FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

There are many questions that have come up regarding Heritage Grove and we have added this section to help answer some of the more "Frequently Asked Questions". If you have questions that are not answered here, please be sure to call us at 850-645-3333.

Do I have to be a Florida State University (FSU) student to live at Heritage Grove?

Yes. This project, similar to the dormitories at FSU, is partially funded by FSU, the State ofFlorida and private donations from alumni of FSU.

I heard that I have to be a member of a Greek organization to live at Heritage Grove, is that true?

No. Although there ARE several students associated with Greek organizations living at Heritage Grove. The funding structure of the project requires that any student, as long as they are a registered FSU student, be permitted to live at Heritage Grove.

Does your rent include utilities, cable, phone, internet, etc.?

No. Heritage Grove has chosen not to include any utilities or communications services in the rent.

The utilities are the responsibility of the resident(s) but are among the lowest inTallahassee. Heritage Grove is built too much higher standards than the other student apartment communities inTallahassee. Energy efficiency was a major focus of the design. For more information please visit the city of Tallahassee’s website at www.talgov.com or contact them by phone at 850-891-4968.

Phone, Cable & Internet services can be obtained through Comcast and bulk services are offered at a competitive rate. For more information please visit the Comcast website at www.comcast.net or contact them by phone at 850-574-4000.

Is it true that the Garnet & Gold bus service comes to Heritage Grove?

Yes. The Garnet & Gold bus does service Heritage Grove. The Heritage Grove Express stops at our public transportation center onOcala Rd. For more information or for a map of the Heritage Grove bus route please visit map.campus.fsu.edu and click on the “Heritage Grove route map”.

The Heritage Grove route runs from 7:00AM till 7:00PM, Monday through Friday during the Fall and Spring Semesters, 7:00AM till 5:00PM during the Summer Semester.

In addition to the Garnet & Gold bus route, The Night Nole is a bus service that operates from 10:00pm to 3:00am, Tuesday through Saturday. The route begins in Heritage Grove and makes stops along the route stretching from Appleyard to Stadium Drive, all the way back through Tennessee Street. This free service enables students to enjoy late night venues without having to drive their vehicles.

Is parking going to be like a typical student oriented apartment complex?
No. Heritage Grove is designed with over 1,100 parking spaces. With a maximum occupancy of 624 residents, parking is expected to be the best inTallahassee. Most student apartment communities concentrate more on building more buildings which dramatically reduces parking availability. Heritage Grove is on 37 acres of land with only 14 buildings. Typically, most student communities on that much land would consist of 30 buildings or more!

As a resident, however, you are still required to park legally. Parking in Handicapped spaces without a permit, parking on curbs or grass, in fire lanes or in roadways (just to name a few), will result in the towing of your vehicle. Due to the tremendousavailability of parking spaces, towing should not be the frequent "Saturday night party buster" found at just about every other student apartment community inTallahassee.

Since most student communities are gated, is Heritage Grove gated too?
No. We have chosen not to gate our community because we feel that these gates simply do not work. They often provide a false sense of security and are extremely expensive to maintain. The frequency of necessary repairs and routine maintenance result in an expense that is usually passed on to the residents in the form of a rent increase. We have, however, successfully arranged for the FSU Police Department to utilize our Management Office as an after-hours substation. These officers will be frequently patrolling Heritage Grove and interacting with our residents eliminating the need for expensive, unreliable gate systems.

Can my parents, friends, etc. stay with me during Football weekends, Parents` Weekend, Alumni Weekend, etc.?
Yes. These are your apartments. You are free to have guests whenever you choose.

I am considering joining a FSU fraternity and was wondering what fraternities will be located at Heritage Grove.
Phi Kappa Tau, Pi Lambda Phi, Theta Chi, Kappa Sigma, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Phi Kappa Psi, Alpha Epsilon Pi, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Phi Delta Theta, Zeta Beta Tau and Pi Kappa Alpha, are represented at Heritage Grove. The other residents are non-fraternity FSU students, such as you, looking to participate and experience something as unique as Heritage Grove.

What are the smaller houses behind each apartment building?
Good question. One of Heritage Grove’s most unique features is our "Two Building" concept. The "Two Building" concept provides two buildings to each residential situation. This means that there is a residential building that houses 48 students and aseparate, PRIVATE clubhouse for the exclusive use of the adjacent residential building*.
*In some cases, the clubhouse has been reserved, exclusively, for a fraternity organization. Check with our leasing office for detailed information about the specific availability of each clubhouse.

