Students living at Marshall on 5th say ongoing issues with fire alarms, cleanliness, and maintenance have made living at the off-campus apartment complex increasingly frustrating. Residents report frequent fire alarm activations at random times, including early mornings and late nights.
Lucas Donald, a senior majoring in kinesiology at UAB, said the frequent alarms have made it harder to take them seriously.
“It’s hard to take the alarms seriously when it happens often, especially when I’m doing something important like studying or even sleeping,” Donald said.
Students who do not live at the complex say the fire alarm issues are noticeable even from outside the building.
Muriah Wilson, a sophomore majoring in healthcare management at UAB, said she has seen residents standing outside during alarm activations while passing by.
“I have friends who live there, and when I walk by, I’ve seen people standing outside because the fire alarm went off,” Wilson said. “It’s happened multiple times, so it’s definitely noticeable.”
Beyond fire alarms, residents are charged a monthly fee for valet trash service, yet the trash is not always picked up on time.
Ananya Patel, a senior majoring in chemistry at UAB, said the trash pickup is inconsistent.
“We pay for valet trash, but some nights the bags still sit there,” Patel said.
Maintenance issues inside individual units have also been a recurring concern.
Angie Walker, a senior biology major at UAB and former resident of Marshall on 5th, said these problems persisted throughout much of her lease.
“The AC went out a few times, which was inconvenient,” Walker said. “Our dryer stopped working and wouldn’t dry our clothes, and it took a long time to get it fixed.”
The Kaleidoscope attempted to contact Marshall on 5th for comment via email; however, the message was returned as undeliverable. The publication also reached out through Instagram, where a representative responded that management is aware of the concerns and has been communicating with residents about them, but said they were unsure whether they had approval to provide a statement for the article.
