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The Cottages of COlumbiaWrite a Review

2400 E. Nifong Blvd, Columbia, MO 65201

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πŸŽ“   3.9mi to Columbia
2

⭐  RMA Score

3.9

πŸŽ“  Miles to Columbia

Location Details

πŸ“ 2400 E. Nifong Blvd, Columbia, MO 65201

πŸŽ“ 3.9mi

Distance to Columbia

πŸšΆβ€οΈ 30+min

EST. Walk to Columbia

🚲 12min

Est. Bike ride to Columbia

πŸš— 8min

Est. Drive to Columbia

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Reviews

1.3/5.0

07/09/2016

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This place is garbage. The management rips off and truly harms its tenants. The Cottages is a horrible place to rent - Columbia has far better options. Let the Cottages go bankrupt like their morally bankrupt management practices deserve them to be. I rented from fall 2015 through spring 2016. ...
1.8/5.0

11/19/2015

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I do not recommend leasing there. It was the worst experience I've had in Columbia. They will squeeze every penny they can out of you I rented from spring 2014 through spring 2015.
2/5.0

06/10/2015

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DO NOT LIVE HERE. Way overpriced. Insane overages, no matter how careful you are with water and electric conservation. Internet almost never works which is a nightmare during the school year. Management is annoying. People with no uniform/indication that they are with the Cottages come in and out when they want, rarely with notification. I hardly think they can call themselves a "gated community" when the gate is broken 75% of the time. Do not give these people your money. ...
4/5.0

12/13/2014

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I lived at the Cottages from 2012-2013 for my senior year at MU and it was a great experience living surrounded by students. I was in the manors right at the entrance of the complex so I typically parked right in front of the building and in front of the gate, only needing to go behind the gate when I arrived late at night but then still a short walk. The bus to campus was super helpful to avoid buying a campus parking pass although most days I did catch the last bus of the day from campus (~5pm) only to come back with my own car shortly after. In the summer, the pool would be a big student party spot. I really liked the CenturyLink internet/TV deal they had included in the rent. The security guard is a nice feel-good amenity but they do very minimal. The dumpster was on the opposite side of the property so it was always a pain taking the trash out but if your roommates get lazy and throw the trash (or guests' cigarettes) on the porch, then BAM! $50 fine. So don't be dumb. My only complaints lie with what most large scale student housing complexes suffer from and that's with the construction of the buildings. It was one of the first large (non-apartment) student housing complexes when it opened in 2007 and some of the features were cheap. During my stay, the carpets were faded and coming apart and worst of all the windows were cheap without screens and were very tough to properly close (and thus making it easy to break into). When there was a foot of snow on the ground I would look over at most of my neighbors' windows and see their windows were left about an inch open letting a very cold draft inside (and thus inducing LARGE utility overages). In this complex they use heat pumps in lieu of gas heating which is cool but it all comes from electricity so you will have large bills in the Missouri summer and winter. Also, there were two HVAC units in the manor but we only used one at a time (or else VERY LARGE overages). It seemed when I lived there most students were sophomores or juniors in their first rental property (other than the dorm) but mom and dad still paid for everything. Maintenance is not magic, they are not typically there weekends. But there are many many units that all have problems sometimes and it can take a few days. An interesting anomaly that happened to me shortly before the end of the spring semester were the birds getting in my bathroom vents. In April when the birds started coming back for the spring, they would sit at the entrance to my bathroom fan air duct and wake me up most mornings. I called maintenance and they permanently closed it up to birds. HOWEVER, I still heard the birds in my air duct getting further and further along the line each day. I called maintenance again (on a Friday) and they said they thought they fixed it and would look at it soon. At this point I was beginning to see feathers and bird crap in the light fixture that surrounds the fan. Later that day, I went to the bathroom and turned on the fan/light and heard a CRUNCH and a screech. Dead bird in my bathroom fan all weekend. Stink and everything (without a fan). Luckily they fixed it Monday morning. But nature happens, and I expect this to not be typical. But a good story nevertheless. Overall great place, I had minimal management interaction (like the cable company nobody likes their large complex management), great to be surrounded by students, great appliances and utilities. Would recommend! ...
1.5/5.0

