile away from my building due to no parking EVERY EVENING!

Lease Renewal
When I was asked to renew, I was told to expect a rent increase of $30–$50. Because of the ongoing issues with management, maintenance, and communication, I chose not to renew and moved elsewhere.

Overall Impression

My year at Barber Park Apartments was stressful and disappointing. You can change the management company name, but the same staff is there!

I did not feel valued as a resident, and many of the issues I experienced went unresolved for long periods of time. I am relieved to have moved out, and would encourage future renters to carefully consider their options.