After the painters damaged my property entering my apartment without my permission or notice (the law says they have to give you 24 hours. They can't just ignore the law cause they put it in the lease) and the byron company explicitly told me I would not have to clean and I would get all my deposit back they sent me a check for less than half of my deposit. My neighbors were crazy. One set fire to my front door. Nothing was done. I was constantly having to hear one of the drug dealers come and go slamming the back door every 30 mins to an hour. They just lie to their tenants. I had a super positive experience until management actually needed to do something. They fixed everything the next day but after trying to fix my sink 8 different times, I got tired of the coming and going of their maintenance staff. Their response to me complaining about my neighbors was not renewing my lease. That's what they do when you complain. It isn't eviction but we all know that moving will cost you at least $1000.
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Slum lords through and through. Walked down my staircase and the metal step snapped (rusted out) and my leg fell through. Called them about this incident and it took them a week to fix the stair and I had to call them several times to get them to pay for a medical examination. Which was $60. That is how cheap they are. If you see a place and think "hey it looks nice and is priced well", please factor in the building being old AF and your utilities will cost you about the same in rent (even with DIY weatherproofing).
I wondered why everyone was posting bad reviews and how an apartment so close to Forest Park could be $650 and after a year of renting from the Byron Company I discovered why. I lived at 1042 McCausland, Unit #3S. The apartment renovations were pleasing to the eye, but there were many downsides of the property and building:
1) Noise- The location itself is horrible in terms of noise. Being right along 40/64 is convenient for a commute but means you will hear all kinds of sirens, cars street racing, motorcycles, and loud truck engines through all hours of the night. I consider myself to be a heavy sleeper and this location constantly affected my sleep and I woke up every single night multiple times throughout the night due to this noise. 2) Insects- There are many animals & creatures on the property, some of which make their way into the apartments. I felt like my apartment was a jungle sometimes. I had cockroaches, mice, spiders, centipedes, and so many types of bugs I had never seen before. I will give credit to the Byron Company for spraying whenever I complained about this. 3) Storage Locker Incident- One of the ladies showing me the apartment told me I didn't have to sign up for a storage locker & that I could just claim whatever one was open. I did this, and a week later discovered that someone had cut the lock and taken the golf clubs & bike that I had inside. I complained to the office and it turns out you do have to call to reserve a storage locker. Luckily they still had my belongings and were able to return them. They tried to blame this on me and reprimand me instead of acknowledging that the lady was an idiot. 4) Neighbors- Some of the tenants were nice and some were absolutely trashy. I recognize this is not something typically the landlord can control all the time but still wanted to express this for anyone looking to move into this building. There were several times when some of us who lived in the building had to call the police on some tenants who were physically abusing their significant others. In general tenants were unclassy & seemed like hicks & hoosiers. There were cigarette butts littered all down the outdoor stairs & there also was empty mini shot containers & crack pipes on top of the "carshed" in the back that I constantly had to look at whenever I looked out of my window.
5) MOLD & HEALTH ISSUES- In the spring I noticed my plaster ceiling bubbling & leaking and called the office. The owner/manager promised to look into it and send people out. I never heard anything so I repeatedly called back several times over the course of a few weeks and I always got the same excuse that "the tuckpointing and the roofing guys were arguing over whose fault it was". I started developing serious respiratory & breathing issues and went to the doctor who advised me to do a self test mold kit sample. Sure enough there were loads of mold spores throughout my bedroom right above where I had been sleeping and all throughout the apartment. I ended up staying at a friend's for several weeks and I called the office and demanded to be let out of my lease. They finally agreed and within 3 days I had moved out and into a new apartment. After several hundreds of dollars of health bills & missed days of work, they should consider themselves lucky that I didn't look into further action such as involving the health department or getting a property lawyer. When I moved out, there was visible mold growing behind and on all my picture frames and nasty bugs/centipedes sucking on the moisture. I would not wish this on my enemy and I severely doubt they took the measures to fix it after I moved out. I am guessing they threw a coat of plaster over it.
In sum, good cheap property if you don't care about possible health issues and don't need a responsive landlord. I would have loved to stay in the area if I hadn't experienced the above issues. I consider the Byron Company to be absolute slumlords and I hope their bullshit & horrendous properties leads the company into the ground one day.
Total nonprofessional.... asked me for appointment and no body showed up. Nobody picked the phone either. Later they told me that I didn't show up. Bunch of liars.
