I strongly recommend avoiding anything listed by Fenton Investments. My father would say this place is like, "putting lipstick on a pig." Don't let the charm of the building fool you--stay away. Yes, the Academy Lofts is a beautiful old stone building in a historic neighborhood. I was drawn in by the high ceilings and tall windows. It looked great at first. But once you move in, the problems start: Plumbing is a mess. My dishwasher broke almost immediately and stayed broken even after being replaced. A year later, they finally discovered the real issue was the plumbing. The garbage disposal never worked, and the sink broke twice--I waited weeks for maintenance both times, with no way to wash dishes. Maintenance is elusive. Requests go unanswered for days or weeks, and problems linger far too long. Management is unprofessional and hostile. They rarely respond, and when they do, they're combative and insulting. I've been parking my new car on the street for five months because I lost my gate clicker--and they refuse to replace it. Safety concerns ignored. A hornet nest above my door grew to the size of a dessert plate. I was stung twice before they finally removed it--a month later, after multiple emails and calls. It's back now. I notified them over a week ago. No response. Bottom line: This place is mismanaged, neglected, and not worth the headache. read more

It is my intent for this to be a fact-based, living review based on continuous interactions with Fenton Investment Co. It will be updated based on an ongoing relationship. In each update, I will state the previous rating and an updated rating. I am doing this to create transparency around Fenton's processes and to give the reviewee credit where credit is due over time. Application Process This living review begins with a two-star rating ("Could've been better") based on my experience with the application process. My partner and I viewed two Fenton properties: one located in Armory Park which was a bit run-down; and another very nice property in West University. We submitted an application for the latter and were approved. Fenton requires submission of a holding deposit at application stage via money order. We submitted this, along with our application forms and medical documentation for an assistance animal directly to their office in Oro Valley. We submitted our application on a Friday, and it was approved on Monday. This was a straightforward process on our end. The week we were approved was a busy one for us, as we were both leaving on out-of-state travel. The application form states that a lease agreement must be signed within 48 hours of approval. This can be done digitally and did not pose a problem. However, they require the balance of the security deposit and first month's rent to be submitted by cashier's check, which was not possible for us on this timeline. We communicated that we could sign the rental agreement and requested a week's extension on the submission of funds until we returned to town. This was refused on the basis that it was against policy. I pointed out that application form does not state that funds are due at the time of signing the rental agreement, and they responded with details about internal processes and timelines not previously communicated to us. This escalated to Steven Fenton, who ultimately agreed to grant the extension. In a separate issue, the medical documentation for our assistance animal was overlooked and not noted in the rental agreement. The Fenton application form does not have a section for including information on any service/assistance animals or pets, only instructions to attach a request for an assistance animal. We followed these instructions. In a conversation with Steven Fenton, I was asked why I didn't declare a pet on the application form -- this was because there is no section or check box to do so -- and that they would have to assess whether our assistance animal should be treated as a pet for the purpose of imposing fees and pet rent. I responded with information about the Arizona Fair Housing Act, explaining that the responsibility of classification was not their decision. He conceded this point and suggested that we sign the rental agreement as-is, adding our assistance animal later. I declined this suggestion. Fenton redrafted the lease, adapting their standard pet agreement for the purposes of an assistance animal. I received legal advice that one of the clauses was not enforceable under FHA law and requested that the document be updated. They responded that they did not feel changes were necessary, then agreed to make the change upon my response that I'd received legal advice to the contrary. It is notable that Fenton ultimately agreed to grant an extension to submit the funds associated with executing the lease, redrafting the lease to include an assistance animal, and redrafting the pet agreement. However, these were all rife with conflict. I wonder how much more trust could have been established had responses been dialogs rather than arguments. We are moving forward on the rental with very cautious optimism. At this stage, we are fearful of retaliation based on the bellicose responses we received around exercising our tenants' rights. If you are entering an agreement with Fenton Investment Co., I strongly recommend familiarizing yourself with your rights and documenting communications. We were assured that most of their tenants are happy, and we are open to giving Fenton Investment Co. an opportunity to move forward with us positively. read more

