Zender Properties Management

Apartment management is one of those things that you almost never review if you’re a satisfied customer. It takes time to get to know how satisfied you are, and by the time you know for sure, you’re generally only moved to bother to write a review if you really hate the place. When I found Zender offered some apartments that seemed to be within my price range and went hunting for reviews, it seemed like they were almost universally reviled on all the sites I could find that offered reviews.
But they were also the only people who had an apartment in my price range close to the downtown area where I worked. So I called them up and explained my needs – something reasonably close to the downtown area so I would have good bicycling access – and Janet Hutzler, the lady I spoke to, said, «I’ve got just the thing for you.»
And she did. She absolutely did. The one-​bedroom apartment she showed me, at the Windsor, was on the first floor right next to the entry door – there was just half a flight of stairs to hump my bicycle up and down. (This became all the more important when I upgraded to a 71-​lb e-​bike recently.) It had gorgeous wood parquet floors and charming antique fixtures (including an intercom/​entry buzzer of which, sadly, the intercom part doesn’t actually work; not so necessary in this era of cell phones, but still). It had free radiator heat, and even came with stove, refrigerator, and an antique «pie shelf» style glass-​fronted cabinet that could be positioned wherever I liked.
The apartment had small mailboxes in the front lobby, and packages too large to fit could be directed to the main office in Zender’s building a couple blocks due west and picked up during business hours. It had keyed entry, and a buzzer button we could use to admit guests. It even had a laundry room with a handful of coin-​op washers and driers right downstairs, where I could do my laundry and even use the wifi from my own room nearly above it. It had a great view of the various flower gardens along the lawn right out the window, too. And it allowed pets – good for me, since I am owned by two cats.
(Some reviews of Zender mention things like an extra charge for air conditioners, or being located in a bad neighborhood near undesirable places such as halfway houses, but that kind of depends on which Zender building you live in. You should be sure and ask about that when they show you the place. The Windsor doesn’t have extra charges for air conditioners, and is right across from the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Museum, just next door to the Knights of Columbus, and just down the street from the Indianapolis Propylaem, so it doesn’t seem like a bad location to me. Just a few blocks from the main branch of the Indianapolis Public Library, too.)
Given that it was the closest to downtown and most convenient of any of the reasonably-​priced apartments I was able to find, in addition to its last-​century charm, I reserved it right away, and am living there now as I type this. And on the whole, I’m satisfied. The $ 605/​mo rent was reasonable for an Indianapolis apartment of this size, and my utility bills are a lot lower than in my previous apartment in Missouri. (And free, reliable heat in the winter? Can’t beat that.) They were also okay with me putting whatever hangers or hooks I needed to into the wall for paintings and surround speakers. I did have to buy and hang my own blinds, though (or, rather, have my brother do that for me).
One minor oddity is that the apartment’s toilet is a public-​restroom-​style unit with a pipe that goes directly into the wall, rather than your usual porcelain tank. But that means I don’t have to worry about the inner workings going out (like I did in my last apartment where I often had to lift the lid off and put the rubber flap back on by hand).
I could wish the shower head were a little higher off the floor, but the water pressure is good and the water comes out hot (even if the temperature does fluctuate occasionally). I could also wish for a more modern two-​basin sink with a Dispos-​all in it. But these are all minor niggling little concerns. On the positive side, this place has two spacious closets (one in the living room, one in the bedroom) and a pantry in the hall, in addition to the «pie shelf», so there’s plenty of room in which to put things.
Early on, I had to have maintenance come and put in a three-​pronged electrical outlet for use with my computer. (There were some three-​pronged outlets in the place already, but most were the old two-​pronged, including the one where I needed to put my desk.) They responded quickly and efficiently and got the job done fast, which I appreciate.
It’s possible things might happen down the road to change my opinion of them, but for now I’m happy with Zender, and have no qualms recommending them to anyone looking for an inexpensive, pet-​friendly, small apartment space. And if you arrange your rental via
, you can get a free $ 100 Visa gift card!

I lived with them for a year and had NUMEROUS issues with their customer service. I am in the hospitality industry and there is no way that I would ever talk to people the way they do. No matter what you say they are always right and you are never going to win with them. They will nickle and dime you for everything so make sure you keep records.
In the Winter, I wasn’t even living there for 1 month and I still had a $ 100 electric bill. The electric company could tell when maintenance was in my apartment because the rate would go way up during certain days. The apartment denied everything and it was my problem to deal with. When I came back from being gone for a month my window screens were off and no one cared to put them back up.
If they have an issue with something, they don’t get you the respect to call you but to deliver a note in your door.
When I was moving out, they asked me about showing my apartment. I told them I was no longer living at the apartment but then received a call two weeks later asking when I would be leaving the apartment???
Before you sign with them, they are very nice. Once they have your signature it was a WHOLE different story. Just beware!

