I just moved to Camden Legacy Park. I agree with everybody else that Cable Should not be part of the rent. No providers for anything should be forced on tenants.

Like Mariano, I too have just moved into Camden Legacy Park. Time Warner Cable is the bulk account provider at this property. I moved into my unit on October 24th and have been outrageously inconvenienced in attempting to establish any form of service (cable or internet). The property manager is aware of this, as it has been an ongoing issue. After literally THREE WEEKS of calling TWC every single day, my job has suffered because of the unreasonable amount of time I have spent simply trying to obtain service. It is November 14th and I currently write to you while I sit in my unit waiting for a technician to come out (now 20 minutes past the one HOUR time frame I was quoted). I was told when I signed my lease that all I have to do is connect my television to the wall's coax access port and I would have service. However, after having to drive 30 minutes to collect my own equipment (modem/coax cables) to avoid a $60 installation technician fee, I learned that the service on my unit had been blocked from the previous tenant. Unfortunately, Time Warner Cable is a sub-par company that only survives from bulk accounts such as this one and have been unable to remedy the issue despite having sent out a technician already.

Interesting enough, (in the Great State of Texas, at least) it is not legal for an apartment to mandate your utility provider. It is only a matter of time before Internet is considered a utility. Camden should stop promoting monopolies like this and stay proactive with human evolution. Try living without internet for three weeks like I have. I doubt you'd be very happy if you couldn't get work done for your career, pay bills or even communicate adequately with Camden. If you're going to require mandatory amenities to "benefit" your residents, you should consider re-contracting with a more competent and reliable service provider. Time Warner Cable has tarnished my experience here at Camden. What a shame.

I'm a resident of Camden in north Carolina and I agree with all posts about twc the valet waste.
Unfortunately there is nothing a resident can do short of relocating. Management here is a joke as are any concerns you have regarding these issues.
Never lived in an apartment where you had no choice for cable or internet!

FCC bans exclusive cable deals at apartment complexes

Trying to promote pay-TV competition and keep prices in check, the Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to wipe out deals giving cable operators exclusive access to apartments, condos and other centrally managed real estate developments.

Camden needs to know that forcing its residents to pay for Cable TV under the lease agreement is a violation of FCC ruling.
It is ilegal, it is anti competition, and it violates the rules of the free market, and letting consumers choose and select their prefered television providers.

Camden pockets a nice 20.00 dollars per unit that is rented with basic cable, so there is no incentive to not offer basic cable and internet as part of the 'living experience'

I've pasted the FCC regulation below for anyone who is still saddled with the bad cable deal. Also, check out LANSDOWNE ON THE POTOMAC HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC. v. OPENBAND AT LANSDOWNE, https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=17609724650621958219&q=713+F.3d+187&hl=en&as_sdt=2003, which discusses the rule.

47 C.F.R. § 76.2000

(a) Prohibition. No cable operator or other provider of MVPD service subject to 47 U.S.C. 548 shall enforce or execute any provision in a contract that grants to it the exclusive right to provide any video programming service (alone or in combination with other services) to a MDU. All such exclusivity clauses are null and void.
(b) Definition. For purposes of this rule, MDU shall include a multiple dwelling unit building (such as an apartment building, condominium building or cooperative) and any other centrally managed residential real estate development (such as a gated community, mobile home park, or garden apartment); provided however, that MDU shall not include time share units, academic campuses and dormitories, military bases, hotels, rooming houses, prisons, jails, halfway houses, hospitals, nursing homes or other assisted living facilities.

Camden, you should change your policies.

we are staying in Camen fairlakes in VA. We are also facing this issue. We have to give a complaint on this community to the court. We are not using this cable and we are simply paying the bills. Please resolve this issue ASAP

Thank you for passing along your concerns. We will make sure they go to the appropriate department and are addressed.

To the Camden professionals:

It might be beneficial for Camden and its residents if you could explain the reasoning behind the mandatory cable and internet fees. I am moving to Camden Lamar Heights and the charge there is over $80/month.

If you could please explain how this arrangement is beneficial to Camden and/or its residents. This way Camden residents can give Camden credit for this arrangement rather than accuse you of defrauding us, which is what it seems like now.

Thank you!

I agree- at Camden Lamar Heights, love the property, but I have never wanted or had cable tv and don't like being forced into paying for it every month when I don't like throwing money down the drain. $85 for cable and tv when it's only like 20 mbps or something crazy like that and crappy tv channels... but even if they weren't i still don't want them, plus the money for the cable box. Before I was paying $70 for 100 mbps internet and never needed tv. You would think that because we are forced to use them they would at least give us a good deal... rip off and not right.

Adriana - I'm sorry for your frustration. Were you not made aware of this feature before you signed the lease contract? Please let me know.

Yes, of course I knew that... the floor plan is unique and I needed it so chose to go with Camden anyway... pretty much everything is great here and the staff is very helpful, but I figured I should give my opinion. I do believe it's wrong and against peoples rights to force them to get a service when we should have choices, especially when it's not saving us money and instead forcing us to get services we don't need for more. It's just a rip off... but nothing is perfect and I like the property. Hopefully you guys stop it with the AT&T inconvenience though!