What in lawsuit hell...like I don't even know where to begin, but heres my best shot..... after spending two weeks to schedule a viewing (where my cousin was going to go and FaceTime me, since I live in New York) I was never able to actually get into 1128 Tyndall, but what was frustrating is that I asked them if I could get an application anyway. As a real estate agent myself I explained that I could draw you a floor plan and give details as to how well I know how it looks based off of their listing photos. They declined, even after I was willing to sign a site unseen form. After many "reschedules" later they ended up sending photos (which I had already seen in their listing).---- Although getting a chance to view how the current tenant lived was a bit entertaining to look at. After getting the application I told her I would mail it out with photos of the checks ($50 credit check fee and $400 deposit) as well as the tracking number. Literally the next day "Avery" if thats her real name, said that an application was placed before mine..... after waiting two weeks to get photos which I already seen ...someone got there before me. She said that she sent the photos that were taken for me to the other party. Weird. At this point I really should have just parted ways, but because red flags pull me in like a tractor beam I begged them to consider my application as if I was some love struck teenage boy begging for a prom date. Avery said that they had to run the other parties credit and consider theirs first. So I emailed her a copy of my application while the other was en route in case they were doing a side by side comparison. While stuffing my face with taco bell and cookie dough watching "Once upon a Time" I get a call from Avery telling me that they were going to run my credit. I got so excited! Just the life change I needed, but heres the caveat. Since they are a "community based management" Whatever TF that means, she noticed that my application said I was married, she needed to have me add in my husband to the lease and I would be an occupant. It said on my application clear as day DO NOT CONTACT CURRENT LANDLORD MY HUSBAND AND I ARE GOING THROUGH A SEPARATION. Well without him I wouldn't get the apartment....So I called him and convinced him to fill out an application and send in another $50 to do so. Then I get a second call, Hi Courtney it says on your application to not contact your current landlord? We can't accept your application... Wait WTF lol you're kidding right? Let's break down the red flags shall we.... #1. Asking to add my spouse to the application is a direct violation of Fair Housing for Family Status, especially since I have good credit, make well above the required amount #2. Lets forget about discrimination for a minute, the fact you took the time to find out that I was married on my application means that you also read "DO NOT CONTACT CURRENT LANDLORD" so the minute you asked for more paperwork proves that, that was not the reason why I was denied....so what was it? Application fees? You found out that my last name was Turkish? You might be able to screw over other people and their money, but I'm a good real estate agent with a solid source of financial means, I have no problem paying $1,000 for a $100 credit fee/ $400 deposit to stop slumlords such as this Company and I have way too much energy for one person. I'm not sure why they are avoiding my small claims paperwork that I have sent out twice, all of these fees are just getting tacked on to their bill, not to mention the potential city fines after my appointment with Fair Housing. They will most likely have to end up hiring a company to retrain their employees on fair housing as they should, and for what? All because I asked for my $100 fee back which I'm justly entitled to. Like, I'm surprised their knuckles don't bleed from dragging on the ground, honestly. Do better. read more

If you're in the market for a unique and historic rental that is close to the downtown or university area, I would check Fenton Investments. We were shown several apartments (Academy Lofts and a larger historic home closer to the university). Very different and definitely not the cookie cutter apartment complexes. So you have to be into something different when checking Fenton properties. Staff member that assisted in the showings was super friendly and answered all our questions. We were concerned at first looking at the other reviews but knew of someone who lived at the Academy Lofts and they never had a complaint. read more

Fenton Investment Co - Property Management Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Do you want to live in an apartment complex with non-communicative management? Do you love discovering ceiling termites descending into your residence? Does being charged a carpet cleaning fee for your (heavily cracked) poured concrete floors sound like a good time? Then Academy Lofts is the place for you. Living here (not just reviewing based on a walkthrough and sales pitch), you'll never have to worry about receiving an annoying phone call from your apartment management ever again. Fenton Investments makes sure that no tenants at Academy Lofts receive any kind of call or email in a timely-- or any-- manner. Better yet, you won't even receive a copy of your signed lease! I enjoyed living here for the location and cost. I hated living here for the following reasons: - Leaks from the apartment above - Termites in the ceiling (Truly Nolen laughed when I asked if they had been out before; they said they've lost count of how frequently they came out) - Broken front gate - Poor / slow / no communication from office - Moldy shared washer/dryer (smelled throughout the whole floor) - Broken lock on doors - Even though the building is old, windows were painted shut (one way out only in a fire situation) - Massive cracks in the concrete floor Living in a historic building as old as this demands empathy as a tenant. Everything is aged, it's not full of upgrades, remodeling something from the late 19th century- that is clear to anyone who moves in, and is understandable. What is unclear is how Fenton Investment Co. employees not only lack management and communication skills, but pride themselves on that. Last tip, if this hasn't pushed you away yet: Make sure you read through your lease as fast as possible before signing (don't worry, they changed the language between the time they sent it to you initially and when you sign, but the less you know, the better, right?). Adding on, since I just read through the other reviews: I never did have any issues with receiving my security deposit back or payment issues, etc. read more

