The Yard

Convenient, but look elsewhere for better value

Living at the Yard has been fine so far, the train can be noisy at night though. Also the Yard is well-run, but not super close to a lot of food options.

Great location - lots of noise

Good location and quality

Terrible management

There are things in the least that they don't actually have and the management is rude, unhelpful, and disrespectful. The bedrooms are small and the door scheme makes no sense. The building materials are janky. The kitchen and the common spaces are nice, and the amenities are nice. They said there is cable in the lease, which we are paying for, and they took it out without warning anyone and are not providing compensation for it. The wifi works sometimes. They have a big jumbotron TV in the courtyard, but they refuse to turn it on. The grills were broken for a while but they fixed them. The TVs on the gym equipment have no real channels. The people who work in the office are the worst. There is not much storage space. Packages are strewn all about the lobby for anybody to steal, which has happened multiple times this year, so don't get anything important shipped to you at The Yard. The printer works sometimes. The AC works sometimes. The train goes loudly by at 4:30 am most nights.

The layout is fine, and the amenities are solid. But the staff are generally unpleasant people who give you attitude whenever you ask them a question. They've been spoken to over the course of the semester and are now trying harder, but it's still a problem

Terrible management

Does the trick, but not ecstatic

I understand housing options are limited in Ann Arbor, and the appeal of an apartment complex runs high, but whatever you do – please please please avoid the Yard. As a current resident, let me break down what you can expect:

Nickel and Dimed for EVERYTHING:
o Your lease starts 27 August, but you will pay for the full month of August.
o Rent Payment? Well get ready for additional fees! All payment options come with more fees (beware!)
o Absolutely no mercy on any sort of late payment or “incidentals” – if they don’t like the way you look at them, you can expect an “incidental”
Filthy and not Maintained:
o A cleaning crew keeps the lobby tidy, but nothing else. Once you get past the lobby, there are nasty stains, beer cans, and footprints on elevator doors.
o Maintenance? Good luck trying to get their attention on any sort of work order.
o Your unit is NOT cleaned before moving in. The front desk staff is called to vacuum and windex the bathroom mirror but nothing more.
o You want to use the gym? Well not a single piece of equipment is maintained or attended to. The smith machine barely functions, the cable machine is not in sync, half the treadmills are down.
Parking?
o Sure – extra $200 bucks a month but if you leave your spot and someone else sneaks in…do not expect the Yard to help you. My parking spot was taken for a full week, they will threaten to tow but it is all a bluff.
Resign your Lease?
o I hope you like a nice rent hike – not a modest one, at least $75 each year and that’s if you sign when they start harassing you, which will be within 30 days of you moving in.

In summary, please use your or your parents hard earned dollars somewhere else.