Avalon Potomac Yard

"I lived here just shy of two years and am finally glad to be out. No need to repeat all the negative comments about this place, but please note that all are true: -management frosted/locked doors and you have to make an appointment to speak with them. If you do speak with anyone, nothing is ever done about complaints (I made numerous complaints, with video evidence) of consistently barking dogs well into the night and nothing was ever done. -Garage doors have been broken 90% of my stay with property being stolen or broken into -What exactly is the bldg cleaning crew being paid for?? Constant trash/pet mess and glass in hallways, trash rooms, garage for weeks before being cleaned -Elevator was always broken -Fire alarms were constantly going off at all hours -Final straw: I asked about the rent increase before making me final decision to move out about 4 mos prior to renewing and they said they couldn’t tell me what the amount was going to be. I ended up finding out from my neighbor who had the same floor plan. Rent was being raised $300+ and didn’t include the $100 parking fee (which also went up, was previously $75). When I moved out, I patched/painted and cleaned my carpets and did a move-out video. I had no pets and wore no shoes in my apartment. When finally contacted about final move-out and security deposit, they took black light video of two tiny spots on the carpet and said they had to paint a small patch left on my front door from a 3M strip (all of this info I had to request as they didn’t provide a break down of what they were charging me for originally). They took my security deposit and charged me another $255. I also asked to submit my move out video and they told me they didn’t take anything from residents. My place was spotless when I moved out and this proved the shady business they’ve been conducting from day one. Not to mention, they must need the money since so many residents have bailed and there were many empty units. This place is very expensive and is absolutely NOT worth the price, aggravation or lack of services, as many others have mentioned. It’s too bad as the location is great and I would have paid the extra if the management wasn’t so slimy and shady. So glad I left when I did!"

"UPDATE 11/6: I moved out of Avalon Potomac Yard on August 28 and have NOT received my itemized list of deposit deductions and remaining deposit amount. I have called the billing office 3 times with no resolution. They are "expediting" the check now. Per VA tenant law, I should be entitled to the full deposit amount as we are well beyond 45 days of having moved out of the apartment. Avalon blames USPS - they actually had the WRONG address for me initially and said the check was lost in the mail twice now even after updating with my correct address. If you make the decision move here, do not get a parking pass. It costs $75/mo. Park on the street as the garage door has been broken for over 7 months and cars are being broken into in the garage. Fire alarms go off on a regular basis causing full building evacuations. The leasing office staff keep their doors locked and shades down - you cannot stop by the leasing office without an appointment. Full disclosure I am in a one bedroom with a den and my rent is being raised $300/mo if I renew for the same unit for 13 months. No negotiation whatsoever. Do not overpay for this place. You can rent a townhouse in old town at these prices. UPDATE: Leasing office did not input my forwarding address correctly in their system after providing it to them twice, and I have yet to receive my itemized deposit deductions within the 45 day window. When I reached out to them they directed me to their "billing" line and were unhelpful. Be aware of these business practices and quadruple-check that they have your forwarding address correctly noted upon move out."

"My wife and I moved here 3 years ago...and thankfully our lease is up and we're moving out. When we first got here everything was amazing, then it slowly went down hill. Elevator was always breaking down. They would rent out the common space to people that didn't live there. The garage door would never work and random people were coming in and breaking into cars. The front entrance and courtyard doors were rarely shut...more random people coming in. What made everything worse, is that they closed the front office and made you make an appointment if you had an issue, making them conveniently unavailable."

"I am a resident of one year. I took a 2 year lease and I look forward to my next year living here. I find the other residents very friendly. Many are pet owners like myself. This is a very dog friendly building. I have a lovely apartment with a bedroom and den, along with a large balcony. The location is amazing, especially if you use public transportation like myself. Everything you need ( e.g., groceries, Starbucks and CVS) is a short block away, including Kaiser Healthcare. I am an active senior and go into DC 2-3 times a week. As such I love that the new metro is a 3 minute walk from Avalon’s front door! The managers: Ron and Richie are responsive, professional and always polite. The Maintenance Team: Chris, Vincent and Eric are truly exceptional. My air conditioning went out on 4th of July! I used my resident app for an emergency maintenance issue, and Vincent came immediately to address it! I have lived in smaller posh boutique apartments the last 10 years, both here and in California. This was a big change for me in regard to the size of the community and complex. However, it turns out Avalon is a great fit for me!"

"Edit: best thing about it is still the maintenance team! However, there were several issues, which is why I chose to move out after a year: (1) really steep rent increase (~15%), (2) top floor apartments vibrate because of AC units on the roof (feels like you are living on a train), (3) really thin walls (you can hear your neighbors constantly), (4) Avalon rents out the common areas to non-residents for events (which in my opinion makes the building insecure). I moved in to Avalon Potomac Yard about a week an a half ago and the process has been amazing! Starting with Carla who was super helpful in showing me the apartment (not once, but twice), explaining me the application process and assisting me in every step of the way! This is with no doubt the best Leasing Team I’ve ever met! Once I was moved in, the Maintenance Team (Chris, Kyle and Vincent) all came to help fix anything that I needed (and wanted) to make the apartment feel like my home! Such a wonderful experience! Shout out to all the Avalon Team for being so great and helpful!"