I ve been stay here for one year and would like share about my experience to help future tenants. I ve visited almost all the apartments around this area. The highlands is definitely above average in lots of perspectives. The buildings are relatively new. Parking is free and convenient. Nice pool and the one I had have perfect daylighting and view. Staffs are helpful and nice. But there is one disadvantage as showing in the second photo ,it is too close to the highway. It s within 30 m. Behind those trees is highway . The noise level reaches peak from 12:00pm to 3:30am. In the one I stayed. Based on my test.the average is 75 decibels and some times can reach 90 when there s heavy trucks or motorcycles riders passing by. While an acceptable range for human sleeping is within 30 decibels. But it s quiet on Saturday noon times. So my advice is make sure you check what your apartments sounds like after 6:00pm and be sure you are ok with wearing ear plugs during nights. Then this apartment is perfect for you.
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1. For indian families cooking is a nightmare, their is no vent to take out smoke. Smoke stays inside and siren keeps on beeping. No solution for this problem.
2. Community is not too happening, people generally stays at home. Boring for house wives.
3. Community hall is too small. Not good for more than 10 people if you organize a party and they charge 100 USD for that.
4. Gym is too small to be called as gym and they have mandatory charge USD 350 per year which is not fair. Pool you hardly use for 2 months.That charge should be optional.
Price is a bit high but worth for the quality and service they give. Also keep checking their website 4 times a day, their price fluctuate a lot. Keep an eye and you can get a good price.
Overall I would not return to this complex. The cons of living here far exceed the pros.
Pros: - Great staff that are responsive to problems in the apartment - Well maintained landscape - Decent neighbors - The food store is close by
Now, the cons: 1. The price, it is so expensive! $1,500 a month in base rent for a one bedroom of this size is outrageous, and on top of that the utilities are sky high, $80 per month for sewage, water and trash is ridiculous. Plus the amenity fee of $350 is outrageous and not worth it for what they offer. The apartment is far too small for this price 2. The appliances and carpet are so old and outdated, they haven t put a dime into upgrading these apartments and expect to charge top-price 3. They claim that they have a gym on site, that gym is a joke it s a little room next to the office with old equipment 4. The location is not worth the price 5. You can hear 287 at all hours 6. Pets barking 7. It s noisy 8. If you live on the ground floor you will have to deal with centipedes (ew!) 9. The parking lot is ALWAYS crowded
There are far better apartments around the area to move to. The company seriously needs to drop the price on these apartments to make them competitive.
When i saw the way property was maintained and how professionally it was run , i knew i could safely call it my home. When i came to know a bit about our manager Suzzane i knew nothing could go wrong till she is managing it as i know how much time effort and team work is required to maintain and be one of the front runners or to be a pioneer in property management with an eye on the future. I think i am blessed to be part of this particular community. Want to specially thank Suzzane and kaylan for being an integral part of our journey. I should also not forget to thank Management team as well and all those indirectly involved in making Highlands a better place we can safely call Home.
Highlands is a great place for both singles and families. The Apartments are huge, landscaping is well kept. Office staff and Maintenance is pretty awesome as well. Great place to live.
The place is beautiful and well taken care of. Moving in, Suzanne, was very helpful and extremely nice. The best thing about this place is how pet-friendly they are. My husband and I are very happy with our decision. I highly recommended.
If you move in don't ever plan to move out. They will charge you hundred of dollars in fees to clean the apartment back to your previous 'move-in' state.
Annual fees for the pool and gym. Gym size is a joke.
Also expect rent to increase every year. Of course they will say something like "our rates are always changing based on the rent of the area" which is complete BS. They will increase the rent by a % each year and the fact that you can go into the office and haggle them down proves it's nothing but BS.
Keep in mind you are not dealing with people. You are dealing with Equity Residential, a publicly traded corporation with revenue in the billions. They do not care about you, you are nothing but $$$ to them. They only care about occupancy and optimizing revenue not your well being. They will cut corners and nickle and dime you are much as possible.
Staff is generally nice but their hands are always tied by corporate.
Pros- Overall community is okay, maintenance and leasing team is excellent...no doubt..
