Overlook at Notre Dame

Avoid at all cost! This is my second negative review about this place. I wrote the first one about the parking situation being pretty bad (you pay $360 per year with no guarantee to park any close to your building). But make no mistake, this is going to be your least of the problem. In reality, every negative post here about their move-out policies is true and I thank all these people for trying to warn others. Unfortunately, I didn't see these in time to avoid Overlook.

Simply put, they seem to run a scam scheme on your way out. I urge you to read through your lease agreement and you will see that in chapter 28.2 they claim that you and them will have to meet up (in person) to make a final walk-though the apartment to settle the final charges and fees. In reality, when I requested that via the phone call, they refused to set it up because they "don't have enough manpower".

Next, we cleaned the apartment very thoroughly including the mattress, leaving the apartment in a lot better shape than when we moved in. A few days after moving-out, we received a balance notice for $255 with a $210 cleaning fee for the mattress. Their picture didn't make any sense and didn't show anything beyond normal "tear and wear".

If you read through other reviews, you will see that this is not unique. They charge for any little thing and if you have a security deposit, they will make sure to add up the charges so they don't return it at all. If you don't have a security deposit with them, they will threaten you with the collection agency.

By not inspecting the apartment together with you, they leave a plenty of opportunities for themselves to pick at anything that is slightly off (or what they think is off) and charge you for that a ridiculous price.

Another thing that you should be aware - they "do not prorate". What does that mean for you? Well, according to the lease agreement, you will be paying for the whole month of July, even though they make you move out at noon on the 12th of July. In our case, we started our lease on Jan 9th and ended it normally on July 12th. Since they do not prorate their rent charge, we paid the full price for the month of January and the full price for the month of July. This meant that we paid them almost the whole month of rent for nothing. So, if you have a normal agreement with them (starts August 1st), expect that in the end you will pay for the entire month of July while only being allowed to live there 11.5 days.

This goes in addition to the rude management, ridiculous application and agreement signing fees, overpriced rent, tiny spaces, hidden charges, old appliances and worn kitchen cabinets. Please, look for other opportunities off-campus to live. It is hurting to read when people describe how they had to borrow money and acquire debts to pay them off.

I will work on taking Overlook off of the Notre Dame's webpages for the housing. Preferably, putting them on the no-go list so that our community does not suffer from their unethical behavior.

Be aware!

I endured the Overlook for three long years, a place I chose due to its proximity to Notre Dame's campus. But I urge you not to make the same mistake. Run, don't walk, from this nightmare.

The management team at the Overlook is not just unresponsive, they lack basic empathy. I feel compelled to warn as many people as possible about this, and here's why.

I had seen what looked to be a beetle scurrying around my kitchen counter. Immediately, I sent a complaint to maintenance, explaining what I saw. I had been asleep in my bed that morning. When I looked at my email, I was surprised to see my maintenance request had been checked off as having been completed. It turns out a man came into my apartment while I was asleep and sprayed for the bugs (not well, I might add, but I'll get to that point). I am a young woman. Because of my faith, I am not supposed to be alone sleeping with a man in my room, let alone a stranger.

I kept seeing the bugs, and their number seemed to be increasing slowly but steadily. I submitted another maintenance request. Management said the exterminator would take two weeks to check out my apartment, and there was no way to get anyone out sooner. I was disappointed but patiently awaited.

When the exterminator arrived, she took one look and said, "Those aren't beetles. Those are cockroaches." I felt a pang of sheer disgust. She laid traps but didn't spray anything, so I figured she must know what she was doing. I was wrong.

The cockroaches, in the following week, started to multiply. I was watching my favorite television show and felt a painful pinch. That's odd, I thought. I got up and shook my legs. A cockroach fell out of my pants. If that's not bad enough, I found cockroaches in my bed. My studio was not habitable.

I explained my situation to management. The management team lacks basic empathy. Even though I remained respectful yet urgent, I could tell they just wanted me to go away. They said it would take five days for the exterminator to come. There was no way I could stay anywhere else. I was stuck in my cockroach-infested studio apartment.

Don't live here. My story is just one of many. The maintenance is known for doing a horrible job. There are also better options slightly further away from campus. I'm horrified to live in a building run by people with little empathy. Only live here if you want to sleep with cockroaches.

Simply put, Overlook are scammers. Avoid at any cost. I am not talking about the pricy rent, the monstrous deposit they require from foreign students, frequent outages, and many other problems. That is not enough for them. They need to scam you when you move out by charging you for sleeping on their mattress. They took hundreds of dollars for an old mattress I didn't even use because it was so bad. They fund new furniture at the expense of your deposit, which you will never get back!
Find other options. There are more every day. Do not deal with dishonest people.

The location is the best part of Overlook. It is an easy walk to and from Campus, especially Mendoza. The gym has been under construction this whole year. If you have an apartment near Danny Boys, you can hear the music especially Thursday nights. My apartment was not clean when I moved in. I had to spend the whole first day cleaning. The only appliance I have had an issue with is the AC. They came and fixed it 3 days later. The internet did go out for 4 days which happened to be during the OSU game. I have only been able to get a hold of management during office hours. The emergency number never responded on the weekends. You only get one key for the apartment, so make sure to keep up with it. The key is a fob for both your apartment and the building. A lot of MSA live in Overlook so easy place meet up for pregames.

Overlook is a great spot to live primarily because of its location. It is easily walkable and safe. There is always parking and it is almost entirely surrounded by other Notre Dame student residences.

Overall, it's a great place to live. It's clean, quiet and close to campus.

As a graduate student athlete, this is a great location for practice as it close to all the facilities. It is also convenient for tailgating at football games. I liv in a 2 bedroom. In one of the bedrooms there are NO windows, and as someone who prefers natural light this is frustrating.

It is fine for a year, but I think it is overpriced for what it is. I understand they are doing a hit of construction but they have been dishonest with the timeline of completion. They are slow to remedy maintenance issues.

Overlook at ND is a good to average apartment complex. While management is very responsive they did not disclose that there would be construction going on in the building while living in it. We have been living in a construction zone since July and we have yet to be told when the construction will be finished. One of the perks about living here was supposed to be the amenities that are included like a gym, study areas, and lounges but they have been under construction since July as well. Although we are paying for these amenities I have not been able to use them yet. I think this issue could have been resolved by telling potential residents about the construction or discounting our rents since we are not able to use the amenities.

for $1400 a month you do not get what you pay for. The only benefits are that it comes furnished and it is close enough to campus. It costs over $300 a year for parking, which I would not have an issue with, except it is not undercover, and other complexes around Overlook do not charge for parking. The staff at the leasing office give little, if any, care when you have any issues and are often rude. The walls are also extremely thin, so you can hear most people around you. My apartment was also not appropriately cleaned upon moving in. I had a quick vacuum, and my dustbag was filled with dust and hair; the dishwasher also stank when I first moved in, and there was a constant bad smell that could only be removed with powerful air fresheners. The apartment leaked from the window the first time it rained during the fall.