Forest Manor

I recently moved out of this building few months ago.
I'm so thankful I'm no longer a resident here.
I found this building to be in very badly disrepair.
I found cockroaches in my apartment on numerous occasions.

The office person Carolyn I found to be very unprofessional and disorganized.
I had made a few suggestions that needed to be repaired around the building on numerous occasions but in the end the staff here in the span I had lived here hadn't done any building repairs in years.
I also found the building to be dirty and unclean at that building.

The negative reviews by people on Google Reviews are definitely not bad tenants. Its a management issue at this building and staff ignore people's complaints for years.

I'm just so very thankful I had decided to leave this building. Carolyn is so awful to deal with.

This building is literally run by slumlords. So many major maintenance issues that never get fixed or repaired here. Water damaged ceilings, damaged hallway floors, dirty smelly moldy carpets that are over 40 years old. Garbage left all over outside of property that never gets picked up. There's mice and cockroaches running around. Beg bugs in laundry room. Laundry machines never are cleaned and smell like mold.
Management here do not do any building repairs or clean this building properly. Building has been left uncleaned for several years and smell in building is bad.
Yes the super rick is nice and all but work in building hasn't been repaired in years. The cleaner here is incompetent.

I highly do not recommend anyone to live here.

Management always makes promises they'll fix and do building repairs but never happens.

Based on our security assessment of this residential building.
We give this building a fail grade for being a safe neighborhood.
There's been numerous vehicle break ins on this buildings parking lot.
There's been frequent homeless drug addicted individuals sleeping in the buildings lobby.
The Manager Carolyn Cloutier is a very incompetent manager.
There's alot of maintenance issues and security concerns in this building and on its property.
This building has been involved in numerous city of Ottawa infractions and Fire Marshal infractions.
The Management has been involved in numerous landlord and tenant act violations.
Our security assessment is if anyone is considering living here.
Please reconsider.

370 Forest St. Ottawa ON
For anyone considering renting here, run the other way. The "property manager" Carolyn Cloutier is a conniving wolf in sheeps clothing. She has no respect for tenants or for tenants rights but will play you into thinking she does. In the few years she's been visible in the office the building has become a dump. Actually she really isn't visible in the office because she works out of another building the company also owns. In effect there is no front office available to tenants. Just as there is barely any staff visible or working for that matter. The building is over run by cock roaches and mice. Tenants deal with birds and bats in their apts because Carolyn won't fix the outside vents with damaged or missing grates and wildlife enters apts through the stove vents. Of course, there's always saran wrap and duct tape to seal things up so critters don't get in, if you don't mind living like trailer trash. Ceilings are caving in, carpets haven't been changed in decades, no one even picks up garbage strewn around the building. Everything about this bldg. classifies it as a dump. The only thing Carolyn Cloutier and Hama Inc care about is collecting rent. Take a look at the video. That's the garbage room, typically unattended for 3-4 days in a row on weekends and holidays. Then ask yourself is it any wonder the building is infested with roaches and mice. Oh ya, don't forget about the bedbugs in the laundry room.

I never had any problem with them. But would suggest to speak to Rick or Caroline with any issues you may have. They are very kind and understanding people.

I recently moved out of this place for several different reasons. I have only good things to say about it. I was shown every upside and downside of the apartment, the surroundings and the neighborhood.
Stefan, the manager, was always very helpful to me. He took every phone call, responded to emails in time, listened to everything I had to say, was always friendly and professional. He puts his heart, blood and soul into his job. He worked all the time, was always helpful, he even organized to help me move in and out.
During the Tornado, he used his Pickup to power and/or boost the generator to have emergency power in the building. He did not need to do that, but he cares about his tenants. As I said, I have no complaints about this place!

