We recently moved out of our Lykens property in Victorian Village that we lived in for three years. Our reason for moving wasnt related to the unit itself, I got a new job in a different state, otherwise I would have expected us to live in the place for a few more years and eventually buy a house down the road. We never had a rent increase, despite being in a popular neighborhood during a booming period in the Columbus economy. An issue with noisy and uncooperative neighbors during the beginning on the pandemic was met with quickly and didnt become an issue again.The unit was fine; located off 3rd avenue, the building was solid brick and cinder block so the street noise was more or less neglable. There was no official parking, but Lykens worked out a deal with the hospital nearby and we were able to park in their parking lot directly behind the unit -- good deal. Appliances worked but were certainly nothing special: the fridge was rather old and small, the dishwasher was unexpectedly small, stove was a bit rough but again no problems using them and they didnt break substantially.Our particular unit was in acceptable shape; there were some issues that clearly had been put off for far too long and a few of them came to a head while we lived there: the caulking around the shower was old and worn out; lots of mold behind the tiles and we had a leak into the overhead light into the kitchen below (not good). To their credit Lykens took care of these issues within a timely manner, and the maintenance workers were always kind and easy to work with. Adding to this list, the windows were ancient (rope pulley) and did not insulate well at all in the winter; some had been painted shut and were inoperable. One of the walls had serious mold issues behind it likely due to its proximity to a large window in the back.Moving out was a bit of a chore and perhaps where Lykens showed some (at best) negligence and (at worst) criminal tactics in returning our security deposit. We were billed $130 for carpet cleaning, despite the unit being all hardwood floors. They also worked out a deal with us to prorate our last month since we were moving out early and they had a new renter lined up. When it came time to pay that months rent we were incorrectly charged the whole rent amount. It took several reminder emails and two months of dialogue to see the amount (several hundred dollars) that was incorrectly taken from us to begin with. They did take the carpet cleaning fee off after our insistence, but when we were finally cut a check with the security deposit and overcharged rent the amount was (again) incorrect and the rent was left off. Its exhausting and not to mention immoral and likely illegal for them to do this; renters shouldnt be put in the position of repeatedly requesting their money be returned to them, especially when taken *incorrectly*.After three years of living there, this last experience with Lykens left a rather bad taste in my mouth. Though not the worst landlord experience Ive had, its tiring that you simply have to expect robbery and criminal practices from landlords when the lease eventually ends. I enjoyed living in my unit and would have otherwise been happy to recommend Lykens (and have in the past), but I cant condone these lazy and opaque practices. If you found a place you want to rent with them, its not going to be the worst experience ever, but you will need to watch them carefully when moving out as likely always theyll try their hardest to squeeze every penny out of you.

DO NOT EVEN WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THIS COMPANY.I just recently moved to Columbus for work and prior to moving, I applied for an apartment. They then emailed me my first day here and told me the apartment I applied for wasn’t available and was being leased to someone else. Mind you, I smoke with someone days before letting them know I was applying to that apartmentFast forward and I pick another apartment that stated it would be ready on September 10th. September 10th comes around and they email me telling me the apartment wouldn’t be ready until the 22nd. This company has left me in a terrible situation because of their lack of honesty and transparency. They didn’t care to try and help me at all. This company will lie to you for a quick buck.

They are a generally good company to work with! Maintenance can be a little slow keeping you in the loop on less urgent fixes, but they fix emergencies promptly.I had an issue with a city of columbus worker who changed our water meter and Lykens was helpful getting me their information so that I could contact the city about a problem we had had.

I have lived in my current unit for two years. A couple months ago, my private landlords decided they were going to sell the unit so Ive only been with Lykens for a couple weeks now. So far theyve been pretty helpful and responsive though. At least their leasing/management team is. I submitted a maintenance request over two weeks ago and still havent heard anything.As Im with them longer and have more experiences, Ill update my review!

Where to begin! I was relocating to Columbus and a little nervous about finding a new spot in such a big city but the Lykens Company made my transition so much easier - especially Trevor. He was upfront, honest, and was beyond helpful! Whether youre relocating or just looking for a new place in town, start here and bring your questions! Trevors got you!

I am writing this review because Lykenss rating should be 5/5 across the board everywhere. I have lived in Columbus for 8 years after coming to school at Ohio State and I have worked with I believe 6 different rental agenices. Lykens is hands down, without question, the best place to rent from. Not only is Kim M. and Trevor B. extremely responsive and very helpful, they both were active in helping me find a great location and keeping it at a great price. I cannot, CANNOT, stress how awesome Lykens has been. If you are reading this review and you need a sign to work with Lykens - this is it!!!