I lived in loft 101 at the 420 S. 6th location, also known as "The Dorms at the Academy Lofts". Start to finish, it was the best rental experience I have ever had. They were responsive, flexible and just really nice people! From the very beginning they were accommodating to our specific needs. Because of a short sale on my then girlfriend's home, we needed to move into our loft inn the middle of the month. They made sure our place was clean and ready and allowed us to start our lease two weeks earlier than we had expected. When we moved in, the only issue we had was the fridge wouldn't go below 40 degrees even at the coldest setting. Instead of having to have someone come out and try and fix it, they just replaced it with a brand new one the day after we notified them! They were prompt on all of our service requests and we never had to arm wrestle with them to get things done. After our second year we were so happy with our loft, the community, and with the Fenton's as our landlords, that we signed a two year lease. We were concerned about a major raise of our rent because of the increase in popularity of downtown Tucson, but the price they gave us was very fair. Also, twice in our three years we screwed up mailing the check to them and even though we ended up paying late, they forgave the late fee. During the course of our three years at the Academy Lofts, we organized two block parties. We invited the Fenton staff to join us the first year, but because they couldn't make it they instead gave us a check to use for party expenses! Very generous and totally unexpected. When we threw the second block party, they repeated their generosity. Finally, three months after we signed our two year lease we discovered that my fiance was pregnant. While we loved our loft and would have stayed for at least another two or three years, it is not the right place to raise a newborn. We needed a place that had two bedrooms. We spoke with the Fenton's and explained our new situation. They were excited for us and told us that when the time came they would help us in anyway they could. True to their word, when we were ready to move out they found us a renter to take over our lease so we could move into a place with two bedrooms. The transfer of the loft to the new tenant was easy as pie and they refunded our full security deposit without hassle. I can honestly say that start to finish, we never had even one negative experience and I would rent from them again with confidence. They really treated us more like extended family than just a couple of tenants. read more

Fenton Investment Co - A view of our loft before we moved in! - Property Management Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Fenton Investment Co surpassed my expectations when renting from them. Their office staff is friendly and helpful, and responds quickly to maintenance requests. I loved the rental property and it was in a perfect location downtown! I recommend renting from Fenton if you want to be close to downtown or U of A, and like charming historic homes with personality. read more

Fenton Investments Company---Do NOT live in any of their buildlings. 460 S. 6th Avenue is infested with termites!!! I had several sites throughout my apartment and they got into my furniture and destroyed the furniture. I had sent several correspondence to the company with pictures as well and also called and heard no response until nearly a month later to call back and check up. Also, the windows on my unit were sealed shut! The Fenton family is extremely unethical and will talk nice on the phone to you but at every chance they get they will screw you! Apartments Tucson I just recently was offered a job in Phoenix and had a remaining two months left on my leasing agreement. They mentioned the ability to have my unit subleased which in essence would not terminate my leasing agreement. I went through every effort to comply with them to make sure I could get out of the agreement. I had an individual fill an application and was willing and able to move in and instead they chose someone else that would sign a year lease. Logical right? I know. However, at the end of my tenure there they charged me $300 for a "termination fee." This is reality was not a termination. They will suck every last dollar out of you! Apartments Tucson More on the charges, I had a touch up fee of $130 dollars and when I moved in the unit was already beat up! They charged me for nails in the walls which I never had any such thing in while I lived there. Fenton Investment Company Upon move out I spend nearly and entire day cleaning. Regardless, they still charged me a $150 fee for cleaning my refrigerator and cleaning dust on the window sills? You've got to be joking. All in all, I had a $925 dollar security deposit, the unit was left in good condition and I was a quality tenant. I moved out October 30 and another tenant was moved in the first days of November. No down time to the company yet they still only gave me $110 dollars back on my deposit. Needless to say this is a travesty. This company is ethically wrong and doesn't do business the right way. I would not recommend these units to anyone and believe that you are better off going somewhere else. read more

