The Retreat At Columbia

When my daughter moved into the Retreat a few years back, I was really impressed with the overall complex as well as the management....

When my daughter moved into the Retreat a few years back, I was really impressed with the overall complex as well as the management. Over the years, it has really gone down. They do not keep up with the apartments as they should and the new management sucks! The new property manager, Shellie, does not care about her current residents and is changing many things for the worst. I would recommend finding somewhere else that is cheaper and better!

By far the worst place I have ever lived. From day one my roommates and I were faced with ridiculous problems that should've been...

By far the worst place I have ever lived. From day one my roommates and I were faced with ridiculous problems that should've been fixed before move in. These problems took months to get fixed. The unit was filthy and paint was splattered all over our floors. I had to clean and mop the entire house before moving in any of my things. Upon move out two of my roommates and I cleaned the unit extensively. From the other reviews I've read, I'm expecting a bill for things that we have already taken care of. As time went on living here, we found that the same maintenence problems we had in the past kept coming back, and even more issues arose. Improper cleanup of serious leaks led to MOLD. I lived for MONTHS with huge hole in my bathroom wall because they refused to call in a professional to fix the leak that was costing us money out of our pockets. It took parents getting involved threatening to press charges to get them to call a professional to fix it. Our air conditioning was broken since the first week of our move in and it continued to give us problems until the day we moved out. When summer came around we would go days with a broken AC in 90 degree weather. The inside of our house would feel hotter than the outside. The fact that we dealt with it for the entire year was NOT okay. The maintenance staff showed up at our house multiple times a day. The retreat ALWAYS chooses a quick fix to major issues. They do not give their maintence staff the proper funds to fix things correctly. This leads to the same problems recurring over and over again. The office staff even agreed with us that the issues we faced were not okay and that they needed to be addressed. The one woman who had any power to help us did not show one bit of sympathy for us and basically said she could not do anything to help our situation. We were robbed of hundreds of extra dollars in utility bills because of problems that never got fixed! She told us she'd look into have a credit given to us for our utilities but she never did. She completely disregarded all of our concerns. These people do not care about you. All they want is your money. The houses in the Retreat are not well built and it is not worth paying up to $700. To the unlucky people who get stuck with the unit I was in, good luck. I know the same issues my roommates and I dealt with will continue to come back time and time again.

If I could give the retreat negative stars I would. The whole year weve dealt problems with our entire house (AC, pipes, water, MOLD)...

If I could give the retreat negative stars I would. The whole year weve dealt problems with our entire house (AC, pipes, water, MOLD) and the retreat barely tried to fix it, eventually leaving the problems to come back. They robbed us of our money from over charging utilities when things were obviously broken, failed to remove us from an unhealthy living environment due to mold, which caused most of our housemates to get ill. In response to our mold situation, they offered to send cleaning ladies to come clean our house as a nice gesture due to what we were going through, which is a huge slap in the face. Our house wasnt messy and thats not what we needed at all. The retreat staff does not care about any of their residents. They have continued to rob us after moving out of our house as well. Please only live here if you want to feel worthless by the retreat staff and have unlimited money to waste! I will never reccomend this place to anybody.

This place is great if you have a lot of disposable cash and are desperate for a place to stay. This is so stereotypical...

