My experience with South Street Properties has always been positive. I was alway approached with professionalism and especially during the hardships of the pandemic. If you have concerns please reach out like I did and things will work out.As far as quality of my unit, it was great and never had any issues. The lease was simple and comforting to know the owners cared about my experience. Highly recommend!

Had a great experience while searching for a new place. Very professional and friendly staff not to mention the apartments/homes are beautiful and a great value for the price ranges. I will be pushing forward with my move for sure. A lot of other places I have looked at pale in comparison.

I love their properties. Its so nice to have a home that feels like a real home. No cookie cutter apartments and each is unique. I love how many have original features of old homes. Imagine the stories they could tell

We have been tenants with South Street Properties for over a year and have had a wholly positive experience. Staff have always been courteous, responsive, and kind. Any maintenance issues that have come up were resolved quickly and with care. The apartment itself is beautiful and filled with character. It is more expensive than past apartments we have rented, but for the space we have in our unit, and the quiet, beautiful location of the South Street Historic district, it has been worth it for us. We have loved living here.

When I moved here from Iraq, I had very little information about Kalamazoo or where to live. South Street Properties helped me out tremendously with a place to live and was professional though the whole process. I’m appreciative of their help and making my new life here much more comfortable. The amenities are of high quality and customer service is top notch.

I have personally seen and experienced the quality and love put into the apartments at South Street Properties. The Staff have always been courteous and kind to me. The apartments themselves are really beautiful and have lots of character, unique qualities, and have a number of great high end qualities. They may be more expensive than other apartments, but for the abundance of space in the units, and the quiet, beautiful location of the South Street Historic district, I personally think it’s worth it. You get more than what you pay for here.

My wife and I recently moved in Southstreet and it has been the right move for us. Living here is very comfortable. Good services. Made us feel as if we would be moving into a great community and not just another rental. So far it’s been a great experience.

My apartment is on a beautiful street in a safe area. Richard explained the lease thoroughly and answered all my questions. The apartment has a charming fireplace and upgraded appliances. I highly recommend South street properties. They know what professionals require.

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at Southstreet. Both the amenities and customer relations were top notch that always exceeded my expectations. I would recommend this to anyone in the area. My wife and I always felt safe and comfortable during our tenure

South Street Properties has been good to me and my family. We have always been treated professionally and if a repair was needed they took care of it quickly. The amenities were new when we moved in which was a nice touch. We are grateful for the great experience so far.

The staff at south street properties were very professional and helpful during our leasing. We have lived in 2 different apartments. The apartments were very clean and modern. The location is hands down the best I’ve lived in since coming to Kalamazoo 15 years ago.keep up the good work!

My partner and I were looking for a good apartment to move in together away from college parties and noises but still close and accessible to things to do. We landed on an apartment with South St. Properties and it checked all the boxes and more. The apartments are renovated historic buildings but much of the original features are maintained and appear timeless and great for artwork displays. I also did not own a car and had no issues with getting around since the city bus stop was conveniently located at the end of the street, sidewalks are maintained well, and it was a 10 minute bike ride to the farm market and local food co-op.I have leased with South St. twice and have had no issues with management so far-- they were always prompt at addressing any issues we had even on a Sunday morning. Also worth highlighting there are no application fees and it was a hassle-free process to sign our lease and move in. You cannot find a better deal at this level of property quality and care, and urban accessibility. I will be leasing with South St. as long as I remain in Kalamazoo!

Great environment, professional and nice people. Their friendliness, willingness to help us secure a place, and responsiveness is a breath of fresh air! Moving can be a stressful process and they took the hassle out of that. They care about their clients. I can’t imagine renting from anyone else!” Highly recommended!

Toby Hill and I have just signed our second lease with Richard at another one of his properties. It has been nothing but a good experience renting from him. The maintenance crew response is always quick and they do a great job cleaning up afterwards. Richard in my opinion, is very personable. His units are beautiful and you definitely get what you pay for .

