The Commons at Fort Mill

**UPDATE**
The owner of this complex is now keeping my deposit claiming there were «pet stains» underneath the carpet. The problem is, I never owned a pet. My youngest daughter is highly allergic to dogs/​cats. This isn’t the first time he has done this. A former resident told me that that his deposit was being kept for the same reason even though he never owned a pet.

Okay, first the positives. Believe it or not, this place is in a GREAT location! You jump on the highway and you are two minutes away from the interstate and a minute from the closest grocery store. The mall is five minutes away using back roads. You are also OUT of the Fort Mill traffic, which can get quite nightmarish. Plus the high school is phenomenal. The elementary and middle schools are not that great, but they do value those numbers, so your kid will get a decent education. But I love the high school. This place is a great starter place if you’re moving into Fort Mill and just want a go-​between place to get you here.
Now for the NEGATIVES. This place rents to bodies. In other words, they’re not so concerned about the people living in the apartments, just the checks that clear each month. I’ve been driven mad by loud parties, kids, teens and adults blocking the entryways, speeding cars treating the parking lot like a drag strip. Second, and I cannot stress this enough, DO NOT GET AN APARTMENT ON THE SECOND FLOOR!!! These buildings were slapped up, and as a result the floors are so thin you can hear any television that is placed near the floor, floor stereos on the third floor can actually shake your walls, every toilet flush, even in the dead of night, echoes through your own apartment. I’ve heard it’s not so bad on the first floor, and of course the third floor residents don’t have these issues. Third, WATCH YOUR STEP! People take their dogs out, let them poop wherever they want and leave the mess on the walkways, the grass near the windows, etc. There’s an active policy that fines pet owners that don’t clean up after their dogs, but, much like all the other policies on the contract, that policy is easily ignored. And what’s worse, there doesn’t seem to be ANYONE to take your complaints to! The lady managing this place smiles and nods and nothing gets done. The only Johnny-​on-​the-​spot person here is the maintenance guy; I have nothing but positive things to say about him.
If I could be truthful if I had hindsight I probably would have dealt with the higher rental rates and traffic woes and moved ELSEWHERE when we first got here. As it stands the moment our lease is up we’ll be on our way. If you live here, make it on a trial basis (like six months), regardless of the possible rate hike once the agreement is over. I have a feeling that six months will be enough for you to start looking elsewhere.