Clairmont at Hillandale Apartments

Samantha Holcomb

Perfect place to stay if you're a student/work at Duke University Hospital! It's unfortunate that Clairmont at Hillandale has some negative reviews because I had nothing short of a great experience living here. It's the perfect place for Duke students or those working at DUH since it's about a 6-10 minute drive to campus. I lived here for two years while going to school and hospital rotations and felt like it was the perfect choice. Pros: - The apartments are quite large and priced well for the space and amenities you receive. I lived in a two bedroom apartment that faced some trees and had plenty of privacy. - Good atmosphere. I've never had issues with noise coming from the neighbors. It seems to be populated with lots of young professionals, families, and some students. Everyone seems very quiet and polite. There is plenty of green space, lighting in the parking lot, and tons of free parking for residents and guests. The complex is typically very clean. The apartment is gated at night and I felt very safe living here. - Nice amenities around the complex with a large pool, well maintained playground and green space, decent gym and theater room, and the ability to rent out recreation rooms in the lobby. - The apartments themselves are extremely clean and well finished. When I first moved in, it was hard to tell that anyone lived there prior since everything was so clean! Good finishings and well designed space with balconies. I've never had problems with bugs. - Great staff; the front office staff has always been helpful and quick to respond, and maintenance is extremely fast at servicing requests. I typically had orders fulfilled in less than two days of submitting a request. - Very convenient to get around since you're just off the highway, so you can get just about anywhere in Durham in less than 20 minutes. Cons: - While living next to a highway is convenient, it also unfortunately comes with traffic noise, depending on which building you live in. I lived particularly close to the highway so I could hear a lot of traffic sounds when the windows were open. I feel like the buildings are constructed well, however, and the noise was greatly minimized with the windows closed. The sounds personally did not bother me much. - There were times where trash and recycling would pile up a lot, so they could be better with maintaining the disposal area. - With gated apartments, the gates are bound to break down frequently. The time it takes to repair the gates vary widely; sometimes it takes a few days to fix a stuck open gate, and other times it could take weeks-months. One of the gate was stuck closed for several months with no repairs which was mildly inconvenient to those living on one side of the complex. Overall, I could not recommend this apartment more to those looking for an affordable and pleasant apartment in North Durham!!

Near me

I've lived here several years so feel free to ask me anything about this property. First, the maintenance and grounds crew are fantastic, friendly and thorough - definitely a plus over home ownership. The swimming pool is nice sized and a nice place to see neighbors although it's not always that clean. Location is pretty good - 5-10 minutes from anything you would need (as long as you choose an apartment that is not near the highway). But here's the thing: I would no longer recommend this complex. The management doesn't care about keeping you happy at all once you sign a contract. On the contrary they give you the impression that they'd be happy if you left so they can sign someone new up at a higher rate. For example, they will tell you to your face that they don't have time for you. They have also let the property deteriorate in the last year. The public bathrooms don't have soap, the grill gas balloons aren't refilled, the clubhouse doesn't have air conditioning. Because of this overall neglect the community atmosphere has deteriorated - people smoking on property, leaving trash in hallways, parking in disabled spaces, and driving loud vehicles at night. The management clearly does not care anymore. It seems like there's no oversight of the property management from corporate. Last - the office staff never followed state & city COVID regulations (although again, the maintenance crew was great and respectful as always).

Juan Sandoval

My apartment is extremely noisy due to being about 100 ft. away from the highway. The noise is continuous throughout the entire day and night making sleeping difficult. This characteristic of the apartment was never communicated even though I clearly stated that my work requires for me to sleep during the day. I was only walked through the front of the complex. I was asked to sign my lease before moving in, and once I actually got to the premise and I indicate that the noise level would be a problem. I asked if I can move into an available apartment near the front? They stated only if you pay 500 transfer fee since I already signed the lease, even though I have yet to move anything in. Situation was very shady and unprofessional. RESPONDING TO RESPONSE: Call the office had no idea what I was talking about, gave me no additional help as before. This clearly shows the lack of organization and communication they have within their company. Also wanted to share the map provide to me when I was viewing the apartment to show how the company consciously chose to leave off the highway in the back!! The company needs to revamp their mission and values!! Very disappointed.

Abani Naik

My rating is purely about their apartment leasing process. I recently applied for a 2 bedroom apartment (B1) at this complex. I liked the place mostly due to the location near Duke medical center, where I work since 2012. They took a week to process the application, only to deny in the end. I make more than 4 times the rent and have excellent credit history. I also provided evidence of 2 more years of job offer at Duke. The denied only because my H1B VISA extension process is in progress and not approved yet! It feels strange as I can work at Duke and renew my D/L during the H1B approval process. I applied to another complex with similar amenities and got approved within a couple of hours! I don't understand their corporate office approval excuse. I did not feel the policy was fair. Just putting out my experience for anyone who is similar situation, who considering this property. Don't waste your time!