The Sterling Apartment Homes

I really love living here for three main reasons. 1. Location. I work in West Philly and have several options to get to work, including walking, the apartment shuttle bus, or various public transportation choices. I can easily get to sports arenas, movies, shopping, dining, and numerous cultural sites from here. 2. Size of the units. The layout is very nice with lots of storage, and the bedroom is large, as is the walk-​in closet. The open floor plan makes it easy to entertain. 3. The staff is always friendly and helpful. It has been a challenge to live through the renovations, with the noise and disruption, but the results really are beautiful. I just relocated within the building to an updated unit and i love it. In a few months, all the floors will be finished and it will have been worth it.

Moved in last week and I love it. From the first appointment on, the staff has been amazing. Everyone is very kind and helpful. I’ve had one maintenance call that was handled very quickly.
Relocated from Indy and despite the major downsize of space and higher cost, I highly recommend It here. Not sure why my experience differs so from many of the other reviews. Perhaps it’s because I have a renovated studio. The amenities and location are great, as is the building and tenants that I’ve met so far.

We moved in to the Sterling 9 months ago and we couldn’t be happier. The staff is friendly and helpful and when we put a maintenance request in they are in our apartment within a few hours resolving our issues. The building is always well kept and the amenities are fabulous not to mention our new apartment is beautiful.

Negative stars. Please beware of the excess «damage» charges when you move out. They charge you the amount to repaint the apartment for a couple small scuffs. This place is a ripoff and not worth the money.
Other things that are a rip off– your utilities will be at least $ 100/​month even though you are never there because the building charges everyone for communal electric/​trash/​water based on the size your apartment and number tenants.
Elevators are always busy, water is always shut off at certain times, management is inattentive. My apartment was flooded and it took them more than a week to dry it out. Overall a disaster and I wish I never lived in this dump and will never live in another aimco property for that matter.

Elevators are extremely slow. I have to factor the time into my work commute. You would think that they would reduce rent while they are doing construction on the elevators because it’s a huge inconvenience, but they don’t. It’s also EXTREMELY HOT in the elevators and they have to stop at every floor because the majority of them usually aren’t working. Personally I think rent is way too high for what you get. Especially with the inconvenience of the elevators.

a registered sex offender lives here and i was not notified! another works in the attached offices! two! don’t live here
– look up the address there
this has got to be illegal… seriously f aimco and f tanner

I just moved out of the Sterling Apartments and i couldn’t be happier. There is a lot of pros and cons to the building.
Pros: The roof is an excellent new attraction they installed this year which is a fantastic place to sit with friends and drink some wine or BBQ dinner with full sights of the entire city. The rooftop pool is amazing.
The front desk people are great and made it really nice knowing their is always security and maintenance on the property that was very prompt.
Cons: Management is terrible. I signed a one year lease. At no time was I told their was construction on the building nor was their a chance I was moving since I only wanted to be there a year since I was in an intensive school program that didn’t leave room for much free time. Standard business practice would have someone sign a piece of paper acknowledging their is construction on premise and you might be relocated. They did not do this and thus…
Several months in i got a letter saying i need to be out in 60 days. They moved me up two floors during midterms week which was a hassle. They did move me to a nicer unit (I thought) Then the loud construction started from 8am to 6pm which was hard for studying. It literally shook my apartment. Even on my move out day I reserved the frieght elevator only to be told the construction crew needs it too so we need to share. When you pay movers by the hour it is unreasonable for them to change their plans that cost me money. Whats the point in reserving it then?
Not only construction is terrible inside the building they started building a new tower next to building which is also loud.
Too pricey and too many headaches. Move Elsewhere.

Just when you think the staff (Tanner, I’m looking at you) has hit an ethical rock bottom with deceptive policies and outright lies (just read all the reviews), they’ve actually sank even lower and emailed the entire building offering entry into a contest for a $ 750 gift card to post a positive review on Google!

