WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) — Hundreds of students moved into The Hub on Campus on Sunday. While it's marketed as a high-end, luxury-living apartment, tenants say that's not what they're seeing.
Ross Chen and his roommate are tenants at The Hub on Campus but after a month of continuous confusion with moving in and getting their keys the day before classes start, they wish they weren't.
“I think it is the most expensive apartment in the Lafayette area, I think it is not worth that price,” said Chen.
The Hub manages apartment complexes in college towns throughout the United States. It markets to students looking for luxury off-campus living. However, Chen and his roommate say that's not what they got.
When we reached out to the Hub, they had no answers about why the units weren't complete before students arrived. The complex received a "certificate of occupancy" late Saturday, Aug. 17, even though the original move-in day was set for Aug. 12.
The communication issued a statement to News 18 on Sunday and another on Monday.
The statement issued to News 18 on Monday, Aug. 19 via email:
The statement issued to News 18 on Sunday, Aug. 18 via email:
Tenant Juwon Lee said she feels she was scammed.
"Really you trust these people, they're so nice over the phone until you get your lease signed they promise you all sorts of things and they send you really nice emails and then you develop this sense of trust that okay, this will be perfect I'm paying for this expensive place but it'll be good and because of that I'll be able to be at Purdue and I'll be very productive and it'll work out," said Lee. "But no, then you come here and it would've been better if I went somewhere else."
Lee said other tenants should beware.
“Students are being extremely good sports about this like they just want this to pass,” said Lee. “They're trying to look at the bright side. They're trying to say things like, ‘oh the staff are still very nice and friendly even though we have to wait a lot for basic things like a mattress.' But I really think that you should know because you're getting the short end of something.”
The Hub promised fully furnished apartments and while furniture was in the room, it wasn't all built. Lee was left without a mattress among many other issues.
She said out-of-state students like herself and international students who don't have connections to local resources are the most affected.
“They really need to shape up,” said Lee. “You have to do better. You can't put the risks on your tenants who are mostly young students people who don't know how to deal with these kinds of situations.”
The Hub plans to reimburse students for the delayed move-in expenses, but they haven't addressed the condition of the rooms.
The Statement issued to students on Aug. 1 and News 18 on Sunday, Aug. 18. via email:
Management on-site declined an in-person interview.
