Vantage Residential

Moved out in 2010 after months of feces, cigarette butts, empty liquor bottles and parties until 5 am in the hallways. Don’t forget the stabbing in the entryway of the building only to find out that the «security» camera did not work.
The LAWYER Steve Goldstein for Vantage Realty came to an agreement with us and we moved out early. We agreed to put our security deposit to our last month’s rent. Good riddance! Emails galore to prove all of this.
Worst part? Both my husband and I have it on our credit report that we owe them $ 1,550!!! They won’t return phone calls. We had to keep calling. They yelled at us on the phone and even ADMITTED to «losing all of their files.» So they say they are depending on us to prove otherwise. I did. Five years later it is STILL on our credit report. These people are slum lords.

I CANNOT get them to return my security deposit… and thought I did all the right things. These guys are a disaster to deal with. 100% inept at best, fraudulent at worst.

I applied for an apartment with Vantage. Despite having perfect credit, no debt, and way more than enough savings to cover me for the year they wanted me to prepay a year’s worth of rent. An escrow account wasn’t acceptable to them, probably because they didn’t want to be accountable to anyone.
I’m not sure what they are like when it comes to managing a building, but my experience was pretty consistent with the reviews on here; they seemed incompetent and their refusal of an escrow account was a HUGE red flag.

Agree with everyone else. Terrible management company. If you need to talk to them about anything, they never pick up the phone. I have had to go all the way to their offices to try to get any question answered. They are just terrible, impossible to reach. Horrible company.
Would give it a zero if I could.

The only reason I even gave them one star is because you have to at least put something in order to write a review. I am going to go ahead and say this is the worst management company I have EVER had the displeasure of dealing with. I lived in one of their buildings in Washington Heights (I’d put the address but not sure if that is allowed or not). When I first moved in, I was estatic and loved my apartment, but that wore off in less than a week, as the building rarely had hot water (it legitamately was out at least twice a week). The building was never able to get everything under control in regards to heat and hot water, and I actually wound up injuring myself once while boiling water to be able to bath like they did in the 1800’s befor indoor plumbing. That was the last straw for me, and I decided I couldn’t live out the remainder of my lease. I voiced my concerns constantly to the management company, but they apparently fell upon deaf ears. Eventually they agreed to letting me break my lease and move out early, but it wasn’t without penalty, as I still ended up paying for two months I did not live in the building, but at that point my sanity was worth more than any dollar amount. After signing an agreement allowing me to move, which I should mention did indicate they would return my security deposit within 60 days from the «new» contract end date, I thankfully moved out of the wretched hole of a building and on with my life. Fast forward 60 days past that 60 day date, and I still haven’t heard from them in regards to my security deposit. I’ve called and talked to someone who told me that because I was able to break my lease due to a maintainence issue, they would be taking care of this and someone would call me back within 48 hours… This was a week ago, and I’ve been trying to call back since only to get the mailbox. I have left several messages that have gone unreturned. My advice to anyone looking for an apartment is too keep looking and avoid this management company at all costs! It is not worth it. While the pictures are enticing, do yourself the favor and save the headache in the long run. Avoid it, avoid it, avoid it!

Vantage is the WORST!!!
YOU WILL REGRET RENTING FROM THEM!!!
I live in one of their buildings in Queens and they have a million violations for living conditions. My own personal experience: ceiling leakage, wrong electrical wiring, black mold in the bathroom and not to mention major cracking in the ceiling and our kitchen floor cracks.
THE PROBLEM is MANAGEMENT!!!
When you have to get these problems fixed, you cannot find anyone who can help you, they take forever to respond, and the super of our building it an inept idiot. We always wondered how ever did he get his job, not only that but management seems to have no control of their super. By the way, apparently, Vantage has changed management companies, and they are much much much worse.
I’m scared my ceiling will kill me i HATE THEM they made my life a nightmare!!!
I only have 6 months left on my lease, but if you come across them AVOID THEM!!!

I had an absolutely horrible renting experience with Vantage. I agree with the others, and wish I could give this management company ZERO stars. When I tried to turn in my keys upon move out, my super did not have his phone on, and I left several messages. I went into the offices the next day, and was told they were closed. When I called to leave a message, a woman picked up and literally yelled at me for telling her the security guard wouldn’t let me into the office. Then she told me that I would be charged for an extra month’s rent for not turning in my keys on time. UGH! It was unbelievably frustrating. She refused to give me her name and wouldn’t even come to talk to me face-​to-​face when I got into the office.
I moved out almost 4 months ago now and still haven’t seen my security deposit check returned. If you are considering this management company, I strongly recommend you run… far, far away.

Vantage has wasted many days of my life within 2 months of signing. I can write a novel of why you should stay away, but I don’t think that would be allowed here (just read the other reviews). Just stay away … seriously. If you sign w/​them, then you’ll regret it within 2 weeks of signing and then remember that « Unilocal told you so».

As others say, I would also give ZERO STAR.
I definitely don’t recommend this company to others AT ALL.
Since the moment we moved in this apartment, we have uncountable problems; noises of neighbors at night for months, leaks from the wall, broken key of our door, and the broken intercom… but the worst part is the customer service. They don’t really care about you. They don’t help you. They are not there for you. Period. Coming late to the appointment? Even not showing up to the appointment? No surprise. We’ve been going through that. Now, the aftermath of hurricane Irene, putting the containers by the windows for leaks, waiting for them to pick up the phone… again.

