BH Management Services

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.
.
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.

It is very close to the school, so you can save money on parking. Nothing too special about the property, but its connivence makes it ideal for a law student. It's a ten minute walk from campus.

I would strongly caution anyone considering moving here. What began as a comfortable home turned into an unsafe and hostile environment due to repeated tenant harassment that management chose to ignore. Despite multiple documented complaints, they failed to take meaningful action — and instead used my reports against me.

Their inaction didn’t just allow the harassment to continue; it encouraged it. Rather than protect tenants, management prioritized shielding themselves from accountability. I paid my rent on time, followed all rules, and tried to resolve issues through every proper channel. Yet I was treated as the problem simply for expecting peace and safety in my own home.

If you value your well-being and expect management to take tenant safety seriously, look elsewhere. The lack of accountability here is alarming and harmful.

This apartment is very far from campus so I wouldn’t recommend it. If you are looking live in or near Bradenton/sarasota area then I would definitely recommend it but the drive is about an hour.

It was mostly okay. Rent was cheap, which was great. Only issues was no in-unit laundry, but there was a laundromat on the building. If you do move here, make sure to call and verify their email for any communication as they will not verify anything about anything with you.

Responsive management, clean homes and nice amenities.

The place is really bad. really old and not well maintained. Water pipes get broken easily and you are without water for several days. Infested by coakraches, gets flooded, humidity underneath the carpet and through the walls. No security, thieves can enter easily to the property.

Full disclosure was not given when renting an apartment in Bldg 1. The Village is active as it should be. However, nothing was mentioned about the noise from motorcycles, revving car engines, and parties until 2-3 a.m. at the Mona Club and Cigar Bar. Five nights a week the noise is horrendous; from 8pm to 3am. Then you have the dragging of tables across the concrete at 4am after the bar has closed. The windows are not double paned and I can hear every word of the conversations held during their visit. The plumbing knocks when in use, the floors and walls are paper thin, the upstairs neighbor stomps when she walks. Children run laps in the hall as the parents encourage them to run. To break the lease it will cost $3,500 plus the 2 months rent while waiting out the two month notice. Maybe bldgs 3-5 maybe quite as they are further down the street but bldg 1 and 2 are right on the main drag strip.

Great in terms of location, between Downtown and Oakland. Abandoned buildings and homeless people very common in this area though. Not the safest.

Arbors of Brentwood is great for students who want to live a bit farther from campus and don't mind a commute. The complex is situated on a hill and set back from the road so that traffic can't be heard, but it's close to major roads and interstates for easy travel. The complex is very close to the Ellington Agricultural Center, which has some beautiful trails for short hikes, is within a mile of multiple grocery stores, and is within walking distance of the Edmonson Pike public library. Prices are very reasonable for Nashville, the apartment is pet friendly (maximum of two dogs or cats per unit), maintenance is responsive, and there are two pools and a small gym on-site. The complex very quiet and family-friendly - the school bus picks up and drops off directly at the front of the complex. The biggest downside is the distance from campus - about a twenty minute drive, without easy access to bus stops or other public transit options.

This apartment is very nice and on the more affordable side for Dallas. However, my girlfriend recently lost her job and we have been struggling to make ends meet.

Moved in to a dirty apartment that had the previous tenant's belongings and paint ripped from walls. Not a great area of Pittsburgh either.

I live near the airport because I wanted to afford living alone! My apt is 850sqft with a balcony. It genuinely feels big, open, bright, and clean! I have a walk in closet, in unit washer and dryer, and storage closet on the balcony. My apt is specifically cheaper bc it still has carpet (but I also pay pet rent for 2 cats). I feel safe here! The apt also comes with a privacy lock and alarm system. The apt complex also is gated. Management has been kind and responsive. There's a creek nearby so it does come with a few bugs here and there, but being persistent during summer helps a lot and I dont really have to worry abt it. There's a small gym, two pickle ball courts, dog parks, and pool.

I moved in and they never cleaned my apartment. There was damage left to be repaired

Been at Torreyana for almost 5 months. Really like it so far.

Pros:
-responsive maintenance (usually come to repair issues no later than the next day)
-pretty good gym (has enough equipment for beginners)
-common areas are kept clean
-apartment is renovated and has smart-home features (smart a/c, lights and door lock)
-complex feels welcoming and peaceful (lots of big trees, very quiet for the most part)

Cons:
-kind of far from campus (~20-25 min)
-rent is a bit pricey
-surrounding area is not that great (but still not terrible)