Chroma STL, St. Louis MO

My catalytic converter was stolen in the garage, and it took me months of phone calls to get my deposit back

Chroma used to be a good place to live. It has not been since management changed a few years ago.

Multiple garage car break ins, packages being stolen from the mailroom, hallway lighting fixtures that don’t work, and unresponsive property management that refuses to be held accountable- although that may be because they are understaffed. Getting anything done is a prolonged painful process. They also don’t know how to use their own software.

You can get all of this for the price of a luxury apartment. It’s a shame because the building was built beautifully but I would not recommend living here now.

During my 13-month tenure, the state of amenities consistently veered between malfunctioning and unclean. The secure parking garage gate, touted as a safeguard, remained broken for a staggering 8 months, exposing residents to multiple break-ins and vehicle thefts.

To compound matters, a persistent water leak from my window was left unattended, fostering the growth of black mold around the seal. Despite repeatedly raising concerns, the management displayed a disconcerting lack of interest and made zero tangible efforts to rectify these glaring issues.

The building itself, once a symbol of comfort, is now visibly succumbing to disrepair, raising valid concerns among the residents.

Security lapses allowed homeless individuals unrestricted access to the building. Some even found refuge on residents' patios, highlighting a shocking failure in the security systems.

In summary, the situation within the living environment became increasingly untenable, with a litany of issues ranging from broken amenities to compromised security, making the overall experience wholly unacceptable.

I was a resident at Chroma for 5 years and moved in the year the building opened. It’s sad to see the way things have gone downhill since the newest management took over a little over a year ago. Towards the end of my tenancy, amenities were always broken and management showed little to no concern for getting them fixed. There were constant issues with lease renewals, building repairs, glitches with the online portal preventing residents from paying rent for months at a time, and safety concerns. The onsite management team was hardly responsive to many of these issues. Residents paid for gated secure parking, although there were numerous garage break-ins and property theft just in the last year alone due to a frequently broken garage gate. Somehow, people who were neither residents nor guests of residents were gaining access to the building due to faulty doors and security systems.

The overall quality of the building has also greatly declined, largely due to an incompetent, unorganized, lazy, and understaffed property management team. As many others have noted in previous reviews, I also had issues getting my deposit back months after I moved out. Security deposits are required to be returned within 30 days of move out per Missouri law, which management has violated on too many occasions. After numerous follow up attempts and having to reach out to the corporate team, I finally got it back and I couldn’t be more relieved to no longer have to communicate with this company.

The first 4 years of my tenancy were great prior to the newest management team taking over. It seems that I am not alone in feeling this way, evident by all the negative reviews left primarily within the last year since the switch took place. It is no surprise that so many residents are moving out due to how bad things have gotten, but I hope with some improvements that Chroma can be half of what it once was in the future.

A resident of Chroma for 4 years.
As others have commented, my security deposit of $1.3k has not been returned.
No response, no follow up. You wouldn’t expect this from a “luxury” property.

The new management here is awful
1.never responds to emails or app messages
2 told us to message through the resident portal but STILL doesn’t respond
3.does not follow through with things they told us they’d do, despite us confirming with them multiple times
4.every time we’ve gone to the office to find them, the door has either been closed or the office was empty

the amount of stress and frustration they have caused is through the roof

It’s been 2 months since I’ve moved out and still have not received my security deposit back. Constant calling and emailing just to try to get someone. Maddy is great but everyone else seems to not want to help. I’ve been told my security deposit was sent and I never received it. When I tried calling in, it’s always no answer. When someone does answer, they try always forwarding me to someone else that never picks up. When I call the first person again, they tell me they can’t help me.

Chroma was good, yeah the amenities were broken half the time but it didn’t bother me too much. Missouri law states that a landlord has 30 days to send your deposit. It’s been almost 2 months.

I’ve seen other reviews on here similar to mine. Sadly.

1.new management is horrible
2.never answers the phone
3.never returns phone calls
4.never messages back on the mobile app
5.amenities are always broke
6.constant car break ins for visitors
7.can't use theatre unless you have your own hotspot
8.parking garage gate is a reoccurring issue
9.mailroom is a hot mess

4/17/23 update:
I had to move out at the end of February since I got a job transfer to a new city. It’s been over a month and half and I still haven’t received my security deposit which they said they would send me (Missouri law makes it clear that the landlord must send it within 30 days of move-out and it’s been way over 30 days). Oddly enough, my phone calls were not getting through and just going straight to voicemail but then I decided to call with a different number and they picked up immediately. Go figure. I also see other reviews from people who had issues with the security deposit so looks like it’s a trend. I’ll update my rating once I get my deposit.

September 2022 review below:
I’ve been living in Hue (still Chroma just the other building) for over a year and it’s been awesome. Had no issues with maintenance, the apartment building and unit or garage. Overall location is great, amenities are very nice, and the management (previous and present) have been amazing. The Hue/Chroma community is also nice and mostly composed of young professionals (but there’s definitely a nice healthy mix of people). The new management helped me downsize to a studio all while dealing with transitioning to a new online system and website. Very excited to be here another year. Special thanks to Maddie, Shawn, and Michael.

The amenities are always defective or broken. Hot tub was broken for a while when I moved in. Fire pits don’t work usually. The garage door since I moved here in July has been broken twice. First time for a month. Currently for over a month with no notice of when it will be fixed. The theatre doesn’t even have wifi or connection. The staff often acts clueless. Rent is so expensive for what. No weekly events are hosted like the competition. The mailroom is a mess. Constantly have to let Amazon staff out

Chroma is a beautiful property, but I (regularly) can't get a representative on the phone, even after leaving messages. Additionally, I moved out a month and a half ago, and my deposit still hasn't been returned to me.

-‐-

Update. I did get my deposit back. I can't speak about the new mgmt that has taken over. But I always felt secure in my home. It was beautiful and had zero issues with noise or amenities (within my unit, not around the apt.)

I'd consider living here again despite the cost of renting. Also, loved the location, which was perfect.

I have been at Hue for about seven months now. I love my place. It is very modern and cozy. I never have any issues with neighbors (hope others can say same about me) and all of my encounters with the managment staff have been pleasant. I like that Hue is a little quieter than Chroma, but both sides are pretty great for the price range.

My only complaint are things breaking down (hot tub, outdoor TVs, parking garage). When they are out for more than a couple weeks it does start to cut into the price you are paying a bit. Still, its a great place to live with a lot of friendly folks in a very convinent location.