Highland Towers Apartments

Pros

• The owners have finally found a Building Manager and Maintenance Supervisor who get things done, and done correctly.
• Kristen, the new manager, is making a positive impact and is a pleasure to speak with, genuinely caring about residents and the property.
• The leasing consultant was very pleasant and informative.
• Summeray has been a blessing, described as friendly, professional, confident, and a great problem solver.
• The front door lock and the elevators are now working, and the building has hot water.
• There are ongoing improvements being made to the building.

Cons

• The basic building systems are described as a total wreck and management appears indifferent.
• The door entry system has been down for weeks, locking out residents and disabling the door buzzer.
• Both elevators have been down, trapping upper-floor residents and leaving calls unanswered.
• There is garbage in the hallway, no air conditioning, and winters spent without heat.
• The property is infested with roaches and bed bugs, with extermination not promptly performed.
• Locks were changed to key fobs, forcing residents to buy them, while security concerns persist.
• Amenities and common areas remain unfinished after months of construction, including bathrooms and a community room.
• The place is described as unsafe and a slum, with warnings not to move here.

Review

Highland Towers comes across in these accounts as a property stuck in a cycle of persistent maintenance failures, aging infrastructure, and uneven management. Over the course of several months in 2025, residents describe a building that alternates between brief, hard-wought improvements and long stretches of outages and neglect. The tenor shifts from outright frustration to cautious optimism when a new management presence is introduced, only to have long-standing problems resurface or persist in the background. Taken together, the collection of notes paints a troubling picture of basic systems that repeatedly fail residents who rely on them daily.

In the early part of 2025, the most immediate and tangible problems are routine and disruptive. Hot water outages during holiday weekends emerge as a recurring grievance, casting a chill on winter and summer alike as residents report being left without hot water for days at a time. The front door buzzer and entry system are repeatedly described as nonfunctional, effectively locking residents out and complicating deliveries. Elevators - an essential lifeline for residents, especially on higher floors - also fail or are out of service for extended periods, sometimes leaving a portion of the building inaccessible. In several updates, the inability to buzz in deliveries due to entry system failures compounds frustration, with work orders either cancelled or ignored. The coexistence of these failures - hot water, door access, and elevator outages - creates a shared sense of daily insecurity and inconvenience that permeates life in the building.

As spring gives way to early summer, the pattern continues with a mix of excuses and renewed complaint. One update notes that an elevator has been down for days with no visible work being performed, while the front door system remains unreliable. Residents express a sense that management is not answering phones or addressing work orders in a timely or consistent manner. The sentiment of two-star ratings being retracted and then re-added on a "wait and see" basis reflects a climate of tentative recognition when improvements occur, quickly negated by ongoing problems. Several residents voice a broader worry about basic services and safety, insisting that even when parts of the building are functioning, the underlying systems - the door locks, the alarm beeping in the lobby, and the day-to-day operations - remain unreliable.

Beyond the immediate outages, the reviews reveal deeper concerns about the overall condition and governance of the property. A critic voices the refrain that superficial upgrades are nothing more than cosmetic "lipstick on a pig," arguing that the core building systems are a total wreck and maintenance responsiveness is lacking. Complaints extend to the broader living environment: constant trash in hallways, a lack of air conditioning and inadequate heating in the past, and a laundry room that remains underwhelming or outdated. There are mentions of stalled projects like a community room and a workout space, ongoing construction, and frustration with general upkeep. The mood is sour about accountability and responsiveness, with accusations of mismanagement and even calls for legal action in extreme cases. Some residents allege issues that evoke serious safety and regulatory concerns, including references to OSHA violations and potential fraud in handling move-in fees, while others describe rude or unresponsive staff and a perception that the property prioritizes revenue over resident well-being.

Amid the chorus of long-standing complaints, a notable shift appears with a new face in management. One of the later notes highlights a manager who has made a positive impression: Kristen is described as someone who is communicative, approachable, and seemingly committed to the residents and the property. The tone here shifts from blunt frustration to guarded optimism, with residents noting real improvements and a sense that problems are being tackled more effectively. Yet even as this praise surfaces, it sits alongside persistent concerns from other comments. There are mentions of ongoing changes - such as changing front door locks to key fobs and the perception that some security measures benefit management more than residents, or that resources are still misaligned with resident needs. Some reviews recount ongoing maintenance gaps, beeping fire alarms that have persisted for years, and a sense that despite management changes, the building's age and inertia keep equipping problems with new life.