Richard was very professional throughout our stay and made us feel welcome and at home. I enjoyed the cleanliness and neighbors of the residence. The property was always maintained and i always felt safe

The staff at south street were patient and amazing and I appreciate everything they have done for me. The property was beautiful and definitely a comfortable environment to be in ! Highly recommend south street to anyone. ❤️❤️❤️

Ive rented from South Street Properties for the past 7 years. Great, historic buildings, amazing location, (just blocks from downtown), beautiful street and responsive staff when any issue arises. Definitely a gem!

My partner and I have been here for about two weeks, we were very excited to move in and have not been disappointed so far. Our unit was clean when we moved in, and for a historic building it is well-maintained and has been cared for with love and attention to detail. Take a walk down South Street and enjoy all of the well-cared for historic buildings. I believe South Street Properties owns a lot of them and you can tell how well the historic buildings have been cared for. I would live in any of these wonderful buildings. They are pet-friendly and my cat and dog have never acted so happy to be home! Our apartment felt just like home as soon as we moved in and it feels like weve been here for years. I also enjoy the storage (no more keeping my Christmas tree in plain sight every time I open a closet to get my shoes) and the neighbors have been nice so far. There was a problem with our tub not draining when we moved in, but a day after submitting a request to have it fixed, the kind maintenance man and the landlord Richard came over to take a look. Many people have commented on the price of the rentable units, however you get what you are paying for - a wonderful, well-kept community, a safe place to park, and a beautiful home in a historic neighborhood of Kalamazoo. It can seem a little pricy, but Id rather live here than in an apartment complex that feels less like a house. Overall, its a nice transition for my partner and I to end our lives as college students and start our lives as professionals. Read the historical plaques around the neighborhood, youll see that historical South Street was intended for just that! See you around the neighborhood!

Wife and I rented and have flawless experience with Southstreet Properties. Highly recommend using them if you have the opportunity.

Beautiful Property ! Courteous, patient and responsive staff ! Always assisted when there were any issues ! Love the location !!

Be prepared to be confronted with rudeness and hostility, then having them act like they are always doing you a favor. Besides the maintenance staff, every employee, especially the owner and the book keeper, are despicable people. Also, be prepared to pay ridiculous fees for random things, to split utilities with an entire building (you have to pay for an actual invoice), having your personal information shared with other tenants, you will not get any deposit back, your astronomical cleaning fee must magically vanish because youll get a dust covered unit, youll get charged for any plumbing issues whatsoever, theyll try to silence and/or publicly berate anyone that opposes them. Just read any of the business replies to the list bit negative review on here and/or check out yelp for honest reviews by those theyve attempted to silence. Pure scum and crooks.

Richard is amazing and very helpful! He went above and beyond for my wife and I!

No complaints, would 100% recommend!

South Street Properties are nice historic properties near downtown Kalamazoo. The apartments have new appliances and other amenities. They are pet friendly. The people who work there are friendly and courteous. The maintenance people are professional and take care of your request in a timely manner.Don Snyder

I have been very happy renting from South Street properties. Richard is kind and genuine. All of the maintenance crew are professional and prompt. The area is safe and well maintained. The whole team seems to want you to enjoy the community. Every day, I am glad that i made the choice to move to South Street. It is a great place to live and the landlord is competent, efficient, and caring. A rare find in thr rental world.

After living here a while, my mom recommended this place to me. I have never had a landlord who cares so much about their properties. Richard and his wife take great care of all the units and the areas around them. They really want everyone living here to feel like a community, and it shows. The maintenance team here works very hard every single day to keep the property safe and updated for tenants. You wont find a better deal downtown!

Poor excuse for a business. The most condescending people you will ever speak to and they will cheat you out of every penny. Unethical business practice with the way they charge for things and how they handle situations. Their reputation around town is appalling, ask anyone-your server or your doctor.

Stayed here couple years ago it was great they plow during winter clean the lawns during summer very responsive if something happens in the building it’s already tooken care of very professional rent was kinda pricey but with the area an school was so close it was great for my current situation thanks again

South Street Properties have a beautiful selection of apartments to choose from to suit your needs. Fast and friendly maintenance workers. And they allow you to have your pets! Highly recommend these properties.