Worst comapny ever! Starting from last month, the company started working on the pipes inside of the walls in my apartment. Their plumbers came whenever they want. The company even refused to give me just a clear schedule. I never knew on which day they would make my apartment a mess (This is no exageration. The worst happened on the first day of their work. Everywhere in my bedroom was covered by dust). Now they finally finish fixing the pipes, but seemly do not have any immediate plan to fix the big holes in my walls. With the anticipation that their workmen would come any time, I can't move my stuff to their original place or to plan to stay in the apartment in the day time. I went to the company to talk about the issue in person the other day, but they still refused to tell me when they start the work! Trust me, this is the worst company ever!
I do not understand the bad rating. My apartment was nice 2 bedroom in prime location all utilities include for 800 a month, hard wood floors and updated kitchen. Compared to most places this is pretty good. Best of all the maintenance staff was awesome! If you have an issue put a ticket in, and its fixed by the next day. I would recommend to anyone. One downside was parking in garage was limited and pricey but plenty of off street parking so no reason to cry.
Just want to let everybody know that You have to test if the heater or air conditioner are noisy or not. I lived there for one year and could not get sleep well because of the motor-like noise. Someone in Byron company told me it is normal and can not be fixed. However, I realized it is just normal in their company not the other places.
I rented with The Byron Company from mid Nov 2018- July 2019. Is it the best property management company? no. Is it the worst? no.
Pros: -The building my apartment was in had a call box at the front door. This was very convenient for visitors and deliveries, as well as just an extra security measure. - The building I stayed in was all inclusive with rent. So not having to pay an electric or gas bill was amazing. -they allow cats
Cons: - The building had plaster walls. This made hanging up any decor/photos an absolute nightmare. - very limited garage access - no online rent payment options
My personal complaints: - When you put in your notice to vacate they are allowed to start using your apartment on tours. They are not required to give you notice. I knew this would happen, as it was in the lease, but it was honestly so annoying to deal with. You cant sleep in, in your own home because they might give a tour. One time my boyfriend and I were asleep in the bedroom, and TBC only knocked on the front door, not the bedroom door, which did not wake us. They then proceeded to just open the bedroom door without knocking. It just feels like you have no privacy. You have to make sure your home is presentable at all times. It feels so wrong to be at work, running errands, ect, knowing there are complete strangers walking through your apartment, touching your pets, looking at your photos, opening closets, moving things around, ect.
- I had multiple unfortunate interactions with neighbors in the building. ex: someone across the hall accused me of smoking weed inside my apartment. I have never smoked a day in my life, even cigarettes. Management took their complaint seriously, which is a good thing, but blindly accused me with nothing but the neighbors word for support. I did speak with the property manager about this, and he said he apologized and that we would start with a clean slate....but upon my move out I had charges for "smoke stains and smell"...... I HAVE NEVER SMOKED!! --I feel really conflicted with their management. on one hand, anytime i put in a maintenance request, it was usually finished within the next 1-3 days, which was great. But on the flip side they also came and went as they pleased. They never called ahead of time. They came multiple times randomly to install new C02 censors, to check for spalls in the walls, ect ect, its not hard to give a courtesy call. I feel like yes its just an apartment, but to the renter, its their HOME. They deserve to know exactly who is there and when. Renters should deserve to also be present when someone else is there, if thats what they want. I could understand an emergency situation they need to enter, but a co2 censor could wait for the renters convenience. - I provided tons of photos of the apartment the week I moved in, just for my file as reference for damages at move out. I left the apartment in much better condition than i left it in. But I still only got about 1/2 of my deposit back.
conclusion:- If you're a student, on a budget, or just dont need much privacy or space, their properties are great. -If you use metro for transportation, and dont need a garage, they're great. - If you want privacy, comfortably, and a "homey" atmosphere, pay a little more and rent somewhere else. - Youre not going to get your deposit back lol. just count on that.
On a side note, Mike in the office was very helpful. Anytime I had a concern he was a very good listener and seemed to genuinely care. Cant say that about all of the office, so thank you.
I rented from Byron Company for almost 4 years. I know, if it's that bad why did I stay? Well, for $535/month all utilities included for a 1 bedroom in the CWE is unheard of... And I quickly learned why.
First- Repairs were done poorly if at all.
