Sweetwater, charleston-sc

I’ve lived in a Cardinal Group Management property for less than three weeks, and the experience has been extremely disappointing. To be fair, the on-site maintenance team has been responsive and helpful. They acted quickly when I reported issues and have done what they can with the resources available. However, everything beyond that has been a completely different story. In under three weeks, I’ve already had to submit four maintenance requests in what is supposed to be a brand-new, never-before-lived-in unit. This has included replacing a water filter, replacing the breaker box, and most recently dealing with a serious ceiling leak that led to visible mold. While maintenance did cut out the damaged portion of the ceiling, I am now working from home in an apartment filled with loud industrial fans and dehumidifiers. To make matters worse, the equipment is leaking and causing water to pool on my floors—creating yet another issue. When I reached out to management to ask for assistance or temporary accommodation given the circumstances, I was told there was nothing they could do and that this is simply “part of being a renter/homeowner.” That response is unacceptable, especially when dealing with mold and ongoing water damage. There is a clear disconnect between the effort of the on-site team and the lack of support from higher-level management. Basic empathy and reasonable solutions should not be this hard to come by. If this is how issues are handled within the first few weeks of living here, I would strongly caution others before signing a lease.

Cross posting my review of Parkway Plaza. Sell your property to someone who can manage it effectively. tl;dr? This place should be one of your absolute last resorts. Funny enough, this is a review that I had forgotten to make with all that I was going through at the time. This spring I started getting unsolicited emails from Parkway Plaza after 2-3 years (previously unsubscribed from all emails), so thanks for the reminder! I was moving back to State College at the age of 28 to start working full-time at Penn State. I settled on Parkway Plaza as they seemed to have decent units for decent price. Unfortunately I did not check the one-star reviews beforehand. Set up a tour, liked what I saw well enough, and signed my lease on the Dec 20th with a start date of the 24th. I didn't hear back on the next steps and followed up on the 23rd, then again on the 27th. Turns out they were out of office for the holiday. Paid rent/security deposit, showed up on the 29th with my first carload of belongings excited to move in. Coming into the office, I find that they're again down to a skeleton crew for new year. They go to get my key and such, but there isn't a prepared set like usual. I sit around for an hour or so while the employee (not their fault) calls a supervisor. Eventually we get my key, I open the door and my heart drops, the unit is clearly still occupied. Fortunately whoever lived there seemed to be out for the holiday, likely never even knew that some random man was given a key to their place. Apparently management were incompetent enough with some "new system" that they mistook a unit that would be available much later, as the occupant didn't renew, as immediately available. At this point we have one of the head honchos on the phone to essentially tell me "whoops!" and that I'm screwed. What they could offer me was a single bedroom in a shared unit, despite having already paid for and signed a solo lease for a one bedroom apartment. I'm a 28 year old guy working full-time with a LOT of reasons for needing a solo apartment. Moving in with random college dudes for an indefinite amount of time was simply not an option. That's beside the fact that this company is so incapable of their single intended purpose that they have to give incentives to mislead tenants into leaving a soulless positive review, burying the many genuine negative reviews by tenants suffering from their chronic negligence. Instead? I moved all my stuff into a storage unit and spent two weeks homeless while I desperately scrambled to find a new place. Anything to not give money to easily one of the worst rental businesses in the area. It was immediately clear after reading the negative reviews that I dodged a bullet by not living here. Frankly, it's only a matter of time until y'all exploit someone with money to burn and get sued for any of the varied negligence displayed over the years. Unfortunately, this place by design pulls in people who cannot afford better options. Closing thoughts for prospective tenants? Try for mom and pop type rentals, especially in the surrounding areas of State College proper. It takes some searching, but keep trying, just watch out for scams if you're checking somewhere like Craigslist. If you must rent with Faceless Housing Conglomerate ™️, consider every option other than Parkway Plaza, read various reviews while noting which reviews are liked by several people, and for the love of god please make them show you your unit before signing the lease (also, read the lease, the entire thing). Don't trust any of these companies any more than you have to, don't give them the benefit of the doubt. No matter how friendly their representatives may be, and there surely is the occasional gem, the company's interests are largely in squeezing as much money as possible out of inexperienced tenants who don't know how to or can't afford to push back. Closing thoughts for Parkway Plaza? None, don't bother with a generic corporate response either. I hope you go bankrupt and your properties end up with someone even vaguely decent.

