Ely Properties

Decided to follow a friends advice and to sell my property in Austin with Ely Properties. I interviewed several realtors and selected Tony with Ely Properties and I could not have been happier with my decision. He went above end beyond the call of duty to make sure the transaction was smooth and I was confident with the entire transaction. By far the best experience I've had with Austin real estate. more

I have used Ely Properties for 4 years and always had excellent service by the staff. The Management is very good. The manager is easy to work with and always makes sure that I and my roommate are happy. I want to personally thank the staff and management at Ely Properties for a great stay. more

I rented an apt unit from Ely Properties. The exterior didn't look too spectacular but the interior looked pretty nice, the paint had been touched up a little and it looked clean. After the first few weeks, I noticed the water boilers below me were making noise, probably from mineral buildup. I let Ely Properties know and in the next two days they came and replaced it. We generally had prompt service with our repair requests and had no complaints about office staff. more

The staff and management of Ely Properties is very helpful. The apt. unit was completely remodeled. With all new lights and fixtures including towel bars and toilet bars and towel rings. The cabinets were completely refinished and with the new carpet and lino. They even replaced all the door knobs and hinges. These apts are the by far the best I have found. more

They are really sweet apartments. The rooms are decent size and the living room is too. These apts have 2 balconies, and a jacuzzi tub. The apt came with all the furniture and all the appliances are pretty nice. This building in particular is also pretty cool b/c neighbors are all students and people are friendly. I also heard that some companies don't have apts ready before people move in, but ours was really nice. They cleaned the carpets, cleaned the apt, and painted. I was happy. Their staff is also really friendly, and they know what they're doing. more

I never quite understood why the reviews on this page was so negative. I mean can a property management be that bad? I've lived in a couple different apartment complexes and I have to say Ely properties is the worst. I think what's wrong with the company is their customer service. If something disastrous happened in your apartment- the last thing you need is an agent yelling at you condescendingly as if you have the IQ of a rat (or leaving a ranting voice mail.) Yes, I witnessed all of this, and I find them all unnecessary. Please, talk to me as If I was a human being and not some subhuman creature. Since we're on this topic... Contrary, to the post of Tman2012 (who is obviously from Ely properties) not every UT student is a petty little spoiled college student who needs to lash out against an innocent bystander to make themselves feel better. In fact, what I am intending to do is practice my freedom of speech. I am trying to help and enlighten my fellow citysearchers on Ely properties business and conduct. Which, in all honesty, is the worst company I have ever dealt with. Ely properties, In this current economy, instead of wasting your time rebutting other people's post- why don't you, focus on your own company's vices and attempt to better your business. Change your tactics and attempt to be more tenant-friendly, because obviously from the massive amounts of citysearch posts, you're not doing a good job. I think it would behoove you to take your own advice, to grow up, to mature your business... (just an economic reminder: the invisible hand of competition is always there.) more

i tend to agree with candyjames and anonymous. most management companies are the same, and they have to answer to owners so they are not always the evil beings you see written about. if you are a slob and break stuff, you get money taken from your deposit. but if you clean (you get a form with your lease at the beginning of the year, this is only a guide but it is a good one) and have no damages you get your deposit back. \r as for the person with the pooping agent, you cannot seriously believe that a representative of your management company would actually do that. it was either you or your roommate and neither of you will admit it because the other had already placed blame. grow up, you really need to learn how the real world works. \r i have personally talked to the agent you are accusing and find your comments insulting to his intelligence.\r bottom line, you are angry about something and dont know how to deal with your own issues because you are spoiled, and lashing at the first convenient person is your way of getting out of facing your own problems.\r \r seriously, grow up. more

if you have problems it is probably becuase you are an irresponsible snotty spoiled brat with a bad attitude and throw a big fit when things dont go your way. more