Management and Maintenance are so quick to respond to concerns and have very fair prices for the historic district. Would rent again.

Its clear to see the owner does things first-class! You wont be disappointed.

Property manager is easy to get ahold of, called for a leaking and the were there within 10 minutes. For the rent price laundry should be in unit or at least free since utilities are split amongst all apartments in building. Electric breakers flip every now and then, not a big deal but with the amount of apartments in a building, it should be beefed up a bit-- electronics arent getting less power hungry... The street is lovely and neighborhood is great and very friendly. My minor complaints above are really the only reason I cant give this place 5 stars. All in all its an expensive and great place to live with some minor inconveniences.

Great experience - The staff is very friendly, The homes are very clean. The grounds are well kept up.In a lovely historic neighborhood downtown.

I am going on my second year leasing from these amazing beautiful buildings. Great people and very respectful neighbors. South street is a beautiful place to live and the landlord and the maintenance guys make it so much easier to live here. Anytime anything comes up they are here within a very responsible time. I have enjoyed my last year here and look forward to another great year

I have had a very good experience living at south street properties.I would recommend these beautiful apartments.All employees have always been very helpful.

I had the pleasure of speaking with a nice lady by the name of Nancy., she explained in detailed what was needed to rent one the many lovely old style apartments in this historical neighbor hood. Thank you.

Nothing but quality and professionalism!

So excited to get my keys today! The apartment is absolutely amazing very clean very well kept up. The maintenance man and the landlord are amazing. Very professional, and extremely helpful and friendly. They took time out of their day to assist me with my apartment.

Very great team of workers and amazing landlord. Maintenance wise they were on top of everything great friendly people to be around. They always call and give a heads up before just coming into your apartment rather you are home or not. They keep the lawns mowed and during the winter always have the drives plowed and steps shoveled and salted. Great place to live. Lived here a little longer than a year and would continue to re lease. I absolutely love the area it’s in. Great neighborhood and the historic buildings are beautiful they do an amazing job to keep their building in the best possible shape.

If you want to make the biggest mistake of your life rent through South St Properties. Unbelievably greedy and heartless man trying to get every penny you have and then some! I’ve never had such a horrible experience with a landlord in my entire life. They’ll even try to blame you for other tenants mess left on the property, threaten to charge you for any plumbing issues cause by previous tenants, then act like they did you a service by not charging you. End up paying $1500+ a month for a two bedroom that’s MAYBE worth $900 Extremely disrespectful staff (aside from the maintenance men who actually care about helping you) communication with Richard and his attorney/bookkeeper is like trying to talk to a brick wall, Oh and if you miss rent by two days you’ll receive a seven day eviction notice before they even contact you to see why! Thanks guys, I don’t know how you can sleep at night with the way treat your hardworking tenants. Despicable.

Great maintenance guys and very clean place to live, management is great and very nice and always answers questions and calls . I would recommend people to live here . I did for years and loved everything about it .

This is my third consecutive year leasing, It has been absolutely amazing here. The building is very well kept up, Such a beautiful historic building. The office staff is very outgoing and friendly they’ve made my experience here quick and easy.

South street properties is a very professional and clean place to live. Amazing staff, anytime it snows the maintenance team is here early to salt and shovel. Anytime I put in a maintenance request I hear back from them well within 24hrs. I haven’t had any problems with the landlord himself. I am very happy to live here and would love to re-lease again. I highly recommend these apartments if you are looking for somewhere to move too.

I recently rented, nice clean apartments very nice price, nice neighborhood awesome maintenance men they would come To any emergency there’re very professional about things I would definitely recommend south street

Great landlord, very great maintenance team. Anytime a major problem came up the maintenance guys showed up and took care of it. They called before just showing up. They cleaned up everything they got out any mess they made. The landlord has been great about any questions I’ve had or anything I needed replaced or changed he did without any problems. Overall a very good place to rent from.

