GB
George Balayan
Apr 6, 2026
I've been a resident at Martin Flats for nearly a year and want to share an honest account of my experience for anyone considering this building.
The Lease Terms
My rent was $988/month. The lease runs May 2025 through July 2026.
Living Conditions
The biggest issue has been persistent marijuana odor seeping into my unit, sometimes daily, particularly in the evenings. It has given me recurring headaches. I have raised this with management multiple times over several months. The response has been that they are "investigating," but nothing has changed — the smell has actually gotten worse.
The shared kitchen areas are consistently dirty — countertops left unclean, refrigerators in poor condition, and trash bins frequently overflowing. The walls are very thin, and noise from neighboring units is a regular disruption.
Trying to Leave
I first attempted to move out in January 2026 after months of dealing with these conditions. I outlined my concerns in writing to the community manager, the assistant manager, and the regional vice president. Each time, my concerns about living conditions were acknowledged politely but ultimately dismissed. Management's position was that the fees are non-negotiable regardless of the reasons for leaving. At no point did anyone acknowledge that these unresolved issues contributed to my decision.
During this process, the assistant manager told me multiple times that the penalty fees could not be waived because of fair housing laws — which is completely untrue. Fair housing laws have nothing to do with lease termination fees. This felt either deliberately misleading or deeply uninformed.
I eventually felt cornered and had to revoke my notice to vacate. I stayed, hoping things would improve. They did not.
When I tried again in April 2026, the assistant manager informed me that breaking my lease — just two months early — would cost $3,952 in penalty fees alone. To put that in perspective, the total remaining rent on my lease was only about $2,300. They were asking me to pay nearly double what I would have owed just by staying and paying rent through the end of the lease.
Bottom Line
Martin Flats looks nice on the surface, but the day-to-day reality has been disappointing. If you're considering this building, pay close attention to the lease terms and addenda — particularly the concession chargeback and buyout clauses. And if you run into issues with your unit, know that management's approach has been to deflect and enforce fees rather than address the root problems.
UPDATE:
There was a response posted below:
"Please reach out so we can address these issues promptly."
I did reach out many times. As I mentioned above, my concerns were completely disregarded, and you kept coming back with a roughly $4,000 payment requirement for me to terminate the lease.