u/Existing-Use4204

For anyone looking for apartments in Northern New Jersey, do not rent at 1 Dewitt Road in Elizabeth. The building is run by Skylark Management, a private real estate investment company that owns multiple properties in the area. This is not only a warning for potential residents of 1 Dewitt Rd, but for buildings in New Jersey run by Skylark Management in general. As far as I am aware, they manage 1 Dewitt Rd and a few other buildings on North Broad street in Elizabeth. I think they try to stay away from platforms that allow tenants to leave reviews, so I thought this might be an appropriate place to warn people. Pictures included below!

In my opinion, Skylark Management does not care about residents, despite its website claims. The website states that “the management team prides itself on achieving ultimate tenant satisfaction,” which is so categorically false that I found myself laughing as I read it! It’s so unfortunate that working-class families are giving their hard-earned money to people who couldn't care less if they have decent living conditions, and this pattern will inevitably continue. They’re difficult to get in contact with, not even the super (who is an incredibly helpful guy), can get in contact with them when there is a problem. They do not pay the super overtime to work on weekends, so if you have an issue, good luck to you.

Hot water is unreliable; I have lost count of how many times I have taken ice-cold showers, especially in the winter. Just a few days ago, the hot water was out for the entire building, and it took them well over 24 hours to fix it, and over 12 hours to even address the residents regarding the issue! This is unacceptable.

There are zero security measures & theft issues! There is no security in the building, and anyone can walk right in at any point. Packages frequently get stolen, especially around the holidays. This is not normal and should have been addressed a long time ago.

My personal favorite was the BREACH OF HABITABILITY! My shower was completely unusable for over 48 hours due to a clogged drain. In mid-April, I began having issues with my shower drain, and I reported it to the super. He came by and tried to fix it, and it worked, temporarily. On May 1st, the tub stopped draining entirely, and I reported the issue again. I waited over 24 hours for someone to fix the problem, and unfortunately, it was a weekend, so the super was unavailable. The super sent his sons to help unclog the drain, and it is not their fault, but the drain remained clogged, and my tub was filled with dirty, brown water, which is a sanitation issue. I went over 48 hours without a working drainage system for the only shower in my apartment, and this is no one’s fault except for the management company.

Additionally, this place has poor infrastructure, and management will not invest in fixing it. A pipe burst in our ceiling and soaked the bathroom and living room walls, creating an absolute mess. There are several cracks in the walls and the ceilings, the window frames in the lobby are peeling, and the apartment next to mine had severe structural floor damage, and whether or not they fixed it is questionable, but it is listed for rent again at $2,000 a month.

Last but not least, cockroaches! I'm shocked that the management company has not tried to charge these unwanted tenants rent yet.

Water damage from broken pipe.

My bathtub!