I would like to write pertaining to my experience at south street properties.I experienced nothing but positive interactions with the whole staff. They were very prompt when it came to anything I needed.Thank you guys for making my rental time a blessing.

I am so happy I finally found this place! I moved here mid year after a bad experience with my previous landlord, who gave me constant grief over my service dog, Macy (who I need to function). I started looking for pet friendly apartments and stumbled across South Street Properties website. So glad I did! The owner himself met me to look at available units and as soon as he saw Macy he got the biggest smile on his face! He is a huge pet lover and it really showed! He took me around to several apartments (even a few I had missed on the website!) and found me the perfect first floor unit. It is so spacious and easy to access-which is a plus when you are navigating with a big dog! I took it the same day, and when I went to sign my lease I got to meet the owners dog (the most gentle/kind husky I have ever seen)! He even gave me a bag of treats for Macy. When you treat people AND their animals with respect you get long term tenants and clearly this place gets it!

I lived at 723 then 705 over about a 3 year period and never had any issues that werent dealt with in a timely manner. I was on a sublease originally and he rolled me into a year lease no problem. Neighbors were nice, some students but mostly working stiffs like myself. The properties are kept in a much better state than other ones in the area. Walk down South some night then go the next street over to Lovell and its a huge difference! Richard the landlord always found time to call and make sure a repair was done. Would definitely recommend renting here, especially if you like being within walking distance of downtown.

Amazing group of people, I got locked out of my apartment over the holidays and the maintenance guys responded very promptly and were very nice. My apartment was very clean when I moved in. The whole apartment was freshly done before my arrival.

Ive lived in one of Southstreet Properties beautiful historic buildings for nearly a year now. Im happily preparing to renew my lease for another year! Any of the rare maintenance requests are immediately dealt with by the great team. I would highly recommend any of the apartments they have to offer if you are looking for a safe, quiet, beautiful home!

I was a 4 year tenent. Overall the property was amazing.The maintenance staff was very helpful and professional. I would recommend renting again from them.

I’ve rented with South Street Properties for 4 years now and I have had the best experience. The landlords are kind and attentive. The maintenance workers are actually helpful unlike the building i lived in before coming here; my requests are really heard and answered in a timely manner. The buildings themselves are also beautiful, couldn’t ask for more. Loved my time there.

South Street Properties & Buildings, LLC are very nice, luxury apartment homes located just west of downtown Kalamazoo! The management and staff at South Street Properties and Buildings, LLC are always nice, understanding, and helpful!

Great experience with my rental.I loved the location and helpful interaction with staff.Lots of upgrades and upkeep on outside and inside of buildings over my 2 years being there. I’d like to thank them again for all they do.

Ive lived in 523 West South for 4 years under old management, the building itself was beautiful however my apartment had a TON of things that didnt work (bad electrical outlets, broken oven, leaky shower, etc..). When South Street Properties took over I told my new landlord all of the issue my apartment had. He told me to fill out a maintenance request and that everything would be taken care of, so the next day I dropped off the sheet before going to work and by the time I arrived home EVERYTHING WAS FIXED! I couldnt believe how amazing the response time was! I Highly recommend renting here.

I had lived at their 723 south street building for a couple of years - it was a perfect place for my exams...really quiet. I only moved out because I had gotten a new IT job that was too far away. My deposit was paid in full upon moving out with no issues. In the time that I had lived here, Ive been impressed with the staff, the way the buildings and grounds are maintained, and generally the quality of my apartment. The neighbors have been considerate, in general. Living here has been as hassle-free as apartment living can be. Ive never had an issue with seeing my energy bill like the other review on here, but there was some confusion on my part about the pet fees. Richard was kind enough to waive the fee after I spoke with him. I found him to be considerate and understanding. Cant say enough good things and would rent again if I was back in Kzoo!

