The Commons at Sawmill, flagstaff-az

I am writing to share my experience living at this property, which has been deeply disappointing and unacceptable given the cost of rent. I was told this complex was both affordable and conveniently close to campus, which is not accurate. Upon arrival, the front desk staff member was dismissive and appeared unsure why I was even there. After eventually receiving my keys, my roommates, who had already moved in, immediately informed me that there was a strong odor coming from my bedroom, despite the door being locked. The smell was noticeable from the living room. I have lived with cats my entire life and have never encountered an odor as overwhelming as what was present in that room. The smell of cat urine was extremely strong, enough to make my eyes water just standing inside. The room itself was in severe unsanitary condition; I am not being dramatic when I say there is no way that room could not be considered a biohazard. There was cat food embedded in the carpet corners, gum stuck inside a desk with drawers that did not close, excessive cat hair and dust caked onto the ceiling fan, cat litter on the mattress, and a closet door installed upside down. The issues extended far beyond my bedroom. The apartment floors had clearly not been swept, the kitchen cabinets had oil splatters inside, the porch was stained with spilled beer, the couches were heavily torn, and there were paint splatters throughout the apartment. The peephole was installed backward, allowing people outside to see into the apartment. The front door does not close properly and frequently blows open unless locked. All the fan lights are connected so the lights will randomly turn on at 3 AM. Additionally, there are large, poorly patched holes throughout the apartment, presumably from prior maintenance work. When I reported these issues to the front desk, I was dismissed and told that the only solution offered was carpet shampooing. When I asked how these conditions were missed if move out inspections were conducted, I was told by the front desk that “sometimes things can be missed.” During the cleaning, the maintenance worker was audibly gagging. After the carpet was shampooed, the smell returned, even stronger than before. I was forced to sleep on the couch for three nights while the apartment reeked of cat urine. No compensation was offered, not even an apology. After a two hour phone call, the carpet was finally replaced. However, the walls still smell musty unless a window is left open. While the chair was replaced, the couch remains damaged, none of my desk drawers function properly, the dryer does not work despite having the lint cleaned out, and the large patched holes remain visible throughout the apartment. While most of the front desk staff have been polite, that is the only positive aspect of my experience. There are other housing options equally close to campus (look at Yugo grove/central or Freemont) that are significantly better maintained. For the amount of rent charged, amenities are minimal, limited essentially to a small gym. Despite these conditions, the property attempted to raise rent for the coming year, making prices comparable to Elara which has better security, amenities, and cleanliness. Do not believe the five stars reviews. The property has previously removed and relaunched its online presence, which explains the lack of long-term reviews despite operating for many years. Additionally, the model units and floor plans shown are not representative of the actual apartments, which are older, considerably smaller, less maintained, and often face directly into neighboring units. Additionally, just be aware that there is no security presence and it is open to the public so anyone can walk up to the doors. We have had multiple different salespeople come up and knock on our door. We are close to the police station but if you are a woman please take this into consideration. Based on my experience, I strongly advise others to not live here and to research any other options.

The process for signing my lease was much easier than what I was expecting. The leasing office staff was extremely helpful especially Kacy and Nick who were exceptionally nice and accommodating. Over all I can't wait to live here as it is a beautiful property, very close to campus, and full of fantastic staff!

I had a great experience taking a tour from Dom, who toured us through the society and the 4b4b accommodation I was interested in. Dom had a smile on his face always, was super friendly all through the conversation, and patiently answered all the questions I had. I almost put 30-40 different questions, ranging from rent, common roommate issues, handling of mail, lease process, community events around, etc, and Dom was super kind throughout the process of answering them. Although I didn't sign a lease at this place, I had a real positive feeling about this place, and the management. Thank you for the service!

Super friendly staff and clean living spaces. The apartments are in a great location, close to NAU as well as the sawmill shopping center.

Lived here for about 2 years now. Now, let me explain why I'll be here for another year. I lived in a lot of places, but I've never encountered better service. First, I want to give a shout out to the maintenance crew. They have always resolved any issue I had quickly. Usually fixed the same day, but I don't think I had anything not get fixed within 24 hours. Alfonzo always plays with my cat when he stops by, and Arturo likes to stop me when he sees me to check in and make sure everything is still good. They are always friendly, and get the job done right. The office crew is great, too. While the current manager is new and I don't know Nick well yet, he has been friendly in the few times we've talked. John and Dom have been around awhile and have always been super friendly and helpful. I have often gone into the office with random requests, and they always do their best to accommodate. They take comments and advice seriously, too. I recommended some adjustments to the gym like moving some of the equipment so we could have more of a mirror wall, and the office actually took the idea and went with it. The apartments were renovated a couple years ago, so they are in decent shape. Carpet in the bedrooms, and hard floor everywhere else. The walls keep most typical sound from traveling much, unless the neighbors above you are really going at it. There is a nice path that heads straight over to south NAU campus. It's nice to not have to walk alongside traffic. Is the price high? Sure, but about on par with most of the area. And I don't hear anyone nearly as satisfied with their service.