Aspen Buffalo, amherst-ny

My son moved out of Aspen Heights at the end of July and we received his “damages statement” today. I was shocked to see that he was charged $75 for cleaning his bathroom. They included the photo below to show the “damage”. The 2nd photo is one I had taken before we turned in his key. After paying $920+ every month for a year, I cannot believe we are expected to pay even more. This doesn’t seem ethical.

Terrible. Wish I could rate 0/5 stars. Do not rent here. For a premium price tag, you get a mediocre apartment, staff, and amenities. 1) The FIRST day when moving in, the common areas of the apartment were trashed. Garbage everywhere, scuffed walls, reeked of smoke. Aspen's excuse was "sorry, someone extended their lease and is staying another year"... (so screw me and what I paid for, I guess?) 2) Many units went 10 weeks without a washing machine, because not one person upon construction had the capacity to think about placement of water lines in a cold climate like Buffalo. 3) Parking in the winter is impossible due to the lack of plowing, and so when spots are already limited, people take up several spots when parking, leaving others with no spaces. The "fix"? Plow the lots? Wrong. Aspen will instead tow YOUR vehicle at YOUR apartment, which you pay for along with a parking fee ($10-$15 a month), if your car isn't moved at a certain time. Yes, they will tow you for their own negligence. They are one complaint away from an ADA lawsuit, which is inevitable. 4) Better hope your roommates uphold their lease agreements, because Aspen will not enforce them. Had several roommates smoking daily throughout two semesters; Aspen would not do anything despite loads of evidence. Had to throw out clothes and sheets that reeked of cannabis and nicotine upon returning from winter break. 5) One of my roommates was treated well above me, all due to ties with a manager. I would be blamed for negligible issues, while real issues like smoking and moldy appliances from careless roommates would be ignored. For example, I was sent threatening emails about fines and eviction because I turned the thermostat down past 68 degrees, because it's a "housing code violation". Not only is this not true (it only applies to the landlord and the ABILITY to maintain a temperature above 68 degrees, not the tenant, who is free to turn it down as much as they want), but it is wildly ironic due to other legitimate issues that were being ignored/ covered up. Would recommend that staff actually comprehend NYS Real Property Law before threatening their own tenants. 6) Upon moving out, I got dinged with a $100 fine for a bottlecap-sized paint chip that will be painted over in 10 seconds. This is the most obvious cash grab, and they aren't even trying to hide it. This is especially ridiculous given the conditions of the apartment that I moved into. Do better Aspen

I didn’t know what love was until I moved here. I genuinely fell in love with Aspen Heights. I didn’t want to jump the gun and write a review before actually moving in and living here, but now that I’m about two weeks in, I can confidently say this has been an amazing experience so far. To start, the leasing process was exceptional. Abby H. was absolutely incredible, super helpful, accommodating, and patient. She answered all of my questions, walked me through everything in great detail, and truly made me feel supported and cared for throughout the entire process. I ran into a few hurdles during the application process, and she handled everything seamlessly, making what could have been stressful feel completely straightforward. I honestly could not have asked for a better leasing experience, and she made me so excited for move-in. I moved in for the spring semester and wasn’t able to visit Buffalo beforehand, so I was relying heavily on photos and descriptions. I’m happy to say the apartment looked exactly like the pictures. Since people were already living in the unit, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but my roommates are lovely and very tidy, and the space was well kept and exactly what I hoped for. I’m very meticulous about my living space, so even though the apartment was already clean, I decided to do a thorough wipe-down. To my surprise, most surfaces were already cleaner than I expected and I barely needed to do anything. That really says a lot. Aspen feels luxurious for Buffalo student living, especially compared to other student housing communities. It’s modern, well-designed, and everything works the way it should. The WiFi is reliable, the water pressure is great, there are no hot water issues, valet trash runs smoothly and all the little things you expect management to stay on top of, they actually are. Management has been incredibly accommodating. During my first week, I needed help with something that most management teams wouldn’t really go out of their way to assist with, and to my surprise, they went above and beyond for me. The maintenance team is also very kind and responsive. Front desk staff Jessica and Hershida (I apologize if I misspelled her name) are both amazing, truly some of the nicest people you’ll interact with here. The complex itself is beautiful, and the amenities like the gym, sauna, and common spaces are well maintained. The shuttle is reliable, and if anything ever comes up, management makes accommodations to ensure residents can still get to and from campus. During the first week back, they even had free food available every night in the main building, which was such a thoughtful touch. The only recurring issue I’ve heard mentioned is parking. I don't drive but the majority of their residents do and it seems like the demand exceeded expectations, so there aren’t quite enough spaces for everyone. Hopefully that’s something they’ll improve in the future. Overall, I’ve had a genuinely wonderful experience so far, and I’m really happy I chose Aspen Heights. It feels like a place that actually cares about its residents, and that makes all the difference.

I had the pleasure of working with Abby H to help secure housing for my daughter. I’ve been in the Real Estate business for over 25 years and was so pleasantly surprised and impressed with her level of service. She made the decision to go with Aspen a very easy and comfortable one!

My son lives here and he loves! The houses have so much space and are brand new. He is finishing up his second year and they have only gotten better. This year they added a dog park and sauna. As an international parent, I couldn’t recommend Aspen more. The communication and care from the staff reassures that my son is well taken care of.