What is FSU`s role regarding Heritage Grove?
FSU has several roles regarding Heritage Grove. They contributed a large sum of money to help make this project possible. As a result, they were given the rights to many operational aspects of the project. For example, the contribution of FSU assured them that the buildings will have the same architectural design of the traditional FSU building. The two commuter parking lots adjacent toOcala Rd. is serviced and monitored by FSU parking services. An emergency blue light trail runs through the middle of Heritage Grove..There are several other partnerships and/or agreements that keep FSU a very important reason for the existence of Heritage Grove. Without them, Heritage Grove may not have become a reality.

Is Heritage Grove another FSU dorm?
No. Although Heritage Grove is an alternative to the dorms, we are a "neighborhood" consisting of 2 bedroom/2 bathroom apartment buildings and 5 private homes. Coastal Property Services (CPS) has been asked to manage this unique community based on their overall experience in the student market. CPS manages over 6,000 apartments in 5 states and was the overwhelming choice as the management company for Heritage Grove. The management team will be responsible for day-to-day operations including lawn care, building maintenance, rent collection, special events, etc.

Do you ever offer rent specials?
No*. Heritage Grove has not been funded to make rent specials possible. This is a non-profit community which means the cost to develop and manage the project was simply divided by the number of bedrooms which gave us our rent rate. Your rent basically covers the cost of day to day management duties such as mowing the grass, cleaning the pool, paying the garbage man, etc. There is no profit made at all.

If I sign a lease at Heritage Grove, can I pick my own building and floor number?
Maybe. All the room assignments are made based on the order we receive paperwork. Those who get their completed paperwork to us, with all required fees, first, are more likely to get their first choice. The longer you wait, the more vulnerable you are to a "based on availability" assignment. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT OUR STAFF WILL NEVER MAKE ANY APARTMENT, ROOM OR BUILDING GUARANTEES.

If I sign a lease and have a roommate that signs with me, are we guaranteed to have that roommate? If I do not have a roommate, will you help me find one?
Yes and yes. We actually encourage you to bring your own roommate in with you. It makes it easier for everyone involved. As far as helping you obtain a roommate, our staff is very good at helping you. Initially, they will take information you provide on your roommate matching form and compare with forms from other students. Once the initial match is made on paper, phone numbers will then be exchanged for the two potential roommates to talk and, possibly, get together. If the two roommates agree to the living arrangement, we will assign an apartment for them.

I know the first month’s rent is due on the first of each month. Where do I send it in order to avoid the late fees?
The rent can be sent to1947 Heritage Grove Circle,Tallahassee,FL 32304.
*Keep in mind that by having your rent post-marked by the Post Office by the 3rd of every month, no late fees will be applied to your rent. You can also pay your rent online by clicking on the pay rent icon on our home page. For our residents convenience there is a drop box located directly outside of the leasing office in rent is dropped off after hours.

How do I turn my phone, cable, internet and utilities on?
Your phone, cable and Internet services can be ordered, on-line, by going to our "Turning on Utilities" page and clicking on the appropriate link. Electricity is being provided by the City ofTallahassee and can be set-up by visiting our "Turning on Utilities" page and clicking on the "Utilities" tab. This will take you to their on-line services page, whether you need new service or a transfer of existing service.

I just received a letter from FSU telling me that I didn`t get a room in the dorms. Do you have any space available?
Please check with our leasing office at 850-645-3333 for specific details. We are leasing for the 2012-2013 school year, so come in before space runs out for next year. Approximately, 2000 students will not get a space in the dorms and FSU will refer ALL OF YOU to Heritage Grove. What that means is there will be about 2000 students calling us in an effort to secure one of only 100 or so remaining rooms.. If Heritage Grove is somewhere you are interested in, we HIGHLY recommend you get to our office fast or download all the Lease Forms and fax them to us, ASAP, at 850-645-0010. Also, for the fastest service, be sure pay your fees online as well as it is your Lease Agreement and your deposit/fees that actually secure a room.

Can I apply my Florida Pre-paid housing money to Heritage Grove?
Yes! Heritage Grove is the ONLY apartment community that is authorized to accept this program. This is just one more reason that makes Heritage Grove the best value in student housing! To use your Florida Prepaid, please submit a copy of your eligibility card to us when you lease, this way we can invoice Florida Pre Paid as soon as possible!

Is the rent per person or does it pays for the entire apartment?
Heritage Grove is run on the "Lease by the Bed" format. Each resident signs an individual lease for his or her own bedroom/bathroom and a shared portion of the common areas (living room and kitchen). This is a very popular rent structure among students since there is no financial responsibility to cover the rent for the roommate in the event they fail to pay.