A recurring line across the testimonies is the clash between progress and erosion. Some residents celebrate tangible steps forward - new management making real contact, staff who seem genuinely invested, and a few restored services (like operating elevators and hot water) after periods of outage. Others issue blunt warnings not to move here, citing bed bug and roach infestations, pervasive pest problems in the elevators, broken entryways, and the uneasy reality that basic safety and security are not guaranteed. Descriptions range from harsh critiques - "the worst place in Southfield to live," "slums," and "a money grab" - to urgent calls for investigations or even shutdowns, particularly for residents who feel their elders are at risk or trapped by malfunctioning systems. The reviewers frequently flag the disconnect between glossy marketing materials and the lived experience inside the building.

By the end of these accounts, a nuanced picture emerges. There is undeniable evidence of improvements when a competent management presence appears, and some residents do acknowledge the new manager's positive impact. At the same time, a substantial portion of the narrative remains anchored in fear and frustration: recurring outages, unsafe conditions, pests, miscommunications, and the perception that some staff and contractors are overwhelmed or unresponsive. The property's core challenges - reliable hot water, secure door access, functioning elevators, consistent maintenance, and clean, hazard-free common spaces - appear to be the thread running through every update. The overall impression is of a building with potential improvement, tempered by years of neglect and structural limitations that will require sustained, prioritized effort to overcome.

Located in Southfield, Michigan, this area offers a variety of amenities for senior living. With multiple pharmacies such as Rite Aid, CVS, and Walgreens within a short distance, residents have easy access to their medication needs. There are also several physicians' offices nearby including Be Well Medical Center and Royal Oak Pediatrics PC for convenient medical care. In terms of dining options, there are various restaurants like Alex's of Berkley and Brown Iron Brewhouse Royal Oak as well as cafes such as Starbucks and Panera Bread for social dining experiences. For entertainment, seniors can enjoy movies at Emagine Royal Oak or MJR Troy Grand Digital Cinema 16. Additionally, there are several parks for outdoor activities like Starr Jaycee Park and Harding Park. Botsford Hospital is also located nearby for any emergency medical needs. Places of worship like Big Beaver United Methodist Church offer spiritual fulfillment in the community. This area provides a well-rounded environment for senior living with easy access to essential services and recreational opportunities.

Pharmacies

• Rite Aid (1.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.5 miles)
• Walgreens (1.8 miles)
• Walgreens (2.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3 miles)

Physicians

• Be Well Medical Center (1.6 miles)
• Royal Oak Pediatrics PC (2.4 miles)
• Beverly Hills Orthopedists (3.9 miles)
• Troy Orthopedics Associates (5.9 miles)
• Troy Medical Center (6 miles)
• Providence Medical Center (6.5 miles)
• Metro Medical Practice (7.7 miles)

Restaurants

• Alex's of Berkley (2 miles)
• McDonald's (2.6 miles)
• McDonald's (2.9 miles)
• Brown Iron Brewhouse Royal Oak (3 miles)
• Rock On 3rd (3.1 miles)
• Taco Bell (3.2 miles)
• National Coney Island (3.6 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (2.6 miles)
• Starbucks (2.9 miles)
• Starbucks (3.1 miles)
• Ferndale Project (3.5 miles)
• Starbucks (4.2 miles)
• Starbucks (4.6 miles)
• Panera Bread (4.8 miles)

Theaters

• Emagine Royal Oak (3.2 miles)
• MJR Troy Grand Digital Cinema 16 (5.7 miles)
• AMC Star John R 15 (6 miles)
• Riviera Cinema (7.3 miles)

Parks

• Starr Jaycee Park (3.6 miles)
• Harding Park (3.8 miles)
• Shain Park (4.8 miles)
• Clawson Park (5.2 miles)
• Scout Park (5.6 miles)
• Palmer Park (5.8 miles)
• Center Line Memorial Park (8.7 miles)

Hospitals

• Botsford Hospital (6.6 miles)
• Park Geriatric Village (7.2 miles)

Places of Worship

• Big Beaver United Methodist Church (8.3 miles)
• St Hugo of the Hills Church (8.4 miles)