Ashford 2788 Apartments

Let me start by saying this is definitely not the worst place I’ve ever lived.
With that out of the way, this is, quite possibly, the worst rental management company I have ever dealt with. Aside from complacency, there’s outright dismissiveness and hostility if you so much as try to handle any issue of maintenance or, in one case for my partner and me, rental payment system failure (I’ll get to that in a minute). When we signed up, my credit was stunning and my partner’s was, well, not, so we paid an extra deposit to guarantee our bills. No big deal, and pretty standard in most places I’ve lived in Atlanta. The price for the area isn’t bad, and they’re willing to negotiate, within reason. The apartments are in okay condition, and they’re working on «renovating» them (upgrading the counters, cabinet fixtures, and changing to a «classier» linoleum).
On to why the management company is so bad. If you place a request for maintenance, they’ll get someone out to you anywhere between a few hours and a few months later. We’ve had this happen with our sliding glass door (came off the rails and wouldn’t open or close), our front and back doors (replaced due to damage before we moved in, then repainted about 2 months later), our dishwasher (flooded and backed up into our sink), our stove (came disconnected), and our shower (the pull on the tub faucet won’t turn it on). This is not a coincidence, because they require you to submit maintenance requests in writing and, up until three months ago, gave you no proper method to do so. There were no maintenance request forms, and you could submit over the phone or by walking into the office, with extremely mixed results. That is, you could, if they answered the phone or were in the office, which they weren’t (and still aren’t), 3 times in 5.
A few months ago, they implemented a new payment system, which incorporates a maintenance request system. Fortunately, I haven’t needed to use it, but I can only hope that the «written» maintenance requests get seen to more quickly. The new payment system was implemented following an issue with our payment (and presumably others) where we nearly got evicted due to the fact that their payment system 1: failed to process payment correctly (but told us it did) and 2: failed to inform us of the payment that was rejected 3: 10 days after it was submit and 14 days after it was due. Our notice? A piece of red paper on our door informing us of a late fee and «potential legal action.» I checked Georgia law and our lease (a 12-​month, not a month-​to-​month), which required 30 days notice from the leasing company and 60 from the tenant. The lease, by the way, is standard, generally. Nothing crazy in there, and there are lead paint/​asbestos warning forms, but I don’t lick the walls, and I don’t have kids who do, so that’s fine. Payment system accepts direct transfer or credit card, with credit card having something like a 5% fee on any transaction (which can add up over time if you’re not looking). They’ll also accept cashier’s checks, if you deliver them directly to the office. I don’t think they accept personal checks, and I know they don’t accept cash.
Plus side: there is no size limit on dogs. Downside: there is no rule stating you have to pick up your dog’s poop. I’m pretty paranoid because my neighbors have kids who run around where I take my dog walking, but not everyone is, so be prepared to dodge dog poop. There’s a pool, and in the summer, it’s generally full of kids. Great for kids! Not great for wanting to chill out with a cold beverage (like an iced tea) and read a book in the quiet by the pool. I don’t ever see dog owners taking their dogs in there, though, and I know I wouldn’t.
Oh yeah, if you have a dog, the other dog owners are generally friendly. I only had one who didn’t want their dog playing with mine, and I think it was because he was worried that mine wasn’t neutered and he knew his wasn’t spayed.
I noticed another reviewer mentioned crime, and while I haven’t experienced anything, I wouldn’t necessarily be surprised. There’s some places nearby with abandoned buildings (they’re held up in legal limbo, I can’t remember why, but they can’t be torn down or renovated until that clears), but nothing has happened outside of a few domestic violence incidences, as far as I know. The police do hang out in the complex about 2 – 3 times a week, though, so there’s obviously something to lead them to hang out.
Another plus: it’s very close to food (the food nearby is stellar), grocery, and entertainment (Buckhead, Midtown, and Marietta near the perimeter are all within fifteen minutes), and the traffic around the area is nice once you’re on the highway (but horrendous until then). It’s close to both 285 and 75. There’s also a CVS and a park with children’s play equipment in walking distance, and the school bus and Marta both stop at the front of the complex.

Ashford 2788 Apartments is a hot bed for crime. I’ve lived here since March 2015, right when the new and current management took over. Very unimpressed. The staff may not know what the word placate means, but they definitely know how to implement it.
In the last 8 months, my roommate and I have both been victims of violent crime. My roommate has been attacked, thrown to the ground and held at gunpoint. Most recently, I was attacked at the beginning of November while getting out of my car. Two strangers put a gun to my head, took everything I had on me and then proceeded to beat me in the back of the head with a gun, leaving me to bleed out right in front of my apartment.
On any given night between the hours of midnight and 3am you can see people creeping through the parking lot checking car doors to see if they’re unlocked, occasionally setting off car alarms. Several of my neighbors have had their car windows smashed in. A few other neighbors have had they’re doors kicked in and then robbed.
As all of this has happened recently, management has not alerted any of their residents that there is crime occurring. I have taken it upon myself to inform my neighbors about my latest attack, much to their surprise. Management has also done nothing to reach out to me about this last incident which leads me to believe they do not care for the safety of their residents.
I would recommend looking elsewhere. This is NOT a gated community, has lacking security and very unsafe.