Rotunda Lakes Apartmernts

Pros

• Jackie is always friendly and helpful, taking the time to make residents feel welcome and answering questions quickly.
• The maintenance team is friendly and fixes issues quickly.
• The apartments and grounds are well kept.
• The neighbors are friendly.
• It is a great place to live with excellent property management and lovely apartments.
• The staff is attentive and maintenance requests are handled promptly.
• The grounds are beautiful and well maintained.
• Rotonda Lakes is a very nice place to live.

Cons

• The manager Jackie is rude and condescending.
• Residents say Jackie does not leave the office to inspect the property.
• The community is described as falling apart and poorly maintained.
• A large red golf cart in a handicap spot in front of a closed office was deemed improper.
• The manager claimed a one-bedroom would never be available and only three-bedroom units were available.
• The waitlist for a one-bedroom was said to be a waste of time.
• The owner is seen as uncaring, with robotic responses that direct people to the manager.
• The property is accused of false advertising.
• Gym equipment is mostly nonfunctional; the pool is described as dirty.
• There are multiple maintenance and safety concerns: dead trees, nonworking lights, water features off, irrigation off, and the laundry room used as maintenance overflow.
• Jackie Palumbo is described as a joke, hostile, and uninterested in residents.
• There are allegations of racial discrimination: reports of not renting to African American or Hispanic residents and a lack of observed diversity.

Review

Rotonda Lakes appears to be a property that inspires sharply divided opinions, with long-standing residents and weekend visitors offering wildly different experiences. On a quiet weekend stroll around the community, several residents painted a bleak picture of the property's management, centering their critique on the on-site manager, Jackie Palumbo. The reports ranged from perceptions that the community is deteriorating and that the manager never leaves the office to survey the grounds, to specific examples like a red golf cart parked in a handicap spot in front of a closed office. When a few days later I spoke with Jackie by phone to discuss potential accommodations for my mother, the sentiment hardened for many: I was told I would never get a one-bedroom and that three-bedroom units were available, with the waitlist described as a waste of time for all involved. Those who spoke with me suggested a pattern of management that seems aloof and unaccommodating toward the elderly and those seeking smaller units.

The negative feedback encompasses more than just one encounter. Several residents accuse the community of false advertising and point to tangible signs of neglect: equipment that no longer works in the exercise room, a pool surrounded by a ring that looks like a dirty bathtub, and a landscape marred by dead trees and poorly maintained lighting. They note chronic maintenance shortcomings, such as lights at the mailboxes and the pool that have not functioned for years, water features that have been off since a takeover by a new management group, and irrigation systems that have been off for an equally long time. The laundry room is described as functioning as maintenance overflow rather than as a resident amenity, and a wooden bridge leading to the community garden is reported to be splintering and hazardous. The overall sense from these accounts is that the physical plant and common areas are aging faster than repairs, with a disheartening impact on residents' daily lives and perceptions of value.

Within the same chorus of complaints, there are pointed accusations about Jackie herself. Some reviewers label her an "absolute joke," alleging she bullies residents, treats questions as challenges, and shows little interest in forming meaningful relationships with those who live there. One critique claims that she even engages in soliciting favorable reviews for herself and that the property's owner, AGPM, supports a hostile dynamic by doing nothing to rectify the manager's attitudes. The implication throughout these accounts is that the frontline leadership shapes the entire resident experience: when Jackie is perceived as distant or hostile, the entire community feels less welcoming and more volatile, regardless of how other staff members perform in maintenance or office tasks.

Interwoven with the negative narratives are a number of affirmative testimonies that complicate the picture. A contingent of residents describes Jackie as friendly and helpful, someone who makes people feel welcome, answers questions promptly, and goes out of her way to be accommodating. The maintenance team is praised by some for being courteous and quick to address issues, and the grounds are described by at least some residents as well kept and aesthetically pleasant. There are enthusiastic endorsements from residents who have stayed for years, including those who note smooth maintenance responses, a clean environment, and a generally supportive staff. These positive opinions demonstrate that for some people, the community still feels like a safe and comfortable place to live.

