Harris Gardens Apartments

Pros

• They consider Harris Gardens a good place to live.
• They describe it as very quiet and clean.
• They say it is great doing business with Harris Gardens.
• They describe it as a great place to live with a nice community, and they love calling it home.
• They call it a great place to live and to grow.
• They note that the staff and the office are pretty good about keeping on top of things and addressing complaints.
• They mention good medical care and feel comfortable.

Cons

• The office staff are unprofessional and unhelpful.
• Upstairs neighbors cause loud noises and threaten residents seeking help.
• There are cockroach infestations, ceilings are falling, and bathrooms leak.
• Rent is increased periodically and residents feel they are not helped or properly repaired.
• Reports about problem neighbors do not result in relocation to another building.
• Bathroom ceilings have black mold and leaks; management ignored the mold for years.
• The office is often locked during open hours, making it hard to get help.
• Staff are described as rude or racist, with accusations of theft and lack of security.
• The area is described as rough with drugs, crime, and even a murder; residents feel unsafe.

Review

Residents describe Harris Gardens as a place of paradoxes: moments of quiet, clean living balanced against years of maintenance headaches, policy tangles, and safety concerns. On one hand, several reviewers praise the property as a good place to live, with comments like "very quiet and clean," "great place to live and grow," and "been living here since 2016, it's a nice place I love calling home." A few note that the complex can feel like a solid community when things are going smoothly and when neighbors aren't causing trouble. In those voices, the appeal is real: a stable environment with a sense of belonging and a feeling that management can be responsive.

But a much louder chorus centers on a very different experience. Multiple tenants describe office staff as unprofessional and unhelpful, to the point where one reviewer sums it up by saying, "Nothing professional." They report slow or nonexistent help with problems, and even harsh or dismissive treatment when they show up to request assistance. Reports include being kicked out of the office for asking for help, or being told that management will "take care of it," only to see little or no action for long stretches. The frustration extends to the perception that the office prioritizes appearances or promises over actual improvements, leaving residents feeling ignored when they bring concerns about safety or living conditions.

Maintenance and safety issues appear repeatedly and vividly. Tenants describe loud noises from upstairs neighbors that persist into late hours, with some reporting that staff do little to resolve the disturbance. Pests are a recurring problem, with cockroaches mentioned by several residents. Structural and water-related problems are also cited: bathroom ceilings leaking, black mold reported years earlier with no resolution, and even ceilings that have fallen in some units. The combination of persistent leaks, mold growth, and unreliable repairs paints a picture of apartments that degrade over time if not adequately addressed, making everyday life stressful and unhealthy for some families.

Financial concerns add another layer of stress. Several reviews accuse management of "ripping people off" or using rent to fund everything except repairs. Rent increases are mentioned as a routine irritant, with tenants feeling the increases aren't matched by corresponding improvements in the apartments. There are allegations that the management charges for repairs or upgrades that never materialize, and that promises made by staff are not kept. In some cases, residents recount energy outages or inconveniences, such as losing air conditioning for months after a theft or vandalism, with little accountability or quick fixes from the office.

The neighborhood context is also part of the conversation. Some reviewers describe the area as rough or dangerous, mentioning loud neighbors, drug activity, and even crime like theft or a murder during their stay. A few accounts acknowledge that the area has improved over time, suggesting that the experience can depend on when someone arrives and who is living nearby. The tension between a perceived growing instability in the area and the occasional positive report about community and quiet living creates a mixed image: safety and comfort are possible, but not guaranteed.

There are glimpses of better, more reliable experiences when office staff are attentive and repairs are handled in a timely fashion. A number of residents praise the staff for being on top of things that need fixing and for treating residents well, noting that "the staff ? keep on top of things that need fixing" and that dealing with staff can feel straightforward and respectful when those workers are in place. Yet even among these more favorable portrayals, there is caution: some reviews describe the office as frequently locked during open hours, or portray staff as inconsistent - capable and professional in some visits, rude or dismissive in others. The overall impression is that quality of service can swing widely depending on who is available and when.

Ultimately, the picture that emerges is a highly polarized living experience. For some residents, Harris Gardens can be a solid, quiet, and affordable home with a sense of community and decent long-term stability. For others, it is a place plagued by maintenance failures, mold and leaks, pest problems, noisy neighbors, unreliable management, and unresolved safety concerns. The extent to which tenants feel safe, respected, and comfortable seems to hinge on the specific building, the timing of repairs, and the responsiveness of the people in the on-site office. Potential renters would be well advised to weigh these contrasting experiences carefully, visit current tenants if possible, and consider their tolerance for noise, maintenance delays, and the realities of a neighborhood that some describe as rough but not uniform across all blocks and units.

Parks

• Purcell Park (0.9 miles)
• Harrisonburg Parks & Rec Department (1.9 miles)
• A Dream Come True Playground (2.7 miles)
• Hillandale Park (3.1 miles)

Restaurants

• Kyoto Japanese Steakhouse (1.1 miles)
• Local Chop & Grill House (1.1 miles)
• Three Notch'd Brewing Company (1.2 miles)
• McDonald's (1.3 miles)
• Restless Moons Brewing (1.3 miles)
• Capital Ale House (1.3 miles)
• Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint (1.3 miles)

Physicians

• Valley Childrens Clinic (1.2 miles)
• Sentara RMH Orthopedic Center (1.4 miles)
• Emergicare (1.5 miles)
• Rmh Center For Sleep Medicine (1.7 miles)
• MyEyeDr (1.8 miles)
• Rmh Regional Cancer Center (1.9 miles)
• Harrisonburg Medical Associates (2 miles)

Places of Worship

• Muhlenberg Lutheran Church (1.2 miles)
• Valley Church (1.7 miles)
• Harrisonburg First Church of the Brethern (1.9 miles)

Hospitals

• Rockingham Memorial Hospital (1.2 miles)
• Healthsource (1.8 miles)
• Rockingham Memorial Hospital (1.8 miles)
• Rmh Women's Health Focus (2.4 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (1.3 miles)
• Park View Pharmacy (1.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.4 miles)
• Walmart Pharmacy (1.9 miles)
• Medicap Pharmacy (1.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.1 miles)

Cafes

• Panera Bread (1.9 miles)
• Starbucks (1.9 miles)
• Greenberry's Coffee Co. (2 miles)
• Starbucks (2.5 miles)
• Starbucks (2.6 miles)
• Starbucks (2.7 miles)

Theaters

• Regal Harrisonburg (2.1 miles)

Transportation

• Miller's Taxidermy (3.4 miles)