When it is time for Falcons to flock to off-campus housing, where do they go?

“Best of BG,” an exclusive student-only survey that comes out once a year, voted Greenbriar Inc., the best off-campus landlord for nine consecutive years, from 2015 to 2023.

Bowling Green, Ohio has a plethora of off-campus housing including Mecca, Newlove, Falcon’s Pointe and The Edge, among others.

However, Greenbriar has been a popular pick for Bowling Green State University [BGSU] students.

Garrett Kudzia, Greenbriar project manager, attests to the high volume of students renting with the company.

“A good majority of Bowling Green rentals are students,” Kudzia said. “I would say, ballpark, nine out of 10 people are student renters.”

Mecca and Newlove, competitor rental companies, also have options like those of Greenbriar.

The prices vary for different units, but prices for 2-bedroom apartments among the three companies range from $828 to $950.

Mecca has more properties that contain basements, places to park and garages, while some Greenbriar properties lack these amenities.

Falcon’s Pointe and The Edge, additional off-campus housing, have units housing up to four tenants per apartment, with amenities like an on-site gym and swimming pool.

What makes Greenbriar the best landlord, according to students, among the herd of other companies like Mecca and Newlove?

Anthony Haynes, former renter and BGSU student, attests to the allure of their properties, with several properties outside of Bowling Green.

“The place we rented just worked for us with location, cost and space. It kind of just happened to be through Greenbriar,” said Haynes.

He said once roommates split the cost, they paid ‘about $320’ in rent per person. Some of the amenities included in this unit were ‘basic kitchen appliances and laundry.’

When asked about what might make Greenbriar unique, Kudzia talked about their priority on service once renters are moved in.

“Our maintenance has a lot to do with it,” he said. “We’re not one to do a job half done.”

A current tenant of a two-bedroom apartment, Alan Anaya, praised the maintenance team for their efficiency.

“Every time I have a complaint, I will put in a request, and they come to fix it on the same day,” he said.

While Greenbriar is not the cheapest option, Anaya said amenities, like having a dishwasher, make up for it. He said he pays ‘about $360’ for rent, not including utilities.

On the contrary, some students expressed issues they’ve had with the rental company.

Joe Munger, current Greenbriar tenant, explained a few of the downfalls.

“There have been many things go wrong or broke when I first moved in,” he said. “Also, there is no guest parking at all, so that makes it hard for people to visit.”

Munger and Haynes said the units they rented through Greenbriar were outdated, too.

While dishwashers and in-unit laundry are great draws for all rental properties through Greenbriar, Mecca and Newlove, customer service is the most important to Kudzia.

“Keeping up with friendly customer service, prompt maintenance request times and continuously trying to make our PDF listing better, helps us to be reliable,” he said.

Kudzia said that a lot of other rental companies hire students to run offices and handle customers, which can lead to inconsistency and employee turnover.

“We’ve got the same people working here year after year, and we all really like our jobs,” he said.

While staff in rental offices are there to assist renters, Haynes said the only time he was ever in contact with Greenbriar office staff was when he dropped off his keys during move-out.

When contacted, Mecca and Newlove did not respond for an interview.

Karson Stanford, current tenant of Mecca and former tenant of Newlove, said the companies differed.

“I’ve had no problems with Mecca,” he said. “They have online rent pay, which is convenient.”

Stanford said the only downside of Mecca was the high rent. However, he said he rents a one-bedroom and the high rent was expected.

He also rented with Newlove before he rented with Mecca.

“I had to go in person to pay rent,” he said. “They sort of falsely advertised the place as being more updated and nicer than it actually was. We had nothing but problems in that house.”

Before getting an apartment, the rental process can be overwhelming for some students.

On high-volume days, such as open-rent, customer service is put to the test. In October, Greenbriar opens the rental period for the following year, prompting students to camp out for the securing of the top rental on their lists.

Reagan Hall, current Greenbriar renter, talked about her experience with scoring an apartment.

“People camp outside of the office the night before leases are made available,” she said. “It is super competitive in nature and can be quite intimidating for someone who is not used to it.”