Lodge On the Chattahoochee

When looking at the reviews for Lodge on the Chattahoochee, you will notice a distinct theme. All of the five-​star reviews have been written by people living there for only a few months or less. Those of us who have moved out have very different tales to tell.
Lodge offers residents a promotion whereby if you leave them a positive review on Unilocal or other sites, they enter you into a drawing for a $ 500 gift card. Obviously, a lot of new residents are happy to leave glowing reviews for a chance to get the card. And hey — if you’d asked me how I liked living at Lodge, for most of my two years there I would have had overwhelmingly positive things to say about the place. I never left a review while living there because it felt too much like being paid for a review.
Turns out, moving out of Lodge is essentially the same thing as going through a horrible, bitter break-​up. They will ignore your needs, blow you off, and take your money, and the next thing you know you’re in small claims court trying to get back what’s rightfully yours.
Just like when you try to explain a bad relationship — «what did you see in that person anyway?» — you’ll find plenty of reasons to stick up for Lodge. The place is gorgeous. Nestled about two miles from historic downtown Roswell and close to GA 400, it couldn’t be more convenient. With a boat dock on the river, and being so close to Riverside Park, the location is ideal for physically fit and active young adults. Lodge is one of the nicest dog-​wecolming complexes around (though it would really benefit from a fenced-​in park) and the residents are largely friendly. Office staff and maintenance guys very nice. And the floor plans? Fantastic! That closet, AMAZING. Unlike other reviewers, I never had to deal with lack of water pressure or heat in the shower, and I didn’t live in an area of the complex that ever flooded Given the office’s general lack of response, though, I have no trouble believing that things were just as bad as those reviewers have claimed. Rent is a little high but given the amenities, location, and quality of the place, I thought it was a fair price.
So, how could something so right go so wrong? It all went south after I had been living there for about 18 months and my upstairs neighbor got a puppy. The puppy wasn’t housebroken and was stressed about not being able to go outside, so he started barking daily around 5 a.m. and continued until about 10 – 10:30 a.m. Concern for his safety and my own sleep led me to talk to the neighbor, but the issue never resolved. I let management know in a polite email. No response. I emailed again. No response. I went by the office and spoke with someone, but when the constant barking (weekends, too) continued a month after my first complaint, I put it in writing again. Then went in person and was told «this is the first we’ve heard about it!» The CM couldn’t really stick with that story as she searched her inbox with me right there and saw multiple emails from me about it.
I guess they didn’t love me anymore after I complained about the noise, because when I was offered the chance to renew shortly after that, it was at a price increase of about 20% (over $ 200 on my 1BR). I pointed this out and was offered a «negotiated» rate a little less, but it was still more expensive than the rate being offered online for my exact unit. I guess they assume most people will figure moving out is too much hassle will just pay more. This is an important point, because it brings me to my single biggest issue with Lodge.
Folks, it is STATUTORILY REQUIRED for landlords to repaint and clean all units before a new resident moves in, and to do so at their own expense. Call Lodge (or ANY COMPLEX IN THE STATE) up today, pretend you’re looking, and ask them if all units are cleaned and repainted before someone moves in. They’ll say yes. Guess how I know? Because that’s exactly what I did the day after I was informed that Lodge would need to do a general clean and repaint in my unit and therefore would be retaining $ 290 of my $ 300 security deposit.
I should mention that I sent a couple of emails and even went by the office to schedule the pre-​move out inspection and no one got back to me with a date and time, which turned out to really cut against me as I was not there at the final walkthrough.
I sent them a certified letter informing them that this is considered «general wear and tear» under Georgia law, and demanding the return of my security deposit. Guess what? NO RESPONSE. That’s how they operate. They take it for granted that no one will file a claim for such a small amount. Read the other reviews. This is an ongoing practice for them — they avoid their statutory requirement of paying for cleaning and repainting by retaining everyone’s security deposit to get former residents to pay for it instead.
I am attaching photos of my unit that were provided to me by Lodge as evidence for why it was necessary to retain $ 290 to repaint and clean.

