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Red Cardinal Properties, U of M Housing Reviews and Ratings

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401 9th St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414

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$600
🛌  1
🛁  1
🎓   1mi to University of Minnesota
  1. Home
  2. Minneapolis, MN
  3. University of Minnesota
  4. Red Cardinal Properties, U of M Housing
2.1

⭐  RMA Score

1

🛌   Bedroom

1

🛁   Bathroom

1

🎓  Mile to University of Minnesota

Location Details

📍 401 9th St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414

🎓 1mi

Distance to University of Minnesota

🚶‍️ 15min

EST. Walk to University of Minnesota

🚲 3min

Est. Bike ride to University of Minnesota

🚗 2min

Est. Drive to University of Minnesota

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Reviews

1/5.0

08/03/2021

Current Resident

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We live right next to one of Nick Puzak’s house rentals which is so poorly managed that the rats are fighting the mice. Not to mention all the people who have keys to the place before we moved in. ie) late night visits. Total mistake!
1.2/5.0

12/26/2018

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There is a reason "Nic" starts with the letter N bc it's also in this case, indicative of full blown NARRCISSM. Malignant, systemic and rampant! Boundary and empathy (significant lack of...) issues galore! Poor family.... OMG. There is something VERY wrong. I rented from fall 2016 through winter 2017. ...
2/5.0

03/28/2018

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Nic terrorized us. He may be a sexual predator. He is a power hungry sadist. The dates rented are not accurate here for fear of his retaliation. I rented from fall 2008 through winter 2018.
1.3/5.0

03/25/2018

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I rented from spring 2018 through spring 2018.
1.5/5.0

11/30/2016

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Everything in the lease that the Puzaks had drafted up for use is to their extreme financial advantage from moving mid month to exorbitant fees for a nail hole. All and more puts damage deposit return unlikely and in real jeopardy from the onset. Once bound to terms, Owners Nic and Gail have no gain or real interest in facilitating resolution of issues or queries; short of city water main burst or similar. They both make that abundantly clear in demeanor, ridiculously ineffective communication with tenants (and apparently between themselves on particulars as well), and by inaction. You'd think that with their said dedication to the SE area, complaints would be the exception! Nic has been overheard to say (presumably bc of the income) that he 'doesn't have to care.' I hear its gotten steadily worse and hostile. If Gail hates her phone, she's in the wrong business. No way I'd let my nieces rent from them. Hey, we're from Mpls too... I rented from fall 2007 through spring 2008. ...
1.3/5.0

09/02/2016

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I strongly encourage parents who are considering setting their student up in one of any 7 Cardinal Properties U of MN Housing properties to think otherwise. There are other equally bad or worse University landlords as well... It pays to do your research! As mentioned here, so I won't go into it further, there is a real disconnect with the Property management owners Nic Jr. & Gail Puzak. It's probably ironic that they wouldn't consider the treatment, endangerment of peace, unnecessary school experience and interruption of focus for their own... I rented from fall 2014 through winter 2015. ...
2/5.0

09/02/2016

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There is something amiss here with the landlords Nic Puzak Jr. especially. He's got a short fuse and a temper, can only seem to rise above by assuming condescension, and even that is all pretense. A pattern here that I think is going to be impossible to break no matter who the tenant might be! His wife Gail appears to have had some sense of decency and warmheartedness, but has let her reserve cut her off from anything that angers her husband, or gets in the way of gauche greed. Quite ugly situation there... The problem lies in thinking business owners are supposed to care about providing a service. These property owners absolutely have no interest in that over maximizing their profit, no matter the cost. Even reputation and character. I guess it all depends how one defines true wealth! There is a disconnect and a reputation that precedes. Ultimately, its not worth peace of mind and a good college experience. Find someone who gives a dam instead... I'd say it borders on moral corruption and unless they seek a paradigm shift on their part, its going to be too much of a nightmare to make it at all worth it... Move on! I rented from fall 2015 through spring 2016. ...
2/5.0

