The Lodge At Southpoint

I lived here for two years and can provide a detailed review.
* Location. The location is great as there is a shopping mall, movies, restaurants and a Target that also sold groceries were all nearby. Interstate 40 is also close and that provides easy access to downtown Raleigh and Durham (via Rt. 140). There’s also a nice bike and running trail along an old re-​paved train track the runs through the complex. There are plenty of local athletic groups organizing social– and group– workouts.
*Amenities. The pool is pretty good and has a decent social scene and the gym earns a grade of C+. It’s got everything you need to get a workout in, but the equipment is aging. There’s one of those machines that looks like it’s from 1980 and nobody knows how to use idly taking up space. The water, as in the drinking fountain, didn’t work for much of my tenure here.
While the marketing collateral advertises a lot of community events, I didn’t see very many events hosted. The few that were were pretty bleak. Many of the photos you see online are of community centers and offices that you’ll spend very little time in: it looks good online, but the reality
* Trash. One thing that absolutely drove me crazy was the trash service. The Lodge automatically charges you $ 25 a month for a trash «valet» service. You cannot opt out. Never once, did this service ever pick up my trash. After placed outside in the assigned receptacle during the posted pick up hours, it would sit outside my door for days until I finally took it to the dumpster myself. It’s $ 300 a year for nothing. The lease threatens residents with a fine for leaving trash out — but the service they’ve contracted doesn’t pick it up. Either way, residents lose.
*Units. The units are fairly spacious and mine had great natural light. On the downside, the walls are paper thin and you hear everything your neighbors are doing.
* Security. Security was also a concern. The administration reported a string of break-​ins in 2015 and I felt the windows in the units were vulnerable and the doors do not have proper deadbolts. The maintenance staff are constantly entering your apartment for one inspection or another, and if you left a deadbolt on, they could still get in, which suggests to me a motivated thief could as well.
* Rent. The Lodge was very aggressive about raising rental rates each year. I saw mine jump roughly $ 200 in a single year. Be sure to read the options carefully because on one renewal notice, I observed lower rents for a 10 month lease than for a 12 month lease.
*Staff. It was the staff that bothered me the most. Initially they were very helpful up until the point I signed the lease, then they were unhelpful and even rude.
For example, while trying to coordinate a move from 400 miles away, after signing a lease, and submitting a deposit via money order (no checks or credit cards permitted for a deposit) it turned ugly. After running a background and credit check, The Lodge also wanted to interview my new boss. It was very embarrassing and in my view unnecessary. I had just finished paid off a mortgage with monthly payments easily double what The Lodge charged in rent; my credit history was exceptional.
The mail, specifically getting packages delivered was a disaster. Packages are automatically delivered to the main office, which has limited office hours of availability outside normal working professionals normal business hours. This means the office would open after I’d left for work and close before I returned.
The staff used a disorganized combination of paper, email, and sometimes a combination of the two often with overlap. It was confusing. Occasionally they wouldn’t notify you of a delivery at all. For example, one time the staff didn’t notify me at all — and then after a week, they actually returned the package to the sender, who in turn contacted me to verify the address! When I followed up with them about it, the staff said they simply didn’t have the space for packages. I finally started having as many deliveries as I could delivered to my work office.
Pets are permitted and while there are signs posted to «clean up after your pet» no one did and the staff didn’t do much to enforce the policy. There was dog poop everywhere outside on the grass. The complex does provide dispensers for «poop bags» but while I didn’t have a pet, I’d frequently observe these were empty.
The final straw for me was the security deposit. On $ 200 I got $ 50 back and I had even written them a check for a cleaning service after I left. I can’t make heads or tails of the photo copied explanation. To me this underscores the entire theme of this review: you are not renting a home here, you are renting space from a business.
I ended up moving to another state, however, had I stayed, I was intent on finding another place to live locally. I’d had it with The Lodge and where I am now, is pure awesome compared to that place.

