The Highlands Apartments

I had previously lived in this area and loved it! We were super excited to move into these apartments but then the fun started.
First there is absolutely no drawer/​storage space in the kitchen… there are literally 2 small drawers for the entire kitchen.
Second, there is very little parking around our building. There are only 4 uncovered spaces, where people love to park there cars and not move them for 4 – 6 weeks at a time, called the office to ask them to send a note to the residents asking them to be considerate of others… nothing.
Third, a landscaper was weed whacking the rocks for some reason, threw rock and shattered the entire sliding glass door. The maintenance guys didn’t clean up all the glass, asked them to super vac it up… nothing. We still have shards/​chunks of glass on our patio and it is months later.
Lastly, and this one really pisses me off… summer hits, it gets super hot in the living room and kitchen but bedrooms are cold. Call maintenance, who comes over to literally just tell me nothing can be done, «it’s the way the apartments are designed». so now we have a hot apartment w/​a rising electricity bill.
DO NOT LIVE HERE!!!

I moved here last fall because there was a great move in special. The apartments are newly renovated and I love this part of north Scottsdale so I jumped on the opportunity. I have had minimal encounters with the office staff but they did have a cute resident contest for St Patrick’s Day on Facebook. I hardly ever need maintenance but the evening my ac went out, they were out the same night and fixed the problem. As someone who hates the heat, this was a huge in scoring bonus points in my book! My only real complaint is a few small maintenance items: towel racks and toilet paper holders easily separate from the wall. Plus my water pressure for showers is minimal. These are obviously things I can live with and it would not stop me from recommending these apartments to a friend.

Allyson and Diana are more than superb, they make you feel like family. They really enjoy their job and it shows. They can be doing you a favor, and they do it with the most courtesy. You’d almost think you were doing them a favor asking for help. I’ve lived here for 8 years, and it is definitely a cohesive community of friends, neighbors, and management. I would highly recommend The Highlands to anyone who’s looking for a place to call home! Most places make you promises and don’t live up to them. These people under promise and over deliver. Thanks for being great landlords!

Can I give this place no stars? The location is good but the buildings are old and there are RATS climbing thru the walls and scratching to get thru the air filters!!! Also, we have a chain smoker below us and the cigarette smoke comes right thru the walls and makes our place smell like smoke. Office help is No help. Low class living at The Highlands, can’t wait to move out.

Also the watering of the grass is out of control. They leave it on for 30 minutes at a time 3 times a day. Our water and sewage bills generally come out to 60+ a month. RIDICULOUS! Cannot wait until our lease is up in December

As Other reviewers said; this place is cheaply constructed. Everything falls apart, towel racks, toilet paper holders, door and window blinds, handles. Within a week I was calling for repairs. It’s sometimes noisy, and there’s a ton of ppl who kennel barking dogs alllll day and nite. Our neighbors both sides and across did this. Another liked to smoke weed every night on the patio. The pool area is nice, but weekends are big drunkfests and it’s filthy and overflowing with garbage and empties. The barbeque grills have broken gas access knobs. They also lock the restroom doors in the pool area. The gym was closed for over a month recently.
This place combines all of the electric use for one building and splits it between tenants according to the front office. I got a 375 $ electric bill and had moved out a month early and turned everything off. They refused to do a walk thru, and still haven’t done one a month after I’ve moved. As with others, the price changed between the showing and the actual contract signing. They only take intent to vacate notices on the 1^st of the month I was told. So, even if your a month to month tenant the vacate terms are either 30 or 60 days notice depending on who you talk to.
There’s probably better, more ethical properties and property management companies to deal with in this area. I wouldn’t move here again.

I have lived here for 2 years with my wife and baby son. We absolutely love it. We have an updated unit, which has great finishes like granite counters tops and cherry wood cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom. The property has been updated with fresh paint, upgraded fitness facility, new grills and fire pit by the pool. We would absolutely recommend The Highlands to friends and family. The staff is very pleasant to work with. If I have a package at the office or need something as small as a light bulb replaced, they are on it. I love this place and would live here for another two years if we didn’t buy a place.

Absolutely worst apartment staff ever! Several different employees, when you go in for help they say they are not «real employees». So come back another day, oh thank you for being concerned about your residents. Then residents can’t use pool of all weekends Fourth of July for the day so they’re «not real «employees can use who don’t pay rent here. Then why bother calling property manager, he doesn’t call back or care about how things are being run here. You get to be woken up by the cutting of counter tops several days a week, which last for hours, not to mention our view is of the trailer and dumpster dropped. This complex does not live up to what the city represents.

After I came to an agreement in writing with their leasing agent, the manager called me days later and said they couldn’t rent the apartment to me for that price and upped the rent!!! I was shocked. I had to pay or find another apartment and I had a business trip and no time for that. They also were offering a free 50″ TV installed above the fireplace and mine was already sitting in its box in the apartment with the bracket on top and I was told the installation was scheduled. I got the lease electronically 4 days later but wasn’t going to sign walk through documents until I had.
ON MOVING DAY, they told me they changed computer systems and didn’t have my lease ready. I said I already had it but I was told it was no good. I waited hours! The apartment hadn’t been cleaned and I walked in to find NO TV. I was told I couldn’t have the TV for the price I was paying but if I wanted to pay more for it I could. That’s got to be illegal!
So I ran down the street and took a place at McDowell Mountain Ranch with gorgeous views for $ 25 less a month and much Lower fees and deposits.
Don’t trust this place!!! I asked for my money back but that doesn’t make up for anything. Outrageous!!!

