Unfortunately I am updating this review and removing a star . Not happy about the increase in internet charges due to AVA latching onto charges for their "Latch" system. You need your phone all the time, and it is slow to open and it doesn't always work the first time. Just in case you forget your phone or your phone is turned off, you either have to remember the codes or write them down and carry them, which is not ideal. Not to mention, if that is lost, the code is public knowledge now. And in spite of AVA increasing charges on everything, now they have made the leasing office accessible through appointments only, which isn't helpful in some urgent situations. For example, if you are locked out, everything is tied to your phone, you can't use Latch to get in and can't reach them by phone for support and now can't even reach the leasing office without an appointment. At least with all these changes, there should be an emergency contact option somewhere in the common room. Older Reviews : Changing my rating to 3 because, although I like the building and management in general--despite the frequent changes in teams, some of whom I prefer over others. I have had many packages stolen since the day I arrived. Lacy Cashman helped me tremendously with those issues when I first moved in, but afterward it was always a choice between losing money or running around to sellers and shipping services. Although package theft has reduced since 2021, it still occurs. My car was vandalized twice inside the "secure" garage, and because AVA doesn't have cameras everywhere, I had to struggle both times. That being said, I did receive a great deal of help and support when needed from management (especially Lacy, Andrue & Johnny) on a variety of issues and many times. The maintenance team has always been excellent. A few months ago, the main elevator was broken and remained out of service for months, yet I never complained, nor were residents compensated for that inconvenience, to my knowledge. The elevator being down didn't bother me as much, and I never reported these inconveniences to the management or AVA. I am mentioning this situation because I understand that equipment breakdowns are common in big buildings like this and sometimes the repair times might take time due to various reasons, which I understand and have no complaints. I had to update the review because I never really complained or mention the unfortunate incidents happened until now, but the repeated package thefts and multiple car vandalisms and thefts have caused real trouble and disappointment-especially when they happen at difficult times and i had to navigate insurance, required paperwork and through other hassles. I suppose Seattle is partly to blame (may be?), as I never faced these issues in other, much less secure complexes in different cities. But the extra financial losses and inconvenience have been really upsetting, especially because this place is not cheap. I hope AVA will install more cameras inside the garage in the future-especially given that the parking fee is $275. I'm also not very happy with the new Latch system--it's inconvenient, the previous fob system worked much better. Plus they are charging a good chunk of money for this latch system. Update: I have living over here little over an year. My experience has been great. The staff has changed a bit over last year. Although downtown is known for people's car getting broken into, mine did few months ago from the secure garage, nothing anyone can do so didn't want to leave off one star because of the location. The build is quite secure, you have to use your fob at every entry point and in elevator as well. The current staff, Johnny Le and Andrue Cashman are great. They are also very helpful when you need something. Update: I recently had a first service request and Byron who is a part of maintenance team came over and helped me out real quick. Update 2024 - Requested for a service request, Mike helped me schedule and Kyle came over and helped me with everything, he was great. read more

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Dealing with Blueground. It is near-impossible to talk to a human being. They have stalled sending my $500 deposit back to me. I think they hope I'll forget. I haven't. Update: There are no "final charges". I left the place spotless and have pictures of the place the morning I left. I was told that my deposit was on its way 2 weeks ago. I should not have to pick up the phone one more time. I gave your organization my banking details 2 or 3 times already. read more

Was harassed by their security guard last week. Came up to me with a light in my face demanding my ID? I was just sitting outside waiting for my partner and he was SO aggressive. He doesn't even do his job and allows homeless to enter in the building's garage but will shove a flashlight and get up in a woman's face. Cop wanna be. read more

Theaellis assisted Byron with my maintenance issue. Both he and Byron came in with a positive attitude, friendly and quickly resolved my request. read more

