Read the pattern, not the average
What separates a real problem from noise:
- ✓One bad review is an anecdote. Five or more recent reviews naming the same issue (pests, fees, no maintenance) is a pattern - that is the bar we use before we ever flag a complex.
- ✓Recency matters: management changes. Weight the last 6 months far more than years-old reviews.
- ✓Watch for astroturf: bursts of generic 5-star reviews ("great place, love the staff!") posted close together, often right after a wave of complaints.
- ✓Specifics are credible: a review that names a building, a date, and what maintenance said is real; vague praise usually is not.
What reviews cannot tell you
Reviews miss the official record. City code violations, deed/ownership changes, and flood zone are public data a review will never mention - which is why the strongest check combines renter sentiment with verified records.
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Full guide includes: the astroturf-detection checklist, the keyword searches that surface real complaints, and how we weight reports to a 5+ recent threshold.
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