Laurel Oaks

Pros

• The location is gorgeous.
• The rates are superb and the staff are very friendly.
• The senior housing is very nice.
• The location is great, between Cherrydale and downtown.
• The apartment is pretty with great windows.
• Planned activities and Bible study are offered.

Cons

• The new manager is disrespectful.
• The office will not answer the phones, leaving callers with recordings.
• Applicants are denied for something as minor as a misdemeanor.
• Management is accused of racial discrimination.
• Residents, especially seniors, are treated poorly.
• The elevator is frequently out of service, forcing residents to climb stairs.
• Old appliances are not replaced, bed bugs are reported, and charges are erroneous.
• Management should be fired or penalized.
• Current management is poor and negligent, including letting a mother after heart surgery stay in a flooded apartment.
• The management is hard to reach - calls go unreturned and the main line is sometimes disconnected.

Review

Gumballs of experience weave through the tapestry of Laurel Oaks Apartments, starting with the allure of a beautiful location and ending with a chorus of frustration directed at management. Several reviewers gush about the setting - an appealing neighborhood, proximity to downtown, and windows that brighten the inside of the units. Yet that initial impression is quickly undercut by a cascade of complaints about what many tenants describe as disorganized, inaccessible, and at times dismissive on-site leadership. One reviewer recalls a promising offer for a one-bedroom on the third floor, followed by an agonizing wait, repeated calls that only landed in recordings, and a final visit that culminated in a denial based on a misdemeanor. The underlying sentiment is that the process itself felt opaque and inconsistent, leaving applicants frustrated and suspicious about potential bias.

A core thread running through multiple accounts is a persistent lack of communication and accountability from management. Tenants report that the office phone is almost never answered, with at least one person being told that uncertain or non-existent responses are simply the norm for future calls. The feeling is that residents are being shut out rather than helped, with the office functioning more like a black box than a point of contact. That sense of inaccessibility compounds other, more tangible concerns about resident well-being, especially for seniors who rely on timely information and easy access to staff. The absence of reliable communication is repeatedly linked to the broader perception that the management does not value or prioritize its tenant community.

Service interruptions and safety concerns emerge as another major theme. Elevators are described as frequently out of service, forcing elderly or ill residents to navigate stairs. The consequences are stark and practical: longer commutes inside the building, increased risk for seniors, and a general sense of neglect when essential infrastructure fails. One reviewer even mentions a sick individual who must climb to the third floor without adequate accessibility, highlighting how these outages translate into real hardship. In tandem with accessibility problems are maintenance and condition issues, including old appliances and ongoing complaints about bed bugs, all contributing to a perception that repairs and replacements are lagging or inadequately addressed.

Financial and administrative integrity is cast into doubt by several accounts. Complaints about being charged too much or receiving erroneous charges are paired with general grievances about management's responsiveness and competence. Combined with reports of negligence - such as a flooded apartment after a delay in addressing a known plumbing issue - the narrative moves beyond mere inconvenience into questions of fiduciary responsibility and tenant safety. The most striking moments come from personal family experiences, like a mother who had just undergone heart surgery being left in a flooded unit, with staff advising her to sleep on the floor due to an unresolved problem. These anecdotes amplify the perception that the property's leadership prioritizes appearances or profits over resident welfare.

The saga takes a further turn with the ongoing struggle to retrieve or even return personal property. After securing a move to a new apartment, the family faced days of unreturned calls and a disconnected main line, leaving them feeling as though they were being held hostage to the situation. The frustration escalates into a broader judgment about management's integrity, with a retrospective note that the property once known as Oaks at Laurel Baye was an ideal senior living community fourteen years prior. The current reality, as described by several reviewers, is a stark departure from that legacy, characterized by perceived negligence, a lack of integrity, and a management culture that some describe as actively hostile to residents.

Despite the weight of these negative experiences, the collection of reviews is not uniformly bleak. There are brief glimmers of positivity that acknowledge certain strengths of the property. Some reviewers mention fair rental rates and friendly people, and others praise the location as conveniently situated between Cherrydale and downtown, with well-lit, pleasant windows and a few planned activities and Bible study opportunities. These remarks suggest that Laurel Oaks still has attributes that some tenants find valuable, even if those benefits are overshadowed by the recurring complaints about management and maintenance. The juxtaposition of favorable comments alongside widespread dissatisfaction paints a complex portrait of a community with potential now overshadowed by leadership and operational challenges.

In the end, the common thread is a sense of disappointment and urgency for change. Tenants and advocates alike urge accountability from management, visibility from ownership, and a dependable line of communication that respects residents' needs, especially those who are most vulnerable. The stories underscore the impact that administrative posture can have on daily life - from the speed of a repair to the safety of an elevator ride, from a timely phone call to a respectful hearing of a neighbor's concerns. Whether the hope lies in governance changes, improved maintenance protocols, or a renewed commitment to resident welfare, the overarching message is clear: the Laurel Oaks community deserves reliable leadership, transparent operations, and a living environment that honors its senior residents and their lived experiences.

Theaters

• Regal Cherrydale (0.8 miles)

Parks

• North Main Rotary Park (0.9 miles)
• Cleveland Park (2.4 miles)
• Paris Mountain State Park (3.6 miles)

Restaurants

• Joy of Tokyo (0.9 miles)
• Jack In The Box (0.9 miles)
• Golden Corral (1 miles)
• Burger King (1 miles)
• Cook Out (1 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (1 miles)
• Five Guys Burgers & Fries (1 miles)

Physicians

• Superior Healthcare Physical Medicine (0.9 miles)
• Greenville Free Medical Clinic (1.9 miles)
• New Horizon Family Health Services (2.8 miles)
• Professional Healthcare Services (2.8 miles)
• Greenville Free Medical Clinic (2.9 miles)
• New Horizon Family Health Services: Administrative Services Office (3 miles)
• Greenville Dermatology (3.1 miles)

Pharmacies

• Ingles Market (0.9 miles)
• Walgreens (1.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.8 miles)
• Walgreens (2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.1 miles)
• Parker Road Drug Store (2.2 miles)
• Epic Pharmacies (2.2 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (0.9 miles)
• Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery (1.7 miles)
• Green Fetish (2.1 miles)
• Grateful Brew (3.7 miles)

Places of Worship

• The Church at Cherrydale (1.1 miles)
• Earle Street Baptist Church (1.2 miles)
• Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (1.8 miles)

Hospitals

• St Francis Health System, Rehab Services (3.1 miles)
• Greenville Hospital System Peds Obesity (4 miles)
• Patewood Memorial Hospital (4.2 miles)
• Greenville Hospital System (4.2 miles)
• Prisma Health Marshall I. Pickens Hospital (4.2 miles)
• Patewood Medical Campus (4.2 miles)
• Prisma Health Roger C. Peace Rehabilitation Hospital (4.3 miles)