Apartment Review for The Villages At Symmes Crossing - Cincinnati, OH

In October 2009 after 11:00pm, people beating on my bedroom window yelling "fire . . ." woke me up. After losing my home and possibly my life (smoke detectors only sounded on opposite side of building which were faintly heard while putting clothes on to leave the building), I educated myself about laws and chimneys for a multifamily unit which are the type of buildings at The Villages at Symmes Crossing. By Ohio law a tenant leasing an apartment with a chimney in a multifamily unit can call the local fire department to schedule a chimney inspection. It is my understanding that Ohio does not have a law mandating chimney inspection for multifamily units. Hence, if you move into The Villages at Symmes Crossing you can call the Loveland/Symmes Fire Department to schedule a chimney inspection to insure you and your loved ones safety. I believe throughout the time period that I lived at Sycamore Creek Apartments now called The Villages at Symmes Crossing, the chimney in our apartment was cleaned one time. In the summer of 2008, I saw one of the other apartment buildings burn with 18 apartments in less than one hour, (as the one I lived in - 3 buildings attached with 6 apartments per building which equals 18 apartments). Hence, a chimney inspection by the local fire department can save your life and others. The fire in the building I lived in started after someone had a fire in his/her fire place earlier that evening. My disclaimer, I am not a lawyer, but I have shared what I learned about the law for chimneys and a multifamily unit. However, I am person who believes in safety, prevention, life, and quality. Case in point, no mater where you live if the apartment has a working chimney call the local fire department to schedule a chimney inspection, and then make sure to keep the appointment. On a last note, The Villages at Symmes Crossing offered to lease me a different apartment, and I politely responded to their offer with no thank you. However, my thought at that time was "I got out alive. I'm never going back there". Morevoer, The Villages at Symmes Crossing did not offer to pay for the hotel expense which accrued until I found a new place to live. I did not know the laws for chimney and multifamily units until after the fire, so I hope this reaches readers in a timely manner.