I have been renting with Lykens or about 1 1/2 years and do not recommend. While the maintenance guys who have been out to the house are very nice and helpful, getting in touch with the office to get someone here has been terrible.1. The AC broke in June/July. This is listed as an emergency maintenance need on their voicemail recording yet someone didn’t come out to fix the issue for days- once someone came out the AC continued to not work. Our dog got sick because the heat in the house was unbearable. After numerous calls and complaints someone came out with a temporary solution which was a window AC unit which was appreciated (the man who came out was wonderful and helpful). Finally, days later Lykens sent someone out to replace our AC unit and finally fixed the issue after up to two weeks without AC in the middle of the summer.2. Our ceiling has been leaking for 3 days in the kitchen. Someone came out and checked on it and said he had to wait for the snow to melt/until he could move it so he could find the leaks. Fair enough. After he left we have 6 new spots in the kitchen leaking and a crack getting worse and starting to see water damage. He wants to wait at least another full day or two to come back out and told us to wait for it to be dry and see if it stops. We have bowls all over the ground in the kitchen to stop the water from getting all over the floor but it’s splashing on the counter tops and in the sink making our kitchen unusable.We have had continued trouble getting in touch with someone to get our issues fixed. Want to reiterate that everyone who has been out has been really nice but the service we have gotten from the office/trying to get someone out to us has been pretty bad and disappointing, especially for the price we pay for the unit.I will do my best to avoid renting with Lykens in the future.

Please do NOT ignore these reviews. Lykens is awful. No accountability. I’ve been informed by other tenants about multiple instances where their cars have been broken into. (AND we pay for, what is supposed to be, safe parking, here.) A tenant had all four of his tires stolen off of his car and Lykens claimed to not have the footage. Although, they have camera signs all over the building, creating an illusion of security. They will not assist you in anything! You will have to show up at the Lykens office physically, to get a response from anyone. The managers are breathy and hostile. Please read the contract thoroughly before signing a lease here. It is probably the worst contract I’ve ever read. Spare yourself.

Do yourself a favor, do NOT move to any Lykens properties. I posted two pictures below. One of my friends car and one of another tenants car. These are months a part. All tires, on their vehicles were stolen. There are many other vehicles that have had this happen to them on the Wonder Bread property owned by Lykens and I am sure it will continue to happen. Lykens will NOT help you. They will pretend to put out a police report and say sorry about your luck. The guy who manages the properties said word for word what do you want me to do about it? Im busy doing other things. It felt like a joke. NO accountability. I hope this review is taken with caution.

Dont do it. Management can be outright disrespectful. I tend to evaluate a business on how they respond to issues and mistakes... because everyone makes them. This company is NO EXCEPTION and takes zero accountability for their MANY shortcomings, often blaming paying tenants for most of the businesss issues. They do not take care of their properties, lie to their customers and continually threaten them with additional charges and fees. You will regret renting with Lykens.

These guys are great . The maintenance was even professional and quick . Which usually you dont get both

*Read the updates!*Been renting for about 2 weeks now. We have had hot water for only 2 days. I will amend this review if they ever properly fix our hot water so that we can actually live comfortably. If you like hot water, avoid Lykens company!!UPDATE: We still have no hot water. BEWAREUPDATE 2: They did the right thing and entirely replaced the water tank. Havent had a problem since. Every repairman I interacted with was very friendly, personable, and helpful. Especially James. Throughout the entire time, however, we never heard from who is supposed to be the manager of repairs and service issues, Kyle. We left a total of three messages over 2 weeks with no response. That made us feel like the management doesnt really care about their renters at all if they cant even return a phone call.

I recently moved from out of state to Columbus, having only been here once previously. I had to find and rent my place sight unseen, and place a lot of weight on the fact that my rental house looks like the pictures and exceeds my expectations. The team (I’ve worked with Trevor) has been very responsive and even worked to get me moved in earlier due to my job start date. I’m pleased so far with my experience!

It takes a lot for me to leave a negative review, as I understand mistakes happen, we’re all human & I don’t want to be part of the reason someone doesn’t make a dollar from their business but they DO NOT deserve a dime of your money. So very rude, inconsiderate & lazy. I apologize in advance for anyone who doesn’t read reviews before doing business with them :(

