605 West End Apartments

"I was a tenant at 605 West End from Sept 2021 to Dec 2023. A few of my takeaways below: Positives: - Overall I thought the office personnel were good. I appreciate the initiative they would take to solve the many problems that inevitably occur in a large apartment complex, and they did a good job communicating updates to residents in a timely manner. - Maintenance was for the most part reliable and friendly. Chris and Tyrone in particular were great. It was unusual if I submitted a maintenance request and there was not somebody at my place to carry out the request within 24 hours, even for minor requests. - It was great to be in a walkable area of Durham, in particular I appreciated the easy access to the American Tobacco Campus/Trail, Brightleaf Square and Durham Co-op Market. Other Notes: - While not completely unsurprising given the nature of large, newer apartment buildings such as this one, the units I was in were not necessarily quiet places. I ended up moving to a different unit due to noise from the Durham Freeway. While the background noise of the second unit was much quieter, I was not immune to regular vibrations/creaks/noises traveling through the building throughout the night from neighbors’ doors slamming, the building settling and what I assume was HVACs/pipes/plumbing. I will note that I was pleased to generally not have issues from noisy neighbors or noise in common areas. - Bugs in my apartment was a regular occurrence. This may have been due to my unit being right beside the garbage chute room. You have to make a request for pest treatment, and after this service was provided, I continued to see bugs at the same rate. - You will have to be careful with any belongings in your car and generally just be cognizant of where you park in the complex parking deck. There were a number of vehicle break-ins during my time here, and the office makes it clear that they are not liable for any theft/vehicle damage. Additionally, my bike was stolen despite it being locked on a bike rack in the parking deck (there is an indoor bike storage option for a fee). - As of Dec. 2023 there are no electric vehicle charging stations at the complex."

"I don't understand how power washing the garage is a higher priority than fixing the callbox. It's been almost a year and I still can't use the callbox for myself or guests. Very frustrating!"

"My mind will forever reel at the incompetence of the staff here. This building was far superior back when it was a Bell property. Update (8/10/23): I was asked to remove this review by 605 West End, which I will not be doing, but I thought I would update it to cite specific grievances with this company. Living here was by no means a dream, there were frequent rat and cockroach sightings, and constant issues with trash piling up (which certainly didn’t help the vermin situation), but I moved to Durham after living in NYC for 5 years, so these conditions honestly didn’t faze me too much. My primary issue concerns the sub-par customer service ~skills~ of the office staff. Look, I don’t need apartment staff to be effusively nice to me, but I do need them to possess basic job competencies, and to show respect for the contract we jointly signed. If you choose to live here please be aware that this company (Lincoln Property Company) has no intention of respecting the concept of “ordinary wear and tear” to the apartment as described in the rental contract. I lived in my apartment for three years, I kept it clean, I hung almost nothing on the walls, and I paid an extra non-refundable pet deposit to cover anticipated damages from my mid-sized dog. When I moved out these people gave me $16 of my deposit back. $16 American dollars. To justify this they sent me a series of grainy images of the alleged damage to my apartment, which were so ridiculous I actually think I will try to dig them up to add to this post. And I know this wasn’t just a one off, because a year later they pulled this same stunt with my sister and her roommate when it was time for them to move out of their unit (they also moved in back when the property was managed by Bell Partners). There are so many locally based property management companies in Durham, rent from one of them instead. And if you do for some reason decide to live here absolutely insist on doing the final walkthrough of the apartment with them so they don’t steal your deposit. BONUS BAD BEHAVIOR: When the Lincoln Property Company officially took over the building in spring of 2021, one of their first acts was to put an enormous green sticker on any car in the parking deck that had an expired registration. They did this before they were even able to communicate with residents via email, so there was zero head’s up that this was going to happen. Why was this their first priority as new owners? I have no idea, but it was certainly a harbinger of things to come. A friend of mine in the building was a victim of the green sticker, and dear god was that thing difficult to get off."

"There have been multiple car break ins over the past few months. Cars in the garage would have their windows smashed. Hasn’t happened to my car yet but I often see broken glass or police officers in the garage. There is no communication about this issue from management (not even an email). No new security cameras. No better gate. Their only response has been to up a sign saying they’re not responsible for theft or damage to property. Residents are worried about their safety and have gone so far as to put these flyers on all car windows. If you’re considering 605 west end, I would definitely avoid signing new a lease here until this issue is addressed"

"Don't understand any of the bad reviews, this is one of the nicest apartments near Duke. I have lived in two different units at this apartment complex and I have not seen a bug here once. Resident events are frequent, amenities are always kept nice, people who live here are respectful, and the area is very convenient to all of downtown and Duke. I've never felt unsafe walking around this area late at night as a woman. The bike room is secure and I have never had anything stolen. Maintenance responds to our work orders the same day or next day (one time they were at our door in 15 minutes). Management has been very helpful and accommodating. The only downside is that units near the highway will hear some traffic. Highly recommend."