Let me explain why you don't want to live here.
HISTORY
I moved to Archstone Bellevue in May 2012--except it wasn't Archstone Bellevue then, but Oakwood Bellevue. Oakwood is a temporary and extended stay franchise that does anything from two week to yearlong leases. Oakwood was great because it realized its complex catered to a different market, that its units were not as full-featured (tiny kitchens) and that its grounds contained no amenities beyond a gym. You traded features for cheaper rent.
This Oakwood building was sold to property behemoth Archstone, and then Archstone was subsumed into Equity Residential in a massive acquisition deal. (Pull up the New York Times article, "Real Estate Rivals Divide Upscale Spoils," to marvel at how the absurdly wealthy treat living spaces as pawns.) The building is still called Archstone Bellevue--let's face it, Equity Residential Bellevue sounds disgusting--but it isn't really Archstone anymore, and it certainly isn't Oakwood. These takeovers have had an overall negative effect.
RENT INCREASES
In May 2013, rent increased by $200, and they--Equity by then--tried to take away a free parking spot ($100 value, supposedly). I wasn't surprised by this due to the market, but I was certainly going to negotiate. I was told they couldn't do much about the rent increase, that pricing came from "higher up" (great, no disconnect there!), and that nothing could be done about the parking, either. So I said, "That's fine. I don't want to renew then." It was as if I'd flipped a switch, and I was immediately told, "Is it the free parking spot you want? We can do that." That experience left a really bad taste in my mouth. If you're going to lie to my face, at least be tactful! Then I can respect your deceit.
Fast-forward. Equity came in with massive weight behind it and wanted to do Fabulous! Amazing! Gorgeous! Granite! renovations. They weren't free, of course. You could get them immediately if you wanted to pay big money. I didn't want renovations; I didn't own the apartment to care that much.
Now, with about 80 days more to go on my 2013 lease, Equity has sent me a renewal "offer," which feels a little too much like a joke: required (free) renovations, no free parking (har, har), a pet rent increase to $50/mo, and a baseline rent increase of $510.
Yes, $510 more a month.
For me, that's around $2300/mo--before parking fees, pet rent, water/sewer/garbage charges ($70+/mo)--for a 2 bed / 2 bath, 1000 sq. ft. apartment with a polished kitchen that will still be small and a tiny gym that is not a place where my dog can shit. (There are no grassy areas or doggy stations at Archstone Bellevue, as some complexes have.) When I received the offer, I had to laugh. This place is not worth $2300+/mo, and it's hilarious that Equity/Archstone thinks it is. Right now, neighboring complexes with far better amenities are going for this amount or less.
I'd love to move now, in March, when the market isn't crazy (no submitting an application the moment you see a place), and I'd really rather not give Equity/Archstone one more cent after all this, but Equity/Archstone won't cut me a deal on the last 2.5 months of my lease, even though it would mean they could come in sooner and make those Fabulous! renovations.
It amazes me that they won't make deals with people--particularly tenants who've never been late on rent and who've had all of four maintenance requests in two years--when they're jacking up rent this much at one time. I reckon they won't let me out early because people appear to be leaving in droves. I don't think I have neighbors above, below, or beside me right now. I guess Equity/Archstone has to get some income from this place while they're screwing everyone over.
So...I'm trapped, but I can write! Here's to you, Equity/Archstone. I wouldn't have said anything had you cut me a deal.
MISC.
+ Non-liar-liar-pants-on-fire staff are good, especially Angela who has somehow managed to survive all takeovers with a smile. You go, girl.
+ My dryer has basically never worked properly; it gets hot, it tosses clothes around, and then everything remains wet. Maintenance has looked at it twice and told me it was an issue it clearly wasn't (that I told them I doubted). I gave up early. I hang my stuff up mostly, anyway. There will perhaps be new dryers with the renovations, at least.
+ The apartments have central heating that I don't use, and the main hallways have heating and cooling. The latter makes a HUGE difference in summer. I've been in Avalon Bellevue before and felt how much stuffier the apartments were there without that hallway cooling.
+ I don't know if the renovations keep this feature, but the bathrooms currently have heat lamps in the ceiling (a la hotel-like Oakwood days) and I love them.
+ Thick side walls, but thin ceilings/floors. You will hear people.
TL;DR:
Like smarmy management and $500 rent increases (nearly 40% increase in two years)? You'll love it here! read more