Additional Reviews
May 2021: I see alot of complaints about unexpected fees. Would you give more detail about that. What are the fees for and who are they coming from? Feb 2021: I had to force the girl who answered the phone to take a message for Shaq to call me back. We will see if that happens. Many many complaints about unexpected fees and bills that are insanely high for electricity. When resident tried to see someone about it, no one is ever available so they have to come back hoping that magically someone would be available the next time they walk in. I would not recommend at all based on our experience. Nov 2019: In desperate need of a change in management. Shaq never gets anything done and never replies to emails. I’ve lived here going on my third year and my rent has gone up $50, my water bills for a 5 bedroom have magically gone up from being $20-$30 a person to now being $45-$65 a person. Water is turned off about twice a month without much notice due to leaks all over the apartment complex. Which I personally feel like that’s why our bills have gone up and they’re making residents pay. But management blames it on the residents and says the toilets are running. Also, we never have hot water... Before this year I had a great experience living here but would highly not recommend anymore.
- current resident Review from Google Aug 2019: I am the parent of a student there. Every time I have called (and it has been several times- sorry) the people there have been over the top accommodating and friendly. Thank you! Review from Google Aug 2019: Staff doesn't understand what's going on and the payment system is terrible. The website didn't process my money so I called and the staff at the front desk told me to take out a money order so I did, and then they took that payment and the money ended up going through on the website three days after my rent was supposed to go through, but they refused to send me my money back electronically since they took DOUBLE my rent. ELECTRONICALLY. This happened twice. Nice house and some amenities but the system is awful and they don't communicate well with residents or each other. Also, the new wifi doesn't work AT ALL. Review from Google Jul 2019: Borderline illegal management tactics to get you to renew!
The units themselves are “okay†, not good nor great. Just okay.
The front desk people are nice.
Oh also, the management tries to charge you $100 for bracelets that cost them $0.05 to make just to be able to go to the pool.
Shaq was a great manager but the current GM follows poor, corrupt policies.
-from a current resident. Review from Google Jul 2019: From the start this place has been horrible. Moved into an apt with ceiling fans hanging down, no porch light bulbs and not cleaned from previous residents. Work orders are handled in a timely fashion I will give a thumbs up to that. The staff has a big turn around but they are nice. The only issue is that they have the mentality that if you have a bad roommate oh well too bad one that uses drugs, has an unauthorized pet, friends vomit in the ds bathroom but don’t clean then at move out leave all their stuff behind in common area and don’t lift a finger to help clean at move out. It is their policy to charge everyone of one person doesn’t do there part. Everyone has their own lease therefore they should be charged accordingly. Review from Google Jul 2019: Office people are not friendly. Specifically Kelby May 2019: My daughter is a resident here. On 05/01/2019 there was a sexual assault of a resident in this complex. On 5/03/2019 management was made aware that one my daughters roommates does not have a house key (and cannot afford to replace it) and is leaving the door unlocked and, at times, standing wide open. On 5/04/2019 I spoke with the front office to express my concerns and explain that the other girls in the apartment do not feel safe when the door is not secured. I was told that in 3 or 4 days, when management returns, they would speak with her about not having a key. In the meantime, nothing will be done.
This roommate has been a nightmare for a long time. Despite being told this is student housing, she is not a student. Several complaints have been made to the office, they are of no help. Being no help with pain in the butt roommates is one thing, being no help with serious safety issues, not acceptable. Review from Google Apr 2019: Been living here since 2017. At first everything went smoothly; then, I realized how incompetent the people that work here are. Firstly, for the first year or so of me living here, water was shut off almost every 2-3 weeks to fix plumbing. The water would be off for 3-5 hours at a time. Secondly, when they decided to hire a crew to put in hardwood flooring it was terribly done. Also, I came home to my things thrown around the room and had to move everything back in place. Maintenance will take forever to come fix something, and when they do finally come and fix it, it's done badly. Sometimes maintenance won't even come at all. A recent lock upgrade caused some people to be locked out of their homes and rooms (I was one of those people). It was not fixed for 3 days. And to top it all off my roommates and I were hit with a $600+ water bill because we had an internal plumbing leakage. Although we put work orders in, one was not fulfilled, and supposedly the rest of us waited too long to get it fixed (which we did not) Review from Google Mar 2019: Don’t put your rent check in their rent drop box. They will claim your rent was late and charge you late fees for their incompetence. Tried to contact the bookkeeper but she never cared to reply. Feb 2019: It was the worst 2 years of my life. The wiring in the house was so bad that the breaker would trip all the time and our outlets wouldn't work half the time. They tried to blame us for that. Plus the a/c heat never circulated properly and the downstairs was freezing while the upstairs was swealtering..I had terrible, filthy roommates. I could go on with all the issues I had but I won't. Just don't live at this overpriced place. Feb 2019: I have lived here for two years. It has a slightly higher price tag than the surrounding apartments but you certainly get what you pay for. The staff is awesome. They are always laughing and kind and eager to help. I love going to the office to get a package and running into Toni. She always gives me tons of banter and its always a good time. Its also awesome seeing Kristi at our bus stop handing out free tacos, it definitely makes the day easier. Kelby is always trying to keep us in the know about different promotions that the retreat is doing. If the retreat is hooking up its residents, Kelby will make sure you're there. All of the staff is great. Even the maintenance crew is awesome! They all love to talk and play with my dog when we are out and