Village of Barrett's Run

Pros

• Maintenance issues are handled promptly.
• The staff are consistently helpful and prompt.
• The property is beautiful and well maintained.
• The community is nice, with friendly and quiet residents and pets.
• Maintenance requests are resolved quickly, often within the same week.
• The maintenance supervisor (Dave) is professional and effective.
• The office staff are warm and welcoming; Michelle is exceptional and helpful.
• Residents who move to The Retreat at Barretts Run love it.
• The location is convenient.

Cons

• The leasing/management office is repeatedly unresponsive, with the voicemail always full and callbacks taking days or weeks.
• The manager is described as unprofessional and manipulative, including attempts to coerce a lease extension.
• Communication with property management online is slow and inconsistent.
• Front office staff are often unavailable or unhelpful; phones go unanswered.
• Maintenance requests are rarely fulfilled, and some units are poorly maintained.
• Rent is overpriced for the condition of the apartments and compared to nearby options, with frequent increases.
• Move-out security deposits are mishandled or delayed, sometimes accompanied by extra charges.

Review

Across a broad swath of opinions, the leasing and management experience at this property surfaces as the defining factor of living there. The complex presents as a beautiful, well-kept place on the surface, with quiet, friendly neighbors and a generally pleasant environment. Yet time and again residents tell the same story: getting in touch with the office and getting problems resolved feels unreasonably difficult, and the management's conduct and responsiveness color the entire living experience far more than the aesthetics of the units themselves.

A common refrain is about access to the management office and a straightforward path to getting help. Several reviewers report that the phone line is consistently answered by no one, or that their calls ring endlessly without a real response. The voicemail box is often described as full, preventing messages from being left at all. Even when someone does eventually call back, the turnaround can be measured in days or weeks, not hours, and many note that email or online contact options are similarly unreliable. The repeated implication is a disconnect between what residents need moment-to-moment and what the office can deliver in a timely fashion.

This communication gap feeds a broader sense of frustration about management's professionalism and reliability. One reviewer singles out a specific manager, describing Tiffani as unprofessional and allegedly manipulative in trying to pressure a lease extension that the resident did not want. Another set of comments suggests a pattern of inconsistent service and unclear conduct by front-office staff, with some reviewers feeling that the office's on-site presence is unreliable - employees are in the building, yet the door sometimes displays a note about a lunch break that seems incongruous with observed hours. Taken together, these narratives paint a picture of an office that appears accessible in theory but fails to deliver in practice when residents need assistance most.

Maintenance experiences form another major thread, with a sharp divide between those who praise timely responses and those who lament neglect or mismanagement. A number of reviews recount prompt maintenance service - sometimes within the same day or the next day after a request - contributing to a positive impression of the day-to-day operations for some. Others, however, describe fixtures that are old or poorly maintained, roaches and mold issues, repeated toilet floods, and clogged or outdated appliances. Notably, a serious incident involved a prolonged mold problem that displaced a family for two months, a situation residents describe as requiring legal threats before a fix would be implemented. These contrasting accounts underscore that maintenance quality varies significantly from unit to unit and between different management episodes.

Pricing, deposits, and move-out charges emerge as another sour point in many of these narratives. Several residents assert that rents rise significantly year after year, with increases of $150?$200 annually being described as excessive and inadequately justified given the level of updates or improvements to units. Move-out charges and the handling of security deposits are also a source of dispute: some say they had to fight to recover deposits or faced charges that felt unfair or excessive. A minority of residents, in contrast, report smooth experiences with deposits and refunds, including delays that were resolved satisfactorily and deposits returned without dispute. Overall, the financial aspects of renting there seem to reflect the same inconsistency observed in responsiveness and maintenance.

Cumulatively, the sentiment toward the property oscillates between admiration for its physical appeal and disappointment with how the management side operates. A number of reviewers recount pleasant experiences with certain staff members who did provide timely repairs, warm customer service, or helpful guidance - names like Michelle, described as exceptional and very helpful, and Dave, the maintenance supervisor with a reassuring presence - stand out as positive counterpoints to the broader complaints. Yet these individual appreciations are interwoven with repeated reminders that the day-to-day reality of dealing with the leasing office and its policies can be a headache, both during and after a lease term. For some, the presence of a well-maintained building and quiet neighbors does not overcome the ongoing struggle to get questions answered or issues resolved in a reasonable timeframe.