This place is great if you have a lot of disposable cash and are desperate for a place to stay. This is so stereotypical student housing where none of their management is competent enough since theyre all students themselves just working a part time job that is obviously way too complicated for them, not to mention the adults in the management office dont seem to know how to do their jobs either. One employee even told me roommate straight up that they charge everyone when moving out for damages and cleaning fees (even when they know certain damages were already there, they wont even replace carpets or clean anything). When I moved in the place was disgusting and did not look like a cleaning crew came through AT ALL and they sure did PAINT HAIR AND DIRT into the walls, floorboards, and my bathroom door. Luckily I never had many maintenance issues therefore didnt have much trouble with it, but they sure love to lose packages. Often its simply because they didnt log the stupid packages so they think they arent there. Ive had this issue at least 4 separate times with different packages some from Amazon (where Ive NEVER had any mailing issues in any other living location) and two other companies. It is a very nice facility compared to other student housing complexes, but the high price and incompetent staff really muddies all the positives and YOU CAN FIND SOMEWHERE BETTER AND CHEAPER FOR SURE! These student housing facilities just ring out all the money they can from ignorant, young students just trying to learn how to adult. This place is kinda of a scam for the amounts they charge, not to mention all the move out fees theyll hit you with. Theyre getting well over $2,000 in total a month for each cottage while theres houses the same size being rented in Columbia for less than $1,000 a month. The Retreat is a bank, not a place to live.

The Retreat Columbia has been a great student living facility by far. I enjoy my spacious bedroom, personal bath, and my own walk in...

The Retreat Columbia has been a great student living facility by far. I enjoy my spacious bedroom, personal bath, and my own walk in closet. Even the kitchen area, living room, and the dining room are amazingly spacious. My mom was even jealous that I live nicer at college than I do at home lol. They host so many resident events to bring the entire community together like, Thanksgiving dinner, Easter Egg hunts, and even events during Finals Week to help the students relieve some stress. The residents were so sweet I was able to make new friends and even the Retreat staff were sweet. If any issue, they would always get back to me as soon as they can. As a full time student, I have enjoyed my stay at the Retreat and I would recommend the Retreat to any student and anyone who is looking for housing in general. Thank you Retreat!

If I could give this place negative stars I would. Its to expensive for the things you have to put up with. The maintenance...

If I could give this place negative stars I would. Its to expensive for the things you have to put up with. The maintenance people never come when you call and it can take weeks to just come fix something like a clogged drain, so I just end up fixing whatever was broke myself. The office staff is no help and if they tell you they made a note of something they didn't. They will fine you for every single thing, even if theres nothing to fine you for. And also the gates to get in are either broke, messed up, or they changed the codes and don't let the people who live there know them so you can't go to your house. Its an awful place to live and I would spend your money elsewhere.

Do not get into a lease with The Retreat. I am having to deal with fees from when I moved out over 3 years...

Do not get into a lease with The Retreat. I am having to deal with fees from when I moved out over 3 years ago that are not mine. You can find something way cheaper than what they offer in a better location. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY WITH THE RETREAT. Plus, the management office is not good at communicating and are very disorganized.

The neighborhood itself is nice overall but I have had serval issues with maintance in the apartment that they were unable to resolve and...

The neighborhood itself is nice overall but I have had serval issues with maintance in the apartment that they were unable to resolve and I am being forced to deal with. There is trash all around the premises most of the time and the noise level is sometimes out of control. Overall it isnt a bad place to live because it being cottages instead of regular apartments, and they have a good staff.

The Retreat has been a great place to live. It is has everything you could ask for and for a reasonable price as well....

The Retreat has been a great place to live. It is has everything you could ask for and for a reasonable price as well. Maintenance always helps in a timely manner and the WiFi is much better than any other place I have lived. I wouldnt choose anywhere else to stay!

Great location with a shuttle to bring you to campus and cute houses with lots of space. Unfortunately, upper management is the worst. I...

Great location with a shuttle to bring you to campus and cute houses with lots of space. Unfortunately, upper management is the worst. I lived in a 5 bedroom/5 bath and we got placed with two of the most awful girls I had ever met. One night we had an incident and we called the police on them and the retreat STILL wouldnt do a thing to help us with these girls so we had to get the USC off housing department involved and the retreat finally got their act together. But not because they wanted to help us, they were just forced to. Dont get me wrong, the front desk students that work there are awesome and super nice. Upper management just sucks.

The Retreat Columbia has been a great student living facility by far. I enjoy my spacious bedroom, personal bath, and my own walk in...