04/30/2015

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Here from Sept 2013 to be ended Aug 2015. I knew from day one that Nic was a pain to work with as I had worked with him in the past at my job. But, at the time I was desperate to find affordable housing that wasn't trash and so my boyfriend and I moved in. The first few weeks, maintenance was done timely and we had little to no issues. After that, it all went downhill. I would have to put in multiple maintenance requests until they came to do it. When I had submitted the requests, I had asked if they could schedule an appointment with me as we have very busy schedules so it is likely to find one of us sleeping in or taking naps, but they never did. They would just enter without my permission. I called them out on it in an email and they agreed to make the change. Then, while I still working with him at my job, Nic took my personal cell phone number from my lease to text me about work. I didn't provide my cell to any of my clients because I didn't want to be bothered or harassed. But over Thanksgiving weekend, he decided to text me to complain about not seeing advertising results and proceeded to tell me that I didn't know how to do my job. After an incident with wasps entering my apartment, they didn't respond to any of my requests to fix the window frames until I found bug eggs in my apartment. Then they came and fixed that and an issue from about 8 months prior that they never got around to. I spoke to Bill about it and he asked me to go through him from then on. Fast forward to a few weeks ago and there was water leaking under our kitchen sink. It was literally piling up in the cabinets and on the floor. I called Nic because I thought it would be considered an emergency and he rudely ordered me to call the maintenance line that he would text me the number to.I went to ask him a question and he hung up. He clearly didn't care about this situation, and the potential mold that could develop from this amount of water sitting on the wood cabinets and floors. I called Bill about the situation and when I mentioned that I had called Nic, his first response was "Was he rude to you?" Even their staff know how rude he is. Bill got it fixed and cleaned on his own in about 3 hours. About a month before my second renewal being due, I called Nic to ask him if I could do a month-to-month lease for the next year and if I could get a pug as there was that exact breed in my building. He said no to the first because "Students don't move in the winter or summer so they couldn't lease it." Then he said that I could get the dog if I had old carpets, which we established I do. I was told to email his wife for written confirmation, which I did. With no response, I was dumb enough to sign my renewal. I emailed again a few weeks after the renewal being due, and Gail gave me an answer that said no because they only allow dogs 10 pounds and under and pugs on average are 13 pounds so it was too heavy. It was very clear that she had looked up the size of a pug just to enforce a new rule. Then, when I explained why I didn't understand the rule when my cat weighs more than 10 pounds, she tells me that I can't have more than one pet. Which is funny because in my conversation with her husband, he mentioned that I had already paid a pet deposit so he was well aware of it. In the rest of the emails, Gail was incredibly rude. She told us that we could terminate our renewal up to 30 days after signing, and we have decided to terminate it. I sent an email this morning about it and have yet to receive a response. If Bill took over all of the properties, I would rent from him in a heartbeat, but I can no longer justifying paying these people to NOT do their jobs. Any updates on the process in leaving will be put up. I rented from fall '09 through summer 11. ...
3.7/5.0

01/24/2015

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As a 2nd term, current resident with this company, I have to disagree with the majority of the "old" ratings. I live a lone in a large one bedroom apartment. My building is clean, well maintained, smoke free and I certainly don't have to listen to my neighbors partying (like my friends do in the student suites). Rent is fair and when I need maintenance, they're there quickly to resolve. I was very pleased with cleanliness at move-in. Walls were in great shape and everything functioned as it should. ...
1.2/5.0

10/14/2014

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Do not deal with Cardinal Properties or www.uofmhousing.com I wonder if they are even licensed!!! Dep of Commerce should be called
2.3/5.0

08/30/2014

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Definitely not worth it, don't waste your time. I got yelled at by the landlords for asking a question, and this was after they had been unreachable for nearly a month. There are so many bugs and the places are moldy and of terrible quality, and the landlords are mean and awful to their tenants. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere, regardless of what they tell you there is better value in the area. Even though the costs are lower you are getting pretty terrible quality housing in a dangerous neighborhood. I rented from fall 10 through winter 11. ...
1.7/5.0

