Riverbirch

Reviews

• SS

  Sarah

  Mar 19, 2026
  4.0
  There are some great things about living here and some less than ideal. The location is very well placed and makes living in Ames an overall walkable experience. The bus stops near me also make life more accessible. I had a very negative experience with different landlord in Ames due to this OTHER landlord using a fraudulent utility billing service based in Utah which overcharged me hundreds and apparently has been the center of lawsuits. Riverbirch has a system where you pay utilities twice a year for a very reasonable fee. This has been a huge relief after being outright scammed at a previously complex in Ames. Repairs usually happen quickly. The laundry room is a helpful bonus however, the limited hours make it diffcult if you work night shifts/early mornings. It never bothered me until I worked night shift and I can understand that this may be a way to help people on that floor sleep. I think many things about someone lives are subjective. The price is a diffcult factor. It is reasonable for the current economy but many people are finding the current economy highly unreasonable. I am sincerely uncertain what is causing rent prices to rise yearly but basically every apartment complex does this. I can't exactly single out any one property owner for this but as a consumer I can't sincerely call any rental price good. I'd like more innovation features to make the price hurt less if at all possible. I have a suggestion below but the logistics might not be workable. I really don't like the glass stove I was given upon move in. I had to research how to use it and my cast iron pans have been purely decorative due to it. I miss having stoves that can handle most cookware and where I can just use paper towels to clean as opposed to having to have microfiber cloth ready. Some people love glass top stoves though. My shower is hard to clean. I had a friend with lots of handy skills come over to help me clean and he said he'd need to do a lot of work to get at one spot. I also honestly would rather have an easier to maintain flooring than wood flooring. There is wood flooring in the bathroom and this just makes no sense to me. (Some people could love this feature, so your milage may vary) The paint wasn't great when I moved in but I was largely happy to have left that previous unnamed property manager when I first moved in. Cabinets weren't the best either. Having bug traps helps a lot and sadly bugs are an issue in many apartments. There is routine pest control which is good and better than other landlords plus you can get additional help if you have an issue in your unit. I think it would be super cool if we could have a "tool library" for residents! Sometimes I only need a tool or appliance once such as a steam cleaner.i even have some tools I'd gladly donate to a tool library. I also wish we had recycling options, which are also rare in Ames. While I am upset by the larger economic environment of the USA and I think there are steps we can all collectively take to reduce over consumption, I think this is a good option for people to consider. I still hate the glass stove though. I wish I would have a different type of stove more compatible with how I like to cook and clean.
• DD

  Dee

  Mar 7, 2026
  2.0
  I’m so dissatisfied with the miscommunication between office consultants and management I’m disgusted by the bugs and lack of accountability for what’s happening with things breaking down don’t get me started on the boiler not working on the coldest day of the year (no hot water and heat for nearly a month). Besides that the staff is actually nice the apartment I’m in is nice but not worth $1000 of rent! For anyone reading this I’d recommend looking somewhere else but if want to micromanaged by your own landlords this is the place to be 😂
• CL

  C L

  Jan 24, 2026
  1.0
  I was freshly out of graduate school when they had apparently renovated the apartment I rented on my dime. When I was there the carpet was old and musty and the cabinets were literally disintegrating. The trim was falling apart as well. Needless to say my security deposit was taken in full and they had the gall to tack on an extra $850 for even more renovations. Because of the lease setup I had to pay for my roommates portion as well. They also never contacted me with a bill but rather sent the renovation amount due straight to collections.. I had moved out of state so I never knew about it until I tried to get an apartment and buy my first new vehicle. This hurt my buying power instantly due to starting out my life with a low credit score. The Iowa state attorney general said I had a case but that I would have to go back to Iowa to fight it which wasn’t feasible. This was a huge setback on top of having lots of student loans and moving fees to start my life out with. I don’t have enough bad things to say about this place. I also had to deal with a section 8 family below me while I was there that constantly smoked and it irritated my asthma while I was trying to sleep and survive clinical rotations. This was despite river birch having a no smoking policy in the lease. It took mea while to fight it. However, I have a sense that when they broke the section 8 lease below me due to my complaints that they basically penalized me with extra fees later on as retaliation. Do not rent from them ever especially as a professional student unless you want to start your life after professional school in financial ruin. The money you save renting here will only get charged later and I have paid dearly for renting from them for years. These people are slumlords to the highest degree. As an aside I had my bicycle stolen out of the back of my truck within 15 minutes of moving here. Don’t be fooled they deleted a ton of bad reviews somehow from Google maybe they changed their name on Google to get around it? Notice this place has been around forever and most of the reviews are newer. My goal with this review is to ensure this never happens to anyone ever again. If you do happen to be renting from them take pictures of the place always and keep a paper trail no matter how busy you are.
• ZB

  Zisanul Bhuiyan

  Nov 25, 2025
  5.0
  Riverbrich is a great apartment to live in the south Ames surrounded by a lot of Supermarkets, clothing stores, and restaurants. Moreover, staff are friendly and very helpful.
• JC

  Julia Chaplygina

  Sep 21, 2024
  5.0
  Great property! Location is perfect and convenient. The maintenance team are doing a great job.