Hi Everyone.
I had a great time living in this place. Stefan and all other staff members were always very nice to me. When I had issues with my apartment, parking or anything else related to this building, they were always helpful, friendly and respectful to me. They always helped out whenever they were able to. From the moment of the first interview for an apartment, they were always honest to me. I was shown the ups and downs of the neighborhood, surroundings of the immediate vicinity, and was shown what in the apartment has to be fixed before I can actually move in.
The place is cleaned every day, the surroundings of the building is taken care off, the garbage rooms are cleaned first thing in the morning.
I had actual fiber internet, meaning speeds of 250mbit up/down and upwards of that. For a price I wish I could have everywhere else with unlimited bandwidth. No modem needed as well.
The other thing I'd like to point out positively is Stefan. He is "always" available, and when I say always, I mean it. He works all the time, when he's not working, I could always reach him on the phone. After the tornado, he used his own truck to boost the generator in the building to have emergency power and the floors lit!! I would've not expected that, but he cares about his tenants. Thank you for that.
I have to say, this was the best place I ever lived at.

The bldg. is not under new management. It was always Frank J. McDonald Property Mgt. and it has always been identified as owned by Hama Inc. But Frank passed away, his sleeze bag partner Harvey was shown the door and the building, along with one on Lees Ave., is "managed" by two punks (Andrew and Stephan) who were low level office employees at the time. Hama Inc is elusive and I dare you to try to find or make contact with Klaus Meirs from BMW in Edmonton who "manages" it for his 80-90 year old father who lives in Germany. Andrew is as dumb as a doorknob and Stephan is a psychotic, abusive, egomanical, explosive man who treats tenants like shit, regularly screaming and insulting them. The turnover rate for staff is frequent, just as it is for tenants. They hire all their buddies that they went to school with in Belleville. They have no respect for long-term tenants because they say those tenants cost them money because they are restricted by the province in terms of rent increases they can impose. I knew more than a few tenants who have lived here long - term, one for more than 25 years and they never had their carpets replaced or apt painted. Ironically tenants are the least of their concern once you have moved in. There is no rhymn or reason to how they operate. The balconies were painted one year and then power washed the next year and most of the paint came off. The balconies were "repaired" one year but began to crumble the next year. Why? Because they hire the cheapest labour and get sub par work done that they never even inspect. The entire ground floor is a massage school and tenants sometimes have to walk a gauntlet just to get their mail. The tenant laundry room on the ground floor (7 washers and 7 dryers) is "shared" with the school who sometimes take all the machines at once leaving tenants unable to do laundry. 128 apts and a school fighting to do laundry. And there is no accountability. Regardless of what either idiot (Andrew or Stephan) do, there is nobody to complain to. Tenants that have pit bulls aren't required to have them on leashes inside the building or on their property and because it is private property By-law won't even intervene. I've known tenants too terrified of roaming pit bulls to even go to the garbage chute on their floor. Dog owners aren't told to take their animals off the property to do their business. Instead signs are posted asking them to "mix it up" and not always use the same spot so the grass dies everywhere and not just in one spot they use. In the spring walking around the building and through all the dog crap is disgusting. The only saving grace is the building cleaner Vilma. She is absolutely awesome and works hard to keep this place clean. But every once in awhile they move her somewhere else and we have a new cleaner. A recent one from the past, Matt, made the tenants live like pigs. He would clean the floors, end of winter/spring time, every 3 or 4 weeks and they'd be disgustingly filthy. In the winter he'd shovel just around the front door so tenants (old, sick, wheelchairs, walkers, strollers etc) would have to sludge through snow and over snowbanks just to get to the street 15 feet in front of the entrance. Again, absolutely no consideration for tenants here. Besides Vilma the only other good thing about this building is its close proximity to the transit and the fact that utilities are included. SO, yes - make sure everything is ok before you move into your apt because once you live here you become the least of their worries.

The "NON-MEMBER89601" user rated the building with 4 stars and wrote the following in his review:
".. can assure anyone that the office manager, "Stefan" and all the other staff members are very friendly, professional, organized and hard working. The very few repairs that I have requested were done in a day or two with no disruptions to me. ..."
THIS affirmation is a joke. In the building you can wait for months to get something simple fixed. Before you sign please ask him to update the contact with something like" if your unit is not fixed in one week the rent is free one month".
For your safety do not sign if your unit is not ready. If they want you to sign, you can ask Stefan to update the contract with something like." If the following list of issues "kitchen, doors, ... " are not fixed the rent will be 0$ until all the issues will be fixed". When you move you will be surprised what you find in the your unit.(and you cannot go to search for another unit.... you know why.)
The office manager, "Stefan" is like a car dealer, is talking and is doing almost nothing.
Now we all know what is doing "Stefan" 8 hours every day. (He is writing reviews).