As a current and VERY unsatisfied resident with this leasing company, I feel its only right that I share a little insight into my experience being a tenant with Lykens Companies. Please ensure that you read ALL reviews when considering leasing with this group. We urge you to run the other way and DO NOT rent with Lykens. I have attached a photo of my vehicle that was vandalized in the very parking lot in which I pay a monthly fee to Lykens. All four tires were stolen, my frame bent, and several scratches on the body of the vehicle. I sought support from Lykens Management with footage to assist in the police report. 48 hours later I received a vanilla and short email from mgt. sharing that they could not find anything on the cameras. (Despite days and several attempts at follow-up). I then decided to meet them in their mgt. office after they sent my calls to voicemail three straight times. The conversation was all but constructive. Their response was Do you know how much we have to do? This is not our problem. We do not have time to watch all of the footage. After an unsteady exchange we asked for access to the footage because we were at a loss. After receiving access to the cameras we were able to identify the theft in less than 10 minutes. I have NEVER worked or done business with anyone so rude, disrespectful, unapologetic, harsh, and unprofessional. I have screenshots of emails, texts and calls going unanswered throughout my unfortunate year-long stay with Lykens. When we moved in back in March of 2020 (at the beginning of the pandemic) I had to beg them for 5 days to come back and clean the apartment because it wasnt livable. Cat urine, animal hair, mold, and old food left in the cabinets. Please take my review to heart when making your decision to rent with them. You will be sorry.Check out my Instagram story @kiole_ for screenshots and screen recordings of their prompt and immediate response to the cleaning issue. The property manager even apologized for responding so late. This is comedy and I have proof of EVERYTHING.

I had countless issues with this company and I decided not to listen to the reviews and i made a huge mistake. I knew I was renting an older apartment however I had 20 maintenance issues (they were resolved) but it was a headache not knowing what was going to happen next. While maintenance fixed my issues, they never once apologized for the countless issues. I was exhausted with this company. I bought my own place in June and moved out in July while still paying rent. On the last day of my lease in August I dropped off my keys and the woman at the front desk said she doesn’t see why I wouldn’t be getting my deposit back and assured me I will be.I ended up having $76 taken out of my deposit for my water bill from 5/31-8/31 while I was only there for one month during that time. And typically my water bill was even cheaper than that for me being there the whole quarter... ok and 68$ For a carpet cleaning that wasn’t in my lease agreement (and carpets were not even vacuumed upon my move in) and I’m a clean freak and cleaned that place EVERY SINGLE DAY.Four light bulbs at 20$ and 2 blinds at 70??? So I got way less back in my deposit.I haven’t argued with them on this issue yet because there had been countless issues that i had argued and gotten nowhere, I barely had the energy to write this. I urge you to never rent with this company. They know they can get away with this and that’s why they do.They are crooks and should be ashamed of themselves.One time I went to complain about the hot water furnace being out and the manager said to me “ well it’s a lot different than living at your parents” so rude

Drove 2 hours to be told the apartment I was it was rented. Of course, there was another apartment, on High without parking and half the square footage. It was a classic bait and switch.

Adding TL:DR - If you can expect your lease terms to start and end perfectly with your future housing situations then they have good locations and you will enjoy your time. Otherwise in every other area they are severely lacking and would advise using another leasing agency that is more reputable.Updated 2/16: We have since given up our faith in them trying to rerent our unit and decided to just finish out our lease terms as this has been ongoing for 7 months now of non-busy season. And quite frankly I dont trust their character enough to find someone to lease in the last months in order to gain even more of our money out of us via the fees associated with the lease break processs. Use your own discretion but I do hope you and others see the building trend of negative reviews and look towards other leasing agencies. Dont let them trick you into thinking this housing market craze doesnt extend to there also being a need for rental units in the Columbus area as well and isnt anything less than sheer lack of effort.Original Message:Beware signing a lease with this company. They have an unforving lease extension policy and make you sign up for another long-term lease despite over a years worth of good tenancy. In the middle of trying to break my lease because we were lucky enough to find a house in the area at a decent price. Now watching them go through the motions of trying to find a new renter despite paying 1700 for them to advertise. This has been going on for the last 5 months.Apparently what 1700 buys you is to list for multiple months less than half of the sites they list their other rental units, one posting on Craigslist that they renew every 5-15 days, and a description and pictures for the unit thats over 4 years old. They cant even afford to put up a 5 dollar sign in front of the apartment. Im assuming its because why work hard when you have guaranteed income for the remainder of the lease terms.Its a shame because prior to this we had a good history with lykens and loved the unit but they are more concerned with their bottom line rather than making sure to do right by their tenants. And with this new COVID world we live in and it being around the holidays if this is how a company would act I would avoid them like the plague unless you know that you will have lease terms that end and start perfectly between your future housing situations.

Update: 7/7/19. I left a review below from very early on in our leasing experience. After over 1 year of renting with Lykens I can say that nearly everything has been excellent. Our maintenance requests have still been responded to immediately and we have never had any trouble in our leasing experience. Because their properties are independently owned and all requests are filtered up through their home-owners, your price point and amenities might be a bit inconsistent based on where you live. We are in our second apartment through Lykens and are super happy. We loved our previous place, but the amenities were not as good as our new place and the price is nearly the same. We knew we wanted a bit of an update and were able to find a perfect property in a perfect location for the right price! This new property could not be any more perfect for us. Kim made the lease transfer process super easy, we got out full security deposit back on the last place, and all of our maintenance needs have been responded to within 24 hours. We still recommend Lykens to all of our friends looking to move to the city.

