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. Read More