I stayed here for 2 years. If you're reading this review, you're likely either a student or employee at UTMB which means you don't have time to waste on apartment shopping. Here's the short version of my review: Clean hardwood rooms with plenty of space. These apartments look more aesthetically pleasing than the majority in Galveston. However, the shared public spaces (halls, stairwells, entrance) are horrendously unkept in comparison. Management has always been cordial with me but their usefulness is questionable. Galveston's hurricane season will severely inconvenience you several days out of the year since this apartment building is completely encircled in a flood-prone area. Most of the year, I felt satisfied with living here but there are a couple of major problems and several minor inconveniences that add up over time. Now for a deeper dive. Pros: - By far, the biggest green flag I've approved of is the lack of bugs in my apartment. I previously stayed at the Chateau LaFitte on Holiday Dr and the amount of roaches were a living nightmare. I've had two, maybe three bug encounters total and none of them ever looked bigger than a fingerprint. The exterminators seem to actually do their jobs. - I never encountered any major flaws with my unit. It appeared clean when I moved in and held up fine as long as I put in my share of work to maintain it. Tiny puddles leaked through the windows during Hurricane Helene but that's about it. - The gated parking lot in the back stands on higher elevation than the roads, which becomes crucial in protecting your car during inevitable yearly floods. For reasons I will mention in the cons, I only recommend parking in the open lot and not the garage. - Optimal location. Living right next to school saved me countless times from showing up late. UTMB notoriously oversells the number of curbside parking passes relative to the number of available spots; if you decide not to purchase a parking pass, walking/biking to campus is a feasible option. Since this building sits at the end of The Strand, downtown's main attractions are usually a 10-20 minute walk. Cons: - The most glaring red flag is largely out of management's control. All four surrounding roads (15th, 16th, Harborside, and Strand) flood heavily during hurricane season. Both years I've stayed here, the water level occasionally rose so high that driving in and out of the building would have flooded my car. I drive a Camry, but I wouldn't risk it even if I drove a pickup. There have been days when I couldn't return to my apartment, which forced me to stay at a friend's place instead. - It's quite obvious that management never hired a custodian to clean the shared spaces. The hallways are dusty, the first floor lobby has floor stains...don't even get me started on the stairwells. The one leading to the east building's garage reeks of urine. They comically put a sign on the wall that reads "no urinating in the stairwells" (intended for pets) but never bothered to actually clean it, so a lasting smell has lingered behind. - I can't recall a time when management effectively acted on my concerns. Cynthia replaced the old manager last year and she seems very polite but that's about it. I've visited the office for loud neighbors (twice!), rent increase negotiations, and technical errors with the online payment portal and they never saw through on any of my issues. - Living so close to the Strand will also become a potential annoyance during tourist season. Expect slingshot rentals and motorbikes to blare inconsiderably loud music on some summer nights. They only pass by for about 15 seconds but if you're a light sleeper, good luck. - If you park in the garage, your car will accumulate white dust that fell off the ceiling. I have no idea what it is but some of it will NOT come off with a simple car wash. I took my car to several shops and each of them told me I'd require detailing with quotes around $150-300. I spoke with several other tenants; none of us were ever warned about this happening. You might have noticed that the con list seems more extensive than the pros, but I honestly didn't hate living there. If I could do it all over again, would I? Ehhh... maybe. Compare the rent with other apartments first. The leases here lean toward the expensive end of the spectrum, which would actually be justified if management made a better attempt to listen to their tenants and keep up with cleanliness. Many of the building's features carry potential for standing out as an upscale apartment complex but instead, they've been neglected and masked with friendly employees. read more

c;ean and comfortable.lived here almos 5 years every time i had a maintenance issue it was taken care of the very next day. i have never seen a roach. read more

Incredibly poor experience dealing with Villas and I do no recommend at all. I am incoming resident physician at UTMB that has been trying to find housing in the Galveston area and have only had poor experiences with trying to find an apartment at this place. They only lease out apartments no earlier than a month beforehand and told me they are very strict on having the apartment go out to whoever can call first on 8AM a month before the move in day opens, no exceptions, and that it is basically a bloodbath. This alone is extremely unprofessional, however even when I tried to even follow this ridiculous request to call when they told me to I find out that there apparently was an exception made to the rule and they ended up leasing to someone early despite being very insistent they never do that and that the only way I could get this apartment was to call on their ridiculous deadline. Just weeks of contacting them, touring with them, communicating with them wasted because they couldn't even follow their own rule that they make everyone else follow. Overall disappointing and unprofessional and I recommend incoming UTMB students and physicians find somewhere, anywhere else. Relieved I did not end up living here if this is how they communicate and deal with future tenants. read more