Cons 1) Children's Park is very poorly maintained 2) When you vacate they take good money for no reason 3) Gym is very small and it will accommodate for one family, not sure how they manage if everyone 100+ families wants to workout at same time which is funny... 4) Not sure why they charge yearly 350 $ and monthly 20$ alarm fee , I paid around 3000 $for 5 years and used 0 $ service... 5) Worst gate entry system always broken or they don t open ...
It's a beautiful place. Everything is near far as shopping and dining. The community is dog friendly. The people are very neighborly. I would recommend this place (The Highlands) to all my friends .
The Highlands at SP is a safe, beautifully maintained and quiet neighborhood. The property management staff and maintenance team are very nice and professional. It definitely feels like home here. I highly recommend The Highlands.
So far I'm very pleased with this apartment complex. It's nice and clean, with plenty of parking space. My apartment is nice and cozy, nice size bedrooms with plenty of closet space. The management team is very pleasant and easy to get along with. Suzanne made me feel very comfortable, it was a pleasure dealing with her and the rest of the staff. Also the maintenance guys Obed and his team are some of the best I've ever dealt with. If something needs fixing in your apartment. They come in a timely manner to get the job done. So far I'm happy to call The Highlands of South Plainfield home.
The Highlands is a great place to live. The neighbors are very nice and the staff is amazing. They are always on top of their game and always working to make your home safe.
very clean and beautiful place. the staff are helpful and friendly. the pool and gym are very well maintained. They also offer short term lease (6mo). It is a bit pricey for the short term. So did not meet my requirement. Although I think it is the priced right for the long term lease.
I moved into Highlands at South Plainfield about one month ago. Very nice and helpful staff and convenient commute for me, I will give them that. One big problem that I have: noise! It's definitely not a quiet place to live in as I saw in most of the comments, not in my experience. Two sources of noise: 1. My room is very close to Interstate 287, and the trucks are crazy during the night. There is supposed to be a buffer zone with trees but there are not enough trees to cover the noise. I was alerted that due to the less lovely view out from my window the rent is slightly cheaper, but little that I know is that the noise from the highway is enormous. I had to resort to noise cancelling window curtains but that didn't help unfortunately. 2. Neighbors. The walls are very thin in my opinion and I can constantly hear the noise coming from my neighbor on the top of my floor. Baby's cry, stomps, etc. Continue to happen past midnight almost every day. I honestly don't know how to resolve these issues other than moving out one day eventually.
I am only giving 2 stars for the great service and helpfulness of the staff. Very fast, very attentive, and extremely friendly.
It is very expensive for the size of apartment you get. almost 1500 for 1 bedroom is very high for this area. we are looking in Edison apartments with more space for $1300.
Pet owners live dog poop everywhere; it is just disgusting, especially when your walk with a baby turns into obstacle course. The staff tried to be nice about it and try to fox the situation by putting more garbage cans, but it didn't help at all.
I put in a request for maintenance and they showed up quickly and fixed the problem also the guy that showed up was very professional and very nice so I am very happy.
I love it here. Perfect location. My neighbors are great. When ever I call about an issue maintenance response in a timely manner. Everyone is friendly, caring and I love the personable experience.
4 fantastic years of stay at The Highlands.. Stephen and Suzanne have been awesome, service has been the best we can ask for .. Obed, Joe, Arrian-- always on their toes.. Super-cool neighbors. Safe and secure, going
Best property I've ever had the privilege to live at!!!! The office staff and the maintenance staff are so attentive and responsive!!! Nothing compares to the Highlands in this area!!!!
Moved out this winter after living there for 2 years. Clean community and I don't regret choosing Highlands over the other complexes in the area. There were no issues with bugs, garbage, noise, security, pool, landscaping, or amenities. Winter plowing became a little sparse this winter but it WAS record-breaking snowfall lately.
One word of caution regarding end-of-lease and moving out - look over your pre- and post- inspection carefully. I cleaned thoroughly but feel I got fleeced and got charged a full apartment painting/cleaning bill on my security deposit. Erase any and all scuff marks (what you might consider a small scuff will cost you) -- shampooing rug and hiring your own professional cleaner will likely be cheaper for you. They will nitpick like no landlord/management company I've met. Also, if possible make sure you do the walk through with them when surrendering your keys.