I have lived here for a month and the area is quiet and picturesque. My apartment is spacious and the staff is very nice. So far, so good. Will follow up in 6 months

I moved here about a month ago and so far have been loving it. Everyone is so friendly and the residents have all lived here for years (which says a lot). Can’t speak on the electrical bill because I have yet to receive one (saw others said they were high BC of poor efficiency). Love the river being so close. Staff has been helpful thus far.

I was a resident of here that was originally a transplant that wanted a safe place to live close to work since I didn’t know the area well. After two years of living in a 1BR and a 2BR apartment here I leave a little disappointed with my experience. While there are a few positives to living at The Lodge, I personally wouldn’t recommend this complex.
Positives:
–Good Location– It’s close to 400 and right on the river so there is very nice scenery with most major stores and restaurants nearby
–The complex is very pet friendly and there are plenty of residents with dogs for your pups to mingle with.
–The apartments are large and somewhat well-​appointed with wood floors, dark cabinets, and a wood burning fireplace. The amenities in the complex like the pool and dock on the river are relaxing during the summer.
–The Front Office Staff have been very friendly and the maintenance staff was responsive to any issues we had. (Our Disposal went out and was replaced within a couple days, Hot Water Heater leaked and was repaired the same day)
Negatives:
–The Lodge is a corporate apartment complex so be ready to be treated like an apartment number because to these folks you are nothing more than someone paying rent. This is upsetting considering how much more expensive the apartments are than the surrounding area.
–We were nickel and dimed for everything — $ 10/​month for parking, $ 10/​month «account fee», $ 50+ for water in 1BR apartment. Upon our move-​out we were charged $ 50 per wall for scuffs that would have been normal wear and tear anywhere else. (Pictures attached) They will cheat/​scam you out of your deposit so be prepared to lose that.
–On top of charges from the complex, the utility bills are outrageous. During the winter be prepared to pay exorbitant power bills for heating because the units are not energy efficient at all. We paid over $ 200 for power multiple months while running the heat at 65 degrees.
–The reports pipes bursting are 100% accurate. During the winter, the water would be out at least one day every few weeks.
–Noise will be an issue for anyone not in a top floor unit. We were located in a middle unit and I could hear full conversations of the neighbors above and below me. You will hear every step that the people above you make.
–While the staff may be friendly they never respond to phone calls or emails. If you are a prospective new resident the calls are transferred to a call center and resident calls go to voicemail 85% of the time.
In summation: The complex has all the necessary parts to be a nice place to live, but due to corporate governance and lack of true customer service it never really gave me the sense that I was valued as a resident in the community. I prefer spend less money somewhere else for the same experience.