A subset of the reviews also wrestles with issues of race and inclusion, presenting a volatile and contested narrative about who is welcome and how people are treated. One account recalls a time when residents of diverse backgrounds - Puerto Rican, Black, and other communities - lived in the development and were reportedly treated as eligible residents with well-maintained surroundings. Conversely, several other comments allege discriminatory practices or at least an impression that the community favors White American residents, with explicit assertions that African American or Hispanic renters are either not welcome or are subjected to negative experiences led by the manager. These clashing claims contribute to a broader impression that the community's atmosphere around inclusivity is inconsistent and hotly debated among potential residents.

The narrative arc is further complicated by observations about the community's evolution over time. A reviewer who once praised Rotonda Lakes with a high rating now says the place has fallen short, citing a shift toward what they describe as an HOA-driven environment and a sense that personal freedoms and preferences are policed more than before. There are also warnings about a lack of responsiveness on critical issues after natural events, such as hurricane Ian, which some feel exposed underlying governance problems. Amid these concerns, there are still voices that defend the property as a solid, enjoyable place to live, emphasizing long-standing relationships with staff, well-kept surroundings, and a stable, peaceful setting for seniors.

In the end, readers are left with a mosaic rather than a single verdict. The Rotonda Lakes community appears to be a place of real comfort and beauty for some residents, buoyed by responsive maintenance and friendly staff, particularly in the eyes of those who have formed close ties with the team and have long tenures there. At the same time, a significant and vocal group of residents describe persistent maintenance failures, aging infrastructure, and a management style from Jackie that they find disengaged or even hostile. The conflicting experiences suggest that potential renters and current residents would benefit from speaking with a wide range of neighbors, visiting at different times of day, and closely inspecting facilities and services before forming a conclusion. The overall picture invites careful, on-the-ground verification to determine whether Rotonda Lakes can deliver the combination of safety, accessibility, and community warmth that different people are seeking.

Restaurants

• Prime Time Steak & Spirits (0.5 miles)
• Stump Pass Grille (2.1 miles)
• Nando's Taqueria (3.4 miles)
• Mama's Italian Restaurant (3.7 miles)
• Farlows On The Water (3.8 miles)
• Denny's (4.1 miles)
• Flounders Restaurant & Tiki Bar (4.4 miles)

Parks

• Rotonda Park (1.8 miles)
• Stump Pass Beach State Park (3.6 miles)
• Pine Park (11.7 miles)
• Port Charlotte Beach Park (12.6 miles)

Places of Worship

• Foundation Church (3.1 miles)
• Sunnybrook Alliance Church (3.5 miles)
• Colonial Baptist Church Venice Fl (11.5 miles)

Pharmacies

• Lemon Bay Drugs East (3.2 miles)
• Lemon Bay Drugs East (3.2 miles)
• Walgreens (3.3 miles)
• Winn-Dixie (3.6 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.2 miles)
• Walgreens (6 miles)
• Woods Pharmacy (10.8 miles)

Physicians

• Retina and Macula Consultants, P.A. (3.4 miles)
• Dr Charles M Gremillion Jr MD (3.4 miles)
• Nadler Jaclyn S MD - Jaclyn S Nadler, MD - CoastalMED DPC (3.8 miles)
• Coastalmed Dpc (3.8 miles)
• Center For Sight (4.1 miles)
• Cardiology Center of Englewood (4.5 miles)
• Radiology Associates Of Florida (4.6 miles)

Hospitals

• Englewood Community Hospital (4.5 miles)
• Murdock Ambulatory Surgery Center (12.6 miles)
• Center Of Surgical Excell (12.7 miles)

Theaters

• Regal Town Center - Port Charlotte (12.5 miles)
• Spotlight Theatres Venice Luxury (13.4 miles)

Cafes

• Metro Diner (13 miles)
• Panera Bread (13.2 miles)