Quick and professional service by Tyrone

All the staff on the team are absolutely wonderful people. It is a joy to live here. My apartment does not have sunlight coming in, thats my only issue that the virtual tour I did online did not match my actual apartment :\ but thats fine. Also, Thank you Theaellis from the maintenance team for the clean and excellent service. Really appreciate it - 5 star service! read more

Never had someone from maintenance come on the same day before so it was really refreshing when Kyle did. He was very helpful and didn't leave a mess. read more

Byron and Theaellis are an exceptional maintenance team. They were highly responsive to my urgent ticket. Not only were they excellent at the issue at hand, they were also extremely professional. Thank you! read more

Hi everyone- This will probably be deleted but wanted to share my experience during my move-out from Ava Capitol Hill. I have been a resident in Apt 235 for 7ish years, moving in right after they opened in Fall 2015 until January of this year. I've always kept the apartment in excellent shape, never had parties, never damaged any of the fixtures, and appliances in the same condition from 7+ years ago. I had area rugs in the living room, bedroom, and hallway that have been there for the entire time of my stay. Once I removed them this past January, the (cheap and non-stain resistant) vinyl flooring below the rugs were slightly discolored due to being covered all this time. As a result, I was charged almost $1,400 for entire floor replacement, meaning no return of my $500 security deposit, plus paying out of pocket for the remainder. I found out about these charges within a week or so from move-out, and received a notice in the mail with very little details aside from the amount charged and the fact it was for 'flooring replacement.' I contested this with the Avalon Bay Prior Resident team, and requested specific details and evidence, and finally received photos about 3 weeks after moving out. I argued that this damage can be classified as wear and tear, but they rejected this argument. They warned me that not paying will result in Collections and damage my credit so I had no choice but to pay the amount. I am currently exploring my small-claims options since this is not intentional damage AND they failed to provide full and specific detail on damages within the required 21 days from move-out. It is unfortunate my Ava experience ended this way as I take with me many great memories of my time living there. I will be leaving a review with my experience on every review site I can to warn others. In the Ava Cap Hill FB community group, I've seen several posts over the years from residents who have moved out, detailing very similar experiences of not getting deposits back for shady or shallow reasons from Ava, but of course they have since been removed. I therefore expected not getting my deposit back but definitely did not expect to pay for a floor replacement due to something as simple as having area rugs. I also know Ava is in a class-action lawsuit right now due to collusion on rent hikes so I already knew there were some questionable ethics at play. Anyway- my advice to you is if you are moving out, check your floors, check your walls, check everything, take photos and videos- don't let them get away with keeping your deposit. I should've done my research regarding the discoloration because I learned this type of staining can be removed simply with bleach and water, but of course a landlord would prefer to replace the entire floor if they could get away with it. Good luck! read more

My experience with trying to lease here was initially a positive one until the day of moving in. What should have been a simple transition from the place I was living at, to the one I was hoping to lease was anything but simple or easy. On the day of my lease start date, to my dismay, 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. It was also during this visit that I expressed concerns about my allergies to smoke but was assured it would be taken care of. At the time of moving in, I had already changed my address, packed most of my items and had a moving truck coming to see me in a few days to take my larger items. 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 am a teacher in Seattle, and we have a limited number of breaks. I was using the only time I had during the Christmas one to make this move happen. 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. I was leaving immediately after moving my furniture on a planned vacation. The only other time available to make a big move would be in July during our summer break. 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 cand 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. Also, since I had nowhere else to turn to in such a short window of time, I was pigeonholed back to the same residence I was anxious to leave and signed a new lease to make rent affordable. I asked AvalonBay to help make this right by giving me the exact amount needed to pay back this current lease buyout of nearly $4000, especially since it was their neglect that created this entire mess. 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. Not only were they not willing to help compensate me fairly for all the time spent physically and mentally but their response to this situation told me everything I needed to know about this community. That is, they will do the minimal amount of work to ensure that they can say that they did absolutely everything in their power to remedy this situation and move on. To those of you looking at leasing with AVA Capitol Hill or AvalonBay Communities, please know that while my experience is solely mine, I hope that my sharing it will give you insight needed to make your decision. read more