I have learned that all landlords will screw you over in some manner. This is because you do not matter to them. To them you are not truly a human being and all they want is your money. They want their rules followed, want their money on time, and do not want to hear from you unless you giving them money. I live in some apartments run by them and the place is decent. There is some water damage but you can tell the leak has been fixed that caused it. The dishwasher was added years after the place was built so it hits the wall parallel to it so it doesn't open all the way. I can deal with that. The rent is cheap for central Austin. The water heater didn't work well when I moved in. It wouldn't get very hot and would stop working completely after a few minutes. Then they supposedly replaced it and the new water heater would go out all the time. The tenants had to either do without hot water when this happened or go into the closet where the water heater is and reset it. I had to go out there 3 times in the middle of one shower (clothed of course). They recently fixed it but it took some of the other tenants getting mean with them about it. A month after I signed my lease, they sent me an e-mail saying that if I renewed then that my rent would ""only"" go up by $250. Thats a little much to raise rent after only a year. I didn't get the e-mail until 2 months later because I took a while to get internet. I thought that was pretty shady. My car broke down and I had it towed to the parking lot for MY apartment building and two weeks later I got a notice from J&J towing<-(HUGE crooks btw) that they would tow my car by the end of the month for expired registration (expired the day before) and for ""unacceptable condtion"" which I took offense to. It was a Caddilac that was a little banged up but it wasn't in bad condtion. I called and explained that I could not move my car immediately because it didn't run and I needed to figure out what to do with it. I find it fishy that they did this literally right after it broke down. I think they tried to con me but I don't know for sure. Right after this, they changed our parking passes and left a notice saying if we didn't pick up the new ones in 3 weeks, then they would tow our cars. When I went in for my pass, they told me that people had been saying they lost their old parking passes so they could get multiple ones to give to their friends and the parking lot ended up being so full that real tenants couldn't find parking. That is bs. The parking lot is always half-full or less. Most of the tenants do not have cars. A few people probably did give out their passes but it didn't create a problem. I could always find parking. They probably didn't like that people gave out their passes because it meant they couldn't tow cars out of our ""over-flowing"" parking lot. When you get towed from a complex, the management company gets a cut of the ransom you pay to get your car back. Not many people know that. I also brought up the notice on my car. The employee I brought it up to was extremely rude. So my conclusion is that they property mangement companies are all blood-suckers. I have yet to find one who is a good landlord. I may happen some-day. Ely isn't terrible but they aren't great. All of the above complaints are annoying but I can deal with because the last company I rented from was Pioneer Property and they are aweful. I don't think I will renew my lease here though. I don't like being told to renew a lease a month after I move in or they'll rip me off. more

Not the best, but certainly not the worst. I see a lot of reviews on here about how they are horrible and how they steal security deposits. Bear in mind the majority of their tenants are students, living on their own for the first time. I'm not saying they aren't responsible, but think back to when you were in college..I certainly was not the tenant I am these days. Bottom line, if you rent with Ely follow the rules. Read your lease, learn expectations of landlord and tenant. Keep everything in writing, it all comes down to strength of paperwork!! At move-in they give you a form outlining potential fines to be subtracted from your security deposit. Use this as a reference. Clean EVERYTHING. Or GET A MAID. It's not that hard guys!! Be responsible for your own actions, this isn't your parents house and they will not be there to pick up for you. more

I have luckily not had the experience that others have had...thank goodness. Nothing but professional and honest in my book. I leased from Ely in Dec 2010 and my experience has been pleasurable. more

I don't write reviews very much, but my skin crawls when I think of all the people being duped by this company everyday. They're the most unethical business I have ever had the displeasure of doing business with. I've had my deposit stolen and lied to on multiple occasions. Recently, they threatened to send a cease and desist to a facebook group that focuses on the company's bad and unethical behavior. They succeeded in scaring away the administrator and got the name changed. Do yourself a favor and rent somewhere else. Even if it costs a little more. It's not worth the trouble, and in the end they'll steal your deposit. A couple dollars more on rent every month somewhere else is just plain worth it. more

Ely Properties is truly a horrible, unethical (to illegal levels as well), and unfriendly business. Never rent from them.\r \r Do yourself a favor: If you have unfortunately rented from Ely not realizing their reputation like I had, KEEP EVERY RECIEPT, E-MAIL, AND ANYTHING REGARDING A PAPER TRAIL. After a year of ignored service requests, ""lost"" leases, and ""lost"" rent checks (our deposit was lost before we moved in, it took an argument and a headache for them to realize they misplaced it and they were wrong), we decided to take our business elsewhere when our lease was up.\r \r After our 1 year lease we were on a month to month lease while we looked for another place. Ely call us stating ""we lost your rental agreement, could you come sign another."" We did. After we signed, Ely FORGED THE RENTAL AGREEMENT FROM MONTH TO MONTH TO A YEAR LEASE BEHIND OUR BACK. The dates were literally crossed off w/ a pen, no initials, nothing. Luckily I saved all paperwork, original leases, and e-mails. Ely actually sent me their illegally forged lease, probably forgetting they did that... that is how disorganized they truly are. \r \r I work w/ lawyers so speaking to one wasn't a financial problem. Most people don't have that luxury. If I had not had all my paperwork and support, I'd be screwed at the moment. How they haven't been put out of business is beyond me.\r \r P.S: When I called the tenants council on Ely, the lady on the other end chuckled and said ""uh-oh, here we go again."" more

