61 Vandy, charleston-sc

I have been living at 61 Vandy since the start of 2024-2025 school year because the College of Charleston bought it out I guess to use it as campus housing for that year. My experience with 61 Vandy has been extremely disappointing due to ongoing maintenance issues and poor management. First and foremost, I have been without hot water since January 2025, and despite multiple complaints, it is now March 2025 , and the issue still has not been resolved. The leasing office and building manager have shown little to no urgency in fixing this serious problem. Everytime I called or stopped by the office to ask for updates, I was given vague responses like, “We’re looking into it” or “It will be fixed soon.” At one point, I was assured it would be repaired over spring break, but it was never fulfilled. The building manager initially told me he would keep me updated, but I only received one update- when he personally came to check if the water was working. Any other time, I had to call him or stop by the office myself for answers. The office workers never seemed to know what was going on, and the manager was rarely available, which left me constantly waiting for information or having to leave a message for maintenance. To make matters worse, I reached out to the College of Charleston Housing, since they took over Vandy and I had to pay $6,500 for room and board for the 2024-2025 school year. Unfortunately, they informed me that they could not offer any refund or reimbursement for the hotel rooms I had to book just so I could have access to hot water. I was told that the Director of Housing would look into it, but I never heard back. In addition to the hot water issues, our HVAC in our unit had been unreliable, going in and out repeatedly. The leasing office and building manager assured me they would notify their HVAC technicians. While someone came out once to fix it, the problem returned, and despite notifying management again, it has yet to be repaired. Overall, my experience at 61 Vandy has been frustrating and unacceptable. Basic necessities like hot water and a functioning HVAC system should not be ongoing problems for months on end. The lack of communication and accountability from management has made this an even worse experience. I would not recommend living here unless major improvements are made.

I have been trying to get out of my lease at 61 Vandy for almost two months, and the entire experience has been a nightmare. What’s worse than the situation itself is how I’ve been treated — or rather, ignored. It honestly feels like they go out of their way not to answer you. I’ve left countless messages, emails, and calls — all met with silence. When they do finally reply, it’s vague or contradictory.

A portion of the building has been without hot water since Thursday Jan 9. Today is Monday Jan 13 and still no hot water. No refund or consideration of any kind has been offered. If considering leasing here, take note of the manner in which this building has handled this maintenance issue. I am going to have to rent a hotel room for my student to have a warm shower. Ridiculous and unacceptable.

The staff at 61 Vanderhorst is truly helpful, kind, and knowledgeable at their job. As a delivery driver, I receive an immense amount of help from the staff ensuring that the residents are properly receiving their items. Everyone in the office knows the residents and greets them by name whenever one walks in. It is truly a friendly environment.

I enjoyed living here. I loved that it was fully furnished and so close to campus (and in the heart of the city), yet tucked away in a nice neighborhood. I felt safe at all times, and knew I could count on the office staff if needed. It was very pricey, but you get what you pay for.