Vineyard Community Living - Needham

Pros

• Joyce was very generous with her time and went above and beyond to help clients understand the available apartment options.
• The Kendrick is a great community with extremely responsive management and maintenance teams.
• The management team goes out of their way to ensure moves are seamless.
• The community is very safe, and the units are beautiful, spacious, and quiet.
• Martin and Jason are the best maintenance technicians.
• The maintenance team is awesome, reliable, and quick to handle requests.
• The Kendrick offers amazing amenities and a lively neighborhood with good people.
• Andres Ruiz provides exceptional service and is incredibly helpful.
• Christian is friendly, informative, and answers questions thoroughly during tours.
• The front desk staff are friendly and pleasant to talk to.
• The apartments are modern, new, and of high quality.
• The property is well-maintained and staff are genuinely invested in residents.
• The Kendrick is highly recommended for those seeking a well-managed and attractive home.

Cons

• They report that multiple packages have been lost and package notifications are often sent to the wrong resident.
• They note fire alarms go off extremely frequently, including in the middle of the night, with no explanation from management.
• They say gym equipment is frequently broken or dirty and management does not acknowledge this.
• They state leasing office staff are incredibly rude and do not help resolve issues.
• They allege maintenance has entered units without the required 48-hour notice on several occasions, breaching the lease, with no timely response from the office.
• They describe recurring maintenance issues and unaddressed resident concerns, with weekly emails that simply copy-paste and fail to address problems.
• They report mold, water damage, and a non-working A/C after a scheduled air-filter replacement was canceled, requiring evacuation and no reimbursement.
• They claim a power outage was caused by a main breaker problem and that staff misdirected residents to Eversource, offering little real help.
• They describe the building as understaffed, overpriced, and overpopulated.
• They express accessibility concerns, noting the building is too large for mobility-impaired residents and that mailboxes are far from elevators.
• They point out that some positive reviews may be from staff's friends or family, not actual residents.
• They mention a package delivered to the wrong floor sitting for over 3 days with staff not addressing it.

Review

The Kendrick in Needham comes across in these impressions as a community with a strong, customer-focused leasing team and a wide array of facilities that many residents appreciate. Joyce, the rental agent, stands out for her generosity with time and her willingness to go above and beyond to explain the options and guide potential tenants through the property. Many reviewers recount touring the extensive amenities and feeling well-informed and supported throughout the process, with one reviewer even noting that they would highly recommend Joyce's help after a thorough walk-through of what The Kendrick has to offer. The initial experience, for several guests, sets a positive tone for what follows at the building.

Beyond the leasing stage, the broader community input is consistently favorable when it comes to responsiveness. Reviewers repeatedly call out management and maintenance teams as highly responsive, with several anecdotes highlighting proactive assistance during moves and everyday issues. One resident described the management team as "extremely responsive" and singled out how they helped move boxes that were left on an unfamiliar floor - an example that underscored both the attentiveness of staff and the importance of clear communication. The sense of safety is also a recurring theme, with residents noting a secure environment, beautiful, spacious, and quiet apartments, and a general perception that the community is well cared for.

Maintenance staff receive a lot of praise as well. Specific names crop up as consistently reliable and friendly, with Martin and Jason named as standout technicians who handle repair requests promptly and competently. Several reviews emphasize the reliability and professionalism of the maintenance team, describing them as easy to talk to and committed to getting the job done right. Rolando from maintenance is another frequently mentioned name, praised for being on time and helpful with a wide range of requests. Together, these accounts paint a picture of a property where upkeep and service are valued and delivered with a personal touch.

There are, however, a number of critical voices that temper the overall sentiment. A subset of reviews focuses on ongoing problems that residents feel are not being adequately addressed by management. Common threads include lost packages, incorrect delivery notifications that fail to reach the intended recipient, and frequent fire alarms with little explanation. Some residents describe gym equipment as dirty or broken and report that management does not acknowledge or resolve these issues consistently. A few accounts fault the leasing office for being unhelpful or rude, and there are notable complaints about policy enforcement and responsiveness, including repeated requests for maintenance or concerns going unanswered. These experiences contrast sharply with the more positive interactions some residents have had with staff.

The updates from the latter part of 2024 into 2025 amplify concerns about communication and process integrity. One review cites three unannounced visits to a unit by maintenance under a lease that requires 48 hours' notice, signaling a breach in policy and frustration with how issues were handled. Another resident recounts a missing package, questions about security footage, and a claim that a staff member suggested a workaround rather than taking direct action. Additional updates report changes to online rent payments and a perception that management does not take residents' issues seriously, highlighting tension around transparency and responsiveness. These entries contribute to a narrative of divided experiences, where some residents feel listened to and supported, while others feel unheard or dismissed.

