The Derbyshire Building

If you don't want to pay a premium for granite countertops are willing to be a little self-sufficient (use a window ac unit, etc.) and accept the quirks of an old building, this is a great apartment and I really enjoy living here. I love Cleveland Heights.

Great space

I live in a one-bedroom, about twenty minutes' walk from campus. The building is a little old, which leads to some minor inconveniences (chipping paint, sticky windows/doors, radiator heat, etc.) But the management company is fantastic.

With my past landlords, repairs would take weeks. That includes stuff that should make the apartment uninhabitable (broken heating units, backed-up sinks, etc.). But with Property Investment Company, even minor repairs are handled immediately. Just a sample:

- I emailed them one morning about a swinging door that wouldn't close. When I got home that afternoon, they had planed it down.

- Two outdoor windows wouldn't latch. Again, fixed the same day.

- A leak in the wall left some chipping paint in the living room. They came in the next day to scrape & patch. A day later they primed it. On the third day, they painted, and it was done.

It's hard to overemphasize how great it is to rent from a company that's so professional. You're always at a landlord's mercy until your lease is up, so I'm glad to have a landlord that always holds up their end of the bargain.

I would especially recommend them to incoming students / anyone new to the area, because you can be sure the move-in will go smoothly, and they're not going to take your money and run.

Other positives:
- Quiet: I don't share any common walls with my neightbors, so I almost never hear them. YMMV.
- Hallways are kept meticulously clean
- Washer & dryer are almost always available ($3 per load to wash + dry. The machines are managed by ALL laundry service, which is terrible, but PIC will help you if they give you problems)

Some minor caveats:
- Radiator heat (hard to control, but at least it's quiet & reliable, unlike forced air)
- The shower in my apartment is not pressure-balanced, so I sometimes get sudden changes in water temperature. It's not very frequent, but be safe.
- Lot parking costs extra, and there are usually no spaces available (though parking on Derbyshire Rd. is usually available)
- There's no bike rack, and storage lockers are not guaranteed (you have to claim them when somebody leaves).
- Not a lot of sunlight. I'm on the ground floor, and we're close to other buildings, so my blinds are always closed for privacy.