07/17/2014

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Renting from Nick and Gail Puzack at Cardinal Properties was the absolute worst decision I have ever made. Let me preface this by saying we as renters have done literally not a single thing wrong, legally or otherwise, so it’s not like this experience with Cardinal Properties was influenced by our behavior. We live in the building at 1503 8th St. SE. Initially, Bill (one of their staff who takes care of most of the showings and maintenance) urged us to look at online reviews before we make our decision. Unfortunately we didn’t listen. Meeting with Nick was an insulting experience considering he shook the hands of both the men I was with and ignored me until I was introduced as one of the men’s girlfriend who would also be living with them (as if that wasn’t a given considering there were three people looking at the apartment and three people who showed up). He took almost an hour reciting his history in the business of property and then lectured us about renting as if we had never rented before in an incredibly assumptive and condescending manner. We actually had to ask him to move on and get to the paperwork because he spent so long doing this. He proceeded to assume I was a waitress and suggested that I pick up more shifts waitressing if I was worried about the exorbitant rent. I asked for a receipt after we gave him our deposit checks and he told me to calm down, which he continued to do anytime I even asked a question. The final straw was when he tactlessly told me I didn’t have to worry about being sexually assaulted in the parking lot after working late shifts at my (made-up) waitressing job because the parking lot was lit. When we tried to contact them over the summer concerning questions we had about renting, they never returned our phone calls or texts (oh yeah, Nick communicates almost EXCLUSIVELY through text message, good luck getting ahold of him after you’ve signed a lease and are no longer prospective money, and if you do get ahold of him, good luck getting any straight answers or even sensible texts in return). Finally, Gail answered one of my phone calls and was incredibly rude. That’s no surprise though, if you take a look at any of the other reviews. Gail is possibly one of the rudest people I’ve ever had the displeasure of interacting with, and without any reason other than the fact that she obviously hates doing her job. At this point, I wanted to pay the penalty and get out of the lease, our interactions with them were so horrible but the people I live with were concerned about finding another place so we stayed. Moving in on the first day (September 1st, 2013) was an absolute nightmare. It was filthy. The walls, appliances, and electrical parts (including the light that didn’t even have a cover over it) were covered in grease, it stunk, and had clearly not been touched. We had to clean the entire kitchen top to bottom. The bathroom literally had mold pouring out of cracks in the side (which eventually caved in) and you couldn’t even the see the slats in the ceiling vent because it was coated in dust. Bugs were crawling out of the drain. The windowsills were also coated in a greasy black slime that we couldn’t get off, even to this day. None of the light bulbs that were burnt out had been replaced, which was the majority of them, even though they require you to replace all of them before you move out. The walls were filthy. They require everyone to pay an $89 fee upon moving out to clean the carpets, but ours had giant spots on them and even crumbs and wrappers scattered everywhere. We actually had to rent a carpet cleaner from Home Depot and clean the filthy carpets ourselves. We had to replace a broken toilet seat and a disgusting showerhead ourselves. I was on the phone bawling with my mother for at least an hour that night wondering if we should just come home and try to figure out a different living situation. We told Cardinal Properties that our apartment hadn’t been cleaned and they ignored us. We finally sent them pictures of the mold in the bathroom and they only patched over the holes and denied it was mold, saying it was “discolored caulking.” However, they did say we should keep the bathroom well ventilated…hmm. Their maintenance has come into our apartment twice without permission, once when I was asleep without any clothing on. We didn’t get so much as an apology. The third time maintenance was scheduled to come, Bill called us at 10 PM on a Friday night saying we had to put a note of consent outside the door. Surprise surprise, maintenance still came hours early, which they even admitted. I received an apology from the maintenance guy, but certainly not from Cardinal Properties. When I made a request for an Emotional Support Animal (which you are only required to get a note from a psychologist or doctor for, and which I had) Gail was unbelievably rude and even wrote in an email that she would “take her time” deciding on a very cut-and-dry situation. They are clearly not knowledgeable about disability law when it comes to housing, which is shocking considering how long they’ve been in the business. She made demands that I did not legally have to adhere to concerning the nature of the animal and asked for extra time-consuming paperwork that I wasn’t required to fill out. When I asked Gail about a confusing, seemingly illegal clause in their lease that could be used to fine, for example, domestic abuse victims who call the police to the apartment, she asked if I was threatening her and has since ignored my question. When I emailed recently concerning the $89 for carpet shampooing since we are moving out soon and have picture and video evidence that our carpets had not been cleaned, Gail never responded other than to say if I had any maintenance requests that I should tell her. I did tell her and she proceeded to ignore them. When I called her upset that she would not answer any of my questions, she hung up on me and sent me an email that said my behavior was “borderline harassment” and that they would no longer communicate with me. Literally a couple days later Nick called to schedule an apartment showing. Well here we are - an hour and 30 minutes after the scheduled showing and they haven’t shown up, called to cancel, or responded to my text asking if they were coming. I’m sure I’ll have more to add to this review later and I’ve already sought legal counsel. Cardinal Properties is an absolute nightmare I rented from fall 10 through summer 11. ...
3.5/5.0

04/07/2014

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Private bedroom for a reasonable price in a clean, secure building close to campus. Landlord responsive. If you return the apartment clean, you will receive your deposit back. I rented from fall 10 through summer 11.
1.7/5.0

03/07/2014

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DONT RENT THIS PROPERTY. 1) You wont get your deposit money back. 2) Lease period, weirdly, ends on 15th of the month and you can guess why 3) Rent is exorbitant considering the facility of the apartment Landlords (Nic & Gail) are surely going to cheat you. A year back, they accused a foreign student of bringing in bed bugs, then they faced litigation wherein UofM lawers were involved. Beware !!! I rented from fall 11 through fall 11. ...
2.8/5.0