05/12/2014

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DO NOT LIVE HERE 1. They charge a ridiculous monthly overage that they have no explanation as to why. Upon meeting with the landlord i was told to ask the city about it, the city told me to ask the landlord (who receives the bill). Eventually the landlord refused to meet or comment on the bills from then on but continued to send us monthly overage charges. 2. The gates that make them a "gated community" are basically accessible by anyone, the gates stay open for long enough for 3 cars to get through without beginning to close, and that's when the gates are functioning. For about 6 months out of the year these gates were wide open while they "fixed" them. 3. It is currently finals week and I am writing this while being overwhelmed by the sound of construction. the staff chose finals week to begin their construction on the road's and parking lot which has made studying for finals at home extremely frustrating. 4.When you sign you get a little parking sticker to put on the window of your car to say that you are allowed to park in this lot, which would be great had they enforced it. Rather, you end up paying $120 to see as other cars without these passes take up your parking spots to use the pool. even more there has been 2 cars parked outside my apartment that have not moved since the day they parked, neither with a parking sticker. 5.All in all it seems that once you have signed with the cottages, at that second is when they lose interest in you. They have your money and they know that students most likely wont terminate their lease due to the difficulty of finding somewhere to live halfway through the year, so they can keep charging unexplained overages without pushing residents away. They do all this with no consequences knowing the following year new students, unaware of all these problems, will sign and start the cycle all over again. The cottages may be beautiful on the outside, but once they have you, you're trapped. ...
1.8/5.0

01/27/2014

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I rented from fall 10 through summer 11.
2.2/5.0

06/20/2013

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I can't wait to get out of this hell hole.
4.2/5.0

05/23/2013

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Probably the best quality student housing at Mizzou. Nowhere else has granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances. Little noise from neighbors and 98% of residents are students. It is far from campus, so there is a shuttle they provide. There is a pool and volleyball court for socializing. My complaints are the management throws fees on stupid things (leaving trash out, cigarette butts on the porch) but overall the best student housing in Columbia. I rented from summer 10 through spring 11. ...
2.2/5.0

05/09/2013

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Really sh*tty property manager. I rented from fall 10 through spring 11.
4.3/5.0

03/15/2013

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The Cottages of Columbia is an excellent place to live. I have lived here for almost a year now and have no complaints. Move in was very easy for over 500 residents moving in within a few days. And having the utility package allows us not to have to put utilities in our own name. The other students that live here are also a good time to meet especially when hanging around the pool. I would certainly resign my lease for the next academic year. I rented from fall 10 through summer 11. ...
2.7/5.0

03/08/2013

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Terrible, terrible management. I had to change units from summer to fall and was currently in Oklahoma when they called me and told me I had to be in Columbia to move in 1 days notice and told me I would be fined/have action taken against me if I did not make it in time and would not provide a number to call for a moving service. And don't use the automatic rent payment...I checked my account and it told me my rent had not been paid and since I had had problems with the automatic payment before, I went ahead and paid manually, only to be charged twice and then told they could/would not refund me the $600 rent. The office is NEVER helpful and will find ways to charge you for anything. They do not care about their tenants. Find somewhere better to live. ...
1.3/5.0

03/03/2013

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DONT LIVE HERE. WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT LIVE HERE. PLEASE SAVE YOURSELF FROM HAVING TO LIVE HERE. there are so many better places in columbia that you could live. the management here is so god awful its unbelievable. the kids working the front desk have no idea whats going on. you'll get overage fees for utilites every single month regardless of how much you try to be conservative. if you go home for christmas break you'll still somehow have overage fees. parties get broken up within about 15-30 minutes if there is any music being played or it looks like people are going in and out of your house.. the signal 88 guys are cool but will break everything up, and dont expect signal 88 to be the ones to break it up because the cops always come first, security is never called before the cops.. the buses are late every single time. you can either go to your classes about 30 minutes early or get there 5 minutes late. the printers never work in the clubhouse, and if you want to study at the clubhouse, you wont be able to because its attached to the fitness center where people are blasting music, oh yeah and the fitness center is also a piece. everything about this place is awful. and its not just me, its every single person that lives here. ive had this conversation with every person that lives here. just please do yourself a favor and live anywhere else. also, the houses fall apart so easily. we treat our house pretty well but about 10 things have somehow already broke. this place is just so bad. dont do it. EVERYONE HATES IT. i read the same reviews before i signed my lease and just ignored them.. dont make the same mistake i did.. ...
1.5/5.0

