The Lyon Apartments, Des Moines IA

Homeless people live here because the front sliding door doesn’t lock on the main floor because of the bar. When moving in I was lied to that door does lock… I’m sharing this because management won’t doing anything and i don’t feel safe in my home.

I loved living here when the apartment complex was owned by premier. Once Liv Lavender took ownership of the complex, things went downhill quickly.

When under premier ownership, I thought this apartment was too good to be true. We loved living here and then everything changed once Liv Lavender took ownership. This change started with getting charged for random bills with no explanation, changing our lease to add more bills, suddenly dealing with new, rude management, etc. We moved out because we moved states, but if we had stayed in Des Moines we would’ve moved solely because of new management.

Management entered our apartment on multiple occasions without notice. On one occasion we came home to the door completely wide open with maintenance inside. We should’ve had 24 hours notice before they entered. On this certain occasion they also moved all of our belongings into the hallway to do construction that we had no idea about (picture included) and they never returned to clean it up. We told management and they didn’t care. They continued to enter without notice.

This may not have to do with management, but winter here was bad. The doors had such poor insulation that mold grew on the door sill and it was constantly wet (picture included). During the first big snow storm I had to sleep in the living room because the bedroom was so freezing cold even with the heat on extremely high. When it would ice, maintenance would never put salt down. One morning on my way to work I was almost in a terrible wreck in the parking lot because of their lack of planning/not putting down salt. Why pay for expensive parking each month if they don’t clear the lot? The same goes for snow, it’ll just pile up.

We just received our security deposit. Despite speaking with management and hearing our apartment was “the cleanest they’ve seen” we still only received $22 of our $350 security deposit. All in all, despite the awesome location and the unique design of the “flats” apartments, living somewhere else would be a great decision.

The change of ownership at The Lyon has been a positive one! The overall cleanliness of the building (common areas, fitness room, hallways, and elevators) has improved significantly! Pura has been a nice addition…and you can’t beat the location and city views!

I enjoyed living at Lyons and made wonderful memories when it was under the old property management. This incredible experience of hospitality and the feeling of home became a thing of the past when the apartment complex was transferred to new management called The Liv lavender.

Towards the end of my lease term, I consulted with them on how to properly check out, and I was provided with a set of checklists which I complied with. I dusted, vacuumed, and cleaned the apartment to ensure that it is in good condition for the next occupant. To my surprise, the Liv Lavender management charged me $900 for a full repaint.

I’d like to point out that prior to hanging the picture frames on the wall, I consulted with the old management, and was informed that I should use command strips because it maintains the cosmetic appearance of the wall and leaves minimal wear and tear.

Chapter 562A-12 of the Landlord-Tenant Law provides guidance on the instances when a landlord may withhold a security deposit, and it is usually in situations where the damages exceed normal wear and tear. In my case, the command strip did not cause any damage, nor did it exceed the normal wear and tear.

In addition to being charged $900 for a full repaint, I am also being charged $300 for ceiling damage. The ceiling was damaged by the construction company hired in the summer to perform work. I reached out to the old management about the ceiling damage, and they did not come to fix the damage (** Attach a screenshot of text sent to old management**). I also brought the ceiling damage to the attention of the new management, and they haven’t been responsive either. A word is enough for the wise.

Wonderful place to live - I am going to miss it. I loved my apartment and never had any issues with management. Cody was always more than helpful. It was one of the best experiences I have had. I most certainly would have stayed but I needed an additional room much sooner than expected.

This complex is amazing! The apartments are clean, updated, and modern-looking. The location is excellent. Management is incredibly accommodating and maintenance is always quick to respond. My unit's water took a minute or so to heat up sometimes, but that was my only negative experience.

Great location, great view, and great staff! Cody (Property Manager) is quick to fix and get the job done right! Go check them out today!