04/04/2013

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DO NOT RENT FROM THIS COMPANY. From the get-go I should have known not to get my hopes up with this apartment. When I went to go pick up my keys for my first day in the apartment, the landlord Gail was the rudest lady in the world. To the point that the caretaker of my building (Bill) felt it necessary to apologize for her actions. I told him I knew it was a busy time and I'm sure it was just the stress of it all that made her such a BI***. Well I was incredibly wrong. Like I said, the caretakers of my building were nothing but sweet and answered every phone call and if he couldnt answer- I recieved a phone call from him no more than 5 min. later. But trying to get ahold of Nic & Gail (landlords) was a whole different issue. Forget even trying to get them on the phone. Whether its about maitnence issues or just having questions about your lease. I went weeks calling them and leaving messages with not ONE RESPONSE. Then when I finally got Nic on the phone- he proceeded to yell at me and tell me he thought it was immature for me to keep calling him... I was paying this idiot almost $800 a month for a BOX of an apartment and he was yelling at a 20 year old girl for trying to get ahold of her landlords?? Not my idea of a professional. Then- the straw that broke the camels back and forced me to put in my 5 MONTHS NOTICE- yea you have to give 5 months. Anyways, they force you to MAIL your rent in- there is no drop box. So you can imagine how much money they make from "late fees" because a rent check got 'lost in the mail'. WELL I didnt feel like getting a late fee so I decided to mail it a couple of days earlier so I wouldnt have to worry about it. Well- not smart because they decided that they would cash it earlier. So my rent check dated (4-01-13) Because rent is due on the first of the month, was cashed on March 28th instead. These renters deal with a ton of UofM students... they had to have known I dont always have $800 in my account. I only get paid on the 1st and the 15th so I had about $200 in my account- trying to get $100 worth of groceries is pretty embarassing when your card gets declined. So my bank account became negative about $600 and I was getting overdraft fees left and right from my bank. .... I know that when you first see this apartment it may be nice to the naked eye but please save yourself many many headaches and go somewhere else- I've heard the 'steven scott management' is AMAZING and thats where I am going through for my next place in Minneapolis. I rented from fall 10 through summer 11. ...
2.8/5.0

08/28/2012

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The apartment in itself is nice. It is close to campus, but the area is very loud and noisy (there is a train and loud students to deal with). The one thing I absolutely did not care for was the landlords. They will charge you for everything! I doubt any person ever receives a full security deposit back. They will work with you, but personally, they say so many unprofessional things (especially about international students) and interacting with them is extremely awkward.They really are not professional in their interactions with their tenants. They feel more like a dormitory than an apartment. I suggest you really read the lease and the checkout list, because really, they're not worth it for the price they charge. I rented from fall 10 through summer 11. ...
2.2/5.0

06/22/2012

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The unit itself was nothing other than average. Everything had that slightly old feel you expect from a university area apartment unit. The management, however, made this building a nightmare to live in. They are masters at nickel and diming their residents, but instead of nickels and dimes they charge in $25 - $50 increments. The caretakers of the building itself were pleasant and charming. An absolute joy to live with but the landlords have completely ruined everything about living in their building. Each time I had to interact with the owners would instantly ensure a huge headache. No matter how convenient the price and location seem, the landlords are in no way worth the advantages. ...
1.8/5.0

06/18/2012

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It was in good shape when I got the room and they did repairs pretty quickly. The managers usually respond promptly, too. That was all that was good about this place. I was lied to from the day I went to view the apartment. I was told it would be quiet and then spent 6 months trying to shut up my neighbors. The manager showed up most mornings and would talk so loudly in the parking lot below my window that it always woke me up. I just caught them entering my apartment to show it without permission last week; I'm pretty sure they entered without my permission to show the apartment the whole time anyway though. I felt like $725 was much too high for rent, especially since they advertise one bedrooms at the complex for $650. I didn't have a dishwasher, the fridge was moldy when I moved in, and there wasn't even a plug in the bathtub (which also had moldy caulking). Basically, if you don't mind noise and don't have a problem pushing landlords around until you get what you want, this place is alright. I learned to late that I should have been firm with these people from the first day or just gone somewhere else. Bottom line: the Puzaks will not care about you and will take advantage of you if they can. They'll hold you to every, single word of the lease but won't honor it themselves unless you make them. I rented from spring 11 through summer 11. ...
2.8/5.0

01/24/2012

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Good apartment for the price, however I have had several problems with the landlords (increasing the rent without notice, claiming things differently than stated on the signed lease agreement). If you don't mind standing up for yourself, it's an alright place to live. I rented from fall '09 through spring 11. ...
2.8/5.0

08/16/2011

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Very quiet and in good location. Clean, well kept, and pleasant landlord and apartment managers on site, but had to deal with persistent cigarette smoke problem blowing up through bathroom vent. Had to keep bathroom door closed at all times and keep my things well away from what would have been convenient closets. Managers really didn't do a lot to solve the problem, I believe it was another tenant smoking or themselves. I rented from summer 11 through summer 11. ...
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