Marshall on 5th, birmingham-al

This is the worst apartment complex I have ever lived in. I was a resident here from June 2024, when the building opened, until June 2026, and was one of the first residents. I began having problems from the first day. Management rotated multiple times, and the lack of communication was astronomical. I was personally offered free merchandise in exchange for leaving a positive review. Prospective residents should be aware of this when reading the reviews. During the first summer I lived here, the pool was DARK GREEN with what appeared to be significant algae growth, and it remained like this for WEEKS. When residents complained, we were told management was changing. I found the lack of urgency extremely concerning. The fire alarms were another major problem. They went off frequently, sometimes for HOURS and in the middle of the night. The alarms gave me migraines and affected my ability to study. I understand maintenance issues happen, but when something repeatedly disrupts residents, I expect management to resolve it. The hallways were also insanely dirty. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I saw them freshly mopped during the two years I lived there. I encountered everything from dog feces to vomit to spilled drinks. For the amount residents pay, I expected the cleanliness to reflect the rent. The elevators were another constant issue. The safety certificate was not displayed inside the elevator, and when I asked management about it, I was told it was available at the front desk. The elevators also broke down frequently, and multiple people I knew reported getting stuck in them and being late to class. My BIGGEST issue happened when I re-signed for my second year. I only re-signed because I thought management and the building were improving. This was my biggest mistake. When I re-signed, I was shown two studio options and specifically selected the larger studio plan. I re-signed early because I knew there were not many available. Months later, I saw my assigned room number in my portal and asked the current resident if I could see the layout since there had not been a unit to tour when I signed. That is when I discovered Marshall had assigned me the SMALLER studio layout. When I brought this to management's attention, they realized there was a discrepancy between the layout information I had been shown and the studio plans on their website. I was told there were no larger studios remaining and I would have to stay with the smaller one. I was in shock because I had intentionally re-signed early to secure the larger studio. It was extremely difficult to get clear answers from management. I did not feel the seriousness of the situation was acknowledged, and I was not offered a discount or meaningful resolution for a problem I did not cause. My last frustration was with the move-out charges. I was initially charged $225 for what I considered minor damages, while other residents I spoke with told me they received no charges for similar conditions. When I disputed my charges, I was directed to an outside company. It took approximately 2–3 weeks and multiple communications before my charges were removed after I provided documentation. I understand mistakes happen, but management should have done a better job assessing these charges. As a student without a full-time income, receiving a $225 charge that was ultimately removed made me feel taken advantage of. This was representative of my overall experience with management. Management frequently responds to negative reviews saying they care about residents' concerns and encourage residents to bring issues to their attention. I DID bring my concerns to management, MULTIPLE times. In my experience, the responses were dismissive, unhelpful, or lacked meaningful resolution. I lived here for TWO YEARS and repeatedly experienced these problems. For the amount I paid, I expected significantly better communication, cleanliness, maintenance, and accountability. I would not choose to live here again even if rent was free. Save yourself the frustration.

I moved in here in June 2024 when the building had just opened. It's been a steady downhill from pretty much the start. The amenities are marketed as luxury, but many are either broken or neglected. Last summer, the pool was green and completely unusable. The elevators are a constant issue; one has been out for weeks at a time on multiple occasions, and there have even been stretches where both were down at the same time. For a building this size, that's genuinely unacceptable. Maintenance has been just as frustrating. My A/C went out for over a week in the middle of summer. It took multiple requests, calls to emergency maintenance, and repeated trips to the office before anyone actually addressed it. Nobody should have to fight that hard just to get their air conditioning fixed. For a solid stretch of 6-8 months, the fire alarms were going off constantly; we're talking 10 or more times in a single day at points, including at 2, 3, and 4 in the morning. It was exhausting and genuinely disruptive to daily life. It has gotten better recently, but honestly with the way this building is managed, it's hard to feel confident that it'll stay that way. The common areas have fallen apart too. The pool table hasn't had a triangle rack or working cues in over a year. The sports lounge has a great balcony with city views at night, but management locks it after a certain hour, which completely defeats the purpose. Also, the valet trash gets skipped on scheduled days more often than it should. Parking was around $175/month when I moved in and is now roughly $25 with deals. Went from gouging residents to practically giving it away because they can't keep people here. The location is great, and honestly, the first several months showed real promise. But two years in, it's impossible to recommend this place to anyone. EDIT: I originally gave a 2-star rating instead of 1, but my AC just broke again for the fourth or fifth time now. And in the middle of the hottest weather of the year so far. I also learned that the only reason this apartment complex has a 3.4 out of 5 is that they offer free merchandise in exchange for five-star reviews. It should be much lower. I'm so glad this is my final month here. Do yourself a favor and do not even consider this place. I could've recommended it the very first year, but their management is just so awful it's crazy how bad it's gotten, and it's only been here for 2 years.