I moved here in may and love my apartment community. Previously had considered Brier Creek but I am so glad I chose here. Like most apartment hunters I did read reviews but decided to go against the grain and try them anyway. I am so glad I did. The office staff are responsive and eager to help. I love the salt water pool, movie theater etc. What really makes things great is the easy flow if traffic here as opposed to Brier Creek. I have access to nearly any shopping and service I might need.

terrible service!!! the worst ever. The staff is not responsible and always find excuses for their poor management. The managers need to take some credits for the performance. If you have other choices, please do not move into this place.

I would like to give it 3.5 stars and i feel like 4 stars is too much, so 3 it is.
I feel like there are two different perspectives that i would like to separate in this review. You have the complex itself, and then the company that runs it.
I think that the complex is pretty well laid out. It has a dog park with a couple benches, nice landscaping, convenient access to target, southpoint mall and all that surrounds it, and I-​40, a nice (not huge) pool, a couple grills, a sand volleyball court, a workout facility, a clubhouse with TVs, a pool table and shuffleboard, and a nice commercial grade coffeemaker.
And then you have the company that runs it. I will agree with the other reviewer that the people that they have on staff aren’t the most cheerful. I’m not sure that I’ve ever been offended by anyone working there, but i guess i just don’t walk away from the employees with a smile on my face. There are a couple that have been relatively nice, but they will likely quit and will have a new employee by the time that you read this review.
Apt ratings seem to be pretty bad in general. When i was looking around, all people do is complain. There is never anything positive to say like there is about restaurants or other services. Here goes my complaining:
The parking spots at night were never enough near my building. the workout equipment doesn’t get fixed right away. the pool cues are always busted. I don’t know how to work the video room, but never tried. I cant tell if they recycle or not. I have to present my ID to pick up a package every time i go there and i get packages weekly since i am an avid Amazon user so this gets pretty annoying. I can hear my neighbor walking around a lot. I think he has a problem with bending his knees though because i have heard when he has guests and they don’t pound the floor with a vengeance like he does. It does not appear that they recycle or provide facilities for this. No lights in the ceiling which is annoying but standard i guess. They talk about planned events and had an event calendar, but i think the last calendar i saw was from November.
The positives:
they have a key card access that lets you into the pool table area with TVs at night. convenient if you have a few people over and want to hang out outside your apt. The pool is pretty active with few nuisances. great location. it is right next to the tobacco trail which runs forever. I haven’t heard any noise from neighbors through the walls. They have a valet trash service which is kind of nice. If you put an approved trashcan outside your door, people will take it 5 days out of the week. They also have a traditional dumpster. Workout area is better than i have had. 3 treadmills, 2 bikes, 2 ellipticals (both pretty worthless though…), and a stair machine. Then most of the weight exercises you can think of with a full lineup of dumbbells. 2 tvs in workout area which is nice. The apt i’m in is nice and pretty new. basic appliances that work fine. i have crown molding in part of mine. bathroom is basic but tub is pretty big. Nice carpet in mine. Electric is under $ 100 every month. water is dirt cheap, $ 10 or so. Seems to be a pretty young area. young students, professionals, a couple families, older couples, hard to give it an overall stereotype. the overall complex is attractive with sidewalks, attractive landscaping and overall design with stone and brick accents. I havent noticed many dog droppings so it seems that the people with pets pick up regularly. And they do have a convenient online portal which lets you pay your bill online. It is a little confusing though because they have a site that breaks down your bill. but then you have to log into another site (and it is not linked, so I dont think the sites are related) to actually pay the bill.
I pay $ 810 for a 640 1 bedroom and its all i need. I will be moving to greensboro so out of this apt but i have enjoyed my time here for the most part. The location is great for somethings (shopping, access to 40) but it was certainly not the walkable community that i would prefer and will probably be moving too in the future. Chapel Hill is a $ 25 cab ride (30 w tip) and Raleigh is farther. It is kind of stuck in the middle without great access to either. Fine for a commute, but not as good to enjoy events where you will be consuming alcohol at and having to worry about driving back from.