Arlington Cottages and Townhomes, baton-rouge-la

The leasing managers at the Arlington are so helpful (Nolan and Roderick!) They always answer any questions you may have and figure out a solution, no matter the circumstances. The communication between the staff and residents is incredible. They have a variety of affordable floor plans to fit your needs. Additionally, the maintenance team is very quick and efficient, and the amenities are the best. My friends and I love going to the pool, the gym, and even using the tanning beds. The location is easily accessible to several amazing restaurants, as well as to the LSU campus. I would highly recommend living here if you are a student at LSU! -Sincerely, an out of state LSU student.

Avoid at all costs, I truly hope you take this into account when deciding to live here. Please don’t move in and then look back regretting it, I’m telling you, you will regret moving into the apartment complex. Every single 5-Star review on here are by people the property paid. Take a close look the ratings, they are either 5-star or 1-star reviews. I know this because a friend of mine worked for the apartments and told me all the little dirty secrets of this business. The apartment itself is not bad, it’s definitely outdated and way more expensive than it is worth. There are good office and good maintenance workers there however the owner has set up a business designed to screw over it’s residents. They hide fees and prey on college kids not knowing how renting or leases work. The property does not allow for the maintenance team to properly fix issues, only allows them to make ghetto repairs that will last a week. Then when it’s time to move out you will be charged for replacing that item. Once the apartment knows you’re moving they will shun you like a red headed step child. They will stop replying to calls, emails and requests. The whole time they will put on fake smiles and seem to be on your side to only get upset and whine when you fight back their barbaric fees and standards. Please do not over look this review and think I’m exaggerating, this apartment has caused me so much stress and anger over the past 3 months I’m surprised I haven’t gotten a heart attack. What ever cliche message gets auto-typed as a reply for this message goes no where and the property owner does not care.

paid extra for early move-in because my family came from out of state to help me settle before a scheduled trip. When I walked into my unit on Friday, it was completely filthy and uninhabitable! The townhome had visible mold growing on vents and walls. When I asked for it to be cleaned, the leasing manager literally told me their ladders "don't reach that high." As well as my personal bed room having a broken bed frame, damaged furniture, broken window screens, stained carpet, a dirty stove/fridge, and left-behind dirty dishes in the sink and dishwasher. Management claimed this was their "standard of clean." When I complained, 4 other people walked in with the exact same issues of mold and dirty units. Management then hid behind an "as-is" clause, claiming you are forced to accept a dirty unit and that unlivable conditions are not grounds to break your lease. When I asked for a refund on the early move-in fee since they failed to provide a livable unit and the new unit wouldn’t be ready for another week (which also has mold and was unclean) the leasing manager flat-out refused, stating he didn't have the authority to issue refunds. I was then explicitly promised by him in writing that moving into the new unit would NOT have any extra fees associated. However, they went back on their word, slapped me with an additional $30 fee, and refused to give me my keys until I paid it. I was also explicitly promised that I could speak with the General Manager, Trisha, to resolve this. I waited over 3 hours well past closing time and she never showed up. Because the unit was completely unlivable, my family and I were forced to pay out-of-pocket for emergency hotel stays. Since then, management and corporate have completely ghosted me and refuse to respond to emails or address the situation. Arlington Cottages & Townhomes takes your money, hands you dirty and unsafe units, goes back on their financial promises, and completely disappears when held accountable. Save yourself the stress, health risks, and wasted money look elsewhere. I suggest Redpoint.