Lykens is a garbage company, and you should absolutely avoid signing a lease with them. I’ve lived in 7 apartments with 7 different rental companies and Lykens has been the absolute worst without being close.

I dont normally post reviews like this but I wanted to warn anyone considering signing with Lykens.Lykens has properties in some of the best locations around Columbus which is what drew me to sign a lease with them. Unfortunately I often found them extremely difficult to work with, unprofessional, and unflexible.It started with a strange bait and switch about the utilities included special they were offering when I signed. While utilities (Gas and Electric) were technically included, what they didnt share with me was that I would have no access to a thermostat to adjust temp myself. My $1400/m 1 bedroom apartment was extremely warm in the summer and freezing in the winter. I requested maintenance to adjust the temp a number of times and no action was ever taken.Then, at one point Lykens sent out a weird email chain that included the actual email addresses of every tenant (500+) that has a lease with Lykens asking for help finding new tenants. This led to dozens of people sharing their horror stories of headaches caused by Lykens and major maintenance issues including floods, fires, and other serious issues that went unaddressed by Lykens leaving people living in poor conditions or worse.Next I discovered that they will not allow leases to expire between September 1st and March 31st which leads to weird lease terms and lots of headache.I was in the market to buy a house all last Summer and let them know months in advance that if I cant close on a house fast enough I would like to extend my lease up to 3 months. Because that extension fell in their 6 month dead period, they refused to do an extension less than 7 months. I ended up having to sign for 7 months or risk being homeless and then found a house 2 months later. When I tried to sublet, they told me that the only way they would let me sublet would be if I found someone to take over the rest of my lease (5 months) plus an additional year (total of 17 months). My back and forth with their staff was often unprofessional and condescending and I made the decision that I would rather just pay out the rest of my lease than do anything to help Lykens get a new tenant for 17 months.All in all, I am grateful to be done with Lykens and I hope, especially in these crazy times, that they learn to treat people better.

DO NOT rent from Lyken!! If I could give them 0 stars I would! Trash company. All around awful experience.

Ive been renting through Lykens for nearly 2 years now and have had nothing but great experiences dealing with them. I would certainly recommend Lykens to anyone as they have been professional and helpful no matter how big or small the issue. I have been renting in Columbus for the past 10 years and Lykens has been the best!

Always excited to see the postings from Lykens. Their remodels of apartments are beautiful! Hope to use them in the future. When ever I have a question about a listing. Nikki’s always there to answer! She’s always super friendly. And extremely helpful! I highly recommend!

Had a very smooth experience working with Lykens during the leasing process. The staff is highly professional. Every interaction I had with members of their team, even in a quick pop-in to their office, was welcoming and vibrant. Both Nikki and Trenae were very responsive to our many questions. They were very easy to work with when we asked for some changes to our lease and the signing process was effortless. They have some remarkable properties that are priced very fairly for the locations, so their properties go fast! Be ready to make decisions quickly about moving forward - but their properties really are one-of-a-kind and definitely worth it! Were so excited to be moving to Victorian Village!Update 6/1/18: Weve now been with Lykens for a month, and things are great! Their maintenance team is wonderful. Weve been renting for years and this company stands out beyond all of our previous rental companies. Ive never had better service with maintenance, and really appreciate the straight-forward system, which keeps track of everything for us! In only a month, weve already seen how their maintenance team goes above and beyond to provide excellent service. Responses via email from the leasing office can be a bit delayed, but all questions are answered and issues taken care of!

I have had an amazing experience working with Kim Mantle at Lykens Companies. I recently moved into 180 Detroit, and Kim has been responsive in answering any of my questions or making sure I am settling into my new place. Top-tier customer service. The building is amazing and my unit is unlike any renovation in Columbus. If you have questions or want to view a unit, I would suggest requesting to speak with Kim or Trenae.

I lived in the WB Lofts this past year and would recommend this building to any for a multitude of reasons. The unit itself was beautiful with fantastic appliances, it was full of natural light, and not to mention both bathrooms were huge! Living here was a great introduction to Columbus/Short North and had we not opted for a suburban life, we would still be living there.

Staff is very friendly and helpful. Kim helped me find my place and I am in love. I would recommend Lykens to everyone.