So before I moved here (moved in Oct.), I skimmed reviews and somewhere along the line, I recall reading someone say, «I really wanted to love this place…»
I wish I would have paid more attention to this, because now I find myself saying the same thing… I really wanted to love this place.
Rustic, lodge setting by the river– spacious, scenic… reminds me of Lake Tahoe, BUT… nope.
So much of this place feels very staged, faced– meaning once you actually get in and try to function– you find appliances that don’t work, structural problems, staff that doesn’t seem to care much… upsetting, especially when I am paying over $ 2000.00 per month for my 2 bedroom.
Recently, on November 18^th, our area experienced a rain storm that resulted in water breaching our family room and den. Puddles that reached about 4ft in and ran the expanse of each of our room’s wall, soaking area rugs and cable equipment that had been on the ground.
When this was discovered, I immediately called in for an emergency maintenance, but there was not much an individual maintenance worker could do with the rain continuing to pour. One thing he did was dig a moat between our wall and the landscape in hopes the water would fill the ditch before hitting and breaching through. Before leaving he said the head of maintenance would be by in the morning to further asses and help.
This did help, we then used every piece of laundry, towel and dry clothing item we could grab to soak up the rest of the water that had come through.
The next morning, I went online to enter a service request in my own words to ensure the office understood the issue and emergency that had occurred.
It was getting late in the day and still no word from the office, so I called and left a voicemail. Again, I waited, it was approaching 5pm-​but I had heard nothing; so, I called again. This time I reached an office staff who was less that empathetic and dismissive of my concern.
They informed me I would need to contact my insurance about the rugs and said I was on «the list» for maintenance to come by and follow up on my service request.
Later that evening, at about 7pm, a maintenance staff person dropped off a de-​humidifier– a very large bulky machine that is designed to take the water out of the air. This machine ran nonstop for several days– we finally unplugged it for fear my electric bill is going to be hit hard by the constant use.
I later decided to write an email to the office and property management, to let them know I was unhappy and what had transpired.
I did finally get the head of maintenance to come by, after the email was sent– along with an office staff person. They did offer to have our carpet professionally cleaned, said that they would have workers come by to fix the structural problems and ensure this would never happen again. The office person even offered to wash all of the laundry that had been used and now sitting by the door in plastic bags.
I felt this was a positive gesture and that we were possibly on our way to getting this issue resolved.
Today is Friday, November 27^th and the day after Thanksgiving. The de-​humidifier still sits in my hallway, the head of maintenance or any other repair people never came by, my carpets were left to dry on their own and if rain decides to come — we might experience this all over again.
I worry about the onset of mold, especially since I have a history of respiratory problems, the cold air from outside seems to draft through those rooms causing me to turn up my heat, so I am worried about the resulting expense and I am just upset by the entire lack of concern these people have.
The faux wood planking also randomly has what appears to be glue– a thick white liquid that just pops up between the cracks– makes me wonder if we are sitting on top of a wet heap– that won’t allow the glue to dry!
Just a nightmare– stay far away. I’ve only been here less than 2 months and I wish I had!
I can’t even take a proper shower without the handle coming off and the temperature being either; scalding, not warm enough or cold. I am forced to adjust the shower with a wrench, ghetto-​style.
I could list so much more– not worth the headache.

Since the change of management things have improved. There are still a lot of work in progress going on, but I am glad they are trying.
Positive:
The apartments are good, a REAL fireplace is a plus. All units have washer/​dryer inside.
They’ve recently upgraded the pool furniture which is a big plus.
The gym is also a plus, I use it once in a while.
Pool is clean, no complains.
The office/​receiving area is also very clean and accommodating.
New employees are nicer than the previous management.
The monthly residents gathering is also cool with free food and beverages, but I work Saturday so I never went.
Negative:
Parking space is VERY limited for the price I am paying on top of the rent. $ 10 per car.
My neighbors clan probably doesn’t know that there is a parking set for visitors and just park CONVENIENTLY close to the unit and me having to work Friday night ends up parking FAR and even worse I PARK BY THE VISITORS!!!
There should be a ²⁴⁄₇ towing numbers we can all call assigned for the residents to call whenever there’s a violators like this because it is becoming ridiculous.
One of my neighbors bought a new car and left her car parked on that same PRIME spot near the units and this WHITE car hasn’t moved for a month now. People complained to the management about this, only answer they said is «THEY KNOW»
My message to the management is fix the parking situation, tow the violators right away or drop the $ 10 fee per car.

Buyer beware. I could not consciously ever recommend this place to anyone. The pictures in this ad and others are very generous. The place is a dump. (I realize that is subjective, and my opinion, but be ready to pay for your own rodent exterminator). The physical buildings are not the worst part, although they are disgusting, the staff is beyond unprofessional. I have never seen any business function this way. The way they treat their tenants is a joke. Without too much detail, the staff in the office is very trashy and literally forget it if you need any help! They will however serve you up with a huge dose of nasty attitude and disgusting business practice on numerous occasions! Need to pick up a package? Good luck! These are not people who should be in a service type industry. It’s embarrassing to the company they work for, Aimco. As previous posters have said you will NOT get your deposit back. I left my apartment in pristine condition, and nothing! Do yourself a favor and look somewhere else. Shame on Aimco for their hiring procedures and for not using best practices, as well as service standards in their locations. Highly do NOT recommend!

