Anyone here have experience as a tenant of A.W. & Sons?

[LafayetteBear]

I'm guessing that a lot of people here have been an A.W. & Sons tenant at one time or another, and I was hoping to get some feedback as to what they and their buildings are like. My sons are finishing their freshman year today, and their mother is back in State College as I write this, helping them pack their stuff before returning to California.

The boys were set to be initiated into a PSU fraternity and move into the fraternity house next fall, but the fraternity was kicked off campus and that housing option suddenly disappeared. The football team is now gonna occupy that house. (A tale of woe I would prefer to forget ASAP.)

The boys found a kid who is looking to bring them in as roomates in his two bedroom apartment in Alexander Court. I understand that Alexander Court, along with The Diplomat, Garner Court, Cedarbrook, and Beaver Hill, are all owned and operated by A.W. & Sons. These apartment buildings are all located close to each other, and to campus, and that certainly seems convenient. Also, each kid is only liable for his share of the rent, rather than being jointly and severally liable for the entire rent, so that is a good thing.

But before signing a lease, I thought I might solicit some feedback from the all-knowing BWI membership. Any advice or comments would be welcome. (I realize that most housing arrangements are made roughly a year in advance, so we don't have a whole lot of leverage. Nonetheless, if a bunch of posters here expressed the opinion that A.W. & Sons is a nightmare landlord, we might consider looking elsewhere.) Thanks.

 

[dwiz]

Make sure your son knows his roommate, as these are mostly 2 bedroom apts with a common area. He'll be sharing his bedroom with someone. These are known as the party apartments, if his roommate hosts parties, his stuff will most likely be stolen unless he is there to keep his bedroom locked. If he values sleep, good luck to him. Of course, he's a sophomore, so all this probably sounds great to him. A near campus house is a much better choice if he's not into drinking four nights a week.

 

[wrm125]

It's been years but I lived in one of those apartments for a year and can recall no problems with the landlords. As dwiz pointed out, it's definitely a party-heavy atmosphere in that part of town -- which of course was just fine by me back in the day...

 

[NittanySteel]

I lived in Alexander Court my junior and senior year in 2003/04. Saw some great football at PSU those years.....

Anyway, I liked that apartment and the location was great. Rent was very very pricey but we never had an issue with the landlord. Not sure what it's like now. I think the rent is pretty inflated at any of those spots in Beaver Canyon.

 

[Safety Blitz]

I'm guessing that a lot of people here have been an A.W. & Sons tenant at one time or another, and I was hoping to get some feedback as to what they and their buildings are like. My sons are finishing their freshman year today, and their mother is back in State College as I write this, helping them pack their stuff before returning to California.

The boys were set to be initiated into a PSU fraternity and move into the fraternity house next fall, but the fraternity was kicked off campus and that housing option suddenly disappeared. The football team is now gonna occupy that house. (A tale of woe I would prefer to forget ASAP.)

The boys found a kid who is looking to bring them in as roomates in his two bedroom apartment in Alexander Court. I understand that Alexander Court, along with The Diplomat, Garner Court, Cedarbrook, and Beaver Hill, are all owned and operated by A.W. & Sons. These apartment buildings are all located close to each other, and to campus, and that certainly seems convenient. Also, each kid is only liable for his share of the rent, rather than being jointly and severally liable for the entire rent, so that is a good thing.

But before signing a lease, I thought I might solicit some feedback from the all-knowing BWI membership. Any advice or comments would be welcome. (I realize that most housing arrangements are made roughly a year in advance, so we don't have a whole lot of leverage. Nonetheless, if a bunch of posters here expressed the opinion that A.W. & Sons is a nightmare landlord, we might consider looking elsewhere.) Thanks.

My daughter rented from AW & Sons her junior and senior years. Pricey, but no issues with management. As others have mentioned, he should know his roommates well enough to trust them. I often told my wife I should have been one of AW's sons. Bet they are worth a mint.

 

[Mr. Potter]

Roomates and I were evicted from Beaver Hill

 

[Tom McAndrew]

The boys were set to be initiated into a PSU fraternity and move into the fraternity house next fall, but the fraternity was kicked off campus and that housing option suddenly disappeared.

That sucks. If I recall, that also means that they can't pledge any other frat, so for actions (I'm assuming) that they didn't participate in or weren't aware of, they are kind of screwed with regards to Greek life at PSU. Sorry that they had to face that.

I'm guessing that a lot of people here have been an A.W. & Sons tenant at one time or another, and I was hoping to get some feedback as to what they and their buildings are like

Not much to add. A.W. & Sons are somewhat expensive, but to beat the price you have to be a good distance from campus. I'm pretty sure that they also only offer year-long leases. (I think they are May - May, or August - August, and you don't get to pick which one you'd prefer. In either case, you'll be paying for several months when your sons will not be using the apartment.) The apartment are OK. Bigger than a dorm room, and they have private bathrooms, but they aren't all that big, so you have to work at keeping non-essentials out of the apartment. You have to supply all the pots, pans, plates, glasses, silverware, etc. Their apartments are pretty popular, and have a great location, so your sons should be pretty happy.

Something to keep in mind -- most students that do a semester abroad do so during their junior year. If your sons have interest in doing that, they need to plan ahead. If you're in a dorm, you can get a contract for a semester. If you're in an A.W. apartment (and most of their competitors), they don't offer any such thing. Your sons would have to try to sub-let the apartment, and there are lots of students in the same boat, and very few students looking for an apartment for just a semester. I know of many parents that paid a year's rent to A.W. when their kid was only their for 1 semester due to going abroad.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

Big fan here of A & W Root Beer.....

 

[LafayetteBear]

Thanks for the tips everyone. Taking a chance on Alexander Court. August 2015 to August 2016 lease.

Tom: They never were initiated, so they are eligible to rush, and pledge, again. They are contemplating it.

Illinois: Love the avatar photo. Thanks for your help.