I highly recommend Janis and her team at Settle Down Philadelphia. We've worked with them in multiple capacities for quite some time. Listings, purchases, rentals and management...Settle Down can handle it all!!! read more

I told the person giving the tour that i never got a credit score on experian but told me they check transunion, which has a credit score under my name. I Emailed a bunch of questions including what credit reporting company was used to confirm, no reply. I Finally put in a $40 application since I loved the place I had toured and made sure I met the minimum requirements, but I was denied and told i had no credit history. I got a message pushing me to get a co-signer with no context until i asked why. Turns out they don't use transunipn, I was a little upset that I was denied but got really upset when I asked what reporting company was used and the person got defensive and ignored me when I got upset. I still have zero answers on that and from the email I sent. I'm just very upset that I was lied to after looking forward to this apartment just for what feels like the application fee. read more

DO NOT USE SETTLE DOWN PHILADELPHIA. TRUST THE BAD REVIEWS **TLDR; Scroll to the bottom There were red flags from the beginning. When we were scheduled to have a tour, the person did not know the code to get into the house. We waited for an extended period of time trying to contact the property management company to be let into the house. No one answered their phone or responded to emails (which seems to be their MO.) After rescheduling the tour for the next day, we were able to get in and look around. There were cosmetic and safety issues that needed to be resolved prior to moving in. We were told that everything would be taken care of (They were not.) I asked to do a walk through of the property, after signing the lease to ensure that everything we wanted resolved was resolved. My fiance and I were told "No," and that we could walk through once we got the keys. Surprise! after getting in the house we see that nothing was taken care of. We immediately reached out to Settle Down, and were told to put in a work order and things would get taken care of. We put in the work order, but Settle Down pick and chose what they wanted to take care of. The most pressing issues we have were loose nails hanging from the walls, ceiling, and protruding from the floors (including our 18 month old's nursery); the steps leading into our house are falling apart; the pipes do not drain properly due to a tree root blocking the pipes in the front yard, so during major rain the garage floods with sewage; the garage door does not close; the lights in the living room and dining room make a continuous buzzing sound. They send contractors out, and the contractors report back to Settle Down, to which Settle Down responds by providing band aid solutions, or by doing nothing. Our dishwasher broke going on a month and a half ago, it filled with stagnant water. It took them a long time to respond to our request to have it repaired. A new dishwasher was given to us, but it was too big to fit in the space. Our neighbor, who is a plumber, tried to install the new dishwasher but no luck. We were told by Settle Down they would reimburse us for paying our neighbor for his work. They claimed to have put a check in the mail, that was two or three weeks ago. No check has arrived. Fast Forwarding to yesterday, we received an email stating that Settle Down would no longer be our property management company. Conveniently, there are plenty of repairs that still need to be made. It seems like Settle Down stole our rent money, and handed the responsibility of the repairs and maintenance to someone else. **TLDR; Settle Down Philadelphia does not respond to emails or phone calls. When they do, they do not resolve the maintenance issues/repairs. They only provide band aid solutions. Problems go unresolved for months. They sent an email on Aug 26th telling us on Sept 1st they would no longer be our property management company. Most of our maintenance issues from when we moved in March are still happening, and no one has taken responsibility. Stay away from Settle Down Philadelphia read more

I have been looking for an Apt for some time...I finally found a property I loved...Filled out all the required paperwork, received a call from Judith Herself letting me know sans some paperwork , the place was mine....After telling my family the good news,I called the following day to finish up and I was told they were going in a diff direction and went w someone else (can u effing believe it). And then when I called repeatedly to get an answer as to why this happenned. I was met w complete silence..They won't even pick up there phone.........I WOULD RATHER SLEEP IN A REFRIDGERATOR BOX THAN USE THOSE LYING Sobs EVER AGAIN..... .BE WARNED THEY ARE LIARS read more

I'm currently renting from Settle Down Philadelphia and having a horrendous time getting repairs done. While some of the repairs needing to be done can definitely be done in the future (when COVID-19 is not such a danger), there is one repair that needs to be completed ASAP, and I am being ignored when seeking assistance. In multiple places in my living room (and other spaces in the unit) there are raised, rusty nails sticking out of the hardwood flooring. We notified Settle Down of this (and other issues) at the beginning of March. No action was taken to rectify the issues. Recently, my infant daughter (she is currently 12.5 months) has started to walk. She has stumbled because of the nails in the living room. One fall resulted in her smacking her head extremely hard on the floor, and getting a nasty bump. I know for a fact the nail caused this fall as her sock was ripped and connected to the nail. I am angry and disenchanted that Settle Down is seemingly okay with allowing their unit to be such an unsafe place for an infant, and I find it very awful that they are ignoring the pleas of a worried mother. Shame on them. I have offered to attempt to remove the nails myself, but would like confirmation that I will not be at fault if damage to the floor happens, and I have not received that. In fact, I have been entirely ignored regarding this matter and they continue to put my daughter in danger. Very negligent. read more