The fun continues! Our Internet access mysteriously stopped a while ago, and after a few long hours on the phone with Verizon, we finally got one of their technicians to come out and have a look. And what did he find? Well, it turns out that Vantage decided they didn’t like the look of the building’s cable and phone lines dangling off the side of the building anymore (neither did we, but we dealt with it because that’s how it was always set up), but instead of rerouting some new lines through the interior of the building, they decided to just cut the old ones. All of the lines. To the whole building. And they didn’t tell anyone. The Verizon people were angry about this, and understandably so, considering that it was their service that Vantage had cut (apparently without notifying them). After this we raised some hell and Vantage got some new lines strung up about 1.5 weeks later, but it was still an unforgivable move to begin with.

Vantage is a total joke. I DO NOT RECOMMEND RENTING FROM THEM. I have lived in my «renovated» vantage apartment for less than 1 year. So far, numerous electrical sockets don’t work — not terminated properly. Dishwasher has failed — because it was not electrically grounded. Entry intercom system wired incorrectly — unable to speak/​hear or buzz people in at the building entrance. «New» Microwave door handle has broken off.
Today, the 75 pound bathroom vanity has collapsed from the wall and cut open my chin on the way down. I’m a big guy and was able to catch the unit. Otherwise it would have smashed through the porcelain sink and toilet and probably flooded the place. The weight and size of the unit could have killed an elderly person. The unit was not mounted properly. Up until now, I have repaired everything myself. After 6 weeks of no response from vantage in regards to the dishwasher/​microwave (both under warranty) I called the manufacturers directly, who sent technicians immediately and the units were fixed within a week. The electrical problems with the sockets/​intercom I have fixed, but I now realize that most of the circuits here are not grounded properly (a fire/​shock hazard). The killer vanity is still being addressed. I’m sure they will come and take an incident report because I got hurt, but whether it ever gets fixed is another story. I could go on, but I won’t. and trust me, i’m not a complainer. VANTAGE shouldn’t be in business. No one there will ever take accountability for anything. THUMBS DOWN!

Agree with everyone who said there should be a ZERO rating! This company is horrid. I’ve been in a month, and couldn’t list all of the problems in this little box! The apartment wasn’t ready AT ALL when I moved in — construction dust over everything, tile sealer spilled on the floors, new appliances were not even unwrapped… went cross town to the office to get a key fob which didn’t work for a week. GAS wasn’t even turned on and when I called they said this «wasn’t an emergency» and they’d get to it later. They started construction without a notice and filled everyone’s apt’s with construction dust AGAIN, and also had to install own locks and screens… on and on. Haven’t had the experience with paying rent as described by others, but this will be my first month to pay so not looking forward to that.
Avoid renting from this company by all means!

This place needs a ZERO rating.
I completely agree with the frustration everyone else has with Vantage. I am one of the newer residents in the building and I cant believe the lack of customer service and service in general this company has. I cant find a Super for the building and kept leaving messages about fixing things in my apartment… like HEAT, and still no response.
I cant wait to be done with this company, and to find a landlord that is attentive. I am paying way too much money to these people to never get good service or deal with real people.
I can not write all of the issues I have with this company but if you need to know I will gladly share them… CALL 311, and dont renew your lease.

I’ve had the non-​pleasure of dealing with Vantage Residential for a year. The only service or contact you will ever get from this company is from the leasing office before the signing of the contract. After that, you are on your own to get:
(1) Any type of billing related adjustments (numerous billing errors made by their accounts receivable department).
(2) Apartment repairs, including the installation of a lock (had to do this myself when I moved in), installation of a smoke detector, window screens, vermin, hot water (Although the superintendent of the building is helpful if you can find him)
(3) Return of your lease deposit. It takes 60 days for them to «clear». After numerous calls over the course of one month to their 1 – 888 number, I was able to reach Accounts Payable. When asked what the process was to have the deposit returned, they said «sixty days» with no clarification of what happens in between, or why it takes a whole two months for them to write and send a check.
Another note: their management office in Woodside has no windows, the main door is locked with a security camera in the front along with an intercom/​buzzer. If you can’t reach them through their customer service line, you will not be able reach them in person either. Unless you are signing a new lease, renewing a lease or DL Hawkins from Heroes, GOOD LUCK.

This is the first management company I have had to deal with. I am in my early 20s and consider myself to be in good health. But after dealing with the complete incompetence of every single person at Vantage, I am sure I suffer from high blood pressure and should be going to anger management classes. No matter how good the deal looks, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT ever sign a lease with Vantage. Here are a few examples of my aggravation. If zero stars were possible…
1. When the leasing agent wrote up my lease, she put the wrong apartment number. Then she took so long to draw up new papers, she told me I would have to move the following month. (FROM MASSACHUSETTS) Needless to say, I ever so gently pointed out this was her error.
2. Errors on rent checks, every month. My second month they doubled my bill. Oh no.
3. Rent bills arrive as late as the 28^th of the month. You also can only pay them via snail mail. If they don’t have the bill by the first, which even if you send it out the day you get it is impossible, they add $ 50 to your next bill for lateness.
4. Like James C. I had to install my own lock and screens.
The good part is, only 267 more days until I can move!