Shaker Square Apartments

PS: For people reading this review with an intention of leasing an apartment owned by Shaker Square group, if you don’t have time to read through the whole review, DROP THE IDEA, and MOVE ON to other options!
I will keep it very brief. I lived here on South Moreland Blvd from July 2014 – 2015.
Nightmare started from day number one. We were called for seeing a 2 bedroom apartment, and on arrival (from a 2 hr drive) we found there were none to see. Finally, once we moved in, the apartment was full of filth and floors were covered with dirt-​took us days to get cleaned finally. Gas was not connected for 2 weeks, just because the office bearers had my door bell linked to some unknown phone number instead of mine! Parking was roadside, like most did, but then within first week got a ticket parking close to a hydrant (hidden behind a tree!!), and then upon seeing other’s cars broken into, had to take a parking spot in the carport-​extra 50 $ PM! There was no AC, so summer sucked! Heat was shitty, and often failed when temperatures plummeted. There were gaps and cracks in the walls, through which blasts of cold air used to leak in-​we had to literally plaster the walls with paper. Kitchen space was a shame, and so was bathroom, with poor lighting and no exhaust! Then my car was broken into in the carport, and the office said the security cameras did not work properly that night due to frost– what a lame excuse for someone living in Cleveland-​when do you not have frost and snow there? Next the carport collapsed under the burden of snow, and flattened two cars underneath– mine was saved by a whisker! Afterwards, I thought since there was no carport and no protection from snow, they should reduce the parking rates. But again, they did not disappoint! Instead of reducing the parking charges, they increased it to 55 $ PM! Ouch! The maintenance was poor, and often you had to request 2 – 3 times to have them send someone over. The neighborhood was shady, and there was shooting outside my apartment on Black Friday night. Finally, when I left, they usurped my security money, saying that I didn’t inform them a month before, and I left the apartment in untidy state! That was a shocker, as I am sure I told the lady in the office a month ahead about our plans. If the state we got the apartment in was tidy, then I claim with no doubt that we left it 100X tidier. But then, I have no energy and motivation to fight those bunch of thugs!
In summary, please do not even think about living in apartments owned by Crossroad Property Management. Don’t let them fool you by showing you the Shaker Square with its cinema, bars, restaurants, farmer’s market and local train service! After all, that’s what I fell for, and that’s where exactly I lived! If I had the time, I would definitely report them to the Business Bureau.

ABSOLUTELY horrible place to live. Please believe the negative reviews. I lived here for only a month before moving out. The issues I encountered:
1. The place was a complete mess when I moved in. None of the rooms were clean, the tub was covered in mud from footprints (see #2), and it took me about 10 sweep-​throughs and mopping before I could walk barefoot in my own apartment.
2. Speaking of the tub, it was non-​functional. The plumber arrived as I was unpacking on the day I moved in to fix pipe issues. Also, I was told the tub was going to be glazed and spotless the week prior to my move-​in, which wasn’t the case. It took about two weeks after my move-​in to finally glaze the tub.
3. Of the two windows in my bedroom, one wouldn’t open at all and the other would open but then slam shut. One of my windows in my living room wouldn’t lock (and I lived on the first floor). I asked to have these fixed and a month into me living there, they still weren’t fixed.
4. I asked multiple times for a laundry key but management kept telling me they had to make a copy. After two weeks of living in the apartment, I asked again and finally they gave me a key.
5. And the best for last, BUGS! I first noticed a few (spiders, ants, small red insects) upon my move-​in but blew them off as nothing. Then I started noticing these «small red insects» on my bed (not bedbugs), in my tub, on my couch, in my bathroom sink, and around the windows. I expressed this concern with the management team. The exterminator came by and sprayed the place and said they were spider mites. I continued to see them however, alive and dead, everywhere. I had bites on my arms and that’s when I became really worried. With the continued inhabitable environment, I wanted to move out. I had already thrown away my mattress, several clothing items, bedding, and other containers infested with the insects. They gave me the option of staying in the apartment and having weekly exterminator visits for a month (which I did not think would be effective since the insects were still getting in and some were dying because of the spraying — still left a mess of dead insects), moving to a different apartment (which I was definitely not going to do because of the crappy experience thus far), or move out by paying a two months rent fee (~$ 1600 + deposit $ 250). I did not think I should have to pay this fee due to the inhabitable living environment, but the owner (Paul) was very rude about the situation. First off, the only way to contact him was through email and he took forever to respond. The manager on site (Tim) wasn’t very helpful either. The owner claimed I had other motives to move out, that they did a walk-​through after my move out and did not see any bugs (yet I have pictures to prove it). After moving all of my furniture, I noticed a trail of insects along the wall floors in my bedroom and living room. The apartment’s poor foundation was the problem.
Bottom line, the management team is absolutely horrible. Along with the other reviews, they take forever to respond, they’re rude, and they’re cheap. They praise themselves on «customer service», yet I have yet to see this aspect. Please do not succumb yourself to this nightmare.

Shaker Square Apartments will have you pulling your hair out. When you pay an excessive amount of money for an apartment in CLEVELAND you would expect the management to at least maintain their grounds. It’s nothing more than a roach hotel. Cleaning staff is terrible. Management is extremely unprofessional. Let’s not forget the real winner here: I had to practically beg for my security deposit back. Months of me calling to remind them to pay me and countless of empty promises that my money was on its way. I finally had to draft up a legal document before they paid me what I was owed. Talking to the secretaries was the most painful. They pretended like I was inconveniencing them and were down right rude to me. AWFUL PLACE TO LIVE!!!

I have been living in a property leased through Shaker Square Apartments, and owned by Crossroads Property Management («CPM»), for the last six months and have had nothing short of a nightmare living here.
Given the price I pay for the apartment, along with the promises and assurances that were given when I signed my lease, I expected a certain amount of professionalism on behalf of the staff, and a certain amount of responsibility in their upkeep and repairs to the property. At every opportunity thus far they have not lived up to that expectation, and certainly not up to the amount of money I pay them.
I treat their property with respect, and in return, I expect the people that own the property to not only treat me with respect, but to treat the apartment that they own with respect and my belongings with respect as well. So far, I am the only one who has been living up to that expectation.
Under no circumstance would I ever recommend these apartments to anyone. Not only are the properties in a dangerous area, which they do nothing to help protect against, but the owners, managers, and employees are unprofessional, irresponsible, and lazy. And, the apartments are extraordinarily overpriced.
Beware! I do not say this lightly. I’d prefer not to leave negative reviews online, but I felt it necessary given the way I was treated and the fact that they have never rectified the abuse of my property in any way, nor their behavior towards me throughout my time there.