WORST COMPANY EVER TO RENT FROM, THEIR POLICY WHICH ONLY SENDS THE REFUNDED DEPOSIT TO ONE PERSON GOT SENT TO A PERSON WHO WOULDNT COMMUNICATE WITH US AND WE LOST OUR $600 DEPOSIT. DO NOT RENT FROM THEM OUR HOUSE HAD ROACHES AND MANAGEMENT NEVER KEPT UP WITH THE HOUSE

I strongly recommend against renting with Lykens Companies. I have lived in one of their properties for 5 months. At the start of our lease, the day I went to pick up keys, we were told we could not move in as the property had not been cleaned yet. I asked if I could store some property in the basement until the new start of my lease and was told yes. When our lease started 5 days later, all my property was missing, and was never recovered. It took me threatening to take legal action to get compensation for this property. Then, we had a leak in the bedroom ceiling we noticed in early November. This issue has been neglected by Lykens Maintenance for 15 weeks now, and it has started to smell. We are worried there is mold growing in the walls. We have been forced to send a notice to withhold rent in escrow with the county court. Hopefully this will force them to take our maintenance issue seriously.

I have lived in a Lykens property for a year now and am very happy with the my experience renting from them. All in all I havent had but two or three maintenance issues that were resolved within a day or two. the maintenance technicians are great and well versed in their craft. I love what they are doing to re-devolpment to the Short North and surrounding areas by preserving historical building. They get a thumbs up from me. 👍

The maintenance guys are great, friendly, and very responsive, five stars for them!! I will miss them.The office staff and overall management leaves a lot to be desired but Im glad their leasing agents finally learned how to use capital letters in emails. In two years of living with Lykens, I never was able to reach an actual human on the phone during normal operating hours. Messages will not yield a call back, emails were variable. A visit to their office in person also had mixed results and was often empty.They also attempted to change the terms of my lease after it had been signed for my second year, which I pushed back on and was resolved after I consulted a legal authority, so that was not super pleasant. Since writing my initial review, another tenant has described this issue that all tenants experienced in more detail. When I pointed out what my lease said, Lykens response was to attempt to coerce me into signing a new lease with different terms. No way. Lykens later said they would make an exception for me to continue following the terms of he lease we both agreed to. A tenant expecting their landlord to follow the very clear and mutually agreed upon terms should never be considered an exception!Parking availability was an ongoing issue and not enforced. Calls and emails to Lykens on this topic went unanswered. My unit was and probably still is in desperate need of a paint job.

I was looking for my first apartment in Columbus and was feeling so overwhelmed until I contacted Nikki. She was so helpful! I was able to give her the location I wanted to be in and my price range and she found THE PERFECT place for me! So happy with my experience.

Our older apartment requires frequent maintenances requests, which wouldn’t be a problem if Lykens was responsive. The power being out in your kitchen (including fridge, oven, disposal, lights) is not considered an emergency...your meal prepping, dishes, and Sunday grocery haul can wait until it’s convenient. We stil have open requests from early September when we moved in...if I took that long to do my job, I’d be fired. Can’t and don’t recommend them to anyone I know.Happy to revisit this rating if service improves—always want to keep it accurate. :)

Kim is amazing and was very helpful in helping me find an apartment in Columbus! Highly recommend. :)

I have been renting for over 5 years with Lykens Companies. They keep the property in the condition they promised when I made my initial agreement. Their management and maintenance team are responsive, responsible, efficient, and friendly. My customers always compliment how well maintained and eye pleasing the property. There is not a better company to associate with!!

I have been renting with Lykens Companies now for just over a year. They are friendly and incredibly responsive to any questions needing answered. The maintenance guys immediately resolved any issues and are incredibly helpful who have always been happy to help out!The staff in the office are lovely and are always available to help out!

Renting from Lykens Companies has been an amazing experience 6 mo. in. They engage with residents, respond promptly to maintenance requests, and are passionate about their properties. Trenae was my leasing agent, and she was great! She is quick to reply to email, encourages questions, and goes the extra mile to make my life easier as a resident. Thanks, all!

I have had a positive experience with Rich a leasing agent for the company. He was excellent with contact and getting me into my apartment! Maintenance has been great as well.

Worked with Nicole when finding my new apartment. She was incredibly helpful in my apartment search and extremely accommodating to finding a place & price that aligned with my living situation. Would definitely recommend Nicole & the Lykens Properties!!

Stay far away from this company.I stayed in the Wonderbread apartments for a year and it was was easily the worst rental experience of my life. You would think that paying such a high price for a unit would come with exceptional service, but that couldnt be any further from the truth.-Lykens companies emailed us a finalized lease before we signed it. When we came in to sign it, they extended our move out date by a month without telling us.-Our apartment was delayed 3 months from when they said it would be done. Not all at once, they would say it would be done in a month and then delay it again.-The AC froze over because they never cleaned out the construction dust before we moved in.-The walls are thick, but not flush with the ceiling. I could hear everything our neighbors were doing.-We had mice in our apartment. We caught them ourselves and they never bothered checking how they got in.-We had bats flying in/out of apartment for over 6 months.-Countless leaks throughout the year-Getting the maintenance team to do anything is like pulling teeth. Some days I would work from home because they said they would stop by, no one would show.All of this happened within 10 months. The worst part is that I was warned of this company before I moved in. Dont make the same mistake I did.