The bottom line is that I would NOT recommend renting from this company. I rented from South Street Properties for about a year and I have never had a worse renting experience in my life.Here were some, but not all, of my specific issues I experienced:-I could not control the heat in my apartment. I knew the main heat source was from the radiators when I signed the lease. It was NEVER disclosed to me that I could not control the temperature of said radiators. I came to find out the thermostat was in my downstairs neighbors’ place! When I questioned this, I was told that “Mr. Emig verbally discloses this information to every tenant” and that “I could use the fireplace” and “it meets building code”. This information was NOT disclosed to me prior to renting nor was it clearly defined in the lease. Luckily my neighbors were equally as surprised/understanding and would keep the thermostat at 72 and above. There was a gas fireplace in the living room (that you light similarly to a gas grill)- This helped to increase the heat in the front of the apt but certainly not the entire place. I certainly would have preferred to control the temperature of my own home.-I had a leak in my master bedroom ceiling for over 4 months. This started in winter so I was initially understanding about an extended timeframe for repairs. When I questioned Mr. Emig in person regarding plans for resolution, I was met with hostility, anger, and excuses. It took multiple attempts at repair and was finally fixed after I suggested a roofing specialist come. Not once did South Street Properties offer any apologies for the inconvenience or alternate solutions. I was told that “I had another bedroom to sleep in until it was repaired”. I was shocked the way I was treated during these repairs and seriously contemplated breaking my lease early/making a formal complaint to the housing department.-There were bats in the basement laundry/storage room on multiple occasions. Other tenants and I were told multiple times by management that, “the bats were getting in from people keeping the back door open”. I never once saw any building doors left open and these surprises kept happening. Perhaps another solution or cause needs to be addressed?-The hot water in the shower goes from “soothing warm” to “hell fire” without warning. This issue was never resolved during my tenancy and I can honestly say that approximately 80% of my showers involved me jumping out of the way to avoid scalding water. Read carefully though…. there’s a paragraph in the lease that essentially states to use the hot water “at your own risk”.-The landlord entered my apartment for showings on multiple occasions without prior notice. When questioned regarding this, Mr. Emig would never apologize- He would just state, “I told (blank) to inform you of the showing time”. Not once did he apologize for his lack/miscommunication. Not okay to have this invasion of privacy, Richard.-The fees are exorbitant. I read this info in the lease prior to signing, but was still shocked! The cleaning fee is $400 dollars! The “building utilities” are incredibly high. You are given a paper bill (placed under your back door) with a list of all the charges for the previous month. These include gas/electric, water, trash, lawn care/snow removal, and cleaning of building hallways. These invoices ranged from $90 to $275+ in the winter months. You also still have your individual apartment energy bill for the electric and cooking gas in addition to invoice. There is also $20 charge if you want the individual original invoices for the building utilities (such as $20 for consumer’s energy, $20 for water bill, $20 for lawn care invoice, etc).-Just a pattern I noticed...but 4/5 of the apts in my building broke their lease early or did not renew. The consensus I got from talking with my neighbors was generally dissatisfaction with building and management issues.DONT rent from here. If you choose to, good luck!

Worst experience ever. If you rent from him, which I highly suggest you do not, make sure to write every deal or agreement he says down. Any time he said that he would do something for us for free or as a favor it somehow became a charge of some kind. He wont remember what he said, a verbal agreement means nothing to him because he is always out to make a dollar off of anyone. I know the apartments are nice... but it is NOT WORTH IT. He finds a way to charge you for everything and there is no chance of working it out like adults.