Moved out, kept my deposit, didnt give me a reason why. Place had a problem with termites, I told them again and again, but they never fixed it. Were not helpful when I called, never did maintenance that I requested and cut corners on a lot of repairs around the place. read more

Stay away from Fenton Investment Co. and rent from someone else who is honest, competent, and uses proper and professional methods of doing business. The place I rented was in horrible shape upon move-in. Dirty kitchen and floors, broken glass, and even black mold growing inside a collapsed ceiling. Issues that came up throughout the lease never seemed to be addressed in a timely manner. I was often ignored. At the end of the lease, Fenton refused to give the security deposit back. After speaking with a few others who have rented from Fenton in the past, I learned that this is their common practice. I am having to take legal action with the state at this point. Steve Fenton is an incompetent business owner with no understanding of moral ethicacy. He will nickel and dime you for every single thing he can, leaving you with nothing in the end. No integrity, no honesty, no moral compass. Save yourself and do not rent from Fenton - I wish I hadn't... read more

As a parent of a University of Arizona student, I would highly recommend any other company for your child's housing needs. BUYER BEWARE - good luck getting your deposit back. I'd rather get a root canal with no anesthetic than deal with Steve Fenton (owner) ever again. read more

If you like the downtown lifestyle the Academy Lofts is a great place to rent. The location is just a short walk to all of the restaurants, bars and shops. The gated parking is a nice perk although it is an extra fee, there's always plenty of free street parking available. The loft floor plan is spacious and the kitchen bar is great for guests. The old building has a lot of character and the tall ceilings are a great feature but I wish the old single pane windows could be upgraded. Having the full sized washer/dryer hookup available in unit was a must and is very nice to have. Overall it's a secure, relatively quiet community, and the short walk to downtown makes the lofts a great place to live. read more

I strongly suggest you do NOT rent from Fenton. The short story - properties are poorly maintained, maintenance and information requests often go ignored, and my experience (as well as others' from around town) is that they'll take any opportunity to gouge you. Upon moving in, the place was dirty and appliances needed cleaning. Upon moving out, I left the place spotless yet was charged cleaning fees. There were broken and cracked windows that the company refused to replace, termite tunnels from the ceilings that were never addressed, leaky roofs, broken light fixtures, etc. They recently remodeled the house, but whoever they contracted with did the cheapest work imaginable, so that "new" cabinets, drawers, etc were already falling apart in the first week of living there. It was a beautiful house that deserved better owners who would take care of it. An electrical issue went unresolved for months, so that I was without electricity in one of the rooms for that time, and it turned out that the issue was shoddy electrical work from a company that Fenton hired before I moved in. Fenton was upset that the electrician discussed the problem with me, since their policy for repairs is to cut corners, whether or not the repair is done safely or up to code. I wouldn't trust them to do or pay for an honest job. One month, my rent check was lost in the mail. I didn't know that they didn't receive rent until I came home from work with an eviction notice taped to my front door (this was the 14th of the month). I was never late with rent before that. Instead of contacting me to just ask about the missing rent, their first action was to threaten eviction. Of course I immediately drove a new check up to them, but I found it completely disrespectful for their first response to be to threaten eviction. (I know why - if they evict you, they make more money in the end.) If you do make the mistake of renting from them, take a picture of every square inch of the house when you move in, inside and out. I took pictures of the big problems that I saw, but should have done a better job taking a picture of every little thing. When they did return the security deposit with money withheld, it took weeks of hounding them to even get a reply. I didn't want it to be a drawn out argument - I just wanted a detailed description of the items they deducted, which they refused to supply until I threatened them with legal action. It shouldn't have taken weeks of time and having to repeatedly email and call to get a reply. Bottom line - there are plenty of upstanding, responsive, and professional companies to rent from in Tucson. This is not one of them. read more