The Retreat Columbia has been a great student living facility by far. I enjoy my spacious bedroom, personal bath, and my own walk in closet. Even the kitchen area, living room, and the dining room are amazingly spacious. My mom was even jealous that I live nicer at college than I do at home lol. They host so many resident events to bring the entire community together like, Thanksgiving dinner, Easter Egg hunts, and even events during Finals Week to help the students relieve some stress. The residents were so sweet I was able to make new friends and even the Retreat staff were sweet. If any issue, they would always get back to me as soon as they can. As a full time student, I have enjoyed my stay at the Retreat and I would recommend the Retreat to any student and anyone who is looking for housing in general. Thank you Retreat!

Totally unsafe and unsecure community with unresponsive management and service to the tenants. I don't know how many times I felt in fear of...

Totally unsafe and unsecure community with unresponsive management and service to the tenants. I don't know how many times I felt in fear of my own safety as the undesirables walked through the continually broken gates. Utility costs were never fully explained and I was always charged overages. The neighborhood is generally unkept and restrictions are never enforced, thus feels trashy at times. Many service requests go unanswered and maintenance items unfixed. The staff was rude. They did not even deliver my own flowers on Valentine's Day or have the decency to notify me when they had been delivered to the office, like usual. No sense of community. Overall, bad experience. I do not recommend.

2.5 stars- the utility charges are NO joke! Totally agree with prior comments about lack of timely service calls, repairs. If you have room-mate...

2.5 stars- the utility charges are NO joke! Totally agree with prior comments about lack of timely service calls, repairs. If you have room-mate problems there is NO help available to you, NO recourse- you are locked into a contract that you are bound to so you either buy your way out of the room mate nightmare or suffer through it. Parking is tight, the community gets pretty loud. There are no community quiet hours so big parties can get loud and disruptive- more than the usual college party

I have loved living in the retreat! It's a great place for dogs to socialize along with their owners. The gym is small but...

I have loved living in the retreat! It's a great place for dogs to socialize along with their owners. The gym is small but manageable! The young staff members are very nice and helpful. Advise: do your utilities completely separate from the retreat. I have done both in the two years I've lived here: going straight through sc e&g and the city of Columbia is much less expensive and more explanatory. Overall, it has been a great experience!

I have lived at the Retreat for the past 3 years, and I have absolutely loved it. The office staff is very friendly and...

I have lived at the Retreat for the past 3 years, and I have absolutely loved it. The office staff is very friendly and accommodating, and the maintenance team is extraordinary. Requests are almost always completed the next day, no questions asked. The green spaces are great (especially if you have/like dogs), and being able to take walks around the community is wonderful. You and your guests can park right outside your front door. In terms of downsides, the distance to campus is not ideal, but I made it work. Other cons include faulty gates, inadequate trash pickup, dog waste, and broken treadmills, but these things have not significantly detracted from my experience.

I am enjoying my experience at the Retreat. I'm a new resident to the complex and it has been interesting. The houses look cool...

I am enjoying my experience at the Retreat. I'm a new resident to the complex and it has been interesting. The houses look cool and unique compared to other student housing facilities around campus. It has a friendly environment, various amenities, and a wonderful staff. There are only a few things that need improvement such as more events, safety concerns/announcements, and transportation. I haven't seen (or heard about) many events for the residents take place since I moved in. I think fun activities like that could get residents more active and make us a better community. As far as safety, there has been some recent events going on within the complex that is a concern for all residents. My roommates and I only found out about certain things because my friends told me. I hope that there is more security for the complex and safety announcements in the future. Lastly, transportation has been a big issue lately. Personally, I do not own a vehicle so I have limited options for getting to campus(especially when I'm on a student budget). The gates have also been breaking down a lot recently. I am hoping that these things are fixed soon to help improve the Retreat. Otherwise than that, it is a nice apartment/cottage-style complex to live in. Updated as of 1/17/17 I have been in the Retreat for about six months now. There has been a couple of improvements that has helped make the experience for the residents. We have a van/shuttle that helps take students to campus which makes it easier for people without vehicles and security has been enhanced by have cops patrol through the neighborhood. The Retreat has been a fun and interesting experience over the past year. The way the apartment is makes it feel at home and this is what I enjoyed the most.