Camden,

Let's revisit this comment:

"The purpose is to save you money. Camden buys this service in bulk because we can then sell it to our customers at a discounted rate. The cost should be less than what you would pay to the cable/internet company. We offer this as a service to you."

This is such a disheartening response. To save us money? What about the people who don't even want it in the first place? How do you justify this? According to the Camden Legacy Park leasing office, the technology package is a contingency to signing a lease and there is no option. They will let a prospective resident walk away rather than offer them an addendum-free lease which excludes the bulk account content. Additionally, my previous comment has not been addressed. What about the people who want to choose a different provider? What about the people who receive corporate discounts on products and services through their employer with different - or even the same provider, who no longer qualify for said discounts because of the bulk account?

What's more frustrating is that you have the audacity to say that you are saving residents money. For sake of transparency, why don't you go ahead and tell us how much profit the landlords are making from the bulk account contract? I encourage you to take a look at https://www.att.com/shop/bundles.html where you will see that the very first bundle AT&T has offers more products, features and services AND is cheaper than what I am currently paying for with Camden's bulk account with Time Warner Cable.

If someone from coroporate could please call me as soon as possible to discuss this, I would greatly appreciate that.

I've read an article from 2011 online, Multi-Housing News - an apartment industry news website, about "Auxiliary Fees" such as cable/internet are a huge cash cow for complex owners.
One owner, much smaller than Camden stated he receives about 15% of what the resident pays for cable/internet.
I am sure that Camden, given their size, makes more than 15%.
If it were 15%, our cable here is $47/mth so that would be about $7/mth/unit and we have 900+ units, so over $6,300 per month of profit just on our mandatory cable fees that are supposed to "save us money".

Also for those speaking about the FCC ruling - there is a loophole that allows complex owners to continue to charge mandatory cable fees so long as they allow the residents the "opportunity" to have access to other providers.
WE still pay the fee, but they can say they are following the law.
Sounds like someone had some lobbyists in Washington on this bill.

Julie - I do not have your contact information. Please email me at snet@camdenliving.com, so we can connect.

Camden is becoming a serious ripoff.

The bulk billing fee here just went up from $45 per month to $58 per month for bundled cable services - and they're trying to pass it off as some sort of 'enhanced' service. It is really just a forced upsell.

It is obvious that Cox is doing what they can to survive with their dwindling business, and with poor customer service, throttling internet speeds, and charges for channels consumers don't even want, what better place to leach from than apartment residents who have little to no clout (with the backing of management nonetheless)?

Camden is now jumping on the bulk-billing bandwagon, making these unwanted services mandatory and charging ever-increasing fees to renters for them, while saddling residents with a lack of choices. While the legality of this unfair practice has been questioned by more than a few (for obvious reasons), we can still let our voices be heard, through review sites and petitions (read: antitrust violations).

It is upsetting, as I am a long time resident to see this happening to me and fellow residents. Also, out of curiousity I checked with another property that is not only requiring cable - but internet as well through Cox. Not only is Cox's internet service horrendous, the hefty monthly price tag is $93.00 per month ($1,116.00 per year)! I say that this is slowly being phased in for all residents. If what I wrote is considered misinformation by management - I'd love to have the correction in print for eventual quotation when it does take effect.

It is a shame to see this happening. As residents, we all know how stressful moving is - so for many that may not be an option. Management says "To renew your lease you must buy into this package", so we're stuck. We can yell at the manager. What does that do? Nothing.

The one thing we CAN do - together - is the last thing Camden would want to happen. Let potential renters know to avoid this place like the plague until they change this asinine policy. Post on yelp, apartmentratings.com,apartmentguide.com,rentersvoice.com,rentlingo.com and however many others you can find.

We may be tenants, but we're still customers.

Im moving in Camden Oak Crest in 2 weeks and I hate that I cannot choose my own cable provider. Att is giving me great deal on internet+cable bundle but yeah I cannot get that offer. Now I will have only internet and even pay more than the bundle. Thanks Camden for costing more money

All these issues are disclosed up front, you could choose to live elsewhere.

Give some consideration to allowing separate wiring for cable/internet for each space (300 in my building), and think of what a cluster that might be. just another reason for the brats in the building to complain that there were 4 different cable guys cruising the hallways.

Matt- when I moved into the apt I was required to only have TWC TV. Then upon renewal of the lease it became known as a mandatory Technology package. My lease is up for renewal again and the price of the Technology package rose from $77 to $85/mo. I rarely watch TV. I have lived in apartment communities with many more units than the one I'm in currently and have ALWAYS had a choice including the all important choice to have NO TV and to NOT pay for it. I live by myself and I am looking to not waste money with the cost of rents and other living expenses constantly going up. I need Internet. I don't need TV. I especially don't want to support companies (Cable) who could care less about their customers. Now, there is word of yet another attempt for TWC to merge with another company. Heaven help us all as competition decreases and these forced deals are everywhere. l want my choice to say no back.

Camden harbor view started same bullshit this year Long Beach CA

Will be moving out when lease ends, Camden SUX