If you are considering this building, I strongly urge you to look elsewhere. If possible, I would give this building zero stars.
1. The building management flat-​out lied to us. When it came time to renew our lease, the building sent us a letter offering us 12-​month renewal with a 4% rent hike. I spoke with management, and they agreed to not raise our rent based on a) the gym and rooftop renovations having been well behind schedule, b) only 1 or 2 out of 4 elevators working for most of the year (this is 29-​story building with 20+ units on each floor), and c) the almost weekly fire alarms. However, the renewal offer came back for a 7-​month lease, even though we had only discussed a 12-​month lease with no rent increase. When I went back to management on this, they stated that we were being offered a 7-​month lease because our floor was scheduled for renovation in 7 months. And when I asked why we were initially offered a 12-​month lease then, they nonchalantly replied that even if we had signed the 12-​month lease, they would have kicked us out after 7 months, because they were only required to provide us with 60 days of notice. So, building management was going to knowingly allow us to sign a 12-​month lease and kick us out 7 months later.
2. The lies get worse. My roommates and I found another unit in the building, and we asked to sign a 12-​month lease for that unit instead. We were told that we needed to sign an 18-​month lease, because of the renovation schedule on that unit, even though the building had listed the unit as being available for a 12-​month lease on the website. Suspecting foul play, we asked if a 18-​month lease would be required of prospective, walk-​in tenants as well, and building management said yes. We then asked one of our friends to act as a prospective, walk-​in tenant, and he was able to receive, on paper, a quote for a 12-​month lease and verbally confirmed multiple times that a 12-​month lease was possible on that unit. Then, when I confronted management with the paper quote, on the building’s official stationery, they refused to recognize it.
3. Other bad experiences throughout the year we lived there:
— Only 1 (at best 2) elevators worked for most of the year, so expect to wait 10 – 15 minutes for an elevator during busy times
— During the walk-​through of the apartment, I was told that «the windows are well-​sealed, you shouldn’t hear much of the construction noise». This was total BS. We were woken up at 7 AM Mon-​Fri (8 AM on Sat) by drilling for the new Comcast building. The construction would continue until 11 PM some nights. The noise was so bad/​loud that I’ve had people on the phone ask me what that horrible, loud noise in the background was
— Fire alarms, at least twice a month, at all times of the day and night. The worst part is that building management can’t figure out how to turn off the alarm, such that it goes off at 10 minute intervals, 10+ times, between 1 – 3 AM
— Grills on the rooftop pool broke 2 weeks after the grand opening, with no idea of when they might be fixed
Get out now, while you still can!

If you look at the apartment ratings here, you’ll notice they all have one thing in common: TERRIBLE REVIEWS
Since there are SO many negatives about this building i’ll list them in order of annoyance:
1. Construction ²⁴⁄₇ from either the Comcast building or Sterling Apartment renovations
2. At least 1 – 2 elevators are down EVERY week meaning that the elevator takes a minimum of 10 minutes in the morning/​evenings
2. Rent always increases by $ 70 – 100 every time you renew your lease
4. Fire alarm goes off every week. I once woke up to the alarm going off at 4am and had to wait outside in the winter cold for 6 hours before they let us back in the building
5. The property manager (Tanner Sheehan) doesn’t give a damn about the residents’ concerns
6. Utilities are split according to apartment size so even if you don’t use any Heating/​AC you will still pay over $ 100 in utilities
6. When you move out you’ll receive literally less than 10% of your security deposit back due to «damages» and «stains»
6. I’ve founds cockroaches in my bathroom numerous times
As a resident of this building for 4 years I can honestly tell you that this was the worst living experience imaginable. The only thing nice about this building is the location and honestly had i known what a nightmare I was walking into I would’ve gladly paid an extra $ 200 to live somewhere else. Living here is a HUGE mistake and every resident who has lived here will tell you that. Personally, I think all the leasing agents should be required to hit every potential resident with a baseball bat so they can truly understand how painful it will be to live here!

