AVA Capitol Hill

My experience with trying to lease here was initially a positive one until the day of moving in. On the day of my lease start date, I arrived to find an unkempt apartment that had a stench of smoke, cleaning items, as well as an ozone machine sitting on the kitchen counter. A week earlier, I had been shown this same apartment and was promised a clean and smoke-free environment. After bringing these critical issues to the attention of the staff at this building, I was told that they would need an additional week to clean it and get it ready for residence. Sigh. I was also given three options because of their negligence: the first was to lease a slightly larger floor plan that was $450 more per month, or to move into a smaller floor plan that was not desirable for about the same cost. No other concessions were given nor was the property manager willing to make any other exceptions to ensure that I could still move that weekend. The final and only option was to be let out of the lease altogether with deposits and fees returned. I made them aware of my timeline since it was very narrow and specific, and they kept assuring me that all would be fine. To be asked to wait seven more days wasn’t possible for me. The only other time available to make a big move would be in July. Even after explaining all of this to them, they still only apologized and I left that day angry, besides myself and in shock that my entire time used to get myself moved there was for naught. In the days after this experience, I began to file formal complaints with their regional offices to explain my situation. I asked to be compensated for all the time and trouble their lack of follow through created for me. Their messages were a mixture of, we are sorry and there isn’t more we can do for you. In summation, here is $500 for the trouble this has caused you. While I am appreciative that they were taking ownership of this mess, the amount given does not fully compensate for the extensive amount of wasted time, energy, mental wellness, and troubles experienced. I was pigeonholed back to the same residence. I asked AvalonBay to help make this right by providing me the exact amount needed to pay back this current lease buyout. Their response has been more of the same, even when they acknowledge that this was their doing. In short, what I have experienced in all my years of leasing will not compare to this disappointment and the handling of it.

Received a reservation fee on top of the application fee months later after making an application. This additional fee was not clear in the application or website.

Don’t live here. They’ll raise you rent like mad after 1 year and then offer it for a lower price to the next person. It’s like they want people to leave. There are constantly broken elevators and serious security issues. The cherry on top is how the leasing office always pushes these problem onto the residents. They take no responsibility for keeping the residents safe. If you live here; they will screw your over at some point. Bet.

The building has had multiple break ins. They raised the rent over 16% They attempted to charge an 1800 cleaning fee on a basically clean apt after we signed up for the cheap 135 fee. Creepy stalkers in the building threatened my bf. The staff changes over every other month. Homeless people will break in to the lobby often as the building has no security. Overall regret living there. Kinect towers, excelsior, pike motor works, there's multiple better newer cheaper options.

I did enjoy living in AVA for the 6 months I was there, mainly just based on location. Unfortunately when I moved out they kept my deposit and charged me for a full cleaning fee even though I spent a lot of time cleaning and making sure the place was spotless. When I reached out and asked why I was charged for that, I got a response from what I assume is the corporate office basically stating that the charges were valid and that I should pay promptly to avoid being forwarded to a third party collection agency. In fairness getting a deposit back is usually a fantasy with any apartment complex, but this one was especially annoying.

The floors and ceilings are paper thin. You can hear people walking in the hallway above you (it's really loud) or your upstairs neighbors walking back and forth to the kitchen or bathroom. Not built to last at all. Elevators are often out-of-order. The doors and gates to enter the building and property from the street can be very frustrating. The key reader on the eastern gate was broken for a week or so on multiple occasions. The southwestern door leading towards the elevator is malfunctioning in that you have to push it, then pull, otherwise it won't open. If you just pull, it snags or something. Common amenities can sometimes look like a stampede came through. Many walls are already scuffed and dented. There's no shade on the roof, so you and your guests just melt in the sun or freeze in the rain. I don't even think some of the apartments have bathtubs. Maybe it's just me, but that seems crazy cheap. The lounge area is pretty cool.