I lived at 839 for over a year and wouldve stayed had I not had medical issues that required me to find a different. They worked with me to break my lease and find a new tenant. They were very understanding of my situation. The unit I was in was in very good condition when I moved and was upgraded while I was there. Any maintenance issues I had were addressed right away. They upgraded my Air Conditioner in one bedroom to make sure I was comfortable during the hot summer last year. They also upgraded my dishwasher when I complained the old wasnt cleaning well enough. I was never charged for any of these upgrades and they were offered to me rather than fixing the old items that were there but werent like real old. They make sure to keep things looking nice and fresh inside as well as outside. They plant fresh flower outside every Spring. As far as referenced about the monthly utilities below, I chose South Street Properties over other complexes in the area that charge you for every little thing. As a former home owner I never thought the monthly shared utilities were out of line. I wouldve stayed for many many years as my neighbors were great and the management/maintenance were excellent had I not had these medical issues. These properties are the best rental properties on South Street. Ive heard other buildings on the street are leaking and cold. I felt like I lived in one of the best spaces close to downtown that were way more affordable then anything in the heart of the city and way bigger. If they didnt care for their tenants, they wouldnt have made sure to go out of their way to make sure I knew I would be missed. I also never had anyone show up at my door without having called me first from management or maintenance. I guess maybe thats because I wasnt doing anything wrong in my unit. They dont have all these rules like other complexes and unless youre doing something illegal youll never hear from management. I will always look back fondly on my time in my unit and miss it a lot.

I lived at 837 and had no issues. Landlord was responsive to repair requests and neighbors were great/considerate. Would live in again. 10 minute walk to downtown and all the hotspots which was important to me as a young professional.

South Street Properties is a joke. These 5 star reviews are probably written by the landlord himself in his big leather office chair.He assumes nobody within the buildings or homes communicates with each other so he charges double when he can. He will only speak to one member of each house instead of treating his tenants like individuals - pretty unrealistic. Hes a liar, hes sneaky, and he is rude. RUDE. This guy is a hack.How do you think he affords his lavish office and gold business cards? Hint: its not by selling jewelery.

Been a tenant for about a year now and just renewed for another. Never had any problems

Very friendly service and clear information from website. The owner seems to genuinely care about making the tenants happy and follows his word.

I have been leasing from South Street Properties for two years now and am throughly enjoying my time here. The historic district itself is a beautiful place and I have to say I live in the loveliest building of all. South Street Properties in particular takes the time to landscape and redecorate their buildings, which not only pleases me, but really makes the neighborhood as a whole even more charming. My unit itself is really spacious and has an original tile fireplace! Also, I couldn’t be more pleased with both the management and the maintenance. I had to take the time to write a review after I burned out my stove. Not only did the landlord respond to my call so quickly, but had a new KichenAid stove installed the next day! And the maintenance workers were extremely polite and installed the appliance so expertly, that I had to let future tenants know the high level of professionalism and care South Street Properties invests in insuring their happiness.

This is for parents who are looking to rent an apartment for their college student in the Kalamazoo area. I would highly recommend you read the reviews before renting from Mr. Emig of South Street Properties. My stepdaughter sublet an apartment from him for six months. In reading the reviews and talking with Mr. Emig on the phone about his guarantor form (which we did not submit) I attempted to change my stepdaughters mind about her decision to rent from him. She decided to sublet anyway so I took pictures of the tiny basement apartment before she moved in and when she moved out it looked exactly the same. My stepdaughter was sent a notice she would not be receiving her security deposit back because on top of the $500 cleaning fee there was a charge for cleaning the drain in the shower, a charge for ceiling damage which I have no doubt came from the apartment above and a fee for removal of furniture left for garbage pickup. All this along with the $400 fee for having a dog. I understand renting to college students can amount to a lot of damage and expenses but that is the chance and a choice you make when you rent to students.I have no doubt there will be a rebuttal to this review but my stepdaughter and I dont share the same last name so any comment about this person not renting from you would be untrue. I can assure you she did rent from you and her rent payments were on time so you cannot use that as an excuse to this review.Mr. Emig, with all the unfavorable reviews you think it would make you question the way you conduct business. I guess someone needs to pay for the Mercedes and gold plated business cards. Its just a shame its on the backs of our college kids.