I just want to say I'm happy I moved to the villas on the strand. My application process was easy and quick. Ms. Paulette in the office was very helpful and always avalible when I had questions or concerns. The first day I moved in my ceiling was leaking but I let her know and maintenance came and fixed it immediately. I haven't had any problems since. All the staff I have met in the office have been extremely helpful, kind and available when needed. The community is quiet, and the area is great. I highly recommend moving to the villas. I have been here 2 months so I will update the review as I continue my stay here. read more

They need a 24 hr maintenance emergency maintenance for a/c my unit breaks down every other week and month this is ridiculous it's to hot for me and my kids to be in this house hot read more

I usually don't post reviews, but I felt the need to post my experience with Villas on the Strand in Galveston on here because of all the issues my roommates and I had to deal with. The way management responded to the issues we encountered were completely unacceptable. Our A/C unit began leaking as soon as we turned it on the very first night we were there. We had to get maintenance to come out to look at it and *temporarily* fix it about 7 times during the first 2 months. On top of that, we had multiple occurrences of the A/C completely shutting off, in the brutal hot Texas summer months. Communication between us, management, and corporate was a joke. I'm not sure how maintenance requests become "forgotten" or "not go through," but this happened way too often. Many times, we had to put in more than one request and multiple phone calls to get someone to help with the A/C water leak even when it had been leaking for more than 24 hours! Another experience we had was the loudest and most disturbing construction noise right on the corner of our townhome. This construction began about halfway through our lease and continued until the end (about 8 months!). For most hours of the day, it caused the whole townhome to shake and many times I felt like it was going to fall apart. I understand that it was technically out of the apartment management's hands, but this construction was occurring both day and night, and management showed no interest of doing anything about it, whether that be talking to the construction company, allowing us to move into a different townhome temporarily, anything!! The last half of the lease left my roommates and I absolutely miserable. After finally moving out of this awful place, we did not receive our refund deposit until a month and a half after our move out date. Even after making sure they had the forwarding address of where to send the check a month in advance before our move out date, they still managed to get things mixed up, resulting a delay in us receiving our refund deposit. Then, they tried to blame the delay on us. Management was displayed as incompetent and apathetic. But ultimately, the problem comes down to corporate and allowing such an atrocious experience. Please DO NOT sign a lease with these apartments. Don't waste your money!! read more

The response from management (or whoever it is who commented to my previous review) solidifies my reasoning for the low rating. If negative stars were a thing, this place would be getting them. I would never lie about my experience...how silly and unnecessary would that be? Her response shows how bad at business they are by making excuses and pointing the blame towards me...? I definitely did call ahead. Politely and excitedly asked to see their property via the telecom system. Then was turned away. Very true story. But perhaps the manager is the one telling the truth, and I waste time writing fake reviews on Yelp. Ha!! read more

I wish I could give ZERO stars. Place was nice when I moved here but it has went downhill. My home was broken into and I was attacked and had my vehicle vandalized and Stephanie Beeks tried to evict my kids and I for defending myself and property. After eviction being dismissed in court (because what judge wouldn't dismiss it), she continued to harass me, sending threatening emails etc. Her supervisor sees no issue with her behavior so I had to take a legal route for the continuous harassment for the past 2 years. For any current or former residents reading, there is a group on the neighborhood app dedicated to everyone in Villas and the Cedars who have been mistreated, discriminated against, and harassed by Stephanie Beeks. Please join. We have gotten in contact with the local new station and legal aid since McCormack Baron still allows her to work here and continue to do what she does to residents. For those looking for a home, I would NOT RECOMMEND as long as Stephanie Beeks is there. read more