Ive found my experience to be much more in line with many of the unflattering reviews here.Key points to highlight:Maintenance requests typically go ignored. In the off-chance you get maintenance to assist, they tend to daudle about and the job wont even be finished, evidenced by a leaky roof in my old apartment which still hasnt been fixed to the time of this writing.The staff is generally untrustworthy, unprofessional, and terribly incompetent. The reviews stating that they will enter your apartment when youre not in the building are indeed true. No notices are given, either. Since getting ahold of any of the staff is nearly impossible as well, they will text you (with absolutely poor spelling at that), and try to use your texts against you in the event you might have to discuss anything important. Be wary of this shady behavior. They wont be afraid to try and exploit you for it, as they have me and other reviewers.I would encourage anyone reading these reviews to also read the other bad reviews this place has earned, since I have encountered some of the other issues mentioned here, as well.In conclusion, Im happy to say I will never rent with Lykens again. Theyre not worthwhile. At all. Your wallet and piece of mind will thank you for walking away from here.

I couldn’t imagine a worse experience renting. When I moved out, they sent me a bill for $900 in floor repairs on floors that were damaged when I moved in. They didn’t even bother checking my move-in forms and after I told them to, they realized the fee was a mistake. This is only one of many times I had to do their job for them. The property manager, Trenae, knows very little about their policies, forms, and fees, so I had to email the entire board to get accurate information and never received an apology for her for the $1,000 lease termination fee she tried to tell me was mandatory - her coworkers couldn’t even tell me where she got this fee from. Very unpleasant customer service. My apartment was great and if I move back to Columbus, I’m sad I can’t live in a Lykens apartment because of the customer service alone.

I had a great experience with Lykens all the way up until the end. I returned my keys; however, I got charged $205 by them because I didn’t turn in the original key, even though I gave them the copies I made. Since I didn’t give them the original key, they said they had to change the locks because I could still access the apartment because they didn’t have the original key.I find it very concerning that they don’t change the locks after each tenant. Even if you get an original key back from a tenant, don’t you think that that person could just go and make copies of it and therefore have a key to access the apartment whenever they want. It makes me very uncomfortable to know that the entire year I was living there that a previous tenant could have accessed my apartment because Lykens didn’t change the locks. When asking the company why this is not just a standard thing they said because it would be “too expensive to do that for each unit”. Good to know that Lykens believes that security is too expensive.

Ive lived in a Lykens Companies apartment for over two years. The first year was great, no issues. The second year and on has been hell.The company was great to work with until someone broke into my apartment while I was out of town. The break-in occurred when the maintenance man was cleaning up some mold growing on the wall. Lykens swears their employee locked the door and blamed me for the whole theft.The second break-in occurred on July 3rd. When someone smashed my window and I came home mid-burglary. I had to chase the burglar out of the house with a hammer, luckily no one was hurt. Lykens didnt answer their emergency maintenance line so I had to hire a contractor to board up the broken window.Lykens refused to do any corrective work on the apartment other than replace the window. No security bars, exterior lighting, reinforced window locks, or anything else. They told me everything met building code so they werent going to do a thing about my safety concerns.The third burglary was attempted in October when someone tried to walk into my apartment while I was making dinner. I chased him off with a cleaver. Even after three burglaries or attempted burglaries in less than 7 months, Lykens still wont do anything to enhance the security of my apartment.Ive called, emailed, have multiple police reports, insurance claims, and still nothing.Aside from the crime, here are some other negatives:The apartment isnt well maintainedThe floor is beat up and breaking apartThe walls constantly grow mold on themThe basement has standing waterThe windows rattle when the wind blowsThe companys office hours are awfulNEVER RENT HERE, LYKENS DOESNT CARE ABOUT YOU

First off I would like to state that Im living here during the 2015-2016 year. So to start they lied about the unit having central A/C. We dealt with it. On move in day the place was FILTHY. Sticky blinds, floors, dirt on the window sills, ants everywhere, and get this... MOLDY DISHES in the dishwasher. They do not respond promptly to emergency maintenance. Nobody will ever answer the phone even with four different extensions lines. They tried putting our place back on the market and letting strangers do walk throughs before my roommates or I ever told them if we were or werent renewing 7 MONTHS LATER. Like seriously? They are the definition of a college slumlord. RENTERS BEWARE.