Horrible horrible horrible!!....thats the best I can say. Should have read the reviews on this company as well. We should have thought twice about it when owner told us that she had to make " a payout" to a disgruntled client. They never call you. They never email back. They never text back. We have no way of getting in touch with them. Haven't had much dealings with property managers but they are so bad at their jobs. They want to charge you for everything that they find wrong so they can make a profit. Please think twice about using this company. read more

I should have listened to this company's bad reviews, they earned them! I have dealt with my fair-share of bad property managers and I was looking for a new company that can simply do their job properly. I reached out to correspond with an agent and I was upfront and told the agent what I was looking for in a property manager, which included some simple requests. These requests included transparency, to be kept informed of repairs and before and after photos of repairs. Judith was the agent that responded and stated that SDP could work with me and had me add the company to my home insurance and sent me a template of the contract and this went on for months. Then once time came to finalize things, she claims that my requests are too much for SDP and she and the contract broker can't work with me... this is months later, despite me telling her what I was looking for in a property manager from the start. Judith also couldn't even tell me which requests were a problem and ignored my emails and took over a week to respond on multiple occasions. One excuse was that SDP claimed that they can't help me because they can't have repairmen take before and after photos of repairs, something to help prevent contractors from taking advantage of property owners. I have been renting my property for 6 years and contractors have taken before and after photos. I could go on, but the point is, this company wasted months of my time and time is money, but it's my money being wasted so I feel that SDP didn't care and if they don't care now, then they likely won't care later. Listen to their reviewers and proceed with caution. read more

Settle Down (Judith Conte and Janis Benstock) managed our new construction condo association of 4 units. Over the course of our 21 month contract, they refused to supply the contractually obligated monthly financial reports. They only provided cryptically and inconsistently labeled monthly running account balance reports. They failed to maintain records of all bills received (there were only 4 monthly bills - no other services were provided). They've claimed it's not possible to produce records that the bill payments debited on our account were being paid to the utilities because they use ACH. Every request for information has been met with delays, diversions, and excuses. The service has been very unprofessional. Now, at the end of our contract, we find that $600 was withdrawn from our reserves without explanation, and over $500 dollars credited towards bills against our operating account were not paid. After more than a month of inquiries, we still have no explanation from Judith or Janis and no evidence that any action has been taken to audit their accounting. Meanwhile, our water is on the verge of being shut off. We were never alerted to any significant overdue balances or incurred late fees. Settle Down manages all of their properties with one collective operating account. The individual account balances are determined solely by the codes assigned to bills that are paid. Thus, it is very easy for one Association's account to be charged for another account's activity. IF YOU ARE SERVICED BY SETTLE DOWN, YOU SHOULD DO A THOROUGH AUDIT OF ALL OF YOUR ACCOUNT ACTIVITY. read more

I've lived at my current residence for 2 years now and I will admit that in the past I had some issues that led me to loose some faith in the company due to the inadequate abilities of now ex- employees. However, recently Dina has come along and not only restored my faith in the company, but is the reason my apartment now feels like home. Dina is proffessional, courteous, and genuinely concerned about me as a tenant. Any issues I have, even during the weekend; are handled ASAP and followed up by a call or email. Thanks Dina, and thanks Janis for having her on your team! read more

The worst management company I've ever rented from. Apartment was filthy when we moved in. Had to scrub every surface in the bathroom multiple times to even make it usable, and the kitchen has a coating of grease on every surface. Took them nearly a month, and nearly a dozen requests for them to finally send someone out to repair the long list of broken things in the apartment, and in our second month we still have a broken washer and tons of other things that need to be repaired. The company is bad at communicating and difficult to work with, and has shown little sympathy for the situation at our apartment. Will never rent from them again. read more