I lived in a couple Zender apartments over the years and I was a happy tenant.
Building & Utilites:
The buildings are older and have charming ornamentation, with big windows, gated elevators, and old fashioned mail boxes. All my utilities were covered, but I chose to pay for parking, which I felt was worth it compared to having to drive around looking for a parking space. If you want an air conditioner and your unit doesn’t have one, you have to pay a fee to get it installed and removed and you pay an extra $ 10 a month on your rent all year round. I thought this was dumb, so I just put box fans in every window and ate a lot of popsicles in the summer. The laundry room wasn’t great, the dryers run super hot and ruin everything, so I would always wash anything that wasn’t bed sheets or towels somewhere else.
I liked my apartment. It had arched entryways, hardwood floors, huge windows, and a pretty tiled bathroom. The kitchen was big enough, but the stove was tiny and electric, but the wall paint was kind of gummy and would tend to pick up the color from whatever was leaning against it.
Maintenance & Cleanliness:
They have more than enough maintenance staff, so they fix things quickly and do a good job. Someone cleans the front entrance, halls, and elevators every week day, something I didn’t appreciate until I lived other places that didn’t. When maintenance comes to work in your apartment, the leasing office lets you know a few days in advance and after work has been done, they leave a note for you to let you know what had been worked on and if more work needs to be done.
Pets:
This was honestly the reason I moved out. I love dogs, but I do not love listening to 60lb dogs in 500 square foot studios crying and barking all day because they are lonely and miserable. Also residents were not good about cleaning up after their dog outside or when a dog would have an accident in the hallway.
Street and lot parking:
I don’t know what is wrong with people and why they leave things out on the seat of their cars. I never had someone break into my car, but I would see other people parked around me leaving laptop bags and ipods on the passenger seat. Just because you’re in a parking lot, doesn’t mean some person off the street or one of your own neighbors won’t smash your window in and take it.
As for parked cars getting run into by other cars, if you park your car against the curb, you’ll probably be fine, but Delaware and Pennsylvania have people flying by going over 50mph and it’s a mess when the bars get out, so accidents happen.
Don’t blame the property company for things that aren’t their responsibility.

Yesterday my car was broken into while parked in the underground parking garage at The Admiral apartments. Initially I thought nothing was taken, merely a window smashed.
This morning I realized the garage door opener was missing. I called the police to update the report (and of course still haven’t heard back) from vandalism to theft.
I then called Zender Property Management to inform them of the situation, stating that they should change the code on the garage door so the thief couldn’t just walk back in.
They informed me that I am liable for a $ 50 deposit on a «lost» garage door opener unit. I protested that I had not lost the unit, it was stolen, and asked if the fee could be waived.
Later this afternoon, I received a call from one of the agents informing me that she’d spoken with one of the owners, and they were not going to waive the deposit. I told her that was asinine, and a terrible way to treat a resident. I said I refused to pay and hung up.
I immediately drove home and checked my lease. There is no mention of a deposit on a garage door opener. There is, however, a sign in the garage that says the management company isn’t responsible for damage, loss or theft while using their garage.
Fair enough. But it’s still a poor way to treat a resident.
So I drove down to the office to see if I could speak with someone. The agent informed me that there was no way they would waive the fee. I reiterated that while there is company policy, there is also treating residents the right way. She stated that the owner had made the final decision.
I asked if there was any way I could speak with the owner, and she just said «No,» then sat there silently.
I told the agent that while I understand it’s not her fault or responsibility, I felt it was unfair and uncaring to be treated this way as a resident who pays rent on time and whatnot. She said nothing. By now I was livid, and after some ill-​advised bluster to which she didn’t respond, I got up and left the office.
Now, I realize that Zender Property Group indemnifies themselves from loss, damage or theft, and you use their parking facilities at your own risk. However, I think it’s a piss-​poor way to treat a resident.
I’ve lived here for seven months and can’t even get them to put screens in the windows of my un-​air-​conditioned apartment. Now they’re taking me for $ 50 for the garage door opener.
My advice would be, no matter how desperately you may be looking for a place, avoid Zender properties. They will bend over backwards to get you into their buildings, then act like your money isn’t worth a damn when it comes to maintaining your apartment or keeping your business.
Just pay your rent, shut up and deal with it. They are right, you are wrong. Your loyalty and happiness mean nothing, only your money.