Read my previous review for full deets, but to address the comment from Carol W. on my review, Regional Property Manager, Ryan, has NOT contacted me and it’s been almost two weeks. Just sayin — YET ANOTHER empty promise from this abysmal place.

Let me preface by saying my girlfriend and I lived here for 5 months and would give Sterling 0 stars if I could.
The management is the most disingenuous I’ve ever encountered in my entire life. When we were shown the apartment, I should have realized a red flag when they didn’t mention the new Comcast tower construction going on next door, but alas we were drawn in by the attractive price and the location. We were told we would enjoy new amenities such as a new fitness lounge, a rooftop pool, and a new lobby in the Spring. Awesome, we thought. We move in and immediately we ran into problems.
First, every morning starting at 7 AM there is massive construction noise from the new Comcast tower. The Sterling apartments is an old building from the 60s which means sound proofing is terrible.
Next up is the state of the elevators. There is only one to two elevators working at any given time. For the size of this building, it means anywhere between 10 to 25 minute waits for the elevator.
Then there’s the guessing game on which entrance to the building was going to be closed for renovation.
And there’s the fire alarms that go off each week.
All of these problems are terrible. But I could deal with it. What happened next was a nice little notice that we got the day before New Years Day. They were renovating our floor and we had to be out by February 23. Before we moved in, there was NO MENTION of possibly the possibility of renovating our floor and having to move. NO MENTION AT ALL. They said to meet them about relocation within Sterling and that they would cover moving costs. So immediately we went up to the office and they told us that they were setting everything up. They said it was a 75% chance we’ll get an apartment upstairs and they’ll cover all the moving. Two weeks laster, they said that there was no apartment yet, but somebody appears to be moving out before their lease ended and we would most likely (75% chance again) relocate there. Another week goes past. Nope, they changed their mind. We’re looking at somebody else, but at this point they tell us to look elsewhere. I’m no mathematician, but the odds of 75% chance of success not working out twice aren’t very good. So this was late January and now we had about one month to find a new apartment. As you can imagine, finding a new apartment on such short notice is a terrible mess. It also cost me a lot of money because as a student, my new lease will start in February instead of June, which means I’ll be month to month for four months next year. On top of this, they are not responsible for any compensation since it states that they might renovate the floor in the lease, and they didn’t even cover the moving expenses since we moved to a non-​aimco property. Through this entire experience, the community manager never looked concerned, and continuously gave us false hope. So this new pool and fitness center that we were promised to see in the Spring. Never saw it. Luckily, we managed to find a new place, albeit pricy due to the such short notice. This place gives the impression of a large reputable company, but they are not. I was almost to the point of filing a lawsuit, but realized this group of people is not worth the time.
TLDR. Management is deceptive. The sterling is the constant state of renovation. There is construction noise from the Comcast Tower and in house renovations. The fire alarm goes off every week. Elevator wait times are 10 – 25 minutes. The Sterling apartments ended our lease half a year earlier than signed without a dollar of compensation. They didn’t even cover moving expenses for breaking the lease half a year early. Management never told us about even the possibility of relocating due to renovation. The community manager is unprofessional and speaks down to you. The Sterling is the worst rental apartment I have ever encountered EVER, and this includes experiences in China.