Been a tenant for 3 years overall pretty great experience. They responded quickly to my swamp cooler going out and fixed it same day for me. Staff has always been polite to me and never had an issue with them. read more

The management of this company lacks integrity and honesty. Nice apartments...but the management has no interest in maintenance and repairs. They gouge you unreasonably at the end of your lease agreement. Don't expect to get much of your deposit back once you move out. They will nickel and dime you! The Fentons win and the renters loose!!! read more

I have to admit I was quite surprised when I read the reviews below and a bit disgusted given these are people you are talking about. I had nothing but a great experience with this company. I was there for only a year but that was because I was transferred elsewhere not by choice. My unit was absolutely wonderful, great hardwood floors, bathroom in the absolute perfect location downtown. They got me a showing promptly and got me through the application process quickly. Unlike some other landlords I rented from they were very professional and definitely knew what they were talking about and if the previous reviewers had read the leases or application terms I'm sure they wouldn't have been so upset about it all. Whenever I had a maintenance issue, which honestly wasn't very often, but it was an older unit, the company always answered the phone or email and responded quickly. I never had any issues with getting anyone out. They simply gave the person my number, with my permission and I scheduled with them at my convenience. They checked up with me every single time and were very fair. When I was ready to move out I gave them proper notice and they got it rented. I sent in a move in sheet at the beginning of my tenancy that they supplied and wrote down anything I noticed wrong. I am sure these other reviewers neglected to do so, the Fenton's were extremely fair and nice to me and never charged me for anything that was not my fault. If there was damage existing before then I didn't pay for it. I also cleaned it. I basically gave it back to them in the same conditioned I received it. I didn't leave my lease early so didn't incur any fees, even if it was re-rented and I turned over the keys on time. Consequently, shockingly enough I got all of my security deposit money back in a timely manner. It is amazing how that can happen when you treat the property nicely and follow the rules. Obviously these other people were not great people in general let alone great tenants. I would most definitely rent from the Fenton's again and if I move back to Tucson, they will in fact be the first I go to. You will get a great apartment, a great company and great experience if you rent here. read more

I am only giving this company one star because I have to in order to provide a review. This company is by far the WORST rental company I've ever leased with. I moved to Tucson from out of state and paid a $ 50 app fee for a different property; I paid a $ 20 fee just to mail my check. Fenton then proceeded to lease the property without telling me and I ended up in the crap hole off 1001 N 6th Ave. The property was infested with roaches and they tried to charge me for the pest control fees. They also took 90 % of my deposit and there was no property damage to my unit besides broken blinds. STAY AWAY FROM FENTON! read more

Do NOT rent from Fenton. I lived in their 3rd ave apts. For the 3 hot summer months they didn't fix my cooling (until the weather cooled off). Congo like mosquito, mouse and termite infestation. Windows screwed shut so I couldn't get any airflow. If i did turn on the cooler it was so loud I couldn't think. Of course they failed to mention the night club that played the WORST music at top volume till 2am, that would drown out the cooler noise a bit. Then the 6am construction noise starts up. 3-4 months of almost zero sleep. This is a dangerous area, crack heads and prostitution in courtyard. I saw a hooker pick up something off the ground and put it in her VAGINA right in front of my apartment!These are not the 'luxury' apts they say they are. The bathroom walls were stained with urine and there was pubic hair on walls and shower upon move in but they still charged me cleaning fee (and kept more than $2500 deposit) they even raised the rent so nobody would rent it so they could justify keeping my money. I was told not to bother taking them to court because the broker's brother is a judge.A neighbor was moving out the first week I was there, he showed me the 3 inches of water that had been in his kitchen but they refused to fix it. If they had done the criminal background check they charged me for I would have found out the guy I moved in with had an extensive criminal record before he was able to assault me. I feel each member of Fenton investment is personally responsible for my assault. But instead of helping (they were fully aware of the danger I was in because I told them) they used it as an opportunity to profit. I told them my life was in danger and the apartment was not safe. Anyone could break in easily. I was terrifed but they didn't care and REFUSED to do anything to make it safer or even return my calls. These apartments are DANGEROUS and should be condemed. There is a special place in Hell reserved for the Fenton Investment team. And they still want more money. I wish I had yelped befor I rented there. :( read more