What did I do to offend these people? I have been reaching out for 11 days to inquire about a seemingly empty building with fire damage. I'm looking to buy. I'm motivated. The ONLY times I got anyone on the phone they'd transfer me to a machine. I have left multiple messages on Judy, Janice and Dans line. I did get a call back from Janice on day 10 but when I called back 3 minutes later, 2 hours later and again another hour later ....nothing. Today I finally got a hold of someone after calling 4 times. I asked about the property, was put on hold for a brief time. The young lady came back and said there was no information on it. I explained I had been looking at it for a while and it seemed unclaimed. She said they had no info on it but she did verify TWICE that they are the property managers for that address. I asked for contact info for anyone that did have info. She said that would be the owner. I asked for that and she said they did not have it. She was very nervous, very sweet and admitted she was new. Honestly, she kinda seemed like a,gem. But for someone looking to buy a property that clearly needs a lot of infrastructure work, I'd like to think that's someone worth getting back to. Oh, and I like how Yelp has I recommended the 5 5 star reviews that they clearly wrote for themselves. Go Yelp read more

Janis helped my family and I purchase our first home thru rent to own. She was extremely helpful, trustworthy and efficient! I highly recommend her as a realtor! Had a very positive experience with her. read more

Janis is amazing! My partner and I were looking for our first home and we feel so lucky to have Janis as our real estate agent. She was always so professional, knowledgeable and gave her honest feedback when we needed some guidance. We never felt pressured to make an offer and she was always sending us listings and she was more than accommodating to show us homes after we got off work or on the weekends. The home buying process was so foreign to us and it was so nice to have someone like Janis by our side the entire process. She's great at communication, whether it be text or email. It's evident that Janis cares about the work that she does and I couldn't be happier with her services and not that it matters but we are closing on our home on 2/16/17. read more

Preparing a small claims court case. Absolutely horrific incompetence from 2 members of the team, and from the owner. The property manager didn't manage the property and let the building with disconnected utilities and debt. Removing ourselves from the relationship was very painful, as it was impossible to get any handover help. At least 3 members of our Homeowner Association needed to bed for the rest of our funds to be returned to us... read more

My son and I have had our rental properties rented and managed by Judith Conte for several years. Although you need to be patient, Judith eventually finds reliable tenants, that pay their rent on time and treat your property respectfully. She takes care of all issues that come up with the tenants in a very timely manner. Her recordkeeping is very organized and makes tax preparation much easier. We have been very pleased with her service and are happy that we were recommended to her. read more

Have had nothing but problems since renting from them. Calls and messages go unanswered, and problems not resolved.

I have been working with the real estate community in Philadelphia for more than 12 years, and have interacted with an overwhelming majority of real estate professionals in the area. I have personally purchased and sold several properties and owned/operated a successful home inspection business and construction/renovation company. Some decisions are very difficult to make; which was exactly what I was faced with when myself and my family decided to relocate to Arizona. Due to my experience, picking our realtor was predominantly my choice. I thought about all of the amazing realtors I have interacted with throughout the years and can quickly create a long list of amazing people. Choosing who was best for us both was and was not easy. It didn't take me long to single out Janis; who throughout the years has always had an amazing team around her. The not so easy part was why NOT all the other amazing realtors that were available. What it comes down to is a very long list of 'NEEDS' that I have for 'MY' realtor. Lets start with me and who I am......I try my best to be honest about who I am. Especially when it comes to real estate and Philadelphia I am, very particular, extremely picky, and one of the most difficult people out there for a realtor to deal with. Following the obvious (tolerating me) on my list for qualified realtor is someone who thoroughly and completely understands real estate; the fluctuation of value, the buying/selling vs renting and which is best at the time, property management, managing all of the parties involved, what is realistic to ask for from any and all of the parties involved, what repairs/upgrades offer a good return on investment, the cost of a property being 'for sale' for many months, etc etc. This is just the beginning of a very long list, however I believe it helps drive home what I've already stated. Now lets face it, everyone goes to work to make money, thats what work is. However that is not all that work is, or at least it shouldn't be for a Realtor. There are plenty of realtors out there that couldn't care less about their clients or theirs clients wants and needs. I have personally and professionally witnessed Janis sacrifice her time and money to know that her clients are getting the service that EVERYONE deserves. She puts her clients priorities first, and would just as quickly encourage someone away from a deal that she doesn't feel truly serves their best interests. Sure, she could save tons of time and make plenty of money just pushing through every deal she comes across, but that is absolutely NOT the person she is. Overall, there are plenty of both really good and really bad realtors available throughout the Philadelphia area. With that said, none of them embrace the city, its quirks, and the people quite like Janis, and the entire Settle Down team. Janis is the most caring and giving professional out there. Accompanied by the entire Settle Down crew Janis and Settle Down Philadelphia truly epitomize greatness!! This is why I chose Janis and Settle Down for my family, a decision that looking back on was one of the very best decisions I have ever made. read more