When I first moved into the Sterling apartments, there were many many many cockroaches in my unit! After a million requests to the management, and after them «suggesting» that I might have brought those cockroaches in my boxes when I moved in, after about a month, they finally moved me to another unit and I have not had any cockroach issues.
The last few months, of the 4 elevators only 1 and sometimes 2 have been functioning. The result? Either walk down (even if you live on the 26^th floor!) or wait forever to finally squeeze into an elevator.
Yesterday (March 10, 2015) we lost electricity and they claimed that it was a PECO issue and not Sterling’s fault. However, they never sent an email or call to notify us. I came home at noon to find that I had no electricity. So think — no lights, no internet, on HEAT (luckily it was a gorgeous day and didn’t need the heat on), no cable, no microwave, no electric stove, no fridge, no ability to charge your phone and laptop, no water to even drink… the list is endless! I called and left a voicemail and I emailed the manager asking when we could expect the power to be back on. I was trying to work from home. plus I asked because I needed to know if I should make plans for staying elsewhere in the night. but 24 hours later and I still haven’t received a response (though the electricity did come back on by early evening). I expect a response to my emails and calls!
And just got an email that after 2 days, there will be no electricity and no water in few of the apartments for some hours during the day. Sigh.
Few days ago — the fire alarm went off. many many times and for a very very long time. Why? The guard was unaware they pushed the wrong button and kept resetting the alarm! Result? Confusion if there really is a fire or not and loss of sleep! I’ve also noticed in the last 2 – 3 months that the fire alarm goes off almost everyday. So far, I’ve only been notified once by Sterling that there really was a fire in the building.
The guards and receptionist and mailroom guys are RUDE! I have been argued with about my mail when I finally pointed to a box marked with my apartment number and then was handed the package without an apology. I have had a suitcase in 1 hand and a bottle of water in another and been told that I will not be helped into the building next time and I have to use my key fob at all times.
Highly disappointed! I’ve been very patient in the last few months… Never complained about the elevators or the staff. But after management not responding to my call and email yesterday… I have lost all my patience!

I wish I could give zero stars. This place is the worst you can find. Fire alarm goes off sometimes twice a day (and is sounds like a banshee, there is no escape) constant water and power outages, problems with elevators, etc. even the valet parking is horrible, only one guy that works on weekend won’t make u wait for 15 minutes. Staff is not trained properly. Constant construction noise, even on saturdays. The biggest problem is with the management. They do not care at all. I have lived in AIMCO owned place before (park towne place, south tower) and I promise I know when I mean they DO NOT care. AIMCO will turn your life in their apartments into constant suffering. If you think that all of the above is gonna be justified by living in the center city, trust people that have already been through this. Do not repeat our mistakes. AIMCO will make you hate your home.

This update is long overdue. I would never, in my life, EVER recommend Sterling Apartments to ANYONE. This is prob my very few angry posts (Angry even after moving out for at least 6 months, WTF).
My previous review may not have reflected the full experience of Sterling residents. Now that I’ve moved out, I can give all prospective renters a full review of HOW MORE SHITTY THIS STERLING EXPERIENCE CAN BE.
I’m attaching 10 photos to this review so that viewers can judge for themselves if this is what they are willing and able to deal with during their stay at this lovely Sterling and of cos, what could potentially happen after moving out.
I think, by now, everyone knows that the elevators don’t work as frequently or as reliable as they should. And yes, the management has no qualms on increasing your rent EVEN THOUGH you are not able to use the facilities advertised (pool, gym etc.) Also, they really don’t give a fuck whether their overhaul and many many renovations disturb you because HEY! you’re just a fucking money maker for them.
Also, when you move out, please make sure your place looks super new (ie. you never lived in it). We were charged with $ 3045 worth of damages for our 3 bedroom (please note that our security deposit of $ 1000 was already taken from us leaving it at about $ 2500, review pictures attached). Let me just make it clear that we are NOT a frat house and our «damages» are really not that catastrophic. We tried to appeal because it’s fucking lot of money but OF COS, anyone can guess that it was unsuccessful. Look at the pictures to judge for yourself if you thought it was fair, and if you were in our shoes, would you be ready and willing to pay this amount?
Not a single person I know enjoyed their stay there. Sterling promised a lot of new changes but you know, this was a rotten experience in all. I truly regretted staying at AIMCO’s apartment. Living and leaving Sterling was a nightmare.
Staff (except for security) really don’t care whether or not you are satisfied. My experience was that the company is just one self-​serving and greedy company.
Some words of advice:
1) Don’t stay if you are not willing to pay exorbitant utility fees
2) Don’t stay if you are not a flexible and patient resident because the management will surprise you with forcing you to move or monthly fire alarms etc.
3) Don’t move out without doing a tour with the staff. They will be happy to do it without you because they can charge you with whatever the fuck they want and appealing does not do shit.
4) Don’t move in if you can’t pay exorbitant move out fees and damages.
5) THERE ARE MANY BETTER OPTIONS IN CENTRE CITY, PHILADELPHIA.
6) Just don’t move in.
One last thing for AIMCO: Don’t bother responding with your generic
. I really cannot have that Tanner guy calling me and acting like he will do anything, save this routine. You probably know you’re not even gonna do anything REAL so save it.
LINKS TO PHOTOS:

I don’t even live here, but two of my best friends do, so I honestly feel like I can write an apt review for this place.
ATTENTION, if you are a prospective resident of this place, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT even bother filling out an application for this place. The 1-​star reviews are all so accurate. This place has done nothing but inconvenience my friends and even me when I’ve visited (which is pretty often). The only saving grace of this place is its location (location, location…) and the well-​sized apartments.
I’ve heard more than numerous times about this infamous Tanner. I don’t understand why he’s not doing anything to help the residents?! I’ve literally read emails threads between him and residents and he never appears to address the issues at stake. There’s no point in even having him follow up with the residents because nothing is achieved in the end! False promises of improved amenities, barely one functional elevator, super loud construction, ridiculous rent increases are just a FEW of the various reasons you just don’t want to live here.
Seriously, aside from the fact that Unilocal doesn’t allow 0 stars, the only reason this place is rendering a star from me is the extremely nice/​helpful concierge. Shout-​out to the army girl!

It was great opportunity to be resident of The Strerling Apartment Homes.
I, m really enjoying the facilties & services.

Let me start with this: there wasn’t an option for no star so I had to give them one.
I moved in here last August and since that day the pool is closed and it is going to remain close till LATE 2015. They will allure you in with their facilities and common amenities but I have not used the pool even once in my stay here of 1 year. Keeping that aside they started this renovations which is now happening on my head as I write this review, on 16^th floor and I am on 15^th. They are removing the floors and putting hardwood flooring. Imagine the level of noise at sharp 8 am in the morning of the drills and hammers trying to remove the flooring. I am NOT paying a huge amount of rent for this! I or my husband cannot sleep in peace. He works late nights. The view the space the closet everything is just good but I would trade it in a minute with a smaller place where we could sleep in peace.
Adding fuel to it all is the constant noise of the new comcast building construction. Oh but remember, they do offer free breakfast once a year to compensate for ruining you sleep everyday!
Water outage every other week. from 9 to 5. It is worse than living in a third world country. NO WATER! And this is not just for few days.1^st month of construction we had it for atleast 8 days a month. And so on. even today we have no water and drilling on our heads.
And still we end up paying good 200 bucks for our 2 BD/​2 BR apartment’s utilities in a good weather month. if it is winter or peak summer the utility bill hikes up to 300!! We were on vacation for a month, apartment empty and still ended up paying 250 bucks in utility bcoz the utility bill is on sharing basis.
I have sent in my intent of vacating notice and I am just leaving.
If you do not want to get into all this hassle just listen to Unilocalers no matter what they show or tell you. and DO NOT rent here. its for your own good.

Update: Only after I posted this review did someone from Amico finally contact me. After two months of completely frustrating and ridiculous back and forth emails with building management and the regional manager, I was finally released from my lease-​on their terms and their non-​negotiable date. The best day of the last three years of living there was the day I moved out.
As for the notes… there was one more before I left, and still management did nothing. Actually, that’s not completely true… the building manager laughed when I told him. Because getting sexually charged, scary notes slipped under my door was a funny thing to you? No dude, it’s not funny at all.
Lastly, FYI for anyone looking to move in, Comcast is putting up a new building directly behind the Sterling. Construction begins daily at 7am (Sun-​Sat) and once finished will completely block any view a North facing apartment used to have.