I tend to never believe 5 star reviews, but I think it’s important for people to know how great a place this is. My husband and I just moved here three weeks ago with our infant from NJ. We literally found this place in a day and moved in the same day we saw the complex. It’s in a great area, with lots of restaurants and shopping right down the road, but secluded enough from everything that you feel as though you’re in the mountains. Jeannette and Giovanni in the leasing office are great– super friendly and always willing to talk with us. Maintenance is efficient and fast. The units, amenity/​community spaces, and the grounds are very clean. We also like the emphasis on a smoke-​free community. There’s direct access to the river, which is great. We also feel very safe here, which is super important, especially as parents. Everyone who lives here seems to be very friendly– people from all walks of life and all ages.
The rooms and balcony in our unit (Torvah floor plan) are really spacious. I, personally, love our gigantic bedroom closet, which houses my wardrobe and shoe collection quite nicely. The kitchen and bathroom are on the smaller side, but we’d rather have larger living spaces anyway. Yeah, the rent is «high,» but when you consider the fact that you’re in the Atlanta area, in a safe, friendly, and clean community with great amenities and staff, and in an awesome location, it’s well worth it– you absolutely get what you pay for. We would recommend this community to anybody in a heartbeat.

I moved into the lodge six months ago with my husband our puppy. I am so glad we chose this place! There are so many wonderful things about this place. We love the pet friendly community, and all of the people are wonderful. We love the layout of the community and all the living options we had when first looking here. The location cannot be better in this area.
You can rent kayaks which are sweet and this complex also has really wonderful staff and they throw community events that are always really nice!
The maintenance staff is great. We had a leak in our apartment from upstairs and they came several times over the weekend to ensure that they resolved the problem.
The only complaints I have, and I can hardly call them complaints because they don’t effect my actual apartment but there are two things.
1) many outside residents use the pool and sometimes it gets a little crazy. I know that the staff here really had tried to enforce this more through the use of wristbands but on the weekends it hasn’t been overly successful.
2) the grounds are beautiful no doubt about it. But sometimes if you live at the back or at the edge of the property sometimes the junk gets pushed from the bigger lawn to ours, for example we get a lot of wrappers and when we walk out of our apartment it is just dirt and some ivy not kept up as well as other areas. Which is doable and not most important at this time. Just would be nice to have grass in the future!
Overall this has been a wonderful place to live we have really loved it and plan to be here for many more years!!!

The Lodge is definitely an apartment complex with highs and lows. Just like any place it is not perfect and not for everyone. I have lived at the Lodge for numerous years. I have also stayed in 2 other apartment complexes in the area. Below are the Lodge’s pros and cons. I hope they are useful.
CONS:
–The walls are not the thickest. You will hear your next door and/​or upstairs neighbors.
–The rent is pretty high — ranging from $ 1,000 to $ 2,500.
–Be prepared for power and water outages. No, idea why, but the power goes out. It is not uncommon to come home and see blinking clocks.
–There is an additional $ 10 parking permit fee on top of your rent. I mention that because I am not a fan of it.
–Renewals are seamless, but the increases can be substantial.
PROS:
–Very clean and smoke-​free environment located right next to the Chattahoochee — literally!
–Pet friendly with dog bag stations
–Maintenance is very prompt, the best I have ever experienced (Shout out to David and crew)
–Very nice appliances and apartment layouts
–Location is superb. You are far enough away from the masses, but close enough to everything park, Publix, etc…
–Community is quiet. The loudest it gets is when the landscapers are blowing grass.
–Recycle friendly community. An abundance of recycling bins — which are heavily used.
–GREAT POOL! I have not seen a pool this size and with a deep end (9ft).
–A very nice playground, basketball court, and volleyball area
–Tenants are notified prior to water outages
–Self guided apartment tours. I enjoy looking at the apartment at my leisure vs someone over my shoulder.
Overall, I enjoy living here. Over the years, things continue to improve. To name a few, apartments were switched from carpet to hardwood floors; appliances were upgraded to stainless steel; and cable provider is now a choice.