If you're thinking this might be where you want to live, stop thinking it. Hidden fees for just about everything you can imagine. Shuttle...

If you're thinking this might be where you want to live, stop thinking it. Hidden fees for just about everything you can imagine. Shuttle breaks down all the time. They take weeks to fix it, leaving you unable to get to class if you don't have on campus parking. I was charged $400 in damages to my room which was in perfect condition when I moved out. I even took pictures and disputed it with management. They screwed me over big time. Pass. Go look somewhere else, this place suuucks.

I love living at the Retreat! The amenities are great, and we have an awesome community of people that live here. I have lived...

I love living at the Retreat! The amenities are great, and we have an awesome community of people that live here. I have lived at the Retreat since I moved off campus after freshman year, and I plan on living here until I graduate! If you're looking for off-campus student housing, I would definitely recommend living here!

The retreat at first seemed to be beyond anything I could ever imagine! But as the years went on the more disappointed I became....

The retreat at first seemed to be beyond anything I could ever imagine! But as the years went on the more disappointed I became. I roomed with 2other people and we were all conservative about electricity and water and our bill was still outrageous! The worst was when we moved out, for blinds we never even had they tried to over charge us, basically they nitpick and over charge for everything that they see as being a problem. That summer the house was going to be repainted anything and they tried to over charge us for what they called "grease spots" on the walls, all because they used cheap paint, simple wear and tear were visible but they still tried to charge me $200. Also trash that my previous roommates had left they grow to charge me for $99! My fire pit was stolen, and the cameras just so happened not to be working that day. The whole experience was awful!

This student housing company is more corrupt than big banking and big oil combined. Be prepared for your late rent to be sent to...

This student housing company is more corrupt than big banking and big oil combined. Be prepared for your late rent to be sent to collections and to be fined for DARING to leave a bag of recyclables on your front porch. Calls from the collection agency are a great wake up call for those 8am classes!! You will also have the pleasure of being robbed at gunpoint from your less affluent neighbors in the low income minority projects congruent to your "resort cottage". Nothing says resort living like waking up to armed robbers! Please google the crime statistics in the area if you are doubting this review in any way. I left here with $3,000 in damages in a spotless house and without any of the innocence that I had entering college. Give me access to a time machine i would convince my former self to live somewhere that isn't a government housing project 15 long minutes away from a campus that necessitates 15 minutes to park. Forget memorizing lottery tickets, just don't lend money to Bernie Madoff and don't live at the Retreat Columbia.

The rooms give you a lot of privacy, it's very homey and comfortable. I like that I always have somewhere to park right in...

The rooms give you a lot of privacy, it's very homey and comfortable. I like that I always have somewhere to park right in front of my house. And the fact like I get to live in a spacious house rather than a small apartment for the same price. Definitely my #1 choice for living while going to USC. The people at the front are also suppeerrrr nice and always smiling and helpful. And a free Starbucks coffee dispenser is literally my favorite thing about living here too.

My experience with Retreat Columbia has been excellent. All services are quick, timely, and most importantly unobtrusive. The staff keep up with all of...

My experience with Retreat Columbia has been excellent. All services are quick, timely, and most importantly unobtrusive. The staff keep up with all of the residents and know most of them by name. Overall, Retreat Columbia is a wonderful to live and a great community to be apart of.

The Retreat is a great place to live! I have a great location for my house and everybody in management is really nice, and...

The Retreat is a great place to live! I have a great location for my house and everybody in management is really nice, and have been patient with all of our requests. They also respond quickly, which is helpful. I love living here (hence the reason I re-signed my lease!)