DO NOT rent from here. I repeat, DO NOT rent from Southstreet Properties in Kalamazoo! Where do I begin with the warnings?On top of your overly pricey rent, you will get nickel and dimed with the utility bill. The costs for the utilities are seemingly arbitrary and claimed to be split among the tenants. There is a charge associated if you request to see the actual utility bills from the companies. What you will receive is created with cheesy clip-art. The bill is given only 3 days before youre expected to pay. Winter can run upwards of $400+ dollars/monthly (NOT an exaggeration) because you are paying for your neighbors space heater and for the garage to be heated with electric heaters when its 30 below outside. You will pay around $20 monthly (X10 total tenants = $200!? to plow a tiny driveway, I dont think so!) for snow removal and the plow wont come down the driveway until after noon. Dont let any sink in your apartment clog from natural use. You WILL be chaged $60 to have the drain snaked. Youre better off hiring your own plumber. Additionally, the laundry facilities are the most expensive in town ($1.50 wash & $1.50 dry). You have to have millions of quarters, if you like clean clothes. But arent you already paying for utilities?! These costs/fees + the cleaning and pet fees must have been helpful when paying on the Mercedes Benzs.One time the boiler quit working in the building when it was 30+ below outside and it was like pulling teeth to get it fixed. Our apartment was below 50 degrees for a whole day.Meanwhile, we had just paid over $1200/month to live in a tiny apartment.An example of a creative maintenance solution includes: A bucket placed inside a leaky ceilingAlso, the neighborhood is not as safe as people claim. Multiple instances of crazy/drunk people showing up at our building at 1 am throughout the week.The people who run this company are not genuinely nice or caring people. They will do anything to greedily scam the next sucker. Just read the vanity plate of the Jeep parked at the Jewelers. Dont be a sucker.Despicable.

Ill start with the good. The location and apartment were lovely, the landlord quickly replaced a broken dishwasher, and my deposit was repaid promptly (in full) once I moved out.Now a bit of the not-so-good: As others have mentioned, I found the utilities bills (which are aggregates of bills you dont actually get to see) to be exorbitant, especially in months when half the tenants were out of town (thus not using electricity, etc.). Also rather high for Kalamazoo were the $400 cleaning fee and $400 pet fee. Since these properties seem to re-lease quickly, the business model generates more revenue if tenants leave after just a year or two (and new fees are collected). And that seems to be occurring. In my single year at 821W, five of the six occupants I knew left. None had been there long, and none of us were very happy with the landlords business practices. In my specific case, frustrations included multiple unannounced entries to my apartment, and extreme rudeness when I complained about finding my bedroom unusable, one full week before my lease was up (tarps, worklamps, and a painter had moved in to repaint the walls while I was out of town).During my year of living on South Street, I eventually came to meet other parties who had rented in the same building as me in the past... these were polite professionals, and they were all similarly distressed by experiences with their former landlord. If youre considering renting from him, I recommend taking time first to walk the street and meet the locals. Ask some of the tenants (who are always out and about) how long they have lived there, and whether or not they are happy and planning to stay. Also read the lease carefully - I balked at its length and stipulations, but signed it anyhow b/c I needed large-dog friendly housing, and was short on search time. I later fretted about some of the details in the lease since, in my opinion, they gave the landlord too many rights, and did too little to protect mine. When I asked for a few reasonable modifications, the landlord did not seem eager to compromise or put anything in writing.You might also consider examining the online profiles of people who have posted positive reviews of South Street properties. Last time I checked: one of them had only posted a single item (his review) online, ever. One had a single person, the landlords son, among his visible online connections. I will let you draw your own conclusions about the legitimacy of these positive remarks.If the landlord could manage to be just a little less greedy (e.g. charging $85 to unclog the ancient pipes in the building), and a little more mindful of his clients right to privacy, then South street would be a great place to spend a few years.

Landlord lied about sound proof insulation between floors. Spent a total of 4 hours in the apartment before breaking the lease early. I could hear another tenant in the building talking quietly on a cell phone very clearly through the floor as if he was in the living room. Richard Emig was a nightmare to work with. He bragged a lot about being a great Catholic man and even went as far as to pretentiously present a photo of him with the Pope but once a lease is signed he then treats folks with such a lack of respect that he would make the Pope blush. Enjoy your gold business cards and fancy car (greed and consumerism is a terrible sin and cancer according to Francis) sir; All of the money and greed cant buy happiness and you are clearly a miserable man. Other readers will notice how the business owner tries to humiliate all negative reviewers by basically saying that they were too poor and couldnt afford his properties without accepting any of the REPEATED red flags that come up in all of the negative reviews. In my opinion, it is best to stay far away from this company and anything that the Emig family is involved in.