Terrible company, they contract a management company that enters (tresspass) into your unit and break the law with less than 24 hour notice showing your apartment to potential tenants almost everyday, for a single month. This company will retaliate against you for complaining.

Worst leasing experience of my life. Over priced for the terribly constructed apartments. They have never been helpful with any maintenance needed in my place. Started scheduling tours and marketing photos to be done before I had to notify about resigning my lease. Heating and cooling both constantly breaking. Many frustrating experiences with their payment systems. There is also no communication between employees there. I would have something resolved with one employee only to get an email from another saying something different. The list goes on and on as to my frustrations with this company. DO NOT LEASE WITH THEM.

Ive lived in the Wonderbread Lofts for 3 years and have had a great experience. I was one of the first tenants to move in and feel like a valued tenant. The staff is quick to respond to requests. The convenience of online rent payment is great and the location is ideal...close to Short North and the up & coming North 4th street area.

My husband and I rented from Lykens company for 3 years. The units are cheaply done and way over priced. Leasing agents are never available, they show your apartment without permission and the agents leave your apartment unlocked after leaving. They are incredibly shady and untrustworthy when it comes to money. They take away your parking and make you share it with High Street businesses and make you pay higher rent. They also do not respond to noise complaints or address serious issues. I wouldnt suggest ever renting from this company.

Nikki over at Lykens Companies made the leasing process very easy to do and was very helpful along the way!

Do not rent from Lykens. They are not tenant-friendly, take advantage of renters, breach their lease terms, and charged all of their tenants more in rent than their leases stated.Lykens is a prime example of a bad landlord and management company taking advantage of a hot market. They are not tenant-friendly, do not respect tenant rights, and demonstrate nefarious behavior.The staff are generally unhelpful and not knowledgable about basic issues. Email communication is slow.The building was shoddy - walls/floors/ceilings paper thin. This is a common trait across their properties and can be corroborated by reading other reviews.Seriously concerning issues:1) Lykens staff entered my unit without notification. This is clear breach of lease terms. I have read other reviews indicating this is relatively common practice. This is an example of their lack of respect for tenants and disregard for their rights, beyond being a legal issue.2) Lykens charged me, and all of their tenants, more in rent than we agreed to in our leases beginning September 1, 2016. Lykens changed the method by which renters could pay rent in the middle of many lease-terms. Previously renters could pay by dropping off a check, or by an electronic payment (the renter was responsible for the transaction fee). Suddenly, Lykens alerted tenants that payments would only be accepted via credit card or ACH. Checks no longer accepted. I inquired as to whether Lykens would be assuming the cost of the transaction fee for either or both methods. I personally welcomed the opportunity to pay electronically and automatically, but opted for check as I could walk to the office in 90 seconds from my door to pay without incurring a fee. I was told that the tenant would be responsible for the transaction fee each month. When I asked how this was possible - to be in the middle of a lease, and be told that in order to pay your rent you would need to pay an extra fee that was not agreed to in the terms — effectively increasing my rent - I was told this was because their company was growing and they needed to do it. The issue was ignored.Consider how much money Lykens saved by pushing these expenses to 100s (1000s?) of tenants each month! Had this been in our lease, I would understand. It was not. The right thing to do would have been to wait until leases renewed and changed the language. This is a prime example of Lykens skirting both good practice as well as contract law and avoiding the cost of doing business.In many ways Lykens is a typical bad actor in the property leasing/management market. In other ways their behavior is questionable from a legal standpoint and takes advantage of renters.

When this company took over our property from the New Victorians I knew it was going to be bad. They told us they did not plow snow from parking lots, our lot had over 30 spaces.....and a main entrance from 4th street...but they wont plow? Upon trying to find out if they were going to upgrade the property or increase rent I wasnt told anything until a month before my lease was up. Their rates are absurd. The staff is unfriendly and not helpful at all. If they respond to your emails expect a delay. Overall I was extremely dissatisfied with who they were as a company. I moved out.

I rented from Lykens Companies for a year and a half after subletting from another tenant. I chose to move thinking that I could get more for my money (2 bedroom in Olde Towne right off of Broad Street for $775) but now that I am apartment searching again feel that what I have is actually not so bad. While there isnt anything particularly charming about my unit, Lykens Companies is really great to rent from. They were very flexible when we needed to pay rent late, worked well with us, our maintenance requests were always handled promptly, and the property itself was well maintained throughout the year (trimmings, leaf blowing, etc). Ive got to say, after spending endless hours searching searching searching for a new home that Im not settling for... I would 100% rent from Lykens Companies again. Im actually probably going to wander over to their site right now.Also, their wonder bread lofts look amazing. If you make it into the rental office youll see that these guys have great taste.