This apartment complex is a joke. Not only is it loud and poorly constructed, but the dumpster gets emptied at 4:30AM. They don’t even try to be quiet about it – slamming the dumpster into the wall, backing up the truck constantly and making the beeping sound, and if that weren’t enough, a bright flashing light that makes me think the cops are right outside my window. The blinds are so poorly installed there are huge gaps. Don’t think about living here unless you don’t like to sleep.
I agree with other reviews. I can hear complete conversations while sitting in my living room of people outside – poor construction, single pane windows – why bother renovating the place with granite countertops if you can’t replace some simple windows and give the tenants some peace and quiet.
I went to the office to complain 5 times and they acted each time like it was the first time they’d ever heard about the dumpster being emptied at such an early hour. Then I got the run around and was told by Anita, the office manager, that it «wasn’t her problem». She informed me that if I didn’t like it, I could «just move out», and then I was promptly hung up on. Disrespectful and unprofessional.
STAY AWAY FROM THIS HORRIBLY RUN AND HORRIBLY CONSTRUCTED DISASTER OF AN APARTMENT COMPLEX!

I have been a tenant here for nearly two years. It’s a great community and the new management is very helpful and are always responsive to me when a need arises.
Highlands is very close to AJ’s, Safeway, and pretty much anything else you might need. The apartment layouts are very practical and set out so that there aren’t any bedroom walls shared. The units are sound proofed as much as you can reasonably get — I haven’t had any issues at all with neighbors, etc. and I own a piano which I play frequently. There is plenty of parking for guests — something for which my visitors have expressed appreciation, as most apartments have parking issues. Paying rent is really easy to do online. The prices are very reasonable when compared to other communities in the area. Thanks for a great experience!

Don’t move here! You’ll regret living here.
The new dishwashers don’t wash your dishes! So I hope you’re looking forward to washing all your dishes by hand! The staff comes into your apartment without permission, and unannounced. Management doesn’t get back to you. Noise from neighbors and outside will wake you up. I’m so unhappy here, tired all the time. I wish I would have read more reviews before moving in here! What a mistake I made! Can’t wait to move out in a few months!

Great apartments available at a great location and reasonable price. Moved in 2 months ago during management transition and all our requests have been addressed either same or next day. Pools are great, gym has been renovated and is small but it works well. I highly recommend the Highlands!

NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOISSSSSSSSSSYYYYYYYYY!!!
Neighbors constantly make noise and you can hear everything. They are up all hours of the night.
If it’s not the neighbor above you, then its the neighbor next to you.
Forget setting your alarm clock to get up for work, your neighbors will wake you up.
You can hear doors slamming (apartment doors/​cabinets and cars) shower running, toilet flushing and I can even hear my neighbor urinate!
Not to mention kids screaming and people having a loud conversation 15 inches from your bedroom window. It’s absolutely ridiculous how cheaply constructed this place is.
So I thought I can’t take this noise anymore and want to break my lease.
I told management about my discomfort living here and I was basically turned away. In other words, they told me to deal with it unless I want to pay $ 2,200 to break my lease.
Oh and by the way, they want their $ 1,200 every 1^st of the month in the mean time. How can they just dismiss a very unhappy tenant? Bottom line, they don’t care and just want your money.
This is all just the beginning actually.
Parking is horrific and appliances are old. This is the trailer-​trash of North Scottsdale, the bottom of the barrel. One step up from living in your car.
If your noise sensitive like me and value peace and quietness in your sanctuary, then DEFINITELY DON’T MOVE HERE!!!
UPDATE: 11-​17-​2013
Went back to complain again about the noise.
I asked 1 of the 2 ugly female apartment managers, Victoria, if she thought neighbors making noise at 3 a.m. is normal and her response was a «yes».
Not only yes, but a resounding yes, like it is absolutely normal.
I was completely blown away. This was her desperate attempt at trying to get rid of me.
Then her even uglier female co-​worker came and backed her up, both trying to talk over me.
They just kept reciting the terms of the lease, stumbling over words, pausing for a full 15 seconds trying to think of something smart to say, which was pathetic.
I could almost see the little hamster wheel slowly turning in their little brains.
They will put on a fake smile and a fake nice attitude, but when the real order of business needs attention, they give you the cold shoulder.
Like I said before, this is 1 step up from living in your car.

Quite neighborhood, within 1 block of pretty much everything. Clean and friendly. Prices are insanely cheap, but then again I’m from Los Angeles so anything under $ 1000 is cheap

All is good, just make sure to ask about painting a wall in the apartment. They will do it before you move in. If you don’t ask, they wont bring it up. It is included with move in.