I don't usually review things, but I feel downright obliged to in this instance if not simply because the majority of negative reviews on this site almost deterred me completely from securing an apartment in Oak Park with Rainer Management. I cannot speak for the experience of others, but I can speak for my own, and thus far the team at Rainer has been 100% friendly, hospitable, and super efficient. Oh, and I love my apartment, too.\r
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It all started in April when I was looking for a place to live. I came to Oak Park and was told that if I move on or after July 15th that I would be entitled to free rent for the month of July. Basically, no pro-rated charges. Score. It worked perfectly because my old lease ended on July 25th, and I wouldn't have to scramble to move from one place to another. Problem was that there was only one apartment available that was a bit out of my price-range, but I took it anyway.\r
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Turns out that the representative who quoted me was rather new and accidentally quoted me at a lower price than the one apartment that was available for my move-in date. But what did Rainer do? Did they tell me that I'd have to pay more for the apartment or that I was SOL? No. They honored their price and gave me a much larger apartment for the same price of the smaller one that I was anticipating. Amazing. \r
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When I moved in, everything was first-rate. The apartment was cleaner than just about any other new apartment I've ever moved in to. The floors looked brand new. The place instantly felt like a home, unlike the rather crappy apartment that I had just moved out of.\r
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Also, the Rainer management staff are so on the ball when it comes to maintenance issues. My AC broke last night, and after I called them this morning, they had someone at my apartment within an hour. They fixed the problem right away. Same as with my garbage disposal a few weeks back. Again, someone came the same day, and the next day one of the office people called me up to ensure the problem was fixed in a timely manner. Nice. The apartments are a bit old, but that's part of the charm of this place, so repairs are probably frequent. Regardless, they get the job done. And fast.\r
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I've written this because I really enjoy living here and would hate for someone to be turned away because of other people's opinions. I think one of the other reviewers got it right. It might be a change in management or something because there are no traces of disrespect or annoyance whenever I call the office for a maintenance request or anything. The neighborhood feels safe, and though a lot of UT students live here, the place isn't too loud.\r
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The walls are a bit thin above, but that's the only problem i have. Oh, and the shower head only comes up to my chest, but then again, I am 6'2"". :-) No problem bending down to shower.\r
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Basically, I love it here. And I wanted to share my experience. Thus far it has been great. Moving here was the best decision I've made in a while. The staff is friendly, the apartment is super nice (two-door closet :-)), and for the first time in a long while, I have a place that actually feels like a home.
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