Sterling Arbor Blu, ann-arbor-mi

I really enjoyed my time living here. The units themselves were nice and well taken care of. The prices are what they are but they were all inclusive of utilities and internet which does add some value. The staff were friendly and did their best to ensure a high quality resident experience. Having lived here and another similar building, the issues Arbor Blu faces are the same issues other buildings in the area experience as well. The only unique issue Arbor Blu has is Garage Bar, the outdoor bar occupying the first level of the building. Especially over the summer, it got loud in our unit, even on the 11th floor. I would have liked the management company to set policies to keep the noise at a lower level and required it to stop at a certain hour as well. My largest grievance was the virtual doorman, Butterfly. In my opinion, having the system quite literally opened the door for widespread abuse and safety concerns. It made no sense to allow people to open the door for others while the resident wasn’t home, could create codes that can be used anytime without oversight, etc. The significantly decreased level of safety was not worth the minimal convenience. I lived there both before and after its installation and preferred living without it. Regrettably this technology did seem to be a “hot trend” in the area so other buildings have been building it as well. Overall a solid choice for housing with management company that was pleasurable to do business with. Not directly Arbor Blu, but if you need to park a car I would recommend looking at other buildings. The Ann Arbor garage they offer spots with sometimes had waits to leave, had limited spaces and was just a small headache.

I've been here since August '25 and while I didn't have a bad experience, I think for the price this place is generally lacking. This is from a grad student perspective. THE GOOD: First and foremost - the location is incredible. It's an easy walk to the bus stop, to Yost/the Big House, downtown, and wherever else you want to go. The streets can get pretty congested so you learn to be patient. Secondly, the staff have been very friendly, from the front desk staff to the maintenance staff, they're all pretty great (shoutout James). They've been helpful & respectful answering questions, figuring out problems, and hosting events (more on that later). Maintenance has been quick and responsive. The cleanliness of the common areas (hallways, elevators, trash rooms) is pretty good. They vacuum once or twice a week and I've never really had issues beyond the trash chute being chronically filthy. THE BAD Overall my issues in this section are relatively minor in the grand scheme of things but for this price there are fundamental issues that exist that are echoed in other reviews. The mail room can be a nightmare - from misplaced/labeled packages to them not even being scanned in. You can't access it without a code so good luck. WiFi is very often slow & occasionally down The walls are pretty thin and you can hear your neighbors all around you. The most notable is that the building is right above the Garage Bar so you will feel the bass & hear the music until 1-2am. I was on the 8th floor and I feel horrible for anyone lower. The lack of any proper ventilation in the hallways, unit, and bathroom is an ongoing issue. At least in my apartment we had one small opening for our window in the living room, and none in the bedroom (I'm still confused on this). The cooktop "ventilation" is present, and that's about it. It's a recirculating fan in the microwave that does nothing to reduce cooking smells. You're honestly better off not turning it on with how loud it is and how it does nothing. The smell from any apartment commonly spreads throughout the hallway, and every week I come back knowing exactly what someone down the hall is having for dinner. There is also no ventilation/fans in the bathroom so any smells/steam in there must migrate to the wider area and don't diffuse quickly (small window!). The key system has consistently been the most frustrating issue living here. You get a fob for building access which is also your room access, with no metal key or code backup in case it fails. I've toured other places for next year and they all have backups. I've had weekly issues with my fob consistently. To echo other peoples issues with appliances - almost every appliance in the apartment has given me issues. The kitchen sink works well, but nearly every week has some strange smell from it that draino/water can't fix. The microwave's only issue is the effectively nonfunctional recirculation fan. The cooktop/oven work fine. My fridge has consistently frozen my food for months even with the cold on the lowest setting without a set pattern. The washer and dryer though have been easily the most frustrating appliances I've ever used. The washer commonly fills my clothes with a fistful of lint each wash, and if you select anything but 'Tap Cold' you get steaming hot water. The dryer will commonly refuse to start the first few times starting it, and resort to beeping (even with the lint trap cleaned). I'm not sure if it's the dryer or washer but every week for months for anywhere from an hour to days the unit will beep 2-3 times on a random cadence. Lastly as others have mentioned the furniture is simply uncomfortable & not in the best condition. The couch is bearable for an hour at a time at best and the stools get maybe 15 minutes. The desk & coffee table have the wood peeling/expanding from obvious signs of use. SUMMARY Overall, I don't regret my time here, only the price. I think the location & relative cleanliness to other buildings is a really big plus. However you absolutely can get far better for much less in the same area.

