Grand and Dale Apartments

"I noticed randomly while looking at the hours for the Tav that for some reason the management team here was able to convince google to have dozens of legitimate negative reviews taken down. So I am posting again. And will now regularly check to make sure this post remains. My recommendation is to stay the hell away from these folks. They are nothing but bad times. The one star speaks for itself but if you want to know my specific grievances read on good folks. I lived here last year and it was a horrible experience. My apartment was habitually without heat during winter. The heat failed every other day or so for between 12 to 48 hours at a time. The maintenance guy, who goes by Boris, told me their boiler is so old and shakes so badly parts of the boiler will fall off every couple days causing the system to shut down. They never fixed it when I lived there. They just kept placing the parts back on the boiler knowing they would fall off again in a couple days and the heat would shut down. This was a problem for everyone but a particular severe problem for those who live in the front and back faces of the apartment as I did. More windows = more drafts meaning when the heat when out my apartment got cold quick and took longer to reheat. Management, as in Halvor Blaiser Group, should not be allowed to conduct business for more reasons than I feel like writing about. They would rarely, if ever, respond to emails, calls, text, or voicemails. They also erased any record of me contacting them and would insist I never did. But luckily in the digital era I had everything documented so they lost that battle. I had to contact the Minnesota Attorney General personally to ask management to get back to me about the heat. They practice a well known form of management know as "strategic incompetence" or "weaponized incompetence" (google it) wherein they simply refuse to communicate with their tenants about everything. Whether it is a big issue or a tiny issue they would refuse to acknowledge my communications in any way. This gives them a layer of legal protection. For instance when something happens like say the heat fails and they do not want to pay to repair it they simply wont. And wont respond to any tenant regarding the heat. I mean literally zero communication at all. Nothing. This allows them to argue, legally, that they never knew the heat failed. So they argue they are not neglectful just incompetent. And stupidly isn't illegal thus they are not liable for anything happening in their apartments. They just blame it on the current property manager, fire them, and get another one who does the same thing. Then the process simply repeats itself. I understand housing is hard to find but if you are thinking of renting from these folks I suggest thinking it over again."

"VINTAGE CHARM AND EXCELLENT CONDITION! Just recently moved in and I am very happy with this neighborhood. People are always looking out for each other. Landlord is responsive, caring and incredibly friendly. Only downfall with vintage buildings is no AC, but nothing a window unit can’t fix. Living spaces carry much charm and building is kept in good condition. Worth it and definitely in a prime location with everything on Grand! :)"

"Lovely apartment complex located in Summit Hill. Lived there for two years and really enjoyed my unit and the neighborhood. Pros: 1. Beautiful architecture with original floors and fixtures. 2. Great neighborhood - safe, walkable, close to food (restaurants and grocery stores), attractions, and shopping. 3. All animals allowed and welcome. Lots of dogs, of all breeds, in the complex. 4. Friendly neighbors. Cons: 1. Well-insulated building traps heat. Cannot adjust radiators, so once they come on it gets really hot really fast. No air conditioning - had to purchase two window units for a 500 sq/ft studio (though I left the window units in the apt when I moved so hopefully the next tenent will benefit). 2. High managerial staff turnover. Three managers in two year period. Inadequate communication from apartment company about outgoing/incoming staff and who to reach out to with questions during transition. 3. Poor communication overall with inconsistent response rate from managerial staff (e.g., had to send multiple texts/emails about an emergency maintenance request; sent questions about move out logistics a week prior to vacating and never received a response but was sent several move out checklists after vacating and my responses to those were not acknowledged). 4. Rent rate increased every year. I paid $930/month when I moved in (2020-2021) which increased to $960 + additional fees that were not charged the prior year bringing rent up to ~$1000/month (2021-2022). 5. Washers and dryers in the shared laundry room broke A LOT and repair time increased the longer I lived there. All washers were out of service for 3 weeks in the last year. (Hidden pro: because I did not have a car, I requested a credit to my account for Uber to/from laundromat and received $20)."

"I moved in a couple of months under their new management, and I couldn't have had a better experience. I was moving from Nashville, Tennessee and I only had a couple of weeks to get everything sorted out, but Jocelyn made the whole process a seamless one. She was consistent, understanding, and went above and beyond with the move-in. The unit itself is lovely. I love the old architecture and style of the building. It's very quiet and comfortable. I couldn't recommend it enough!"

"I have had a great experience here so far! I just moved in last week as the building transitioned under a new property manager. Jocelyn has been fabulous. Helping me with anything and everything I need. The location of the building is great, walking distance from all the shops and Summit Ave. The building itself is 101 years old. It is an old building but it is full of charm. Apartments are well kept up and so far I am really happy living here!"