Ely Properties deserves an award for being the best at scamming inexperienced college students. So my roommate and I were freshman at UT looking to rent our first apartment. Ely Properties was very courteous as they rushed us through the deposit and contract signing process, but once we moved in and things started breaking, they couldn't have cared less. We went 6 weeks without one of our bathrooms and 4 weeks without a microwave. During this time, the manager was always ""out of the office"" when I tried to call to get updates, and my emails were rarely returned. When my roommate and I would write checks for rent, I had to ask for a receipt. That just has ""sketchy"" written all over it. When it came time to move out they took half of the $1200 deposit even though we left it in much better shape than it was when we moved it. $400 for a paint job even though there was no damage done to the walls. With the help of UT lawyers, we battled them for an entire semester, and ended up getting back only $97 of the $600 they owed us. Bottom line: do NOT ever do business them. All the employees are young and unprofessional. Any other realty agency would be better than this one. more

I've been reading the other reviews and it seems like many people are having the same problems with Ely. General incompetence, and theft of the deposit. Just don't rent from them. more

Stay away from Ely at all costs. They make money by keeping most of your security deposit to pay for normal wear and tear, which they are legally not allowed to do but continue to anyway. I have not had a single dealing with someone at Ely who is competent, friendly, honest, or sincere. Everyone I have been in contact with is slimy, rude, and evasive. Ely makes a business of ripping students off. more

This review is intended as a warning to people who are thinking about doing \r \r business with Ely Properties.\r \r When you first come across Ely Properties, it might seem like they offer some attractive perks. At least that is how \r \r I felt. But now having stayed there for less than a year, I can tell you that renting with Ely Properties is one of \r \r the worst decisions I have every made.\r \r A year ago, I came across Ely Properties, who showed me unit #513 in Texan Pearl Apartment. The deposit was $1,000, \r \r and the rent was $1,400 a month, which includes two parking spots, not to mention the free internet. Great, right? \r \r Wrong.\r \r First of all, they lied to us about unit #513. I found out afterwards that at least three other people had signed \r \r contracts with them for #513, which apparently is a nicer unit. I thought, ok, if I be a bit understanding, maybe \r \r they'll reciprocate the sentiment later. Thus, I disregarded the fact that they signed a contract with them and \r \r accepted, what I later found, a much crappier unit. It was next to the street across which two frat houses sat \r \r (noisy), and the unit was much smaller.\r \r A month later, I found that the rent did not include electricity or water, and the internet was slow and often \r \r stopped working (one time it didn't work for over two weeks). The good service and attitude they offered when I was \r \r deciding whether or not to sign the contract completely disappeared every time I came to Ely Properties management \r \r with an issue. Almost immediately after the lease was signed, they became rude and inattentive, betraying an \r \r attitude that they just aren't going to do anything about my problem, and there's nothing I can do about it.\r \r After a year of this treatment, I had enough. I had previously stayed with Campus Condos for 3 years, and I had to \r \r move because I completely forgot to renew. I thought Campus Condos were bad, but compared to Ely Properties, they \r \r seem like saints. Campus Condos refunded me over $1300 of my $1500 deposit. Ely Properties refunded me a little over \r \r $200 of $1000.\r \r First, they charged me $120 for replacing the front door lock and mail box lock, stating I did not return the keys. \r \r However, my key never left my keychain except for when I took it off to put it in the envelope, and I triple-checked \r \r that ALL the keys were in the envelope. Later, Ely Properties insisted that the keys weren't in there, and said that \r \r they had to DRILL open the lock to the unit to gain access, which is a lie, considering they have no problem \r \r entering my unit WITHOUT MY PERMISSION pretty much any time they want. Also, I went back and looked at the distinct \r \r marks on the mail box key, and I know for a fact that they LIED about replacing that lock.\r \r Of course, there are many other unjust charges, but the most ridiculous one was the $400 they charged me for \r \r re-painting the walls. First of all, the law states that they can't charge you for ""normal wear and tear"". I have \r \r pictures showing that there wasn't any damage to the walls due to negligence. Obviously, I lived in Orange Tree \r \r Apartments for three years and Campus Condos didn't charge me for paint.\r \r I sent them an email asking them to clarify these charges. They gave me a superficial response, and returned me \r \r exactly $0 of the deposit. The manager, Charlie, who has pretty much been rude the whole time, showed no enthusiasm \r \r in acknowledging my concerns or addressing the issues. I have requested documentation on the services they charged \r \r me for, but each time they completely ignore my requests. They pretty much cheated me out of my money, and I know \r \r I'm not the only one. I intend on seeking justice through the legal system, and if I succeed, I will post detailed instructions on how to get back your money anywhere I can. more