Just Moved In and it was very easy and the process was just a cake walk. Everything online made things easy. Though the apartments are little old, but it is far better than most of the other communities in the area and for the rents they charge. Apart from the rent, security charges, the community charges seem to be very high for the amenities provided. Need to see how it goes until the end of my lease. So far, it was a happy experience.
I recently moved in, its been a great place so far! The community is gated, clean and beautiful with excellent staff! Stephen and Keelyn have gone above and beyond to help me in my move from another state in short notice! The apartment has good size bedrooms, baths and closets. The kitchen is spacious and so is the hall with large sized windows, plenty of parking spaces and the location of the Highlands is very convenient with good proximity to known stores and restaurants.
Love our home and community. Friendly neighbors and staff. Very spoiled living here compared to my past homes. Thank you for everything you do Highlands!
Price is a bit high, but its worth for the quality of the place. House is well insulated and there is much less noise from neighbors. Overall a good community to live in, with all the facilities in a few mins distance.
Since living at the Highlands it has been a pleasure. My family and myself have been living here for a year now and the community is friendly. The highway is close for travel as well as a shopping area within 5 minutes distance. The apartments are very well kept by the maintenance team and if there are any issues you can count on them being fixed in a timely manner. I would definitely recommend The Highlands at South Plainfield to anyone seeking a nice community to reside in.
Outstanding residents service. The office staff and the maintenance crew always get the job done. They go over and beyond to solve what ever issue or issues that need attention. Thank you so much everyone. Happy holidays !
Fantastic experience here. Great office staff and maintenance team that will fix any issue that comes up immediately. The community is truly great as well. I've really enjoyed living here and would highly recommend.
This community welcomed us and our Pet with open arms and has provided excellent service during my time here. It's a quiet, safe, clean community. It is family oriented. Management and Maintenance has provided excellent service and are always available to help in any way possible.
DO NOT waste your time here. They will mistakenly tell you that your lease cost is locked in until you move it. What they will not tell you is that you must start paying rent on it right away. I applied for an apartment 2 months out from when my current lease was due to expire and was told after the fact that I must start paying rent immediately in order to lock in the price. Why would I pay rent for two months on two units? I dealt with Keelyn, and I feel she needs to be better educated explaining to prospective tenants how their leasing program actually works. I am out $285 due to her misinformation.
All repairs are made within hours very good service. Very quiet living. So far so good!!! Well that's all over with, rent started at 1,590.00 quicky moved to 1700 they don't tell you water and garbage is paid byyyyyyh guess who you! Outdated kitchen cabinets and bathrooms a waste of money I'm out soon as my lease is up! Staff leaves there's no email to inform you but their quick to give a late fee. Noisey, congested,...... Don't waste your time. Their thieves!!!!!