about. They are quick to help and real efficient. I have loved my two years here at the Retreat. Review from Google Dec 2018: Thought this would be a great place for my son to live. My son was in a wreck and totaled his vehicle. The night we bought him a new car it was late and he didn't get a parking permit from the Retreat's office. He woke up to his brand new car being towed. The general manager, Evan Clark, was an absolute jerk. I told him we would be moving apartments after this semester. He had the nerve to tell me he was willing to work with me but if this is the way it was going to go, we can just pay the fine. How utterly unprofessional and pathetic. I say avoid the Retreat. They look nice, but you child will not be happy here. Review from Google Aug 2018: Do not move here. Many issues and hidden fees they won't tell you about. The worst part was receiving my final move out bill for cleaning etc. which I know they didn't do because we helped clean the unit with our boys. As a matter of fact, when we moved in last year, it was dirty so hence the comment. Stay away and as far as a response from The Retreat don't bother for we moved on. I just don't want anyone else to go through that... Review from Google Aug 2018: As of right I am giving the retreat a one star because I have contacted them on multiple occasions and I keep getting the same girl, Honyay (not sure if that’s how you spell her name). Anyways, this young lady is extremely rude and hasn’t been any help to me at all. I’m pretty sure this isn’t how all the workers are, but just my luck I continue to get the same girl when I call and when I ask to speak to someone else she continues to give me the run around. I haven’t even moved in yet and my experience is already terrible because I can never get the information or respect I need and deserve whenever I call the office. Very disappointed. Review from Google Apr 2018: just renewed my lease after living here for a year! Absolutely love my huge apartment and amazing roommates! Staff is amazing and so are the amenities. This is definitely THE place for a Texas State bobcat to live! Review from Google Apr 2018: All of the negative reviews are accurate and relatable to me. I have lived here for about 8 months now. I’ll say the positive things first. The amenities are nice and really nothing to complain about there. I love the full size washer/dryer and common area is pretty big. Bus route is nice and comes very often. The side of town is nice. Now with the negative things. When touring this place, I was given very high expectations that this place doesn’t live up to. In my unit, there’s things constantly going wrong left and right from our stove acting weird and possibly being hazardous, to our dish washer not working properly and sometimes not at all (might as well not even have the dishwasher). Maintenance team responds fast, but they half-ass fix things instead of spending the time to fix things right. The bathrooms are small. The apartment d Review from Google Mar 2018: I am a student and when first looking into apartments the Retreat seems like a nice place to live. However, after living there for 8 months I have realized my first impression was completely wrong. Yes, living in a town home is nice and the living space is large. But, management/the quality of the home is terrible. We have had our water turned off about 10 times since we have moved there. Sometimes they have given notice, sometimes you go to wash your hands and you realize the water is off. The dishwasher doesn't clean any dishes. The water that comes out of the sink has stuff in it. Our thermostat doesn't regulate temperature correctly, the bottom floor is at least 5 degrees different from the top floor. So, when I walk up stairs I sweat and when I go downstairs I freeze. And now they are shutting down the pool for a month during the one mont Review from Google Feb 2018: ***They pay residents in gift cards for good reviews so beware***
I would recommend not living here. Matience takes a very long time to fix anything. There is NO visitor parking available. The gym equipment is not kept up with. When I moved in the carpet was covered in dog hair and the couch smelled of dog pee. We asked to get the couch replaced on several occasions, but that never happened. They will charge you for putting holes in your wall, like nails and screws. Couches are made of a plastic leather lookalike material that WILL crack and then you have to pay to replace the cushion.
One of the only pros is that it does not flood. Review from Google Jan 2018: I’ve been living at The Retreat for almost a year and I absolutely love my house. The staff is always so helpful and very kind. Maintenance can sometimes be quick but usually will show up to fix your problem asap. Brand new floors just got put into all houses and it definitely makes the house look more modern inside and very home-like. Review from Google Jan 2018: Love the overall environment. Great place to stay if You attend Texas State. The bus route is amazing and fast. Even a walk to campus isn’t too far. The people at the front desk are always willing to help you out with any problems or answer any questions. Maintenance usually comes the after you put in a work order. I really love it here and am excited to sign again for next year! Review from Google Jan 2018: This is my first year living here, so far it has been fun i have met many great people both being the staff and other residents living here. All the facilities around the property are always well maintained and clean and any maintenance requests that are made are taken care of almost immediately. The staff is always reaching out to the residents with fun opportunities and events to make there stay fun and unique, while also trying to find ways to make the complex better for the residents Review from Google Jan 2018: I love the Retreat so much! I decided to live here at first because I had many friends that recommended the Retreat and wanted to live closer to my friends and the pool is my favorite part! I’m now resigning again to live here because it’s so convenient to go to class with the only 5 minute bus ride to campus. There is never traffic in this area and it’s the perfect off campus location for school. People at the front desk are so friendly and nice. I am glad I get to live here again next year. Review from Google Jan 2018: The Retreat is very convenient, especially if you have a pet. I prefer this community in comparison to a normal apartment complex. It's nice to have parking spots that lead up to your front or back door, as well as having a yard. My layout is great, and is very spacious. Paying rent is made easy online, as well as placing work orders. The only complaint I have that work orders are not always taken care of quickly, or are not completed. Review from Google