Varela Westshore Apartments

I've been living here since August of 2024 and am sorely disappointed in the complex and management:
1. Packages - good luck finding them, half the time the system is offline, and I have lost 4 or 5 packages at least. Management’s answer was tell amazon you didn’t receive it. That would be fine except that they have a picture of it sitting in the package room.
2. Cleanliness - floors and carpets are always dirty and stained, and outdoor areas are not kept up.
3. Pests - RATS, yes rats as... well as roaches and other pests.
4. Things are constantly out of order or broken. Garage entrance is hit or miss and stays wide open more than closed.
5. Security - I have had items stolen in my vehicle in the "Secure" garage twice. Talked to others and it is a recurring problem; vehicles have even been stolen. On-site security is pretty much non-existent. When the courtesy officer is there, he just refers you to Tampa PD.
6. Management is hit or miss, hard to get in touch with, don't return calls, etc.
7. Ameneties are good if they are functioning an accessible. Lee mas

I lived in here 4 years and reading other reviews I’m dreading the amount of fines they are going to tack on to my apartment because they can.

The units are cute and appear nice. But, The floors are cheap as are pretty much all of the building materials, so the walls are paper thin. You can hear every noise your neighbors make including: neighbors on both sides and above me having sex, when my upstairs neighbor walks, talks or even flushes the toilet. Throughout the whole place you’ll find... plenty of stains from animals. Do you love Christmas? They’ll tell you to take down your Christmas lights from your porch. The leasing office ladies are helpful. I was ok with this until now because it was at least affordable and I was saving to buy a house.

Then, I received notice that they would be increasing rent $400 a month and went to the leasing office to see if there was anything I can do. The property manager Jeremy could not have handled it worse and has somehow gotten worse since. In trying to explain why he needs $400 more per month in my tiny apartment with cardboard walls and cabinets, he told me that the cost of wood is going up and that if he didn’t increase my rent closer to the market rate that I could illegally sublet it and pocket the difference. I was so angry that I wrote an email to his regional manager explaining this.

When I found a new place to live, I offered varela the opportunity to rent my place sooner, with the caveat that once it was rented I would not have to finish my lease. This should have been a no brainer, my rent is $600 less/month than what a new tenant would pay and my lease is up mid December so will sit vacant over the holidays collecting no rent, thousands of dollars they won’t make. I guess they don’t need to buy new wood so much because of course, Jeremy declined this offer. When I informed him it seemed like this was a decision made out of him not liking that I reached out to his managers his response was that he was a thinly veiled sarcastic retort that he was trying to follow the advice I gave him about handling angry customers.

This place is no different than the other overpriced places around it, it’s not cheaper, and giving your residents the occasional donut social and offering a golf simulator no one uses doesn’t make it a resort. I cannot wait to see how I’m punished in move out fines for this review but really it’s worth it if I can stop at least one person for falling for this loud cardboard complex. Lee mas

I would NOT recommend this place!! To me, staff and management surely didn't care about my concerns. I take decisions where to live seriously about it seemed to me the staff here only cared about "selling" a lease to me. Any concerns brought to their attention beyond that were ignored completely.

In addition, the place was filthy: trash in hallways, smelled gross, and was dark and gloomy inside. Could hear people laughing next door from inside the unit.

I have had the pleasure of calling Varela Westshore home for almost a year and it is certainly one of the best decisions I made over the 15+ years of apartment rental living throughout the United States. The property is beautiful, rich in amenities and impeccably maintained. Even more important to me as a resident and as someone who specializes in hospitality training and consulting is the high quality of service that I consistently receive from the staff at Varela, everyone from the leasing... agents to the maintenance technicians. I must specifically mention Kamilah and Daniel in the leasing office who are always so delightful to interact with and genuinely invested in the satisfaction of each resident, through their obvious commitment to delivering phenomenal service. They truly make me feel valued and appreciated, like part of a family. Varela is lucky to have these two outstanding individuals as ambassadors. The passion and pride with which they serve others truly sets Varela apart from other luxury apartment communities in the Tampa Bay area. Thanks to them and the entire Varela team for creating such an unforgettable living experience. Lee mas

Great management. Alyssa and Kamilah are wonderful and do a great job. Organized and helpful! I miss Nolan for my packages and conversations. I have lived here since 2015, and it is the perfect location to TIA since I travel quite frequently. This is the ideal spot and location for travlers!