Guns, pot and cars(student lifestyle). Read the news and move there is you want to be a tragic news story.
http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/residents-say-multiple-shots-fired-near-lincoln-fields-1.2525073

You get a white painted cardboard box. In the winter you have the mall parking snow removal(always at 11PM and 4AM). In the summer you have construction because they need to paint the misery.

Now the landlord is installing bulletproof glass windows for your safety. You will need the windows if you don't want to be the news.
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/police-tactical-team-responds-to-gunfire-in-lincoln-fields-area

You can be in the news, Check the CBC website.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-police-investigate-shots-fired-near-lincoln-fields-mall-1.3197233

***This is an updated review for the Forest Manor apartment building, not Frank J McDonald property management. This apartment building has been under new management for awhile.

I have been living here since 1st. March 2012 and have had no issues whatsoever.

My lease shows the building is owned by HAMA Investments Ltd. I looked around long and hard before deciding to rent here and believe me when I say that this is the best value for an apartment near and far.

I can assure anyone that the office manager, "Stefan" and all the other staff members are very friendly, professional, organized and hard working. The very few repairs that I have requested were done in a day or two with no disruptions to me. I can say that the building maintenance persons, especially "Vilma", are always on top of keeping the inside and outside of the building fresh, clean and properly maintained. Heck, They even plant Flowers at the entrance every Spring!

The floors are mopped cleaned and the carpets vacuumed every day. The garbage and recycling room is neat and organized and the bins emptied as required. Even the laundry room and machines are cleaned and wiped down. I can actually fold my clothes on the tops of the machines without them getting dirty; unlike other apartment buildings.

The worst thing that has happened to Me here was on Canada Day, 2013; my fridge died. It was chock full of food, as I had just gone shopping for friends I was going to have over.

I called Pat, "the super at that time" and he answered. When I explained my situation, He was at my door within 20 minutes with a replacement fridge from a vacant unit. He gave me time to move my food over and then came back to take away the defective one. Wow!

One of the other reviews mentions "force you to also use their "other" company for internet."

My one-bedroom apartment came with a high-speed hook-up option. I choose to sign up with FibreStream since I moved in and I have been very happy with the price, speed, service and unlimited use service package deal.

I had one issue at the beginning concerning a defective cable; they sent a technician out the next day with a free replacement and it has been humming along since. I have used "the other guys" in the past and believe me when I say; you will save money and be happier with FibreStream.

As to the other review concerning "bad representation" I am sorry that you had that experience, but when I came from out of town to apartment hunt; Stefan made it very easy for me to complete my signing a lease and move in.

Why such a long review? Well, I work very hard in my line of work serving the Public and more often than not, We only hear when People are not happy with something. It is rare that someone says, calls or writes when they are happy with the price, service or value that they received and I believe that You have to give, in order to receive; so I wanted to let anyone know that as of lately, this apartment building is a "Great" place to live in.

I have no idea what this person is talking about. The building is pest-free(NO Roaches & Bedbugs) and super-clean. Brand new elevators were put in this year. The floors are tiled and if you have a loud neighbor you can hear them sometimes. But it is a big apartment building, so dead-quiet should never be expected. If you want quiet, go buy a house in Kanata.

I lived in this apartment about 1 year and it was a horrible experience. The entire building is infested with ants. I had so many issues with ants in my apartment. They got into my food and were crawling all over the kitchen counters and in my cat's food bowl.

The walls here are also paper thin. I had a 2 bedroom apartment and I could hear my neighbor when I was on the other side of my apartment. I could hear the people above me talking and going to the bathroom.