Ely properties is the last place on earth that I will ever lease an apartment from in West Campus ever again. Any positive comments on this page are most likely comments made by their secretaries. There is no way that anyone has had a pleasant experience living at any of their complexes. The secretaries need to start managing the books better and quit losing people's checks. The agents are a bunch of money hungry liars who will do anything to rip you off. Their maintenance is awful, they overcharge you for everything. You pay 800 a month for rent plus three extra bills for electricity and water. Oh and if your water bill is triple the amount that is suppose to be good luck getting that money refunded because trust me YOU WILL END UP HAVING TO PAY IT. I regret ever signing a lease with Ely and I think they deserve to be sued and they should do everyone a favor and go out of business. ANYONE IN WEST CAMPUS WILL TELL YoU THAT THEY ARE THE WORST COMPANY TO LEASE FROM! DON'T DO IT! WORST DECISION EVER!!! more

Being exchange student, all people here in Texas were always very friendly and nice. Complete opossite was Ely Properties. Not only they are unable to process your request unless you call them up every day for a quite amount of days, but they also walk-in our apartment WHENEVER they want! With prospect tenants or repair something just so they can add it to the bill - and then make up that its in the lease. NOTHING IS INCLUDED IN RENT. We forced us to pay repairs of their own assets!! Isnt this why you pay rent so you dont have to worry too much? And then when you want to talk to them they are SO RUDE! ""This conversation is over, bye!"" when you object something. Just to add what you are paying 800 dollars a month, you get your car towed away before you run upstairs to get the parking permit, elevators dont work most time. People pee and vomit in the hall. However it looks nice to you, please make yourself a favor and RUN FAST from offers from Ely Properties. Just next door in the Block they have zero of these issues, paying even less than we do. Lastly, not least - not only bill was written write - by their clerical mistake we got back from the weekend out of Austin and had a notice at our door we are getting moved out in 8hours!!! Since we didnt pay (rent paid week ahead!!!) More ridiculous and rude behavior that the Ely Properties is showing off I have never seen anywhere else and surely makes my exchange more interesting! more

I've been living in Texan Shoal Creek since August and so far it hasn't been as bad as I thought. The move in process was relatively easy and I was pleased with the condition of the unit. (Although it was very obvious where wall marks had been touched up with paint) There was some confusion about parking passes shortly after the year began, but it was nothing that wasn't completely unbearable. So far what I have been most displeased with is the general upkeep of the building itself. Elevators are unreliable at best and transporting groceries from the P1 garage to the 3rd floor is tiring. The front gate was not locked for a good deal of the semester (Fall 09), and the back gate to the parking garage was often left open. The few maintenance issues we have had have been our fault. (Dropped glassware down the garbage disposal and it got turned on...yikes) After sending in a maintenance request online there has been someone out to fix the problem within a few days. However, we were charged for the house calls. They did try to tell us that we had paid our rent late once, and our payment ledger had incorrect charges on it. (Our application fees were waived but they were still on the ledger) However, I had email proof that we had them waived as part of our lease and we were never asked to pay the extra fees. Overall not a fantastic experience, but not a terribly awful one. I think if you go into a lease knowing you are dealing with an Austin realty company you should be fine. Expect money to be taken out of your deposit for wall repairs and carpet cleaning if you do not turn in a receipt from the cleaners. (This is not unique to Ely, I also experienced this at my previous apartment Villa Nueces.) Good luck! Pros: Usually reachable by phone, haven't had maintenance issues, Cons: High cost of maintenance, building upkeep lacking more