Orchard Village Apartments 5806 Raymond Road, Madison, WI 53711

"I enjoy living here. They always respond quickly and all the other tenants I’ve met are very kind"

"I've lived here for over 4 years. The thing that impresses me the most is the quick and friendly response when there is a maintenance problem."

"For those considering renting from this complex, there are some things that I believe you should be aware of. I'll break them into positives and negatives: Positives: 1.) The apartments are physically nice. I lived in a lofted unit for two years, and the high ceilings opened up the space, and the spiral staircase was charming (even if it did make moving furniture up and down difficult). As far as I understand, all apartments have recently had their floors redone, and it shows; they're pristine. 2.) Maintenance was always fantastic, in my experience. They were kind and quick. It was nice seeing and talking to these guys around the complex, as well. 3.) The landlord is a nice guy. We never had any unplanned intrusions from him, and he was always responsive. 4.) In the two years I spent at this complex, I had absolutely NO issues with pests. Also: the one time that mold was discovered in the apartment, it was quickly handled by maintenance with no problems. 5.) The walls of the apartment complex, at least in my experience, are pretty soundproof. So long as you're not rattling your unit with an amplifier, no one is going to hear much. Negatives: 1.) For lofted units—especially MIDDLE lofted units (i.e., 2C and 2D), for they have no windows upstairs—the loft becomes more or less unusable during the summer months due to unbearable heat. The AC unit is in the downstairs living room and cannot be angled up to face the loft. Also: the windows of the complex, at least in my experience, are not suitable for extra AC units; they open up sideways. 2.) Many, if not all, lofted units are advertised to have skylights in the loft. In at least some of the units, these no longer exist; I was told that they caused too many leaks in the past. 3.) The screen doors and windows are not insulated well, so you need to put plastic sheets over them during the winter months if you don't want your energy bill to skyrocket. 4.) The appliances are all fairly old. They still work okay for the most part, but sometimes you have to get used to their idiosyncrasies before you can get them to function as intended. 5.) The area around the complex is not the safest. Is it the worst? No, it's not. I go running (note: as a male) most nights with no issues. However, especially during the summertime, heckling isn't uncommon. I've also been threatened once. My partner and I believe that we witnessed a car-jacking take place right outside our balcony door. Police activity is fairly common on Russett: I'd say once every month-and-a-half on average. Though this all sounds pretty bad, I imagine it's not too different from what one would experience if they lived in the downtown of a city. The problem is that this complex is not located in the downtown of a city; it's at least six miles away from downtown Madison. So, the unfortunate reality is that this complex offers the criminal activity of a downtown unit without also providing the truncated commutes and late-night activities. I understand that this isn't strictly the complex's fault; they cannot control the area around their units, but crime is still an important factor as regards housing, and potential renters should be aware of it. However, there is ONE thing that the complex can control that they chose not to... 6.) ...And that is rent. This complex raised our rent by 40% after two years of renting from them. To note: that isn't 20% one year and 20% the next; that is maybe 3% the first year and 40% the second year. They also offered nothing for this huge rent increase; for instance: no replacement for old appliances. I understand that the economy is not in a great spot right now, but there is no way they needed to raise our rent over four hundred dollars to make ends meet. Before, these units were a steal for their price, but now I find it difficult to consider a situation in which one would be enticed to purchase. All and all: I'm satisfied with my stay at Orchard Village, but the positives are not sufficient to outweigh the negatives anymore for me, and that is why I have decided to leave."

"My husband and I lived at Orchard Village for a year until we purchased our first house. We LOVED our experience there! The apartments are gorgeous and the maintenance staff is on top of any requests you have. The manager, Tyler, was very attentive and helpful when needed. Convenient area close to all things on the west side of Madison. We highly recommend this beautiful and safe apartment complex!"

"Orchard Village was a fantastic affordable place to live for 2 years. We would have continued living there if not for moving away from Madison. Tyler is a great manager and has clearly worked hard to maintain the property and make residents feel cared for. He was always very responsive and fair throughout our time. There were yearly maintenance checks to ensure there weren't any unseen problems. This proactive approach to regular upkeep was greatly appreciated. Loved the fireplace too!"