I LOVE living at the Lodge on the Chattahoochee. The community is well maintained, the surroundings are incredible, the neighbors are so friendly and overall there is such a peacefulness to the area. I actually feel like I am on vacation when I am there! I am a city girl by heart so didn’t think I would be crazy about living in the «burbs». But, I have found that the Lodge is so conveniently located to both the city and the mountains and all the hidden gems related to the Chattahoochee and its such a refreshing place to live that I don’t think I would go back to the city. The management team has been wonderful to deal with — very responsive and customer service oriented. They also put a lot of effort into planning events for the residents… I have enjoyed that. Overall… big thumbs up for the Lodge.

So I will keep this brief-​there are constant pipes bursting and you can hear everything from your neighbor. We live on the first floor and the people above us have no common courtesy as to the hours they keep and their noise level-​we hear them go to the bathroom if that tells you anything. Most recently, our apartment has flooded due to a pipe breaking. We are now in a hotel. Please do yourself a favor and don’t move here. If you do, you cannot say nobody warned you when you have your water shut off due to «burst pipes», potential flooding situations, fire hazards (i.e. electrical fires due to water damage), and hearing anything and everything your neighbor is doing.

I lived there 2.25 years — resigned the lease once.
The apartments are OK but very expensive.
Watch for HIGH INCREASES with each renewal.
Also, they made the end date on the renewal the 8^th of the month. We didn’t pay too much attention when we signed it. But when we moved out (THE END OF THE MONTH) we ended up paying for those extra eight days — $ 373.00.
We also had to pay for water & trash during the time we weren’t there — a rip-​off.
My wife cleaned the apartment after we left — I guarantee it was VERY CLEAN — but they charged us to clean it anyway — a rip-​off.
And do not expect any of your deposit back. They will use it to re-​paint the apartment (isn’t that a normal cost for the owners — not the renters?).
Be VERY CAREFUL in what you sign and what to expect when you move out.

The Good
The Lodge is really a great place to live. The community is very vibrant, the surroundings really nice, and the neighborhood all around pleasant. Some of the features I really appreciate:
* Right on the Chattahoochee, with plenty of walking paths available
* Kayaks are available to take out on the river, for free
* A CARES Team (
) organizes events each month
* Great neighbors
* Nice facilities: a big pool, a modest but sufficient gym, grills, a playground, tennis and volleyball courts, recycling
* Dog bags and trash cans around the property
* Nice management, good maintenance team, weekly landscaping
The Bad
There are a few things that have spoiled the experience of living here somewhat:
* The kayaks haven’t been available all year (2010); the dock washed away late in 2009, and while they rebuilt the dock, they haven’t gotten the approval for the kayaks yet for some reason.
* People don’t seem to use the dog bags… :(
* This may seem like a nitpick, but they have temperature limiters on the showers, so they don’t get super hot, particularly in the winter.
* This is the only place I’ve ever lived where they allow solicitors. I got menus twice a week until I put up a sign: «No menus; I use Unilocal.»
The Weird
* The Lodge has some weird cable contract with DirecPath for the TV and internet, and their service is atrocious. (Look them up.) The internet gets really slow in the evenings, and I’ve called them dozens of times about this problem and it’s still not resolved. Too bad I can’t choose another cable provider… in the meantime, DSL hasn’t looked this good in almost 10 years!
* The Lodge seems to have had a lot of turnover in their staff since I’ve been here. This seems to have settled down, and the current staff seems competent and friendly, but I wonder what role the parent company has in that.
Ultimately, I love living here; after all, my wife and I are still here. But if steaming hot showers and consistent, fast internet make or break your day, well…