Ashford Apartments at Betton Hills

"Management changed about 6 months ago and it has been AWFUL! Construction at all hours of the day (my neighbors in another building once woke up to them redoing their roof at 6am and I had a similar experience with them busting up concrete). They have cut down trees and replaced grass with plastic turf (this area floods so I suspect they will regret this decision), and closed amenities such as the gym for months. Communication from management has been almost nonexistent (though it did improve slightly during the last month or so I lived there). The corporate management clearly does not care about tenants and appeared to care exclusively about money -- even terminating residents who used government grants to help pay their rent mid-lease. They also stopped providing after hours maintenance, even for things like broken air conditioners in the summer. I am usually sympathetic to management companies and certainly respect their right to profit, but everything that has happened since Stratford Management took over has been exactly what you would expect a stereotypical landlord to do. I would not recommend this complex to anyone. *I moved out recently, but this account does not display my real name."

"I have lived here the last year, one of my biggest complaints is that nonresidents use the amenities like the pool to the point where residents can’t even access the pool due to amount of people who are clearly nonresidents using it. You see them pull up with a car full of people, kids birthday parties even, it’s obvious they do not live at Ashford Apartments when we see them drive up and unload their car and load it back up when they are done. We pay a ridiculous amount each month to live here and access these amenities, this complex would be a lot better if they enforced the rule that only residents are able to access the amenities, whether that consists of armbands or a locked gate something should absolutely be done. There is a community pool less than 5 minutes away, we pay too much a month to share our amenities with nonresidents."

"We lived at Ashford Club for over 3 1/2 years and in that time my opinion of the place has went from sky high, to abysmal, to optimistic. We moved out this October and I feel enough time has passed where I can write this review with less bias. When we first moved in Connie was still the manager and was by far the best landlord you could ever hope for. Like the rest of the residents at the time we were sad to see her go as she truly made it feel like home. Once the property was bought out everything went into steep decline. Along with the lack of upkeep at the time, graffiti and tagging started to show up everywhere on the property and on the benches and walls of the park to park trail behind the apartments. Me and my fiancee gave serious consideration about moving at this point but decided to stick it out. Fast forward to this year and the apartment has once again traded hands. The apartments are still dated looking on the outside and inside of the lower units, graffiti and tagging is still appearing in the aforementioned areas along with non-residents cutting through the complex. Overall the price of rent remains high for what you get considering other apartments nearby tend to offer a more modern upkeep. Overall the area does not feel as secure as it was when we moved in. With all that said I feel that I have to give credit to the current office staff as they seem to be doing a good job at correcting what issues they can. The grounds are well kept and on most nights the complex remains quiet other than a past group of tenants who would keep everyone up until 3 in the morning with music and partying on their balcony. Once more, the rent remains on the high side for what you get in terms of square footage and appearance, but there are worse places you could choose in Tallahassee. My biggest recommendation for staff would be a stronger vetting process for future residents as some of the recent tenants we came across would fit better in one of the college apartments closer to FSU.There are things I really do miss such as the woods and park around the apartment, but it is not enough to bring us back if we ever returned to Tallahassee."

"Ashford Club has had its problems and big management changes, but overall I like the location in Tallahassee and I like the management staff. Despite some landscaping and pool issues in the summer, everyone in the front office was respectful to me. And I got my full security deposit back. They definitely aren't trying to rip you off. I love the trail behind the complex and I enjoyed my stay for the duration of 2018."

"Our third year at Ashford, and likely our last. BEFORE - LEASING OFFICE: When we moved in, Connie and Shannon ran the Office, and 1. they were IN the office before, and after the listed hours; 2. they went above and beyond to address every issue presented; 3. they walked around and talked with everyone they encountered; they arranged and hosted annual parties for the tenants. NOW - B&H Management bought the place and they got rid of Connie and Shannon. Rent went up, and new fees added. They removed the free washers and dryers and installed card-operated machines, a buck a load, last time I looked. The first couple of replacements in the office did not stay long enough to get to know. The posted hours are still the same, but the last four (4) times I came home for lunch and needed to talk with the someone, the door was locked, the shades were drawn, and there was no note explaining when anyone would be back. The sense of community is gone. B&H is not a small company, but they seemed to have lost sight of the fact that managing apartments is ultimately a people business. GROUNDS: BEFORE - For the past two years: the grass stayed trimmed and edged; the shrubs pruned; the common areas either swept or blown free of leaves and dirt; the pool kept clean; the dog disposal stations stocked with bags and emptied regularly. The first maintenance guy, Mick, did a fair job, I thought, but the second maintenance person, Jonathan, was handy, versatile, and personable, to boot. My only complaint is that the management was glacial in approving work orders that required some expenditure. ANY expenditure. NOW - They recently let Jonathan go, and I THINK there is a new maintenance guy, but the state of the grounds is embarrassing. With the exception of the small patch fronting Thomasville Road, the common grassy areas are weeded over 6 inches high in some places, and the grass areas are over 4 inches deep. Weeds are overtaking every flowerbed/ornamental area. The pool now has a green algae ring near the bottom of the deep end, leaves are everywhere, the women's toilet has been backed up for over a week. The recycle bin in the mail room runneth over. There are construction materials crowding the dumpsters. The place is depressing. A few pictures taken Sunday, the 12th of August: poolside, the mail room, the ring around the pool, and the pretty, mowed patch fronting Tville Rd. I'll spare everyone the shot of the women's loo. We knew there would be a period of transition as the new owners assumed operations, but they appear to betaking this residence management thing in a totally different direction. This not only makes me sad, but somewhat angry; we LOVED living here - great location, access to parks, safe (try to ignore the spray paint tags that have been appearing on the dumpsters and benches lately, too) - but now, it's...depressing. And, if they turn things around, I'll be the first to sing their praises. But I will not hold my breath."