An example: I had water damage covering my north and west facing walls for over a year. I was told this was due to tuck pointing that needed to be done and my inside walls would be repaired when the outside was fixed. When they finally came to "repair it" they got paint on my things (one of which was my grandmother's kitchen table another my comforter on my bed), only repaired part of the damage, and I was even more surprised to find the MY UNDERWEAR DRAWER HAD BEEN RANSACKED!!! No kidding. I called appropriately upset and I was told the man who was in my apt that day would never again come into my place. (Not fired). Not 100% satisfied with this answer, but not wanting a newly disgruntled ex-employee who knows where I live on my hands I agreed to this arrangement. Less than 2 months later- HE WAS IN MY APT AGAIN! When I called to complain the manager (Dennis Lutsky) said he had told him not to go in my apt... But he did it anyway. They completely dismissed me but let me out of my lease early. My deposit was put in the mail exactly 31 days after I ended my lease.
Another example:my faucet handles weren't working so they replaced ONE. I had two "hot" labeled handles and both were different in design. Faucet repair fail. (Not a huge deal, but gives you an idea of the kind of work they do.)
Second- They damage your things.
Example: paint on my (newly inherited) grandmother's kitchen table. Paint on my comforter. Black foot prints on my off-white colored rugs (one in the living room and one in the bathroom).
Third- They treat you poorly.
Example: after several months of water damaged walls, I reported them again. When someone came out to see them I was chastised for not continuing to report until it was resolved. Apparently, they want you to call daily until they do their job... but they will be annoyed that you called them at all. Got it.
Terrible experience. I wouldn't wish this rental company on my worst enemy...ok, maybe on my worst enemy :)
Pros: Very responsive property management. Maintenance requests are easy to make online and someone always comes to fix it on the next business day, and I have not been charged for any repairs. Can have cat with no additional pet rent/ deposit. Leaps and bounds better than Bay Window Properties, where I rented before. Cons: only 2 washers and 2 dryers for 18 units, gas and water have been randomly shut off and management does not notify tenants in advance, nor takes the initiative to find out what is going on and tell tenants when it will be back on.
My colleague has been without heat for over 3 weeks during the coldest part of this winter. The Byron Company advised her (as well as other residents) to turn on her GAS oven and open the door to keep warm! They also plugged in and left a space heater running in her (and others') apartment while she was away at work only after advising their residents that if a space heater is plugged in they need to unplug everything else in order to not blow a fuse! We will continue to contact local news sources (she has already been interviewed by one) to show the public how you have not only neglected your residents but put them in danger with a lack of heat and extremely dangerous alternative advice and options! Reimburse your residents and get the heat fixed!
I lived in a Byron apartment on Heman Ave for 2 years. On the plus side, I found Mr. Lutsky's maintenance staff to be responsive, efficient, and capable. Also, Christa and Rachel in the front office were great, always courteous and friendly. And if I had to leave a message, they'd call back quickly. And the location was just tremendous.
On the down side, I disliked dealing directly with Mr. Lutsky, which I had to do on a few occasions. He was condescending and unnecessarily unpleasant to work with. He stopped by while I was moving in (through the rear door, as instructed by his 3-page list of 35 mandatory rules), and without introduction or preamble began questioning me about this and that and demanding information about what I'm doing with my own things. And it wasn't friendly. Another time I asked him whether the apartment had a fire extinguisher (you know, in accordance with state fire code and stuff), and he began barking at me about why I would even need one. I told him it wasn't me I was worried about, a grown man who's dealt with fires, but the 5 other apartments above me in a 100 year old building with wooden interior walls, wood floors, wood cabinets and other assorted flammables. He refused to provide one, so I just bought my own. When I moved out, I wanted to leave the apartment as clean as possible, so I offered to pay his cleaning staff to get it move-in ready while they were off the clock at Byron. He didn't like that and vehemently refused, wouldn't even let me make the offer to them. Are these cleaning professionals or indentured servants?
There is limited but adequate storage in the basement, and you'll have to call ahead and schedule an appointment to access it. Document every chipped tile and floor blemish before you move in and send a copy to the Byron office to include in your record. And if you call the office and it's a grumpy old guy and not Christa or Rachel, just hang up and try back later when one of those two are back.