We have stayed at this highland property (Highland at South Plainfield) for 3 years and recently moved to another state. This property has few pro and more cons and when you leave this property the way highland management treats you will leave a bad taste in your mouth. Pro of living on this property is that it is near to I-287 and all major stores are nearby, the property maintenance team is good even though the management is poor. Most of the third floor apartment have temperature issues like Master Bedroom in winter will not heat up and when you will raise a complaint you will be told that this how heating system works so better be prepared for this, also whenever you or any one below your apartment will open hot water in the bathroom there will be noise in the wall (night it will sound more), if you tell them about this issue then ans will be this is how the apartment structure is so nothing can be done. Now coming to rent they will charge you 20$ per month for a free of cost door alarm (you can call the set up company and they will say these alarm were set up free). Then 350$ per year for society fees which they say is for using business center, GYM and swimming pool (None of them I ever used). Business center has first generation computers and printers will never work as told by our neighbors who tried using BC .GYM is a Joke 5 people in will look like overcrowded, swimming pool is good that is what I have heard (they get instructors). Water and Sewer charges for 2 bedroom will be 80$ per month. Other than the above things they will charge you rent which is highest among the area, if you ask why so then they will say that this is market rate when you compare with properties like us (But they will never say that those property have much higher SQT FT area of apartment and newer appliances unlike here). If you get a cheaper deal (Rent) that means that apt was vacant for a while next year they will raise your rent by 100-200$ to make it even and if you try to negotiate then they will reduce some 30-40$ saying that they had to go to and forth with corporate but finally you will end up paying 100-150$ per month extra. Also make sure when you extended your lease get you carpet cleaned up by them (most apartment do this in this area) otherwise you will end up paying more when you leave (Take everything in writing). When leaving this property never trust property managers get apt cleaned and carpet washed from outside otherwise you will end up paying more than 175$+(Outside 100$) on carpet cleaning and 125$+(outside 75$ max) so in most cases you won t get a refund of your deposit. Also before you tell them that you are leaving make sure to get small things broken in your apartment fixed after you tell them that you are leaving (60 days notice) post that they will not fix most of the items though you are still paying rent , this they do so that they charge you for everything. You will not be able to reach corporate if you try to dispute the charge after you leave, only option will be talking back to property where mangers keep on changing, current manger thinks he is Albert Einstein and James bond combined together. He will tell you all types of BS, so that money can t be refunded to you and if you ask for receipt of services he will make promises but will never send you anything. Finally the so called gated community gates are open 340 days and closed for 25 days (Always broken) and there is no restrictions on dog owners to take and clear their dog stomach in children play area and in winter you will see dog POO around the property (I had complained and sent pics of dirt and dog poo everywhere on property to one of the mangers but nothing was done only words we will take care of this issue). There is lot more to write but I think this review itself is enough to tell you what as a resident I suffered through these 3 years, better think before you move.
I would like to take this opportunity to express our experience in moving into the Highlands. The management staff has been very pleasant and helpful. I would also like to say the maintenance staff and maintenance supervisor Obed has been courteous reliable.
I went looking for an apartment to move into. Suzanne, at the leasing office, was pleasant and helpful. She listened patiently to my needs and offered various options to fit. She showed me several houses despite her booked day; I called and went with 20 mins notice. While in the office, a few residents came in with requests, all of which Suzanne handled to their satisfaction. It was immediately obvious that the office cared. I would love to live here.
I stayed in these apartments for an year and wouldn't say had a good experience. The so called luxury apartments had Carbon Monoxide issue in our(me and my roommate) apartment which they didnt really care about. We called 911 and then the fire department came in and told that the water heater needs to be replaced, instead the management put a duct tape. The CO leak happened the second time again after 2 weeks and again fire people came in, PSEG guy comes in and this was 2am, told the same thing to replace the water heater. Management comes and tells us the next day, there's no issue they can see and turn off our hot water supply until we literally nag about changing the water heater. 2 months of inconvenience and they did not even say sorry. They charge you for security alarm every month which never worked. Worst of all, they do an inspection 15 days before moving out and send out a letter stating all the prices for wall painting, carpet cleaning, literally everything no matter if you want to clean it yourself, they will still charge you. The community entry gates are really inconvenient, I dont know what do they have them for, except for the people who have FOBs the keypad doesnt work as expected and the phone building access doesnt work always. Walls are so thin, you can literally hear your neighbors plus our apartment was near the highway. Nothing luxurious about these!!
Pros: There are a lot of things in a close range. Parking space is good. Apartment community is clean.
As a relatively new resident to The Highlands at South Plainfield, I have been impressed by the maintenance provided to the community, the friendliness of the residents and office staff, and close proximity to stores, pharmacies, etc. The facilities are well-maintained and worth every dollar that we pay in rent. Thanks to the staff and neighbors, I look forward to continuing my stay here in South Plainfield!
Very nice place to live, great staff. Beware of starting any leases with them in the summer months, lease renewal price jumped $94/month for the same apartment, no updates to community to warrant such a large increase (increase due to inflation would be understandable, but would have been about $27/month). You can try to renegotiate, but it is still at least double what inflation would call for. Have been told by other community members the price jump is no where as severe in the "off seasons". Other then that quiet, pretty, clean, great place to live. Would literally love to stay forever, just not sure how long the price will continue to match the value of what you get.
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