Chatham Lofts - Chatham, VA

Lived here overall 7 years in two different apartments and got a real understanding of how the property owner and site manager operate. It’s all about the money. Be sure to read your lease and if you complain to the property owner, potentially, your lease will not be renewed. This happened to me after 7 years of being at The Lofts. I was paying NULL monthly when my lease ended and thought it was overpriced, but it’s the only place in town that excepts pets so out of convenience my decision was made. I will say this, every apartment I had visited (I knew a lot of tennants) till the day I left had not been repainted since 2013 and the patch work can visibly be seen with the different shades of white on the walls especially in my last apartment. So currently, as of September 30th, 2021, the majority of appliances were original to 2013, the places needed repainting, and also numerous leaks in the roof of the main historic building with plaster occasionally falling from the ceiling. I say this so you’re aware before committing to your lease. You may want to consider something in Danville operated by Wilkins and Company. Wilkins gives substantially back to the City and County if that’s an influence for you. I will say this about The Lofts, the maintenance team does well and will fix things the best possible way to their constraints of the owner. I hope this helps as you consider your housing options.

Spent two years at The Lofts. Chatham is a great area and The Lofts are a wonderful asset. Pet friendly with its own dog park, each unit having its own washer and dryer, close to post office, restaurants and grocery stores. Property management and maintenance staff very helpful and friendly. All this in a property that was once the elementary school. Lots of history and interesting floor plans. Would highly recommend this property!

Our stay at the Chatham Lofts has been wonderful; we found the Lofts to be a quiet and clean place to live. The property management and maintenance has been very responsive in addressing any concerns. There is also a community garden for growing/sharing vegetables. Chatham Lofts is very dog friendly as well. I highly recommend the Lofts!

My wife and I have lived at Chatham Lofts for about two and a half years, and are truly sad to leave! Our time here has been a wonderful experience! Edwin Gaskin is an excellent landlord who strives to make his properties the best they can be, and is very receptive to feedback. I have always found him to deal with his tenants with the utmost character and respect, and he works to keep his tenants well informed as to maintenance and important events in the community.
The building itself is absolutely beautiful – originally constructed in the late 1930’s as an elementary school for the town of Chatham, it has undergone a striking renovation with modern apartments built into the old classrooms. These unique apartments feature beautiful floors, new name-brand appliances, and gorgeous granite counter tops (our favorite feature by far!). The property itself boasts many amenities, including access controlled doors, a private parking lot, small fenced dog park, and small rooftop deck. We have found the Lofts to be a very clean, quiet, and peaceful place to live!
Overall, the town of Chatham is a charming and beautiful! Convenient to Danville (about 20 minutes away), and a reasonable distance from Lynchburg (about 45 minutes). I highly recommend Chatham Lofts and would certainly live here again!

I’m writing this review to help new, potential tenants at Chatham Lofts LLC. I moved into this apartment complex in November of 2013 and moved out in July of 2015. There are a multitude of layouts which range from studio in size to two bedroom. There are no amenities (pool, tennis, etc.) available; although there is a fenced dog park that is great for small to medium sized dogs. A small vegetable garden is also located near the dog park. The fit and finish in the apartments is nicely appointed with stainless/black appliances and granite countertops. As for the flooring, the style depends on the apartment. The complex is basically two separate building styles. One is the original school house which has retained a lot of it’s old school feel and charm. The second is an addition which was later added as a gymnasium, kitchen etc. The property manager will walk you through any apartments that are open and let you see the differences. Many didn’t work for me, but you be the judge on what fits your life… The maintenance staff is friendly. Aside from general air filter changes I really had no encounters with them. So for the other parts…
My qualms were with the lease and landlord. In my opinion, the lease is predatory. You have little to no recourse against the Landlord if there is a problem that arises. He says that he is very frank and encourages people to read the lease thoroughly, even to propose changes. There were issues to the lease that I signed and was glad that I kept e-mails from that period. Many leases are set up to go month to month after the initial term. Chatham Lofts leases are set up to re-renew for that same (yearly) period. My issues arose when my life brought me to a big move in my life. I moved (out of state) in July due to things out of my control. I gave the Landlord over two months notice and worked with him to have my apartment shown while I was still living there. Mr. Gaskin was firm in that he was going to hold me to lease and make me pay until my lease ran up in November. He even stated that he was going to keep my deposit regardless of the outcome. He stated that it was the “cost” of breaking the lease. He eluded to the only way he would let me out, would be if that someone else signed a lease in my place. Mr. Gaskin and I spoke frequently and I tried to get my deposit back. After a day of emails Mr. Gaskin stated that he would refund my deposit if the apartment was left in good shape. After moving out, the apartment was left very clean. The only issue left at hand was finding a tenant to occupy the space. After moving out on July 15, I was notified that another person had moved into my apartment on July 23 by a third party. I waited for nearly two weeks to hear that someone had moved in to release me from my lease from the Landlord. On August 3 I contacted Mr. Gaskin. He, at that point, told me that someone had moved in and that he had a busy weekend. When I asked him about the return of my deposit he stated that he was going to keep it even though he stated that he was not going to. So much for good karma… In short, Chatham Lofts is run as a business and money comes before anything else. If your job moves and you have to move too, expect to be held to your lease. PLEASE PLEASE, read the lease before you sign it! Propose changes! Don’t enjoy a learning experience like I did…