Renting with The Byron Company was the best experience I've had with any landlords. Any maintenance concerns were handled very quickly and their crew is polite. I mentioned that there was no place for my bike, and they immediately designated an area for bikes. When I bought a house and had to move out before the end of the lease, they found a sub-letter within about 2 days. And the thing that really amazed me is that they returned nearly my full deposit - minus only valid deductions. Unbelievable. I would recommend them to any friend of mine. -Steve
Trash company that will give you the run around and then tell you about "requirments" that aren't in the lease, application, or add on the website they advertise. Never rent from a big company like this. They couldn't care less about you.
I can't say enough about how fantastic the Byron Company have been to me in the past four years. Friendly, accommodating and downright good people work here. They put up with my apartment surfing through their different locations in STL and each unit made a great home.
Cannot recommend them enough. Sad to be leaving due to a move for a job. Rent from these folks!
I rented from this company for one year and never had an issue. One time I came home at about 7 in the evening and my heat wasn't working and yes it was an old building with old windows so it was in the 50's inside but I called the emergency maintenance number and they had someone out to fix it within thirty minutes and there wasn't another issue. I walked down the street to turn in a paper rent check through the door but that was never an issue either. Received my full deposit check back in the time they promised. Wish they had units that allowed dogs and'or had washers and dryers but definitely will consider renting again in the future!
The apartments are old and overly priced. Management is inefficient as there is no online payment method. Lease period is too strict and early termination will cost you a fortune. Find some other place if you can.
I've had a super positive experience renting from the people at Byron. I just moved in, so I haven't made any service calls or anything yet, but I don't expect I'll have to since the building I moved into was completely renovated right before I came. But I thought the office staff was friendly and professional. The leasing agent showed my girlfriend and me all the places we were interested in and didn't make us feel pressured at all. And I thought the website was very informative compared to a lot of other places. Just my two cents, but I plan on staying here for my entire degree program if everything goes well...and I have no reason to think it won't!
Poor Maintenance, Wasn't told the apartment didn't have air conditioning until AFTER I moved in... They don't keep the walkways clean of snow. Bugs Everywhere. Neighbors are obnoxious and Rude and there's no sound dampening in between floors
I visited their offices today, the customer service was TERRIBLE to say the least-looked like they were trying to get rid of us. I honestly suspected it was because my husband and I are black. We are desperately in need of an apartment but with this type of service we elected to keep searching (though they had one open within our price range) Unbelievably rude....
So far, we have been happy with their services fixing up our apartment when we moved in. It is a century old building and they were on top of repairs. They dont have a pet fee for cats and this encouraged us to rescue one from the APA.
If you're looking to rent in a great part of St. Louis, would love to live in a beautiful older building, and would like to pay 50-75% of what your neighbors are paying, then I would strongly recommend Byron Company.
I was almost put off by some of the negative reviews, but I am fairly low-maintenance and decided to give it a try. I've been here for 9 months now and I have zero complaints. I have had to put in several maintenance requests: a broken garbage disposal, the pilot light that had gone out in my stove, bees starting to live in the brick wall (outside) next to my balcony. Each of these was addressed and fixed less than 24 hours after I made the request, by friendly and efficient maintenance guys.
It's true that they don't give notice about coming in for maintenance, etc. (This has been true even with super nice apartment buildings I've lived in in the past.) But that's usually not a problem if you work full-time, because they come in while you're gone. I've been home during COVID, and they knock and wait for me to come to the door. I'm not looking forward to the unannounced tours whenever I do move out, but all of these little things go towards cutting the rent in any way possible, and that's a price I'm very willing to pay.
It's lots of little things that make your rent lower: Your doorknob might not match your neighbor's. The lock on your ancient mailbox might be a little finicky. The appliances are old, but completely functional. Bathrooms have old tile that never looks quite clean (but is.) But in my experience, none of the "cost saving" is actually to the disadvantage of the tenants, unless you're fussy. I actually love the fact that the building is updated as little as possible. My building is a gorgeous 1930s brick, and I love all of the little details that are still around.
One note: Old apartments have extremely thin walls and floors. I've been pretty lucky with my neighbors, but when the tenant above me walks across the floor at night it squeaks so loudly that it can wake me up. It's something you used to, and Byron Co has really strict quiet hours for this reason.
TLDR: These apartments are extremely cheap for the neighborhoods they're in, but Byron Co. cuts costs in all the right ways, and takes care of its tenants. If you love or can tolerate charming old buildings and aren't an overly particular person, you'll love it.