Lived here for 2 years, in 2 different apartments– 808 (1 bedroom) and 924 (3 bedroom). The location is 2 blocks from work, and as a recent college graduate, I was willing to compromise quality in favor of commute time. Overall: For location/​cost for the YOUNGER person, ok with noise, unit issues, and overcharging for utilities, this is an ok spot to live. I would NOT recommend to someone who cannot stomach these things. New construction will not change many of bigger issues, despite what they might tell you. Windows are still too thin (can hear outside on lower floors), structurally the walls are too thin (hear neighboring units), the halls echo noise, and elevators often break. PLUS construction with the new Comcast building is going to happen for 3 years– starting at 5am. RUN. I currently live on Arch ST side of the building and we are constantly woken up by outdoor construction from a neighbor building– it starts at 6/​7am and we have seen/​heard them until 9PM! Sometimes on SATURDAY. But– being 50 steps from the rail-​system is a HUGE plus though– especially for people who travel often and want to avoid $ 28 cabs to the airport.
Pros: Maintenance staff and online system to report issues very convenient and pretty top notch. Things get solved quickly.
Cons: A lot of issue to solve with the older building (i.e. Leaks, door locks, outlets, bathroom mirrors)
Pros: Very friendly front desk staff
Cons: Very incompetent in true emergencies. When we had the fire alarm go off with the 5 hour (1−5am evacuation) they did not take leadership and explain the updates with the situation to the 200 people standing around. I had to repeatedly go to the front to ask, talk to the firemen directly, then relay to the 50 people I was sitting with– WHAT?! It is unfortunate, but had there been a fire, this would have led to SERIOUS problems.
Cons: 808 Unit had two issues with leaks. One major leak in the ceiling, luckily over no furniture or valuables and the other with water leaking out of shower tiles into the closet space causing mold and mildew. They replaced all bathrooms tiles but still speaks to the structure of the building.
Cons: NOISE. I am a heavy sleeper and have little to no issue with falling asleep but both units have had MAJOR noise. 808, which faces JFK Blvd, was so noisy I could literally hear skateboards in the summer rolling over the cracks in the sidewalk. I could also hear full conversations at 3am from ground. They are NOT replacing the windows during the renovation so if noise is problem for you– think twice or move higher up. In the unit 924 we can hear every party our above neighbors have– including them singing happy birthday.
Cons: The complete rip off of utilities. If you have the money to afford it– not a big deal– but if you care about ‘fare prices’ this isn’t the place for you. Like mentioned before– water and AC/​Heat units are divided by the building and thus you are completely OVER charged for these items. It has only gotten WORSE since the construction– as our bills have gone up 25% to 40%! IN APRIL and MAY?! When we have had MUCH milder temperatures than Dec/​Jan?! [$ 411 for utilities for a 3 bedroom in April!?] Please. 808 max bill a year ago was around $ 137 for reference.
Pros: Business Center/​Workout Gym. Business center is great with the free wifi if your goes down, cable TVs, conference rooms. Gym is small and gets crowded during peak hours (5−7pm) but works for me.
Cons: Business center gets crowded– very crowded to the point where it is too loud. Students leave books in rooms– holding them all day when they aren’t in them for hours at a time. Workout machines and room is NOT cleaned enough. They provide just wipes for self-​wiping machines and when closely inspected it is obvious the cleaning crew either doesn’t come or doesn’t clean. Pretty gross when you think about all the crusty drops of sweat– I often scrub down my machine to make up for others’ misses.
[Lived in unit 808 from 2012 – 2013. Lived in unit 924 from 2013– July 2014]