Garden Communities - Short Hills, New Jersey

Zack S.

Living in a Garden Communities apartment has been a deeply disappointing experience. From the day we moved in, the unit was in unacceptable condition: dust, paint splatters, dead bugs, spider webs, and dirty appliances made for an unwelcoming and unhealthy environment. Despite notifying management immediately, the cleaning provided was minimal, leaving us to handle extensive deep cleaning ourselves. The HVAC system was filthy and poorly maintained, causing health issues for my pregnant wife and me until we paid for duct cleaning. The windows were infested with spiders, rendering them unusable, and the dishwasher and washer/dryer were filthy. These are fundamental issues that should never have been present in a rental property.

Throughout our tenancy, the maintenance and management response has been inconsistent at best. Mold in the basement walls took over a year to address, despite repeated requests and its impact on our ability to use the space, particularly with a newborn. Scheduled repairs often left our home covered in dust, and promised follow-ups were frequently forgotten. Persistent leaks, fire alarm issues, and pest infestations—including ants and spiders—made the property barely livable. As someone with years of experience in property management, I understand the challenges landlords face, but this level of neglect and disregard for tenant well-being is unacceptable. I hope future residents are spared the stress and frustration we endured.

Veronica L.

Incompetent management. Washington Promenade in Dumont - Building is poorly built and had HUGE issue with sound bleeding into our apartment from the moment we moved in. Been suffering for half a year and trying to manage the situation as civil as possible, but the management's attitude was more like, well, HOPE they will keep it down, we are still getting paid and that's all that matters to us. We saw dents and marks on our ceiling after we moved in and just found out that previous tenant was also having issue with the noise. They didn't even bother covering them up! LOLL We were trying to break the lease but after reading the last few comments, I don't trust them to find new tenant for our apartment for the remainder our our lease. They really don't care as long as they get paid. Greedy and lazy, please do not rent from them.

Grama

March 2025

On March 5, Leasing office did not want to take my rent payment claiming that they do not have to do so and then…

March 6
I have left a certified check in the completely sealed mailbox they have, it was to pay rent and they say they have not received it, 100% sure the envelope was there!!!! and they have the nerve to get mad because you go to complain!!

I reported it to the police..
The employee said that I did something illegal in putting the envelope in the mail box! Incredible!!.

2024
If you rent In Parsonage Hill Village in Edison you are going to have to deal with garden communities, they have employees that can make your life miserable.

I was about 13 days late, I went to the maintenance office to let the manager know and she said no problem, just pay it later and she will send an email to the corporate.

The person in charge of the payroll rent at Garden Community in the corporate in short hills sent me to court lying that I owed three months of rent, also signed by a lawyer, then they blocked the website so that I could not make payments, so that it would transcend in court.

It was a nightmare what I lived, but it did not end there, now they put 1200 dollars that I have to pay after I also paid court costs, I told her what she deserved and then they do not answer the phone anymore, not even the manager in Short Hills.

They suck!!!
Avoid these terrible moments, do not rent properties managed by Garden Community.

Yalda Y.

I am extremely disappointed with my experience at Garden community. Over the course of two months, my washer was not repaired despite multiple requests. Additionally, even though we informed the management three months in advance about our move-out date, they failed to return our one-month security deposit.

The customer service was equally frustrating. Two women who work in the office were consistently impolite and unhelpful, making it even more challenging to resolve our issues. This level of unprofessionalism and lack of responsiveness is unacceptable. I would not recommend Units Apartments to anyone looking for a well-maintained and professionally managed place to live.

The worst part was when we were charged an additional about $300 for reasons that were never clearly explained. This unexpected fee felt like a blatant money grab. We were meticulous in our care for the apartment, so these charges were both surprising and unjustified.

Moreover, the apartment itself had numerous issues: the appliances were outdated, the water pressure was terrible!

I would strongly advise anyone considering renting here to look elsewhere. The poor management and unfair charges make it not worth the hassle.

J. C.

I am deeply disappointed with Garden Communities, specifically their Columbia Turnpike property, and I hope this review gets the attention it deserves to rectify these issues. Judging by other negative reviews it’s clear that poor management staff is a widespread issue across their properties. Garden Communities needs to seriously investigate how their property managers treat residents, particularly regarding unprofessionalism and discrimination.

The property manager at Columbia Turnpike, Leslie, has made my living situation unbearable in just one month. From the application process, her behavior was troubling, and I regret moving forward but they refused to return my $500 background check deposit. Since then, Leslie’s blatant disrespect, hostility, and unprofessional actions have created a toxic living environment. This issue has escalated to the point where I had to involve the police for my own safety after she made threatening gestures and remarks during a disagreement.

It’s unacceptable that residents who pay thousands of dollars in rent are subjected to such poor treatment. No one should have to endure discrimination or feel threatened by management in their own home. Garden Communities needs to take immediate action to address the systemic issues within their management staff.

Sarah R.

Absolutely awful management. Extremely greedy, demands at least $100-$150 more in rent every year even though they can’t solve for pest issues that are clearly a health concern and I’ve been dealing with since the day I moved in that I’ve had to continue to put my own money into. Not reasonable or willing to meet halfway on anything. Avoid any Garden Communities property. These people own the Minnesota Vikings yet find the need to argue with me about coming down 2% in their rent increase when I’ve had consistent issues here that I’ve supported with photos. I’m sure a judge will agree this is unacceptable.

Aesha S.

After the move out GARDEN COMMUNITIES AND COLLECTION DEPT. make sure to charge you for normal wear and tear.
When it comes to solving maintenance issues it's taken easy and takes months to complete task like paint issue and washer dryer issue..amongst all these maintenance issues one has to pay rent on time...delay in maintenance issue is considered normal by property managers but they make sure to charge you for normal wear and tear after you move out..very disappointed

Josie H.

The holiday started on Friday Dec 22 at 1/2 pm for Garden community workers. This memo was left on apartment doors at London Terrace properties the Friday before Christmas when people are already with their families in various locations, some out of state. Then you threaten to change the locks if your are unable to enter the apartment. The DAY after Christmas at 8 am You expect people to be home the day after Christmas at 8 am until 4:30. The company just wants to make money off forcing new locks on their tenants. So you come home from your Christmas vacation you waited for all year and can’t get into your apartment.
To dig further, now you’re being exposed to the maintenance workers that have been gathering with their families the day before and now they’re entering your apartment without time to quarantine. Possibly exposing you to any of the virsus we are seeing now. Especially if you live with an elderly person. That’s how London Terrace management/ maintenance run their properties. Instead of being like any other property management and calling you and see what day works for you. Where is the notice ?
Because if you guys are celebrating Friday as a holiday and Monday is Christmas, Tuesday is the next business day. Also they want to enter your attitic. Which is inside a closet that has to be cleaned out. So you’re supposed to come home from your Christmas vacation clean out a closet so their maintenance people can get into it. With a whole bunch of dust more exposure to you the tenant.
DO NOT MOVE HERE …. That’s exactly why there’s always rental specials going on. Living here has been the worst apartment experience I’ve ever had.
There literally was a group of residents outside discussing this nonsense.