Unfortunately I can’t give this company negative stars. If you rent with them get out while you can. Horrible service, communication and prices. Honestly one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had, save yourself the headache of working with these idiots.

Some of the nicest properties in Columbus. Maintainance requests are always handled within 24-48 hours. Employees are very personal and helpful. Trenae and Charlie are fantastic!

Horrible service. Talked to an agent who told me I had an apartment and I told her I wanted to get the deal done. She stated the apartment was mine and a representative would be reaching out to me to collect the security deposit. Waited for the call but was never received. Called back a few times and got voicemail. Once I finally received an agent again, they told me they had signed it over to someone else.

Kevin and his team have been nothing but great. The Wonder Bread Lofts are amazing, very close to High Street and all the fun of the Short North.

Although I did not rent from Lykens companies, the Wonder Bread building is absolutely stunning and you cant beat the attentive leasing agent Nikki. I will be using Lykens in the future when looking for rentals in Columbus.

Avoid renting from the Lykens Companies at all costs. While the properties are generally beautiful, the management company is entirely unreasonable to work with and malicious.

Ive lived in my apartment in the Short North since June and Lykens advertised my building as having laundry. The washer has been broken since June (its now October) and Ive called multiple times, written multiple maintence requests and it is still broken. Every time I call Lykens with an issue, they turn the situation back around on me to make it seem like it is my fault. Did you overload the washer? Oh, we just replaced the washer a month ago. My boyfriend and I have had multiple conversations with multiple people about what the issue with the washer is, and they refuse to fix it. Ive filed other maintence requests and waited at my residence during the time they were supposed to be here (over a 3 hour period) and no one showed up.The people that work at Lykens are rude and incompetent and it is clear that they do not have their residents comfort as a priority. My residence was dirty and many things were left broken as I moved in and the agent I was working with simply didnt notice these things when she checked our apartment before move in. Actually, our lease started on the 5th and we scheduled move in on the 11th, but ended up being able to move sooner and when we went to pick up the keys between those two dates, our apartment wasnt ready. And yet I was paying rent already? I would never recommend Lykens to any person, they rip you off and are rude when you have an issue.

Service is absolutely terrible. Any potential tenant beware that their lease agreements are very one sided and do not give tenants basic rights. The property management is about as poor as their customer service.

Beautiful spaces, but I keep having to deal with this extremely rude employee that is full of arrogance and lacks basic customer service etiquette. Strange policies regarding move-in dates and deposits as well.

Just because one agent there do not know the basic business manner for making appointments. They are unhelpful.

Renting from Lykens Companies has been a great experience for me. I have met a lot of their staff and they have all been so nice to us. Any time we have needed something fixed the maintence have been very prompt in doing so. This past winter our furnace went out, that same night the maintnence guy came out and had brough two space heaters(they didnt have to supply them, but they kindly did) the next morning the hvac guy came out and fixed the minor problem(furnace filter) I would definetly recommend and rent from Lykens Companies again!

When i was living at a Lykens property I got treated like a person not just a tenant. The management AND the maintenance team knew me by name. That meant a lot to me because my previous apartment management didnt even care to learn my name.

Great company to rent through.

I rented an apartment at the 29 West 1st Avenue building. The building is old and generally uncared for: multiple members of the maintenance team has shared their complaints in being unable to update the building to improve the quality of living of the tenants. For example, after working with the maintenance team over a month in winter to seal drafts, they told me theyve wanted to replace the windows with newer, well-sealed windows, but they are unable to. The heating in the building is reliant on an old boiler and radiators, with the sole thermostat on the second floor, and the maintenance team would like to update that system so that the first floor isnt frozen out and the second floor isnt melted, but that sounds like it wont ever happen just because the company would have to revise to rent. On top of just these winter problems, the buildings walls are incredibly thin: brick and poor plaster separates the apartments from outside, which lets you hear a casual conversation from passersby clearly, and thin walls and ceilings/floors separate the apartments inside. They have the same problem as the thin walls outside: you can hear any rise in volume from any of the neighbors. Just these two problems are enough to make this location undesirable, not to mention the myriad issues with old plumbing, old electricity outlets, old appliances...the list goes on. The complete lack of upkeep between tenants is also problematic. There is a clear focus on profit rather than providing stable and respectable living conditions for their tenants.

Ive called and emailed several times asking to see a unit and repeatedly never hear anything back. (Even after leaving a voicemail/several follow-up emails.) The one time I did schedule a time to see an apartment, the woman was nearly 20 minutes late to meet me.

Lykens is not a good place to rent from. They are very overpriced and the service is terrible.

Mediocrity at its finest. Dont expect much.

Lack of property upkeep.