I have lived at Arbor Blu for two years and I have enjoyed every moment of it. The rooftop lounge is great for studying during the day and having friends come hang out at night. Downstairs, the official study lounge has been a lifesaver for getting homework done, especially in bad weather when walking to the library isn't ideal. The study lounge is also great because it has a printer, resident computers, AND a coffee machine with Starbucks coffee. (It's amazing to just be able to walk downstairs and get a free coffee in the morning, let me tell you that.) However, my favorite part about living here is my apartment. Coming from the dorms, I have loved having a washer and dryer inside my apartment with me (no more trudging up and down flights of stairs with a heavy laundry basket!). The kitchen is also phenomenal. I love to cook and bake, and the counter space and dual-compartment sink makes prepping and cleanup easy. The floors in the kitchen, living room, and bathrooms are a breeze to clean as well. The apartments come fully furnished (even with a TV that lets you easily connect your Netflix account!) and the wifi is reliable and speedy. Even though the rooms in my particular unit are relatively small, the beds are lifted high enough to make it easy to store items underneath and a little bit of organization really makes the most of the space! Everyone, from the maintenance crew to the office staff, is very kind and helpful here. They also organize fun events and hand out food on special occasions! I would recommend living here to anyone who's considering it.

Do NOT rent with Arbor Blu. I signed here as freshman year, and I seriously regret it. For $1,700 a month while sharing a bathroom, this place is absolutely not worth it. Please read this before signing a lease. Cleanliness & Maintenance Issues The apartment always looks dirty, no matter what we do. My roommates and I wipe surfaces 2–3 times a week, and somehow the dust buildup can happen literally overnight. It’s unreal. The vents are filled with dust and barely work. You cannot cook without the smell lingering in the apartment for weeks — even in a 5-bedroom unit. There are also weird smells that come from the pipes and sometimes from the dishwasher. The bathrooms don’t even have proper vents. The washers and dryers are just as bad. The reviews aren’t lying — even for small loads, you pull out handfuls of lint. It feels like nothing is properly maintained. Furniture & Condition of the Unit The furniture and cabinets always look old and dirty, no matter how much we clean. Everything is extremely scratched up. For the amount we pay, the furniture is uncomfortable and honestly ugly. The TVs barely work. Our living room doesn’t even have a working light, and the light above our door has never worked. Walls, Temperature & Noise The walls are paper thin. I can hear people from the floor below and from outside, even though I live multiple stories up. Temperature control makes no sense — on freezing winter days, the thermostat will read 80 degrees, and there’s nothing we can do about it. Roommate Matching I specifically requested very clean roommates, and the matching was completely inaccurate. That added to the overall frustration. Amenities For $1,700 in rent, you’d expect solid amenities. The gym is tiny — there are maybe three non-cardio machines, and they’re always taken. It’s smaller than a living room. The only partially redeeming part of this place is the study room. Overall, this place is overpriced, poorly maintained, and not worth what they charge. My review is the tip of the iceberg. If you take anything from this review: run. Take your money somewhere else. Don't be fooled like my freshman self!! I will NEVER rent with Arbor blu again

Overall nice facilities — the big windows are much appreciated, especially in winter. The lounge on the top floor and the study room on the second floor are awesome except for the inability to dim the lights in the evenings. Also, the water pressure is really low in all the bathrooms — showers, sinks, and toilets. Great location, really friendly staff. Thank you for taking the time to make improvements! :)