We lived at Ava Capitol Hill for 1.5 months as our corporate housing during our move to Seattle. We found the complex extremely poorly managed and unsafe. During our short stay, we had 5+ packages stolen. We reported this to the office but the on-site management even refused to check the security camera. There was almost no effort to improve the situation from the management and we saw homeless people freely walking around in the complex a few times. The units are renovated (and the building has a beautiful lobby) but the hallways, carpets, elevators,... are all old and low quality. 2 out of the 3 available elevators broke for multiple days during our stay and we had to use the stairs. There is no A/C in the units and it can get very warm during the summer. It is very unfortunate that a building with a great potential and in a good location is creating such a bad experience for its residents mostly due to its poor management. We would never go back to live here and recommend everyone to stay away. read more

I've been at AVA over a year now and I love it! It was super easy for me to renew my lease because the building and people are really lovely. If you are considering AVA, see if you can get an appointment with Michael McNeil. I can honestly say he was a huge reason I wanted to stay here. Nothing worse than touring a building with a bored or annoyed property manager, but Michael was sooooo lovely to work with and he was really looking out for me when I was signing my new lease. He's been extremely helpful ever since, so I don't have a fear of reaching out to ask questions :) I did an aggressive tour of most of the new buildings in Capitol Hill back in 12/2016. AVA was the friendliest, cleanest and had by far the best amenities for the price. I read some of the other reviews here saying it's expensive - that might have been true when it first opened when Capitol Hill was rapidly expanding, but I've actually found their rates to be highly competitive for the area and age of the building. Maintenance is also super responsive, and Jordan on the maintenance team has always responded within 12-24 hours to any of my requests and fixed them just as quickly. The neighborhood is extremely convenient, the gym is amazing, and the apartments are very quiet despite being right in the middle of a bar scene. While it's mostly young 20s/30s tenants, there are some older couples, which speaks to the building's convenience and quietness. They have some fun building events, and neighbors have all been super friendly. I can't recommend it enough. read more

The building is new, very conveniently located in the heart of the Pike & Pine corridor, with most modern urban living conveniences nearby, including easy access to urban transit and a stone's-throw walk to downtown. As an architect, I appreciated the building's ambiance informed by its decor. Everything from the application process on-line until my move out, including service calls, I received immediate attention from the administration and staff. As a frequent traveler, this building suited my needs both while in it as well as out from it. I recently chose to move for personal reasons, none related to the building nor its wonderful personnel. I managed the move out remotely outside of the country, even managed to switch my parking rental contract without having to move my vehicle. Ms. Rea Rivera, Mark Corpuz, Brittaney Maurer, Isabel Luengas, and Isaac Huggins were all utmost supportive despite my tight timeline to complete the move-out. During my time there, I also had very positive interactions with Jennifer S, Jody C, Michael McN, and Leonifel S, to name a few. It was a very pleasant place to live, so kudos to the administration and staff. Hopefully in the near future, I will consider AVA Capitol Hill again as my home. read more

AVA Capitol Hill - Downtown view from AVA CH. - Apartments Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Very clean and spacious apartment! I live in a studio and it's actually not that small as I thought it be. The location is also amazing - salt & straw right downstairs as well as other amazing Seattle restaurants! Also appreciate the staff who try their best to make AVA safe and accessible. read more

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. read more

I escaped the hell otherwise known as the Sunset Electric building and after looking at a lot of buildings finally decided on Ava and it's been a great decision. Management and staff are great. The building is well designed and brand new. Great location but also quiet especially considering the building is between Pine and Pike in the heart of Capitol Hill and the city. Security is a lot better than most buildings as well. Plus a really nice gym, lobby, and common areas. Bus stop is right across the street and there is plenty of parking if you need to store a car. Awesome building. read more

Capitol Hill AVA community is so far the best for their thoughtful services. They hired a DJ and a bartender, and served free ice cream to appreciate residences. Photos are updated! read more

