I haven't had any major issues here. When I have apartment problems, management is very quick to repair those issues. I've never felt like it was unsafe, but I live in the building closest to where the night guard at the front gate is, which may influence that. No major bug problems, even living on the first floor. The amenities are very nice, and I don't feel like I am overpaying for anything. The community is very student-heavy, with a lot of medical students. I have a friend who had problems here to the degree he moved out when his lease was over, but I never had any of those same issues. The location is fantastic for walking to campus, if that's what you prefer. The only issue I can drudge up is that I can hear my above floor neighbor stomping around at times.

Good place to live

Ticks most of the important factors

I lived here for 2 years with a roommate because it was close to campus (medical school). At first this place felt like a steal, especially when splitting the cost with another person. However, this place has various issues.

Pros:
- spacious areas (living room especially)
- decent storage
- average amenities (gym, pool, study lounge)
- location (nearby a bunch of restaurants, hospital 5 minutes away, several grocery stores within the area)

Cons:
- maintenance (see below)
- pest issues
- poor natural light
- safety
- outdated & expensive

My experience:
- In the spring, our apartment flooded and no one helped us for 2 hours straight. The floors were completely ruined and needed to be replaced. They did a terrible job to the point where the metal frames were lifting up from the ground and the carpet was bunched up because it wasn't tacked down properly. And even after all of that, they charged us for the damages claiming it was "pet damages," knowing it was their poor job.

- We asked for the faucet to be fixed on different occasions; even when they came in to change every residents' faucet heads , they still didn't fix the issue and left it in worse condition.

- Despite paying for pest control and using our own spray, we still somehow continuously had cockroaches throughout the year.

- There were back-to-back break-ins at one point. Not much was done other than installing mirrors in the entryways and having a patrol officer card everyone that goes through the gate at night.

Overall, I'd say look elsewhere. This place is too expensive for what it's offering (unless they do some serious remodeling, and even then I would still say look elsewhere).

Great Value

pros: 15-20 minute walk from campus (but you can also take the LL which is somewhat reliable). fair pricing, always ample parking, package pickup system is very straightforward. nice lake to walk around too. feels very secure and safe due to security surveillance and built-in security system. maintenance is also pretty timely at responding to requests. nice outdoor patio for every apartment.

cons: not so great management. infrastructure is kinda old and faulty (resulted in a plumbing incident when trying to install a bidet). cheap appliances. issues with security gate for the first month or so of living there. not as nicely maintained/not as great amenities as somewhere like trinity commons if you care about that. sound travels very easily (we can hear every footstep and stomp coming from our upstairs neighbors).

overall: i definitely dont regret living here but it might be nicer renting a house with classmates or something :P

Belmont is not luxury living, but it is safe, relatively affordably, very close to bus stop to campus (or into durham), and also within walking distance of Duke campus if you wish (~20 minutes). There is also some decent food options within walking distance. The gym is really quite decent given the size, though not comprehensive. The only thing missing would be barbells and a squat rack, but they really don't have the space.

Maintenance is very responsive--when our AC stopped working, we gave them a call and they had someone out within a few hours even though it was late at night. I've also submitted a number of online requests for smaller things (broken light, leaky faucet, etc) and each time it has been resolved within 1-3 days.

I was concerned when I first rented about safety issues, given events of last year, but I have always felt extremely safe here. Gate is well monitored, and the security car that patrols at night feels ever present. Having visited a number of other, similar apartments in the area (with apartment doors that open to outside, not inside), I feel that Belmont has the best security out of all of them.

There are occasionally crickets and roaches, but these seem to be coming from outside in, not to be an infestation.

The Belmont is a decent apartment for the price and proximity to the graduate campus area. It's a 15-20 minute walk and the bus stop to campus is directly next to the apartment entrance. The place was very dusty but overall fairly clean with everything working. Maintenance has responded to all requests in a timely manner. Appliances are on the older side but still work fine. Safety hasn't been an issue since the security guards patrol all night.

The apartments are pretty old and initially upon moving in, will likely not be cleaned very thoroughly. Pretty good value in terms of cost per sq ft. Bathrooms are old looking but not the worst. Some units are all carpet in the living space so it's not the best but overall not the worst. Good amenities for the cost but gym doesn't have that many machines if you're big into lifting. Really convenient for med students because of the LaSalle Loop right outside the complex that takes you directly to TSCHE. Improved security and good lighting at night. Maintenance is pretty fast. You can definitely hear people walking around upstairs though so it's not great.

The Belmont is a good option, and probably the best value for money in town. However, facilities start to be a bit dated. The difference with newer complexes is huge. It could definitely use some updating.