I am no longer being evicted. (The situation below was resolved) This is an update to my previous review. I can now confidently say they are hiding behind the middle managers of this company in order to be able to do whatever the hell they want to their residents. I came down here today to make a formal complaint to the owner of the company about discriminatory practices that we're about to be enacted in evicting me. I have ADHD, dyslexia and autism and have been struggling to find support the past couple of years. In order to get the support, I learned that I needed to succeed in America. So I've started a business, created a non-profit and got a patent going. After my efforts were hindered due to complicated life circumstances and the internet going off, I got exceptionally upset at the lack of support and help I received at auroria student lofts. My frustrations were continued and further assistance was met with irritation and aggression rather than understanding and cooperation. I raised my voice and sweared which is apparently unprofessional. However, this is not. My working environment is if my home and I'm trying to get help from the people who own my home. I have a disability that makes it hard for me to manage my emotions and read others, so if they're all healthy and normal, why am I expected to bend my emotions to their feelings? Why is it a one-way streak? Regardless of that complaint, I came down here to make sure that a person heard and saw that I am rational and calm when I'm having a normal conversation. But I was unable to because the office is closed. No one works here. According to a few people in the office, I think they use this for training purposes or meetings. The real office is on the 15th floor and is locked. You will need a key to get up there. I'm a good citizen. I have no food in my cabinet because I've been paying $1,200 for a 300-700 squft apartment, All I'm expecting is $1,200 worth of customer service, maintenance, and for people to actually help. I came down here to complain in person due to my neurodivergent issues making it difficult to do things online and I found a closed empty office with no one in it which is the usual story in America I guess. While I was writing this review, I did receive a call from someone in the Cardinal group who's based out of California. He was very respectful and polite and he heard my side of the story. But as of right now I am still being evicted for discriminatory practices by a group of people who we're incapable of taking the time to listen to someone's words. If we judge people by the volume of their voice rather than the contents of their language, it's no wonder we are in the situation we are in today. I don't have a mean bone in my body. If you read my other reviews you will see I care about my community and I just want to make it. I'd recommend the Cardinal group guarantee that there is some way for someone to complain in person going forward. Because currently the only path forward for me is talking to a lawyer and discrimination agencies. And that's not okay because I should just be able to have a conversation with a person who can listen to me. If I as a person with autism, I'm expected to study your behavior and your intentions and attempt to infer your emotions which I have a difficult time understanding, then certainly you as a normal, sane, rational person. Can take the time out of your busy life full of video games, YouTube videos and drama to help me walk up a flight of stairs.

Do not rent from this company. We had a terrible experience during their ownership of our apartment. They hired a company to do boiler work inside every unit on the first floor, tore up our floors, walls and vanity area. Our (plus our neighbors) personal items and were damaged. Bedrooms were accessed without permission. Mind you they thought putting everyone in a hotel across town and changing the locks of our apartments was acceptable. Upon returning to our unit, it was covered in construction dust and dirt. The heat still wasnt on/working when we were approved to go home and our floors and everything are still in the same condition since October 31 2025. Fast forward the company sold our apartment to this new management and we tried to break our lease without penalty but was unsuccessful. This whole process has been a financial burden on me and my family and we are currently still struggling to recover. Lastly we do have pictures and videos evidence of everything we experienced.

Be cautious living in any apartments this group manages. I’ve been waiting for almost a year to get my security deposit back. No communication from any of them or their rude workers at the actual apartment complex’s. Sadly will be needing a lawyer over something so simple.