Compounding the mixed picture are concerns about the building's infrastructure and health-related issues. A particularly troubling sequence describes a service disruption during a period of in-occupancy heat and humidity, with a later report of air conditioning failure, water intrusion, and mold in a pantry following an unscheduled replacement of air filters. The sequence of events - vacation timing, temporary housing displacement, and questions about reimbursement - leads to strong dissatisfaction in at least one resident's view of the building's management. A power outage that was misattributed to the public utility and later traced to a mechanical room main breaker adds another layer to the sense that some problems are not resolved efficiently or transparently.

Amid these varied experiences, several testimonials offer a more balanced or wholly positive note. Recent movers express appreciation for the friendly front desk staff and the well-kept, clean, modern apartments with abundant amenities. A recurring theme is the care and attention residents feel from staff who genuinely want to help, with several mentions of Andrea Ruiz and other team members who are described as exceptional, welcoming, and professional during tours and lease renewals. There is also recognition that some positive reviews may come from friends and family members of staff, which leads to a level of skepticism about the source of praise, but the firsthand accounts of strong customer service from specific team members remain compelling.

Overall, The Kendrick presents as a large, modern, amenity-rich community that many residents find very appealing - especially when it comes to the quality of appointments, the surrounding neighborhood, and the responsiveness of some staff members. Yet, the collection of experiences also highlights significant opportunities for improvement in management responsiveness, maintenance communication, and incident handling. Prospective renters should consider both sides of the spectrum: the character and care demonstrated by particular staff members, along with a clear understanding of each unit's maintenance history and the building's procedures for notifications, access, and emergency issues. In this environment, the right fit may come down to mobility needs, tolerance for occasional delays, and the ability to engage proactively with a management team that boasts standout individuals while wrestling with broader operational challenges.

Restaurants

• McDonald's (0.9 miles)
• Echo Bridge Restaurant (0.9 miles)
• Corrib Pub & Restaurant (3.3 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (3.7 miles)
• Truly Yogurt (4 miles)
• Eggs & Thai Cafe (4.2 miles)
• McDonald's (5 miles)

Parks

• Newton Highlands Playground (1.1 miles)
• Cutler Park (1.4 miles)
• Larz Anderson Park (4.2 miles)
• Pagel Playground (5 miles)
• Jamaica Pond (5.1 miles)
• Olmsted Park (5.3 miles)
• Franklin Park (6 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (1.2 miles)
• Walgreens (1.7 miles)
• Wegmans (2.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.2 miles)
• Walgreens (3.2 miles)

Cafes

• French Press Bakery & Cafe (1.7 miles)
• Blue Bottle Coffee (2.8 miles)
• Starbucks (3.6 miles)
• Starbucks (3.9 miles)
• Starbucks (5 miles)
• Mike's Donuts (5.4 miles)
• Tatte Bakery & Cafe (6.6 miles)

Physicians

• Dedham Medical (2.5 miles)
• Bidmc Lowry Building (5.9 miles)
• Mass. Eye and Ear (5.9 miles)
• Mersi (6 miles)
• Harvard Medical School (6.2 miles)
• Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates – Spinal Unit/Pain Management (6.6 miles)
• Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates (6.6 miles)

Hospitals

• Newton-Wellesley Hospital (2.5 miles)
• West Roxbury VA Hospital (2.9 miles)
• New England Baptist Outpatient Care Center (5.7 miles)
• Lemuel Shattuck Hospital (5.8 miles)
• New England Baptist Hospital (5.9 miles)
• Brigham and Women's Hospital (6 miles)
• Boston Children's Hospital (6.1 miles)

Theaters

• Showcase SuperLux (2.7 miles)
• Cinema World Majestic 7 (5.1 miles)

Transportation

• MBTA Riverside Station (3.1 miles)
• MBTA Reservoir Station (4.2 miles)
• Readville (6 miles)
• MBTA Fenway Station (6.4 miles)
• MBTA Ruggles Station (6.9 miles)
• MBTA Kenmore Station (7 miles)
• Route 128 station (7.2 miles)

Places of Worship

• Parish of the Messiah (3.3 miles)
• St Paul Parish, Harvard Square (7 miles)
• Saint Catherine of Siena Parish (7.4 miles)