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I'd like to thank Mark, Carla and Jen from AVA Capital Hill for the great job they did, in organizing the first AVA Art Show. Everything was done so professionally; from the initial email call for artists to the opening reception. This was a great opportunity to showcase our art and to network and meet new people. The food and champagne made it very festive. I'm looking forward to the next event. Once again, great job guys! read more

AVA is the most intelligently designed building I've ever lived in, managed by the nicest people I've dealt with in apartment communities. The units are priced no more/less than other premium properties, but the VALUE you get for your dollar is higher. The location is amazing and the quality of construction is awesome. Just some examples of smart design... - There's tons of power outlets in the unit - The unit doors have quality electronic locks - All the lights in the units are LED (I'm pretty sure) - First floor units have security systems - The trash room has a utility sink to clean garbage cans and other stuff read more

I highly recommend AVA Capitol Hill to everyone looking for an apartment. They have the friendliest staffs that would answer to any concern right away. They are so accomodating that they have created a fun community by having events for tenants. The facilities are well maintained and I feel so safe with their security. The location is at the center of anything you need. For convenience, security and best neighborhood, you will get the best value for rent. read more

This is my first apartment in Seattle (I've lived in NY and SF in similar buildings), and it's the best experience I've had. The building is beautiful - modern decor, new amenities, well-designed units. The best part is actually the community and management staff. They just changed the staff in the past few months, and that made a considerable difference. The staff is so helpful and communicative and have really gone out of their way to create a wonderful community. I'm renewing my lease, and I would recommend this building to anyone. read more

Attempting to give a fair assessment of the reasoning behind my sub-par rating of Ava Capitol Hill below. Positives: - Location rocks. Everything you could ask for is within short walking distance. Grocery, ice cream, bars, shopping, ramen - it's all there baby. - Staff is friendly, engaging, and generally responsive. - Maintenance was great; answered requests with 24 hours. - Amenities: solid gym, lounge area, and rooftop patio with views for days. - Good apartment layouts. Negatives: - No 24/7 concierge. Know this before you rent. For example, I had packages not be delivered. While not Ava's fault a doorman prevents this issue. - Packages: you have to sign up for Parcel Pending. It costs $36 to activate and $6/month. The service sucks and is a tacky add on charge. - The staff was incredibly nice. However, when it came to basic information (rent increases, utilities) they were not helpful. The staff may attempt to help but it often felt disconnected when solving issues. For example, the staff recommended an awful cable situation - "Gary will hook you up!" Gary sucked and I had to spend time cancelling and without basic internet the first few weeks. - Rent increase: I had a 10% rent increase, a joke in the current market. When I questioned the increase, they asked me to "lock it down for 2 years to keep the same rent." No. They then offered the same rental rate if I signed immediately. No. - Move out charges: you will not get your security deposit back. I was charged an additional amount and then transferred to the corporate collection arm of Ava. It was disappointing to pay +2K in rent a month and get chased down for an extra $200 in purported "damages" that were somehow missed on a final walk through. Summary: You rent at Ava for the location and solid amenities for the area. However, it is not worth the price. You receive an average corporate product masked with an enthusiastic staff to promote community engagement. I felt nickel-and-dimed and would not recommend renting here for the same price as a luxury high rise. Weird happenings: - There is a tarot card reader on the ground floor running a business out of the apartment. Must be tough times filling capacity. - The Ava Cap Hill "Neighbors" Facebook group is bizarre. There were a number of altercations between neighbors. It also appeared to be a vanity project for staff members. Lots of dizzying POV camera shoots of staff giving PSA announcements with snap chat filters. read more