I lived there for 15 months. The management staff is terrible and way beyond rude. When we first looked at apartments we were shown a 2 bed unit that We fell in love with. We decided to sign application for that unit. When I called asking the status of our application after almost a week I was informed that unit had already been rented to someone else and they had made a mistake. No more 2 bedrooms left. I was upset and said I just paid an application fee and deposit because we wanted that unit. The staff than said Here is your check. We then talked to Tilla, so kind and helpful. We rented a one bedroom unit. Tilla left shortly after. There were a couple of big selling items for us like the security and no smoking on entire premises, no incense. For at least half the time the gates were open due to problems. I kept asking about it being fixed. I was told by one of the management team that they were having a disagreement with the gate company. I called corporate to complain, the apartments manager called me said I don't know who told you that but it is not true. So anyone could get into the building/vehicles. Our bikes were taken, when reporting it we found out that the head maintenance guy cut locks and took following instructions from management to remove abandoned bikes. The bikes taken were all the new nice bikes and they left a bike with flat tires, and one with a broken seat. When they finally told us they had our bikes I asked if I could go pick it up wherever they had them and was told no. Almost a week later they brought 2 bikes (that were really nice and no way to possibly be an abandoned bike) were not ours. So we had to wait another couple days for our bikes. They were returned without locks. We had to buy locks that was refunded after we demanded it. No notifications were distributed that bikes where to be cleared. When I asked about notice I was told that no one responds to them so didn't send one. Not once were they ever apologetic about it. About a month later our bikes where stolen for real this time. When I complained saying this wouldn't have happened if the gates were working properly I was told people can still find ways in. I said yes but the likelihood of our bikes being stolen chances would have decreased significantly if the gates were closed like they should have been. Then I started having problems with my asthma. Someone was smoking in their apartment and then tried to mask it with strong incense. So another of the selling points for us was that there was a rule of no smoking on the entire premises. It was so strong that it filled the hallways. Our quests that came over would comment about how strong the smell was. I complained to the management saying someone was smoking and then when the incense started I complained about that too. Management told me that they do regular apartment checks and they did not smell anything. One day my husband went over and knocked on our neighbors door to ask her a question the smoke smell and incense came billowing out of her apartment. I told management that it was my neighbor. I was then told I should not be talking to my neighbors because you just don't know what mood people will be in. The management finally talked to her about it and it got better for a couple weeks and then started up again. By this point we had already given our notice to move out so I didn't say anything about it. There was also a German roach issue. We keep everything clean so it was frustrating that we would have roaches come into our apartment. They where all over the stairways and the hallways. Then I am guessing a tenant killed a roach on the wall right next to the elevator. When we moved out it was still on the wall. So it was there for about 4 months before we moved out. The cleaning crew never cleaned it even though they cleaned the entire building twice a week. Since we live in Texas I started asking about the pool around March and it was 80 degrees. I was told that it they opened the pool they have to pay someone to maintain it. I asked again in April and then in May. They finally opened it on Memorial Day and then closed it shortly after school started back. Maybe around September. I was thoroughly disappointed with not having that amenity. When I rented my apartment I was told that if we did a longer term of 15 months that at renewal time the rate would not go up that much. Well it was going to be about $150 more a month. I guess $150 a month isn't a lot to the management but we were already paying a ridiculous amount. I put in a maintenance report on the telecom system since it was on working in November. I moved out in February and was called in April asking if the telecom was still not working. I told them I don't know I don't live there anymore. There was 1 employee that was AWESOME. His name is James. He is a member of maintenance. He went above and beyond to make sure everyone in the building was being taken care of. read more

To the response from management: 1. My original maintenance request was ignored as Janna "FORGOT" to put the work order in and alert maintenance. So, when nothing was done for days I had to make a second request. 2. They said they "fixed it" after 2 days of being in my apartment but it IMMEDIATELY started leaking again and I alerted the office and maintenance again. 3. On a Wednesday, maintenance finally came back and discussed with me how they would fix it. I made sure they knew I was going on vacation for 7 days. I just came back from a long vacation to an apartment COVERED in water and pieces of the ceiling with the A/C unit still broken. 7 days and they still didn't fix it?? The workers also PUT MY A/C ON 72 DEGREES ALL WEEK. You all owe me the money my electricity will cost as well as possible damages the water will cause my furniture and pet. I have been living in a broken, damaged apartment for over a month and it is NOT okay. I will be contacting my lawyer. read more