I was in a terrible rental situation and decided I wanted to buy my first home in the city - As soon as I had my pre-approval letter in my hand, I wanted to run out to find the perfect home for my family - and Janis was right there ready to run with me! While looking at houses, she was very insightful, providing excellent advice on properties, improvements, workmanship, curb appeal. She kept us looking at homes in budget and when it came down to making the deal happen, she worked everything out and made us first time buyers feel so comfortable being in her hands. Janis and the team @ Settle Down Philadelphia were very responsive to all our questions and did everything to expedite our dream. Now we are 3 weeks in, and still loving every second of our beautiful new philadelphia home and forever grateful to Settle Down Philadelphia! read more

My experience with Settle down Philadelphia has been great. I have been working with Judith Conte. She is very experienced and gives great advice on dealing with rental issues. If you are looking for an agency who takes care of rental logistics + advises on best practices, SDP is your agency! Thank you so much Judith and Settle down Philadelphia! read more

Janis helped me both buy and sell my condo. She is the only person I would trust in any real estate dealings, including renting. Her knowledge and passion for both the City of Philadelphia and real estate is inspiring. read more

I highly recommend Janis and her team. Not only is Janis knowledgeable about real estate and property management, she knows the city inside and out. Not only is she smart, but cares about Philadelphia. read more

This management company is incredible. They are on top of any issues or questions I have as a renter. Maintenance is taken care of in a very timely fashion. Phone calls are returned pronto. Every renter should be so blessed to work with a management company that puts people first. What a pleasure. Thank you Janis and TEAM read more

Awesome service and crazy fast turnaround. I worked with Danielle to lock down my new Queen Village apartment. I called on a Friday afternoon and she was able to show me the apartment the next day (Saturday). After seeing the place, I put in my application and she helped me get it fast tracked to be approved. A day later the lease was in my inbox. She was super helpful in answer all of my questions and getting everything sign and set up asap. Highly recommend. read more

Janis and her team are fantastic. Janis helped me purchase my home about 12 years ago. When I moved out of the area, her team stepped up and became the property managers. They do a great job of keeping me well informed and keep me at ease. My situation has recently changed and I have decided to sell the rental property. Of course I asked Janis to assist and the property was sold very quickly. Janis and her team always answer my questions politely and timely. Janis has "talked me off of the ledge" a number of times and I could never thank her enough. I highly recommend Janis and her team. read more

Janis and the team at Settle Down Philadelphia are great! Very responsive to all texts, phone calls and emails anytime of day. I've worked with a lot of property management companies but Settle Down Philadelphia definitely exceeds all expectations. Highly recommend them! read more

Hey...Settle Down Philadelphia sold my property and worked to get me the price I wanted. Janis, the Broker, is hands on, promptly responding via call and text. She assigned agent Judy Conte who actively promoted my property, advising me along the way to settlement. I found her emails useful for updates on offers, showings and answering my questions. read more

Two years ago my husband and I moved away from Philadelphia and decided to rent out our home in Center City. It was the first home we had ever purchased and had more than a little sentimental value. Deciding to bring in renters was hard as it really weirded me out that strangers would be living in our house. Judy was so great, and so knowledgeable and made this process as smooth as possible for us. We are not professional landlords, we don't own a bunch of properties, we were new to this process and I have no idea how we would have managed it without Settle Down and Judy. Their owner portal is really easy to use and our rental income was direct deposited into our account each month, could not have been simpler. Would definitely recommend Settle Down to anyone looking for a management company that knows their stuff! read more

I would never rent through Settle Down Philadelphia ever again. Judy Conti is the hardest person to get in contact with. I have spoken to Janis on the phone and she was the most unpleasant manager I have ever spoken with, was super degrading and harsh. Everything that gets submitted through their maintenance portal requires at least three follow up emails on your end. They nab you in the end for a lot of fees. They also do not follow up on their water bills and then try to stick you with the bill all at once before moving out. I have found renting through an individual A LOT better than renting through this company. The house was great but Settle Down was a nightmare. read more

Janis helped me find a fabulous apartment in the Graduate Hospital area and when I moved in, there was a welcome package with wine and all kinds of information about my neighborhood. They're a pleasure to work with and will help you find exactly what you're looking for. Highly recommend! read more