Nice apartment for sure. Nice new feel to the apartment. Nice gym. Good rooftop with great views. But with the cost of this place, my god, I really think there shouldn't be issues. If the rent was $400 cheaper, these wouldn't matter at all. -Be aware of lots of extra charges on top of your base rent... probably totally an extra $100-120 dollars a month. I mean, how about a recurring $70 fee for Sewer capacity? For that matter, I think I will take my chances with city fines crapping off my balcony. -Horrible water pressure in the shower. Again, I may take my chances showering on the balcony when the rainy season comes. -Dishwasher is new but seems cheap. Doesn't really clean some pots and pans. Thought about pulling a Kramer and cleaning my stuff in the shower so that I save on my extra water bill. -No air conditioning. I'm pretty hairy so this is a big deal. -And lastly, we hear everything our neighbor above us does. This is actually the most irritating aspect. I lived in Washington, DC in a building built in the late 1800s. Would gladly go back to that mainly because there were no surprises. You knew what you were getting. I think this place puts on a great show for a so-so product. Just my two cents. read more

Apartment building is directly across from several halfway and transitional houses, where you'll hear your neighbors and drunk passerbys day and night. Every day, I hear at least 1 fight, threat, or drunken argument that is so loud it sounds like we are on ground level. During our tour, I remember when the guide said "We can't tell you about the occupancy, because AVA likes to be very secretive." I now know it is probably because they are having a hard time filling this very expensive building with the amount of disturbances from neighbors, zero air conditioning and zero security. Hidden charges will appear on your statement that were never discussed when signing the lease. I've also had multiple instances where doors will not unlock when using the key fob and I've had to try other doors to finally enter the building. If you don't mind those things, the staff seems helpful and building is very new. However, I'm looking forward to moving out in a year. read more

I was probably the first person to spend the night in this building after it opened and ended up staying here for 4 months. The place is really centrally located in Cap Hill with a lot of coffee shops, bars, and restaurants in walking distance. What really set this place apart for me were the people. Aaron, Cameron, Danell, and Janet were all incredibly awesome and extremely helpful. I would highly recommend this spot to anyone looking to live in Cap Hill. read more

After 3 months of hell trying to close on our house we were met in seattle by a comforting face. Aaron (our leasing rep) went above and beyond the call of duty to accommodate us. He stayed in constant contact via email with my wife about specials and availability. He answered any and all questions, not to mention his expertise on the area. This place is affordable with amenities right at your fingertips. The entire staff always brings a smile to my face. Cameron even helped us stuff our new couch through the front door. It's safety measures are above normal standards as well. I even had a question about getting my wife's car fixed and to my surprise dannelle already had an answer. You just don't find this kind of hospitality anywhere. I would recommend anyone looking for a decently priced studio or apartment to come here!! Best experience I've had renting in a long time!! read more

Shoutout to Josh and the maintenence team. They always respond within 24hrs (usually faster). I also like the videos he posts on how to work stuff in the apartment. In general, the whole complex is really well kept and clean. I'm especially impressed with how well the gym and rooftop are kept clean and organized. read more

Jordan Gutierrez is a really responsive crew and helped us fixing dish washer really well.

Ava Capitol Hill is the best apartment I've ever had! Everyone in management is fantastic, responsive, and friendly. We loved the rooftop, the gym, and the chill space. Couldn't recommend this place more! read more

Ava is a decent place to live and the leasing staff is great, but inspite of that I would never recommend this place to anyone. Please be aware of the move out fees, it almost feels like a scam! We lived there for 11 months and living there was great, but the move out process, not so much. While moving out the team performed an inspection and completed a move out checklist for our apartment saying everything was good to go. We were also recommended to leverage the Ava cleaning services for a nominal charge and we opted for it for the convenience, assuming that it would save us the deep cleaning expenses that we would have otherwise opted for. Next thing we know we are hit with multiple painting and floor replacement charges amounting to almost a month's rent. When asked for proof we were shown a couple of pictures of scratches on the floor that was part of normal wear and tear and when we tried investigating for more pictures we were told that 'providing us pictures was not a requirement but a courtesy'. Terrible customer service by the Avalon bay folks and as much as I enjoyed the location and the leasing team, this experience definitely tops the worst apartment experience in Seattle. You are better off staying in smaller communities around where a couple of scratches on the floor don't warrant an entire floor replacement and who provide much better post move out customer service. read more