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Don't waste your money or time living here. The only thing nice about it is the location. The management is terrible, as we have had a water leak for 6 weeks and they have still yet to actually fix the problem. They just keep coming and putting a band aid on it but it still leaks and now it's backing up as it stopped leaking all the sudden. Janna never follows up with me when I call her about it because they're out of pans. Also beware that this is government housing. Don't recommend and I'm very displeased. read more

I like this property, the staff are nice and I love the location and welcoming feeling when I come to this property. I am a relative of a current tenant and I also work for a delivery service so I frequent this property almost daily. I know Ms. Jena and Ms. Sharonda. They are very pleasant when I see them interacting with people. Ms. Sharonda may be the manager or something else but I have seen her handle a hostile person before and she was very professional, far from loud. They all wear smiles when I see them which is essential. After seeing these reviews and actually encountering a disgruntled person leave the office saying they would bash the staff on reviews because they were upset that the office kept saying something about policy. I literally listened to and watched this young lady speak very derogatory of the staff and reference the review and going to corporate as a method of getting them back. I dont know what happened entirely but I do know it was escalated to Ms. Sharonda who stood her ground professionally yet unbeknownst to her got poor revengeful threats made against them. I could not say anything to them but it was wrong. So I felt compelled to come to the defense of the office staff. I think they are well equipped to handle all of the people that come in and out of this place of business. They are well dressed, wear name tags and I love how secure their buildings are. I have been delivering to this property for two years now. I go here quite often and I will say this; some of the customers need to understand that they are actually rude and could use better decorum when they step into a place of business. Sometimes what you put out there is what you get in return because its bad energy but I have seen both of these young ladies interact with people as well as myself and have never had negative attitude. The property is well manicured and clean and again I love how secure their buildings are. Great job Villas Apts. Someone sees you! :) read more

If I could give less than one star I most definitely would. After submitting my application and paying the $100 fee for it, the front desk personnel Ashley assured me I'd hear back within a week. Well, 2 weeks passed and nothing! Multiple phone calls, voicemails and visits to the office were met with radio silence. It took a call to corporate to hear anything back, within minutes of the call to corporate might I add, and suddenly I'm approved for a unit but can't receive the paperwork because someone got locked out of their email? What a lame excuse. The whole ordeal was suspicious, disappointing and completely unprofessional. The staff were very rude and dishonest, I really feel like I dodged a bullet by deciding to seek housing elsewhere. If you want to lose your time and hard earned money then this is the place to go. (By the way, I still haven't received my paperwork OR a call back from the office and it has been over a month. Guess it must be really hard to recover an email.) Shame on you all for your awful service and extremely poor management. People rely on the front desk when it comes to securing their housing and Villas on the Strand is a prime example of a housing nightmare. read more

I am living here at the property so will keep my name private. The staff is so rude and unkind, they apologize like they were wronged. I had to wait over 3 months for repairs, calling and going to the office every week and promised no next week no next week. If they do come this is the first time that some kind of note is not left. When spoke to the manager was spoken down to like a child. Also, I live on the second floor and due to the hardwood floor I hear everything upstairs, the family above me is very loud, luckily the mom is understanding and tries to keep it down. The staff is rude and will be moving when the lease is up. The main company needs to restaff the office at Villas on the Strand in Galveston, Tx. read more

I have lived in over 4 different apartment complexes, and this is just a terrible place to live in. Management staff is unqualified to handle simple matters. When I moved in, I was handed the wrong key to my apartment and the wrong key to my mailbox. I had to go back to the office two times before I received a key that worked. The key fob was not ready for pick up and there was never an announcement to pick it up. When I finally asked about it, I was given a key fob that didn't work. This also happened to a few of the other residents I know. A few of the other residents brought their key fobs to be programed to no avail. When I came to visit the apartment buildings, they talked about having access to the meeting rooms for studying but failed to mention extra fees. Additionally, the door to the gate outside is never locked and the elevators do not require a key fob so anyone and everyone can have access to the hallways in the apartment buildings. I do not feel safe living here as I have woken up to gun shots across the street. Maintenance is very slow to address problems. I have had a roach infestation prolonged even after "pest control" supposedly came to spray my apartment vicinity. I have never been unhappier living somewhere and I am very excited to move out. Overall, I do not feel well respected as a resident. This has been a very unsatisfactory experience to say the least. read more