The apartment was infested with bugs before I had moved in. The apartment was not cleaned before I had moved in. The Byron Company did not obtain an Occupancy Permit (Saint Louis City Ordinance 69202) for the apartment unit before I had moved in. Beware!
The service they offer is great. Everytime I had issues with my apartment the maintenance people showed up the following day. The rent is affordable and they try and keep everything up as necessary. No money wasted on fancy looking appliances which makes it so affordable in the up and coming neighborhoods.
Wasted 1 month of my life moving in and out, because of the bug infestation in their apartment on Waterman! Not a sanitary place to live. Very tough experience.
I can t share much about the company itself, I only lived at 1040 McCauseland for a year and I am pretty low maintenance. However, I wanted to share that I really enjoyed this property. It was an excellent price for a real one bedroom, not just a studio. I enjoyed the updated features yet historical building, and had plenty of room for one person. It was also very quiet with off street parking, and a good location to hop on the interstate. Also in walking distance of Forest Park and a few restaurants/attractions. Although it wasn t great for my car, all the local birds really entertained my cat. I think this is a real hidden gem.
Overall, an excellent landlord. Units aren't extravagant, but are priced accordingly and very fairly. Staff is friendly, maintenance has been very responsive over the past three years as a tenant. I've recommended them to friends and will continue to do so in the future.
Terrible place to rent from. Everyday I ask them for repairs, I have no response or a response that says yes, we will come and fix and they never show up. Regretting my experience of renting here.
STAY AWAY!! Save yourself and DO NOT rent from these guys! By far the worst rental agency I've had ever experienced. Apartments are old, dilapidated with ancient heating and cooling system. Expect to pay $250-$300/month for gas bill (heat) and $200/month on A/C bill and yet your apartment will be freezing during winters and hot during summers. Mike, the manager, is obnoxious to deal with when it comes to any normal tenant requests. A few times the flush in the apartment broke down and to Mike/agency this didn't constitute an emergency request and expected me to stay somewhere else while they took their time to work on the requests. Finally, forget about getting your security deposit back. I just received my security deposit and they deducted 50% for something that'd be considered normal wear and tear if you'd have rented an apartment with a different agency.
Worst Rental EVER! I would like to express my extreme dissatisfaction with the studio flat rental I contracted through the Byron Company in the Central West End. It's seriously the worst apartment I've ever lived in and I've lived in quite a few here in the States and abroad. First of all, the water in the bathtub doesn't drain and regularly backs up, so that I'm standing in Sewage when I shower. The window's are extremely old and creaky so that when the air conditioning is on the rattling of the window's is the only thing you can hear and they aren't sealed correctly so hot or cold air comes in depending on the season. It's so unbelievably loud! I could mention a lot of other minor annoyances like one of the burners on the stove not working or the closet door not sliding open but the worst of all of this is that recently I started waking up with massive red welts and bumps all over my skin. At first I thought I got into a patch of chiggers outside, but quickly learned that this was not the case when I discovered what appeared to be a flea or bed bug on my bed sheets one morning. Being a landlord myself and property manager myself, I really dislike reporting any issues that I can fix easily myself since I know it can be stressful to the people who have to resolve the problems, but this is absolutely unacceptable! Not only have the bites and itching of the "mystery" pests been increasing as the weather gets hotter, I now fear that the mattress set (Worth $1700) is now completely ruined and I will have to discard them, as well as other expensive furniture in my flat in order to avoid contaminating any house I moved to next. The location of the apartment is good right off Kings Highway and the price is decent, but never again will I rent with this company who apparently is so oblivious to major issues that can potentially affect people's health and sleep patterns inside their rental property. I highly recommend that you avoid any rentals from this company like the PLAGUE!
I also don't understand the bad reviews. Having lived on Cates for over 5 years, maintenance has been prompt & courteous on both the minor and major (none really) issues. The basement's washer & dryer have been functional 99% of the time, as have the refrigerator, plumbing, etc. And, for what it's worth, I've watched tenants come & go with no issues whatsoever; they've always been respectful of our shared walls, i.e., no loud stereo nor t.v. Parking has been good enough with the rare occupant in my spot. If I had to be put-on-the-spot for one thing that could use improvement?...maybe the window blinds. I like the small slats but they can be persnickety at times.
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