Mazza GrandMarc, college-park-md

had a very disappointing move-in experience with Terra Student Housing. I was approved for an early move-in and was personally given the key to the unit I was assigned. I also received communication from Terra identifying that exact room as my assigned room, so I had no reason to believe there was any mistake. When I arrived, however, the condition of the room was unacceptable. The carpet was visibly dirty and stained, there were crumbs and debris left behind, I found ants in the carpet, the furniture was heavily worn, and there was damage/rust in the bathtub. Overall, the room looked like it had not been properly cleaned or prepared for a new resident. I had already arranged my move around my approved move-in date, so I was left having to stay in these conditions for two nights while waiting for the leasing office to reopen and address the situation. When management eventually saw the room, they apologized and I was later told that I had supposedly been placed in the “wrong room.” This explanation was especially frustrating because Terra had emailed me information for that exact room and their staff personally gave me the key to it. The email they sent me was that my unit is 336-D and when I went to speak to them about my terrible unit, they claimed I wasn’t supposed to be in 336 it was supposed to be 226 but they sent me an email a month before saying my unit is 336-D They allowed me to transfer into a renovated unit, which I appreciated, but I still had to pay the full price difference for the renovated unit. I requested some type of rent adjustment or concession because the entire situation resulted from an issue on their end and significantly disrupted my move-in experience, but I was not provided a discount. I essentially ended up paying more per month in order to move into an acceptable unit after being given a room and apartment that was not properly prepared in the first place. I understand that mistakes can happen, and I appreciate that they ultimately transferred me, but I do not think residents should have to financially absorb the consequences of a housing provider’s mistake. For student housing, move-in is already stressful enough, and residents should be able to expect that the room they are given a key to is clean, maintained, and actually ready for occupancy. I would strongly recommend that future residents thoroughly document their unit with photos and videos immediately upon move-in and keep copies of all emails and communication regarding their room assignment.

A little over a year is apparently long enough to develop expectations such as professional communication, timely maintenance, accurate billing, and basic customer service; how unreasonable of me, and indeed I may have now overstayed my welcome at this premise. From unprofessional and sometimes rude communication, vague billing estimates, and questionable explanations to maintenance requests seemingly being treated as optional suggestions, there is rarely a dull moment. One of my favorite experiences has been following up on a simple maintenance request for more than 10 days, only to watch the work order magically change to “Completed” despite, rather remarkably, no one actually completing or even checking the issue. Apparently, “Completed” is now more of a philosophical concept than an actual status. When I followed up, I was informed that the issue was “not a priority” because maintenance was working on other problems. Understandable, of course. After all, residents presumably pay rent primarily for the privilege of submitting maintenance requests and patiently watching them age. At times, the attitude from certain members of the team also gives the impression that residents are staying here as complimentary guests rather than paying residents. Following up repeatedly just to get a straightforward issue acknowledged becomes unnecessarily frustrating. If you're looking for a stress-free place to live, I would strongly encourage you to do your research before considering Terra. And yes, the old saying certainly seems to apply here: You really do get what you pay for. A year in, I think I've learned the lesson. Five stars for teaching me patience.

I came in for a tour a couple months ago and the staff at the front office is super sweet and welcoming! I am so excited to see the new renovations being built right now. The housing is affordable even for a 2x2 and parking is free for everyone.

Very attentive staff! They always respond to any questions I have and are prompt with repairs. Also the renovations they did are amazing. The gym is definitely my favorite!

After meeting the new staff member Nikki, I had an amazing move in. Nikki was so kind, compassionate, caring and supportive. I had an issue with a room that I was assigned to and she was QUICK to resolve that issue for me. Now I am very pleased with my new living situation and excited to continue my studies in a comfortable space.