Kingsley Apartments, Charter Properties Inc.
Large (more than 150 units) Community of the Year

Community Description

• When you visit Kingsley Apartments you will find a community that is built around more than brick and mortar buildings. The community tells a rich story and pays tribute to the hard working and philanthropic Springs-Close Family. The Springs Close Foundation, founded by the Springs Close family, focuses its efforts and resources to provide critical basic support – food, shelter and medical assistance. Icons and symbols of history are sprinkled throughout the community and we strive to carry forward their generosity and philanthropy with our staff and residents.
  
  We are surrounded by beautiful native South Carolina greenery, walking trails and scenic ponds, while being within walking distance to many local attractions and eateries. Our pet-friendly community is home to top of the line amenities including the best Dog Park in town which features covered seating and a fire pit. We feature 3 exercise rooms which gives you a more personalized work-out, including one for cardio, strength training, and fitness on demand. You can relax at our stunning salt water pool and pool-side tv/lounge, or spend some time at our clubhouse with friends.
  
  Kingsley Apartments is a proud member of the Greater Charlotte Apartment Association and supports its efforts in educating our talented team. It is our goal to have our employees hold national designations in their respective positions. Our leasing teams hold NALP, CAM designations and our Manager holds NALP, CAM, CAPS designations. Training for maintenance includes ongoing specialty seminars as wells as CAMT certifications.

Community's service to residents, including customer service, maintenance schedules and philosophy, and a description of the surrounding neighborhood.

• We are re-defining customer service with our 2nd year straight of making the J Turner Research Elite 1% list. In 2018 we were ranked #101 in the nation and we set a management company record when we scored 68th in the nation for 2019 out of 116,000 communities. We were also nominated for the Greater Charlotte Apartment Association Community of the year in 2019. We believe that apartment living is far more than providing shelter and more about the experience. We want our residents to feel a strong sense of belonging and community, something that can be challenging since many of our residents are moving to our community from other areas of the country.
  
  We host resident appreciation events, bring in local vendors to host crafting, as well as work with establishments throughout our community to offer discounts and incentives to our residents throughout the year.
  
  Our maintenance team has a guaranteed same-day response time and holds themselves to the highest standards. They're on call 24/7 and live on-site, giving our residents a sense of care-free living guaranteed. They can often be found carrying in groceries, walking a dog or assisting a resident in need.
  
  Located in Kingsley Town Square (see photo of area rendering), we are surrounded by shops and eateries. The town of Fort Mill is known for it's quaint small-town feel but here at Kingsley we give them the conveniences and efficiencies of an uptown lifestyle. It's the best of both worlds!

Community's impact on the local community, including occupancy rate/retention, environmental, and community service.

• Kingsley Apartments has maintained an average occupancy of 94% in the last year, while finishing our lease-up, and held at 98% or higher for the last 6 consecutive months. We have a 54% retention rate, losing residents primarily to the new-housing market. Even then, our residents stay in touch and continue to have access to our amazing amenities. Here at Kingsley, our residents are family. We go above and beyond to help our residents find housing and then maintain it, and we only executed 4 evictions in 2019. Our one bedrooms rent for an average of $110 above the competitive average; our two bedrooms rent for an average of $120 above the competitive average; our three bedrooms rent for an average of $110 above the competitive average. Meanwhile, our 98% occupancy exceeds the competitive average of 92%. We attribute our success to our overwhelming concentration on customer service, along with a 5 person staff that combines for more than 50 years of industry experience.
  
  Kingsley Apartments strongly believes that it is vital to be active and contribute to the community in which we reside. Throughout the year we sponsors events that benefit organization in Fort Mill, SC and the Greater Charlotte area. In 2019 we participated in 12 months of Caring which was a campaign organized to benefit our local Fort Mill, SC area. Each month we would sponsor a different non-profit in need. We hosted events such as Toys for Happiness with the United Way, Santa for Seniors collecting basic toiletries, Classroom Ready to help prepare under-privileged children for school as well as participating in an Anti-Bullying Campaign. Additionally, our team organized a dine and donate campaign to benefit an organization called Moms Making Moves. We solicited all the apartment communities in our area to dine at Panera Bread on a designated day with proceeds benefiting the organization. Moms making Moves makes meals, care packages and support for the homeless and at-risk citizens of Greater Charlotte area (see flyer in Marketing materials). We are fortunate to be located within close proximity to the Anne Springs Close Greenway and are active in supporting their efforts to keep open green space accessible. We offer discounted memberships to our residents and frequently host events to encourage our residents to become more involved with the many opportunities the Greenway offers (flyer attached in marketing). Our employees have 100% participation in the United Way and volunteer on committees and projects at the Greater Charlotte Apartment Association.
  
  We are proud to offer opportunities for our staff and residents to give back to the community through volunteer and service projects that inspire change, uplift lives, and serve our community.