Conditions Still Unsanitary at Heights of Collingswood, Residents Say

Broken elevators, rapidly accumulating garbage, and a general lack of upkeep are just a handful of the things residents at the say have not been addressed since the February takeover of the property by national apartment rental firm Greystar.

Brandon Lewis, a five-year resident of Building B, believes a skeleton crew is managing the maintenance at all four buildings. He alleges that “things were neglected for a few weeks” in the changeover of building administration.

“As far as sanitation, everything is unsatisfactory: the trash rooms, vacuuming [the hallway carpets,] the outside grounds, the pool,” Lewis said. “They say write a list, but no one addresses the list. It never gets addressed until something comes up.

“I didn't understand why they fired all the porters that kept up the building,” Lewis added. “You’ve got people dumping trash on a daily basis.”

As recently as two weeks ago, Greystar was advertising on Craigslist for groundskeepers and apartment leasing professionals at the facility.

Lewis says that for the rent he's paying—$900 per month for a one-bedroom apartment—he expects a higher level of service.

Sasha Sound, a two-year resident of the Heights of Collingswood, said that pet waste in the elevators is a frequent concern, but that “the manager has been responsive if I’ve had any issues.”

Ibrahim Abdus-Shakur, who has lived in Building A for eight years, said that upkeep of the grounds has been a challenge as long as he's lived there.

“For the most part, I like to give people the chance to get started,” Abdus-Shakur said. “There is a lot of dog poop, but that was there before. People refuse to pick up after their dogs.”

Abdus-Shakur also said that there are general issues with the facility, including loitering persons, pet owners who let their animals run off-lead and minor maintenance issues, but that these existed prior to Greystar assuming management of the property.

“The floor where I am is pretty quiet,” he said. “I'm a peaceful person.”

Amber Mitchell, who will mark her two-year anniversary as a resident of the property this May, said “I’ve been trying to move out since November.

“They keep telling me they'll get back to me and they don’t,” she said.

Mitchell, who is originally from Cinnaminson, says she likes the Collingswood area, but no longer wants to live at the apartment complex.

Under previous management, the Heights of Collingswood was the site of a number of criminal actions, including a , a , a  and a string of other .

On-site staff at the property declined to comment to Patch. Nikkie Berlin Lenox, Regional Property Manager with Greystar, weighed in on the situation via email from her McLean, VA, office.

“We were engaged in late February to take over the management of the apartment community and to address resident concerns," she said. "We are working with owners of the apartment community and local officials and hope have these matters resolved in the next few weeks.”