Where do i even start? I lived here for 3 years (which I guess I can only blame myself for) and spent the money on a pool view(15 dollars a month) which was in operable for a year and a half (totaling to over 270 dollars of wasted money) !!!, half of my time living here. And let me say, there is a reason this is the lowest rated apartment complex in baton rouge, as well as having the highest employee turnover rate I’ve seen in my entire life. Everyone I know who has lived in this complex leaves hating the place. I don’t know a single person who has had a good experience at Arlington. My friend last year got so ignored about her AC being broken in August, the only way she could get them to do anything was to go on WBRZ news. While another one of my friends lived in a building infested with termites and while they tore apart the walls, and they did not offer any accommodation at all. This included their windows being tarp covered, as well as scaffolding around their door. I now get to the management. And I do hope higher ups do see this (not just jessica) because everyone i’ve met with is an issue. The front desk employees don’t get paid enough to deal with everything that the higher ups put the residents through. They are never there, which I wouldn’t be either if I was charging people $3.25 for words left on a chalk board when moving out. Every time i asked when will the pool be ready i’d get “oh just in a couple weeks we’re waiting on parts” or “they’re trying to find someone to fix it”. A different story each time. I paid $15 a month for 18 months to see a green pool (so green and mossy that frogs took this upon themselves to live in it). Pic at the bottom. Next issue, You have to drive trash across the apartment complex to take it to the dumpster. Doing this as a girl doesn’t feel safe, but it’s either let your house smell from a full bag or put it outside your door and get fined $50. Really just a lose, lose, win (for Arlington) situation. One night it was past midnight and my roommate had put the trash bag in the pool trash can (since we are right there) instead of walking it across the entire complex because of her car being broken at the time. The next day, they DUG THROUGH THE BAG to find a fast food receipt with both our names on it, just to fine us. While at the same time, the trash compactor had been broken for two weeks and was piled into the street, pic below. Not only are they one of the priciest complexes, they will fine you if you blink the wrong way. After this i said to myself only a couple more weeks. I ended up moving out early to go back home after graduating. I cleaned my entire room spotless (which I will show a picture of at the bottom), trash taken out, everything. I was still fined $250 for 2 nails in the wall and the bath tub not being cleaned out?? And sud on the sink(which they charge everyone for) (when it was completely clean in the first place). Maybe i wouldn’t have spent the extra hour making sure it was cleaned for them. They claimed the fine was for “cleaning fees” when they clean the apartment in between tenants any way, even if it is not good. When this (pic at the bottom) is the condition of my couch on move in day August 2023. This was the final straw causing me to write this. After the thousands of dollars i have given to this property, they still chose to take more. A couple days ago my roommate deep cleaned the whole common area before she left and accidentally left one single Twix bar in the freezer. She called to ask how much the fine would be from that and they proceeded to tell her, it would be $50 for a trash bag (with 1 Twix bar) because it’s “hazardous waste”. She turned around to grab it that way we would have that sliver of our dignity left. Read any of the other reviews to learn even more, because the complaints are endless and every unit is like this, if not worse. My only positive experience was with the maintenance man, Lester, he was always there helping and fixing whatever we needed. The only redeeming quality of this whole dump.

As my lease comes to an end, I can honestly say this chapter is closing… and thank God. From the outside, Arlington Cottages & Townhomes looks like it’s ready for HGTV. Baby, don’t let the curb appeal fool you. Once you actually move in, the plot starts plotting and not in a good way. Let’s start with the real residents: the rats. At one point I wasn’t sure if I was paying rent or sponsoring wildlife. Seeing rodents around the property became far too common, and there never seemed to be a real, long-term solution. Regardless of where they’re coming from, residents shouldn’t have to wonder if they’re sharing the community with uninvited furry roommates. For the amount of rent being charged, pest control should be a priority not a suggestion. Now let’s talk about management. It often felt like rent collection deserved five-star service while residents got put on hold. Shortly after New Year’s, late fees appeared after an email that made it seem like residents had more time. If communication were an Olympic sport, this would’ve been a disqualification. And while we’re talking about money… these outstanding fees deserve their own lease agreement. Every time I turned around, it felt like another charge had appeared. For what exactly? The rats? The pool that was closed for two months? The outdoor screen that seemed to be on a permanent vacation? The math simply wasn’t mathing. By the end of my lease, the entire situation felt like a hot mess wearing expensive clothes. Now let me give credit where it’s actually due because unlike some people, I believe in being fair. The maintenance team deserves every bit of praise. They were responsive, professional, respectful, and usually handled issues much faster than management. Every interaction I had with maintenance was positive, and they did the best they could with the resources they had. My frustration has never been with them. They were carrying this property on their backs. Now… whose idea was this trash system? Residents shouldn’t have to feel like they’re training for a marathon just to throw away garbage. The tiny black tote barely holds anything, and then you have to make the long walk to the dumpster. And if your trash doesn’t fit or isn’t handled exactly the way they want it, you’re the one who risks getting fined. Taking out the trash shouldn’t feel like a scavenger hunt with a penalty attached. Then there are the amenities. The pool was closed for two months while what looked like a wannabe pavilion was being built. Meanwhile, residents were still paying for amenities they couldn’t even use. The outdoor jumbo screen worked so rarely that I honestly forgot it existed. Advertising amenities that residents can’t consistently enjoy is like ordering a combo meal and only getting the fries. At that point, just be honest. Security around the property could also use significant improvement because peace of mind shouldn’t be considered a luxury. I’ll absolutely give them one compliment. If you don’t have a vehicle, the location is convenient. Restaurants, grocery stores, and shopping are all within walking distance, making everyday errands easy. That’s genuinely one of the best things about living here. Unfortunately, convenience can only carry a place so far. Between the rodents, the excessive fees, management’s communication, the inconvenient trash setup, the possibility of being fined over trash, unreliable amenities, security concerns, and the overall lack of value for the rent being charged, I simply don’t believe this property is worth the price. Even if someone offered me a year of free rent, I’d respectfully decline because peace of mind has no price tag. My advice? Don’t let the pretty buildings and polished landscaping audition for an Oscar. The real show starts after you move in, and trust me you’ll want to leave before the season finale. Save your hard-earned coins and find a place that’s actually worth them.