Chestnut Hill Realty

I honestly can’t say enough about our experience with CHR. In the fall of 2013, we were set to move into an apartment (not a CHR place) that turned out to be an awful situation. We decided to not even move our stuff into this place, but we were left with the question of «where in the world are we going to live»? Luckily, my fiancée decided to call CHR. Not even two hours later we met with a broker who showed us a great apartment in Coolidge Corner. They graciously worked with us and even held the apartment longer than usual so we could sort everything out. We felt like CHR genuinely cared about our situation and did something that helped us enormously.
Fast forward to this year, when a work situation was forcing us to relocate before our lease was up. Again, CHR graciously worked with us and made the process easier than I would have ever imagined.
No apartment is perfect, but we loved our time renting from CHR. After some horrible Boston real estate experiences, I’d feel comfortable recommending them to anyone I know.

I’m super happy with my apartment! It’s such a pleasant experience living at their Wendell place in Cambridge. The management company is responsive/​customer service centered (the complete opposite of Boston slumlords) and I love the tulips they plant in the spring.

Chestnut Hill just took over my apartment building in Framingham. They are manipulating the lease length so that they can charge higher prices. Anyone who has a lease between August and February are only given options to end their lease between March and July. That way Chestnut Hill can charge more because the rental prices are higher in those months. They offered a neighbor of mine a 9 month lease and raised her rent. In 9 months they are going to renew her lease and raise her rent again because of the market.
Not to mention, the elevator has been breaking down constantly the last three months. Several people were stuck in the elevator including children. The maintenance will call the elevator company, but won’t call 911. Luckily, someone called the fire department.
The air conditioning almost never works and many apartments have had mold issues.
My building allows pets. You pay a fee and dogs can only use the freight elevator.
Not a fan.

While looking for a new apartment, my husband made a phone inquiry for a rental at Hancock Village, managed by Chestnut Hill Realty. During the conversation, the agent asked him if we have pets. When he replied «Yes», he was asked if there was someone else who could watch them. As though a lease is a weekend getaway. As in, «can you find someone to watch your pets for the next couple of years? That’s no big deal, right?» When he asked the agent if she had pets, instead of giving a normal human response, she replied, «yes, but I am required to ask».
I think the blatant disregard for the relationship between people and their pets is callous and that Chestnut Hill Realty is disgusting. It is one thing to have a pet-​free facility, it is another to encourage people to rid themselves of their beloved companions. Chestnut Hill Realty — you disgust me.