O'Connell School Apartments

We have lived here for almost 3 years and the experience has been decent. In the beginning, the several property managers we had were non existent and were not responsive. I will say it has gotten significantly better over the last year or so with the current property manager and maintenance guy. Any issues we have had since that time have been taken care of in a timely manner. Snow removal has also gotten better. They are coming to plow the main area of the parking lot during the storm.

Managment is non existent, was a full on active construction site for 6 months (was told it would be 1-2 months MAX) and tenants were still expected to pay full rent, hot water goes out on a weekly basis (currently on day 8 of no hot water), snow removal takes usually 24/48 hours after the storm ends and they leave sheets of ice with no salt, as well as most doors never being secured from anyone walking on Park St (Lease states building is secured by key access), and my apartment walls have been crumbling since I moved in. Avoid at all costs, lots of talk about a Class Action Suit coming from current tenants.

I enjoy the design of my unit and the close proximity to everything in Bristol. But management is extremely unorganized. They have yet to fix my crumbling bathroom wall and the ongoing construction that was supposed to be quick ceiling/roof maintenance has lasted for MONTHS. They raised my rent this year just to tear down the inside of the building, creating hazards for the tenants. The front doors are almost always unlocked and the cameras do not work inside and out, making things even more uncomfortable safety wise. It would be great of there was some transparency with everything going on. To get something done for your unit is like pulling teeth.

I’ve lived here for nearly a year and it has sharply gone downhill, fast. On our third building manager, the first was nonexistent, the second was nice but ineffective and our latest is rude, uncooperative and zero respect for the tenants paying thousands a month to live here. Trash is overflowing constantly, the local community uses it as their local dumping ground for anything they are too lazy/cheap to take to the dump, management does nothing. As I type this a couch, fridge and several mattresses are scattered around the dumpster, doesn’t take more than 10 minutes sitting outside to watch someone who doesn’t love here pull up, take heaps of trash out of their truck and haphazardly dump it in and around our dumpsters. An insane amount of interior construction has been going on for MONTHS with no end in sight because they were never up to code when they moved everyone in. 7am-5pm M-F nothing but banging, dust and construction people constantly needing access to your apartment. Hallway ceilings are completely ripped out and construction lights are your only source of light. Cars are constantly broken into and vandalized but all the cameras are fakes so the police have nothing to go by. There’s a homeless guy who lives in the back lot in a blue tent that wanders the lot making everyone uncomfortable. The back lot was supposed to be converted to extra parking but instead they put solar panels in to save themselves money while increasing our rent. We were promised keycards and pinbox entry over a year ago, never happened. Building doors are constantly propped open or left unlocked giving anyone access. 3 dryers/washers for a building of 60 people that costs almost $4 a load. Snow removal takes days, and if you clear your own spot you will come home from work to find someone parked in it. It’s against your lease to open the windows. They sell you on a great looking apartment but living here is nothing but stress and headaches. We’ve all talked and found out we all pay vastly different rents for the same size apartments, this place is nothing but a get-rich-quick for the owners with zero regard for tenant satisfaction. Save yourself the trouble and spare your peace of mind.

Cameras are placed all around the outside and inside of the building- none of them work. 5 cars were vandalized last night on the property, it would have been helpful if they were working to identify the vandalizers. Its not the first time cars have been vandalized on the property. Garbage over flows every single week leading to huge rodents been spotted all around the building. There are only 3 washers and dryers for the entire building. There's over 50 apartments in the building. People don't pick up after their dogs leaving dog poop all over the grass. In general the building is dirty, bugs, spiders eggs all over the hallways.

I will not be renewing my lease. The property management need much improvement. We have lost heat this Winter twice for 2 to 3 days at a time and the property manager is in no rush to reset the boiler and they let tenants freeze overnight. The snow removal is horrible and I have seen people struggle to drive out of the parking lot and people almost fall because the snow on the sidewalks are knee high. The property manager just says you need to be patient when snow on the sidewalks are not removed the following day after the snow storm stopped. The intercom system has not worked in over 6 months and doesn’t look like it will be working anytime soon. Also there are people that don’t live here and live across the street that constantly utilize the parking spaces in this building and sometimes even fix cars in the parking spaces, rubbing up against some else car, and almost hiring another car with their door wide open. There are no posted signs stating parking for tenants only so you can’t even call the police to report this trespassing issue. In my experience I have had to move my vehicle so it wouldn’t get damaged because people who don’t live here utilizing the parking spaces were leaning against my bran new car and almost hitting my car with their car door. I notified the property manager and no response.

I love living here. My only complaint would be the snow removal. We’ve had quite a good amount of snow this year already and not once have they done a good job with the removal. No salt is put down for ice. It’s terrible. Besides that no complaints!

They never salt the sidewalks or plow the driveway. Came home from work and had to shovel my way in. It was promised to us that we'd have snow cleanup every two inches in the parking lot.