Bright and spacious studio apartment located in the historic center, parma

Somehow, I managed to live here for a year, and I am still so absolutely disgusted with it. The cons far outweigh the pros, and I want to share my experiences with you so you can avoid the disappointment. The pros: -walking distance to UAB, 5 Points, downtown -gated parking -new, better management (I wish them the best) -utilities included ...more on that later The cons: -When I rented, it was $910 for a small studio. I've seen that apparently the price was reduced...GOOD. -When I first moved in, I was given the keys to a unit after I signed my lease. I walked into the most revolting room, and I called my parents in a panic. There was trash strewn from wall to wall, dirty dishes in the sink, bloody towels, cigarette butts, and broken furniture. That should have been my cue to immediately get it of here! I went back, and the leading agent apologized before giving another set of keys to a more acceptable unit. -There are beyond disgusting conditions in the unit and pool area. The pictures I've included illustrate that clearly. The building is old, smelly, and run-down. At night, it is so dark with loud neighbors. I was always shocked when I found another short-cut taken in "renovations". They didn't bother to take the stove out when putting that flimsy flooring in, so I discovered nasty carpet underneath when I dropped something behind it. The pool patio featured gross outdoor carpeting that was stained and stretched by the puddles of water that would collect outside your door. Ooh, a coffee lounge? Yeah, $2 for a 6 oz cup made from stale Starbucks beans. -The management and maintenance were so unprofessional. Every time I needed something, there was rarely someone at the desk to help. They put up the sign saying they were showing on-site property so I sat for 45 minutes on occasion only to see them pull up in their car. The number included on the sign would never reach anyone. The one time I needed maintenance, the man (who I had only seen moping around previously) was unfriendly and almost rude. He spoke not once. Often, you would find announcements taped to your door that were sometimes curt, sometimes advertising lame "community events". They have package acceptance, but they gave my package to another resident in their lack of organization. I later found that package in the mail room trash...goes to show the quality of people who live there. They have online payments, but it's ridiculously expensive to do it! I believe $20-something to use a card. -Your utilities are included, but cheap is cheap! Once, I filled a mug to make tea only to find that the water was brown with flakes of insulation floating in it! Horrified, I took it to the front desk where I waited 20 minutes for someone to show up. I was told that they had reset the water, and it should be back to normal. A half-hearted apology was offered, and I was nervous to drink the water after that. The wifi is laughable. I think I would have preferred to revert back to dial-up with the insanely slow and unreliable service in the lounge. They once had the gall to put a notice on our doors that said we were to limit our water usage because their bill was too high. They claimed they would monitor usage and charge an additional fee to any unit using too much. That made me want to run the water 24/7, but instead I laughed. -The "amenities" are a joke. The laundry room was expensive and FILTHY. I opened a washer to put my clothes in, and I was greeted by a puddle of murky, stinky water full of hair. (Take a look at the picture, if you dare.) The fitness center was open for 3 of the 12 months that I was there. The gated parking is laughable. First of all, they charge $60 for one car. The lot is small, especially since the closed parts of it to do messy roof construction. The gate was broken when I arrived home one night, and I was forced to park on the dark street instead of the promised gated parking. It was left open for anyone to stroll in when it was broken the other 4 times that happened while I was there. In short: if you love yourself, live somewhere else.

I’ve had issues with package theft at University Place, including 9 stolen packages. Unfortunately, management hasn’t been able to assist with reviewing security footage or improving the mailroom’s security due to their policies. The building has its positives, but this has been frustrating. If you order online frequently, I wouldn't advice you to live here. Update: Management responded and explained the challenges with package security, which I understand. However, I still feel more could be done to address this issue. One of my stolen packages was actually handed to someone pretending to be me with the FedEx delivery person. Even if I had tried to pick it up within an hour of delivery, it wouldn’t have made a difference because it was already given to the wrong person. I think secure lockers or an optional package storage system where items can only be picked up with ID would help prevent these situations. While I appreciate the response, I something is done to make the mailroom secure for all residents.

This is my first time I've had evaluated any complex. I've lived here since last Jan. If I stayed at Birmingham long time I would not stay here any longer . To be optimized I will start with the Advantages: 1. Safe 2. close to UAB it takes about 5 or 10 minutes. 3. good rent price included the utilities. The disadvantages : 1. very very very old. 2. dirty dirty. 3. the laundry room is awful, there are only 12 dryer machines and 12 washers, for more than 300 units ! I will let you imagine the dirty, smell , and who much hair you will find in your clothes. 4. The apt parts are old like AC and Toilet, I transferred from apt to other because the roof was leaking and I have the same problem with the new one, they keeping promise to fix it but they not. 5. there is no fresh air spot in bedroom or restroom. 6. There is bad smell in the Restroom and there is no air spot or fan. 7. the Carpet around the swimming pool have bad and strong smell, especially after Sunny or runny day.

Great place to live. I lived here for one year while doing temporary work at UAB. You can walk to anywhere on UAB (school) or in the medical center. Also very nearby is 5 points with good food and drinks. I had to drive very little while living here. Quick access to both I-65 and 280. It is secure with gates/access cards, overnight guard. The office and maintenance staff were very pleasant and helpful. They make an effort to have social events for residents; very nice. The property is old and you can tell but it is clean and well maintained from my experience. They offer efficiency floor plans which is what I was looking for. Overall I am very happy I chose UP Apartments and would live here again.

Tldr; Pros- convenience, location, staff (Top tier), maintenance (super fast), pool, lounge. Cons - old building, possibility of noisy college neighbors, can't get things delivered to door, glass front walls for primary lighting(you will need lamps) Let me start off by saying that I loved my time at UP apartments. The staff is super nice, Porsha was amazing the whole time I stayed there. There are definitely some things to consider before moving in though. The staff at UP had several parties for their residents and went above and beyond to keep us happy which was a plus If you are a student or looking for housing right on top of the campus of UAB or the hospital then UP is a strong contender. I feel like it would be nice to be so close to campus (I was not a student so I don't know). Additionally the location is walking distance from plenty of good bars, restaurants, as well as a Publix, and is in range for several grocery delivery services. The apartments are definitely kinda small for what you pay rent wise, but rent is skyrocketing everywhere in bham, and it was nice to have ALL utilities included. I rented the 1br/1bth, and I felt a little cramped, so I can't imagine how the studios were. My apartment was generally well kept upon move in (there was some signs of the building being old such as beatup stairwells, old exterior carpeting, and some lights out around the property, but nothing too serious). I loved the pool and the grilling area! Great place to unwind in the summer. There were a 3 or 4 bugs throughout the time I was there (to be expected in any older building), but as long as you clean and get pest control scheduled through management then it won't be an issue. All in all the staff makes this place super special and I highly recommend.