I will save time and reading. I had a much longer and detailed review, hoping to explain some of the nuance and detail of our continued struggles with this landlord, but one will see that every negative review is responded to with half-truths by Richard Emig, the owner of the company, and I would rather save everyones time.Dont rent from this company. Dont use Richard Emig as your landlord. You will pay fees for work that isnt done, you will be charged extra money on top of utilities (for which you never get an actual bill, merely a printed invoice) for work that isnt done, and you will be met with a standoffish and rude landlord who is only motivated to extract money from his tenants.As one example, we chose not to pay our rent in person, had our bank send a check before the due date each month - we were charged a late fee. When calling to discuss the problem, we were not called back, and instead came home to a packet of bills shoved under our door. Each month this would happen, we were told that we were the only tenants not paying rent in person - which is probably the source of our late fee.This went on for almost the entire time we rented from SSP. This happened so often that our bank suggested having their fraud detection team get involved because none of our other checks were arriving late, and yet somehow every month like clockwork we would be charged a $35 late fee.Save yourself money, time, and months and months of frustration. Dont do business with South Street Properties. They are uncaring, unhelpful, and operate with questionable business ethics.

This was an awful experience. His workers would enter the house/property unannounced.Richard left leasing signs, rolls of carpet, old light bulbs, cans of paint, a snowblower, lawnmower, etc in our garage. When we confronted him about it he first said that he only stored things that were for the benefit of our property (the snowblower and lawnmower). The second time we mentioned it he told us that we were only leasing the house - then why was the two car garage included when touring? Why are we paying EXTREME and arbitrary lawn care fees? Richard charged us upwards of $100 for lawncare in the month of November. They did not rake our yard and there was no snow on the ground to shovel/remove. I saw a man ONCE leaf-blow the leaves off of the sidewalk in front of our home. This is compared to $30 in the summer for regular lawn mowing. It just doesnt add up.The cherry on the sundae came when I was subleasing my place to a friend. I had found a cheaper place and wanted off the lease. I accepted the $50 lease transfer fee as I thought it was reasonable. What I did not expect was a $400 pet fee. I dont own a pet. I occasionally walk my boyfriends dog when he is at work. She totally and completely lives at his house. Richard told me that since he had seen me with an animal, he was fining me $400. This added up to me owing him on top of not getting my security deposit back.He is incredibly rude and condescending. He is a misogynist, has offended every member of my household on separate occasions, and will do anything to make a buck. Do not rent & do not trust.

I recently spent two years renting from SSP and have also experienced first hand the greed and dishonesty characteristic of its owner Richard Emig. SSP apartments are in a great location, however be aware that your deposit is not refundable despite what is written in your contract, you will be charged extraneous fees for services not rendered, and if you question Richards hand made utility bills you will be charged 10$ to view each bill from each particular utility company.If you do rent from Richard Emig, keep copies of all contracts and request new contracts if changes, request itemized receipts every month for each payment you make to SSP, make sure all services rendered are sent on a separate bills signed by Richard Emig, and if you have phone conversations with Richard pertaining to certain contracts or fees that you record them. Keep all of these articles in the chance you need to seek legal action against SSP and Richard Emig.Be smart and protect yourself, or just accept that you will be out your deposit and several hundred more dollars. I am more than happy to answer any questions via email. I am also excited to see what falsities Richard will conjure up as a response to this post.

The landlord at South Street Properties is greedy, phony and unprofessional. He and his maintenance employees have entered my apartment without advanced notice. I had one experience where one of his employees entered my apartment while I was sleeping. He has no respect for the privacy of his tenants. He also will attempt to squeeze every last drop of money from his tenants as possible, which is why he tends to rent to college students who have little or no experience with renting and just assume what he is doing is okay. Avoid renting from him, if you can. The location is not worth having to deal with this man.