In some reviews, the property's location and overall environment still seems to justify the cost for certain residents, particularly those who have experienced smoother maintenance and found the staff's in-unit attention satisfactory. Others have chosen to move on to other communities, either because of ongoing friction with management or because their needs - such as a prompt response to a spike in maintenance without delay - were better met elsewhere. A few residents even recount a transition to another nearby property and report better experiences with the new management and maintenance workflows, contrasting sharply with the problematic patterns they observed here.

If there is a throughline to be drawn, it is this: the physical appeal of the property is undeniable - well-kept grounds, attractive units, and a generally peaceful living environment. The management and leasing office, however, is frequently cited as the critical weak link. Residents describe a system that can function in moments of routine activity but collapses under more demanding circumstances - whether that means a mold crisis, the need to arrange a timely repair, or the demand for transparent, fair communication about deposits and lease terms. For anyone considering relocating to this place, the core advice that emerges is to weigh the beauty of the units against the reliability and responsiveness of the on-site management, and to prepare for the possibility of inconsistent service depending on who is handling your call, your issue, or your lease.

Located in Newark, Delaware, this area offers convenient access to a variety of amenities essential for senior living. There are multiple pharmacies within a short distance, including Walgreens and CVS, making it easy to fill prescriptions and access healthcare services. In terms of medical care, there are reputable physicians nearby such as Fresenius Medical Care North America and Delaware Neurosurgical Group. Additionally, there is a range of dining options from fast food chains like Wendy's and Taco Bell to sit-down restaurants like Ted's Montana Grill. For coffee lovers, Starbucks is also conveniently located within the vicinity. In terms of leisure activities, there are theaters such as Cinemark Christiana and XD for entertainment and parks like Glasgow Park for enjoying the outdoors. Overall, this area provides a well-rounded environment for seniors looking to live comfortably with access to necessary amenities.

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (1.4 miles)
• Walgreens (1.6 miles)
• Saveway Compounding Pharmacy (1.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.8 miles)
• Rite Aid (2.2 miles)
• Walgreens (2.6 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.6 miles)

Physicians

• Fresenius Medical Care North America (1.4 miles)
• Delaware Neurosurgical Group (2.2 miles)
• First State Orthopedics (2.3 miles)
• Christiana Center-Oral Surgery (2.3 miles)
• Konigsberg Ralee MD Westside Family Healthcare (2.6 miles)
• The Christiana Center For Oral & Maxiofacial (2.6 miles)
• Christiana Medical Arts PVLLN (2.7 miles)

Restaurants

• Wendy's (1.5 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (1.5 miles)
• Taco Bell (1.5 miles)
• McDonald's (1.6 miles)
• Burger King (1.6 miles)
• Ted's Montana Grill (2.4 miles)
• Brio Restaurant Group (2.6 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (1.7 miles)
• Starbucks (2.4 miles)
• Border Cafe (3.5 miles)
• Starbucks (4.2 miles)
• Little Goat Coffee Roasting (4.2 miles)
• Starbucks (4.2 miles)
• Drip Cafe (4.6 miles)

Hospitals

• Christiana Medical Center (2.3 miles)
• Medical Arts Pavilion 1 (2.7 miles)
• ChristianaCare Christiana Hospital Emergency Department (2.8 miles)
• Kanchana Thirumaleshwar Dr Mid Atlantic Endoscopy Center Newark (3.5 miles)
• Newark Local STD Testing (4.8 miles)
• Limestone Medical Center (5.2 miles)

Theaters

• Cinemark Christiana and XD (2.8 miles)
• Regal Peoples Plaza (4.7 miles)

Parks

• Glasgow Park (3.6 miles)
• Glasgow Park Playground (3.9 miles)