Michael was exceptional to work with on signing my lease, he was available, flexible and inviting. The facilities are well maintained and the gym is enormous with very low traffic. The common spaces are great for hosting friends and clients. Ava has created a great community with their tenant events and parties. I highly recommend. read more

Updated: I have been reached by the office and they have gave me some options to resolve this issue. I am grateful for their help and their effort to make this situation a bit better. Again as I wrote before, the staff members are really nice and accommodating. However, the noise issue still remains and hope it gets solved soon. read more

Doors continually break. Rent is ridiculously high for how shitty the experience is. Customer support is delayed and only helpful over the phone. They will also try and throw fees on you when you leave. Only redeeming factor is location. Literally rent anywhere else. read more

I've lived here for five months and am counting the days until my lease is up. The building is not well constructed - you will hear EVERYTHING going on in your neighbor's apartment. Moreover, they don't have a 24-hour doorman to assist you (they have a security guard who patrols many different buildings and can take an hour or more to respond to night requests) and they charge you to receive packages - no, this service is not included in your rent. If you don't pay, they will actually send your packages back to sender. All in all, the apartment looks good when you tour it, but you can find much better accommodation at this price point elsewhere. read more

Breaking a lease will lighten your wallet. Not a fun experience AT ALL

AVA Capitol Hill was our first apartment in Seattle. The apartments are beautiful with in-unit washers and dryers, the building is secure, has a very nice gym, and the rooftop provides a gorgeous view and helpful pet area. The best part of AVA was their management and staff. The staff, especially James Ware, were accommodating, kind, and would do whatever they could to help make AVA our home. The biggest complaint that we had was that the price of rent is very high, especially for two full-time students. However, if you can afford to live in the heart of capitol hill, I would highly recommend AVA. read more

Just spent the weekend visiting with family at this amazing property (set up the stay via vrbo.com). The building is centrally located and only a very short walk to shopping, restaurants and Pike Place Market. Additionally, the building itself has some great amenities including a fully equipped gym, a rooftop terrace and tasteful modern decor. Our interaction with one of the leasing consultants (Alan Fonseca) really set the tone for the visit. He bent over backwards to help us out during some hiccups early in the visit with getting into the unit (allowing us a place to store our luggage, helping communicate with the management company and even offering us some cupcakes because he knew we'd had a trying day). If you're looking for a cool place to stay in Seattle, you really don't have to go any farther! read more

Been here 5 months in a inner-facing studio. EXTREMELY quiet, despite a neighbor who plays electric guitar. One of the quietest places I've been, though I'm on 2nd floor with concrete floor & ceiling. Clean, new, W/D, dishwasher, ceiling fan, decent appliances. Location is outstanding, walking distance to a everything in Capitol Hill, First Hill, and even downtown. Easy for Über & Lyft pickups, and right by great bus routes. Haven't used my car in over 6 weeks. Staff is super friendly & helpful. Maintenance is quick and professional. A number of choices for internet, incl. Wave GB, Xfinity, CenturyLink. I have a flat HD antenna and pick up every local channel in perfect HD & then some for free, even on 2nd floor facing another building. Packages are delivered to an Amazon-like locker (req. paid service), which is handy. AMAZING gym - as in you will save a bunch on not having a membership somewhere. It's that good. Rooftop area with grills & fireplace is sweet, though the piped in music, though soft, can be annoying. Rent & parking are not cheap. Sewer/water/trash/recycling/electric are on you, and are incorporated into/charged to you as line items on your monthly rental statement (not paid separately) - a bit confusing at first. It may be tough for some to justify the cost here, but for me, the location, the short bus commute, the $500-$800/year I save on a good gym, a QFC 1 block away, and the amenities are worth it. read more