01/23/2013

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AWFUL PLACE TO LIVE. Nickel and dime for everything because they're too lazy to do it themselves. Manager hasn't responded to emails. Awful maintenance, beyond slow service. Been waiting for 6 months to have refrigerator doors fixed. Drive around writing fines instead of fixing residents house problems. I rented from fall 10 through spring 11. ...
1.5/5.0

01/15/2013

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I would never recommend living here. My roommate and I were random placements and we turned out to be entirely incompatible; however, I was not under this impression when the management threatened to raise my already extraordinarily high rent unless I signed another lease for the next year in November, only 3 months after I had moved in. The parties are loud and are not isolated to weekends. Also, it looks like a nice enough apartment, but there were problems with the unit almost immediately. There was stagnant water in the backyard that management only took care of the problem because we threatened to have the Columbia health inspector come and examine the place. Even then, our backyard still had drainage issues. Not to mention there are cracks in the upstairs because of poor foundations and the window locks all broke. I finally moved out and am still responsible for the entire year's rent plus my roommates utility bills despite not living there. Not to mention, the houses are poorly insulated so utility bills end up being astronomical and we paid up to $60 dollars a piece extra each month (in addition to the $40 dollars we already had added to our monthly rent payment designated for utilities). The management is awful. After moving out, my roommates threw a party and used my carpeted bedroom for a beer pong room and vandalized my windows. My room had been locked, but they were able to break in because of my broken window locks that led on to the balcony. When I brought the problems up to management they continually blew me off and never did anything about it despite the fact that additional damage had been done to my bedroom and bathroom while I wasn't even living there. Additionally, they will slap bogus fees on you. Don't rent from here. There are plenty of apartments around Columbia that are A) less expensive, B) provide a quieter learning environment, and C) have management that will actually listen to your concerns and do something about them in a timely manner. I rented from summer 11 through fall 11. ...
4.7/5.0

11/28/2012

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I rented from fall 10 through spring 11.
2.2/5.0

08/21/2012

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the worst management I have ever had to deal with. way over priced, off campus, and not even that good quality of furniture when you pay to get it furnished. The management team knows absolutely nothing about anything there. when there is a problem they do nothing about it. I will never live there again. I rented from fall 10 through spring 11. ...
2.8/5.0

07/25/2012

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Yes, the place looks nice. I figured I could handle whatever management through my way since I loved the look and layout of this place. WRONG. Management will find a way to ruin your life. There are always insane fees, they are always coming in and out of your apartment, they try to change the rules/lease whenever they feel like it, etc. etc. etc. If there is EVER a problem, they will do ABSOLUTELY nothing. I have never seen worse management in my entire life. I'm sure you're saying, problems, what types of problems could I possibly encounter? Let me tell you, there are a million at this place. From broken locks, to horrible/terrible/no good roommate matching, to loud parties until 5 am during finals time, and the list goes on and on. I would NEVER recommend this place to anyone. Hopefully one of your friends lives here and you can join all the wild parties and the great pool with the hassle! I rented from summer 11 through summer 11. ...
2.7/5.0

07/06/2012

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The house I live in is a three person cottage and I can't lie and say it's not really nice. I have a good sized room, nice private bathroom, granite counters and the house in general is just really cute. But you definitely pay for it! This is one of the highest rents I've heard of in Columbia. As far as the people who live here, it kind of feels like a second GreekTown, which some people really like but I am not a big fan. If you aren't in a sorority or fraternity you can feel a little out of place and neighbors don't go out of their way to talk to you or try to meet you. The pool is great but constantly filled with rude frat guys. Overall, the Cottages is a beautiful complex but expect to pay for it! I rented from summer 10 through summer 11. ...
1.2/5.0

04/05/2012

1.2/5.0

02/12/2012

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Rip off. I rented from fall 10 through summer 11.

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