While most student renters anticipated a step up in living conditions when moving into the newly opened University View apartments, the reality of a few advertised amenities — including a pool, gym and satellite TV — left some disappointed.
“A lot of the stuff isn’t as good as they made it out,” said Josh Heibein, a sophomore business major. “The pool is pretty small, and the deepest it gets is three feet. [The website] said there was a pool, but they gave as few specifics as they could.”
The luxury complex on Route 1 opened for move-in at the beginning of August, and student renters continued moving in throughout the weekend.
Ryan Guirlinger, a senior government and politics and journalism major, said he didn’t think the pool was more than 30 feet long.
“It’s kind of like a wading pool or a ‘cool off if you’ve been tanning’ pool,” he said.
Residents also envisioned a larger fitness center.
“My roommate described it as a ‘girl-type’ gym,” Guirlinger said. “There are cardio machines, but nothing for lifting.”
Dianna Schaeberle, a senior English major, said the fitness center, though small, serves its purpose.
“If you don’t have time to run over to the [Campus Recreation Center], it’s nice just to go downstairs and work out quickly,” she said.
Some students also complained about a claim on the website about DirecTV. The building’s website listed DirecTV as an amenity included with rent, but residents found premium channels cost extra, with only basic cable channels included.
“They said they had DirecTV,” Heibein said. “They didn’t say anything about having to pay extra for it.”
Schaeberle said she was disappointed about the “empty promise of” DirecTV and was hoping to have HBO.
Hank Boyd, a marketing professor at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, said the mention of DirecTV on the website could have been a typographical error.
“They’re allowed corrective advertising,” he said. “If a few folks see it and are confused and say we think you should correct that, there’s the possibility to.”
He said he hoped that if management heard complaints about services, they would change.
“It’s just good business practice,” he said.
University View officials did not return repeated calls, and the building’s website, www.universityview.net, is now “under redevelopment.”
Rose Song, a junior government and politics major, said the complex had another fee she didn’t realize was part of the lease.
“You have to pay extra for a phone line,” she said. “We have to call Verizon to set up a land line and pay monthly.”
Song decided against both the land line and DirecTV because she said it was too expensive when added on to the monthly rent, which ranges from about $615 to $800 per bedroom.
Students also expressed concern for having to pay for parking passes.
“I’m paying the ridiculous price of $60 a month to park here,” Schaeberle said.
The price isn’t the only problem residents had with parking. Space is very tight in the garage, they said.
“I backed into a pole, and my roommate drove into a pole because he couldn’t avoid it,” Heibein said. “All the spots are really narrow, and there are poles in the middle of everything.”
Contact reporter Jess Milcetich at milcetichdbk@gmail.com.