I do not recommend living here. I've had a particular maintenance issue for the past few weeks and everyone is giving me the runaround, stating they don't know. This apt has gone through 2-3 different managements in my 1.5 years of living here. I would advise you to live elsewhere. The only plus is that it's close to uab's campus.

We had a great experience leasing and moving into The Marshall on 5th. JT Graf, Aden and the entire staff were incredibly helpful, organized, and prompt throughout the process . They made everything from signing the lease to move-in smooth and stress-free. We really appreciate JT's and their professionalism and customer service. Recommend.

My son moved into “The Marshall on 5th” in August, and our experience with the handling of the HVAC problem in his apartment has been beyond frustrating. The original A/C maintenance request was submitted on 8/29. By 8/31, management acknowledged that the residents had already gone two nights without working air conditioning and confirmed the work order was still open. On 9/2, the temperature inside their apartment was reported to management at 83°F. The timing is important. This happened during an exceptionally hot stretch in Birmingham. The weather information we reviewed shows highs of 94°F on 8/29, 97°F on 9/1, 99°F on 9/2, 100°F on 9/3, and 102°F on 9/4 and 9/5. Heat advisories were also issued during portions of this period. Management was repeatedly made aware of the situation. On 9/3, the Community Manager reported that the facilities manager was checking the HVAC system and later said a vendor would be onsite the following day to replace the needed part. On 9/4, management reported that Hemphill Services had inspected the system, that it was a warranty repair requiring specific parts, and that the capacitor had already been replaced on 9/1. Management declined a rental adjustment because they said the issue had been “addressed within 7 business days.” But the A/C was not fixed. On 9/9, management said the necessary parts were being delivered and that the HVAC company would be onsite 9/10 from 9 AM–3 PM to complete the service and replacement. Management also applied a $100 total concession for the apartment—$50 per resident. By 9/11, the repair still had not been completed, approximately two weeks after the original request. Temporary portable/window A/C units were eventually provided for the bedrooms and living room. We appreciate that something was provided, but even with the portable units, the apartment remained hot. Multiple portable units are not a replacement for functioning central A/C, particularly during temperatures in the 90s and 100s. By 9/16, the Community Manager apologized for the “continued delay,” agreed to cover the full August electric bill, and said he was contacting the vendor and facilities manager to determine the cause of the delay. By 9/22, my son’s roommate’s mother was still corresponding with management about the unresolved A/C as they approached a month without functioning central air. The HVAC problem itself is unacceptable, but the lack of communication and follow-through has made the situation even worse. There is an extensive paper trail—maintenance requests, texts and emails—showing how many times this problem has been reported and followed up on. Most recently, after the situation was escalated again, I was specifically told someone from the property would call me today. I made sure I was available and watched for the call. No one called. Meanwhile, my son’s roommate’s mother spent another 13 minutes on the phone today trying to reach someone who could address the situation. She was told a message could be passed along to the Community Manager—the same manager she has already spoken with multiple times. These are young adults living away from home and paying $1,300+ each for an apartment that should have functioning basic systems. Parents should not have to spend weeks sending emails, making calls, documenting temperatures, tracking repair promises and escalating a maintenance problem just to get central A/C repaired. I have the original 8/29 maintenance request, screenshots, text messages and dated emails documenting this timeline. This is not based on one bad interaction or a misunderstanding. I would much rather be writing a positive review saying management stepped up, communicated consistently and resolved the problem. Unfortunately, nearly a month after the original maintenance request, we are still dealing with this.