Cortland on Pike — Attraction in Arlington

If I could give them 0-Star Review, I would. Stay away!

I don’t typically write reviews — and certainly not emotional ones. That’s why I’ve waited several days before sharing my story. But after everything that happened, I feel an obligation to speak up so others don’t go through what I did.

It all began on June 21, when my partner and I submitted an application to rent Unit C-601 at The Wellington Apartments in Arlington, VA. We paid a total of $500 — $100 in application fees (for both of us) and a $400 administrative fee. From the start, we were told the unit was newly renovated, which was a major reason we decided to apply.

However, we were never allowed to view the actual unit. I asked multiple times to see it or at least receive photos, but the leasing team repeatedly refused. They showed us other “similar” apartments instead, but insisted they couldn’t provide any visuals of C-601 or ask the current tenant to allow a visit. I found that odd, since in my previous apartment, management would routinely ask tenants for permission to show units — and most said yes. It wasn’t about privacy; it was about consent, which was never sought here.

By June 22, just one day later, I returned to the leasing office after coming across numerous online reviews mentioning serious mice infestations at the property. This was obviously alarming. I asked Keith, the leasing agent, about it directly. He assured me there were no pest problems, and — just as importantly — told me that if there were any issues at all, or if I chose not to move forward, I’d get my $400 back.

That verbal commitment gave me enough comfort to keep going. But it didn’t last.

As we approached July, I was repeatedly pressed to sign the lease, even though the lease they sent me had multiple errors — including incorrect charges for parking, valet service, and other items I had never agreed to. I flagged these issues in an email and waited for a corrected version.

On July 2, I received a call from Brenda, another leasing agent, who wanted to go over the concerns I had raised. I reiterated that I needed written confirmation that the unit was newly renovated and that there were no pest issues. That’s when she told me — almost casually — that C-601 was not newly renovated.

That completely blindsided me.

Until that moment, every indication had been that the apartment I was applying for had undergone renovation. This was a critical part of their pitch to me — and now, at the last minute, I was being told it wasn’t true.

Still, Brenda offered to show me another unit on July 3, located two floors above C-601, that had undergone the same renovation that I had originally expected. I agreed, but told her explicitly: if I didn’t feel comfortable, I wasn’t going to sign — and I expected my $400 back, just as Keith had previously promised.

On July 3, I visited the building, saw the “similar” unit, and immediately knew this wasn’t what I had signed up for. Between the misrepresentation about renovations, the refusal to show me the original unit, the pest concerns, and the lack of transparency, I was no longer comfortable moving forward.

I went back to the leasing office and told Keith that I wouldn’t be proceeding. He was polite and understanding — and again confirmed I’d get my money back. He asked whether I wanted to pick up the check or have it mailed. I gave him my mailing address, trusting that the refund would be sent as promised.

And then, days later, I received an email from Pernesia (The Leasing Manger), stating that the $400 was non-refundable. She cited a 72-hour cancellation policy and claimed I had acknowledged it when signing the application — even though I had never signed the Reservation Agreement, and the only paperwork I agreed to was whatever was necessary to submit the application. At no point was it clear that this fee would be locked in regardless of what I learned later — even if what I was told turned out to be false...

What’s most frustrating isn’t the $400 loss, but being misled and dismissed so don’t trust verbal assurances...

I would NOT recommend renting in this apartment complex. I moved here in December 2017. The first two weeks were great. I went away for the holiday and when I returned someone had stolen the wreath off of my door. When I went to report it to management their response was there is nothing that we can do about it.

Fast forward, construction starts a few months later. Meaning that they are taking away parking spots. There were only like maybe 400-500 spots to begin with. And those parking spots were shared between the three buildings. If you didn't reserve a parking spot you were not guaranteed to have anywhere to park your car. Additionally, if you wanted to have visitors it would be highly unlikely that you could obtain a visitor parking pass as they only have 15 visitor parking passes for the entire complex and residents park in the visitor parking lot. So even if you were one of the lucky ones to get a visitor parking pass for the day, if there is no where for your visitor to park then they would have to park on the street and that is usually half a mile to a mile away.

My car was towed twice in the last month and a half. The first time it was towed was when I was moving furniture into my apartment. I was specifically told that I was able to park in front of my building with my hazards on while moving furniture in. While moving my furniture in they towed my car. When brought to management's attention their response was well there is nothing we can do about it. My car was towed for a second time due to parking constraints and again their response was there is nothing we can do about it and then to tell me to park on the street. When I mentioned that the closest street parking is about a half a mile to a mile away and it is unsafe to be walking that far as a woman at 10/11 pm their response again was well that's the only solution they have.

My apartment was renovated before I moved in. So I was the first person to live in my apartment after renovations. When checking to make sure that everything was ok I noted that the floor had a lot air pockets and that the blinds were filthy. I reported it to them and their response was well there is nothing we can do about the floors. That was the least of my worries. I have had issues with my HVAC (heating/AC) unit since I moved in. I have put in numerous (7-10) requests and to no avail it still does not work. It was horrible especially in the summer time. When the AC is on it blows out warm air or does not turn on at all. And this year they did not switch to the AC until June. So most of May the entire apartment complex had to suffer through 80-90 degree weather with no AC.

The laundry room is filthy and no one cleans out the washers or dryers. There have been numerous occasions where i have had to bring Clorox clean up wipes to clean out all the hair and dirt out of the washers before washing my clothes.

Additionally, the walls are super thin. You can hear neighbors conversations, dogs barking, and children running up and down the hall all evening.

To top it off there are a lot of smokers in the complex. The management team sent out an email advising the smokers to be at least 30 feet from the building. They do not follow this rule and smoke right outside of the entrances. So when you leave and enter the building you are entering/leaving through clouds of smoke. When brought to management's attention their response was yet again was there is nothing they can do about it.

When I first looked at this complex I asked a resident would he recommend I live here, he said no. When asked why he responded the construction. I truly understand now. The apartment complex has no issue inconveniencing you and when brought to their attention their response 99.9% is well there is nothing they can do about it. It is tiring and frustrating as a resident to not be heard or continuously dismissed.

I wish I would've listened to the resident before renting this apartment. It is truly not...

First, the Good: Spacious apartments, pretty good storage closets, some units have washer/dryers, some updated appliances, some decent neighbors.

Now, the Bad. The walls, windows, and floors are paper thin. Every night, I can hear the crickets chirping outside and I'm not even near the ground floor. If your unit is "near" Columbia Pike, even if you're not directly facing it, you will hear the cars going by. Some people have motorcycles who leave their engines running. You can hear every footstep coming from upstairs, so if you're a light sleeper, this is NOT the place for you. The windows offer no insulation whatsoever and are incredibly drafty, including, oddly, the walk-in closets. This is my fourth apartment in the DMV area and it is, by far, the worst in terms of noise and climate control.

If you have any trouble going up stairs because you are handicapped, are injured, or have to push a stroller, this is a frustrating place to live. I would give it a D in terms of handicap-accessibility. The North bldg is huge, yet it only has one entrance that has a ramp, and that's the puny loading dock. You have to sometimes compete with people moving in or out. And on top of that, the door does not automatically open so you have to maneuver you're way in by holding the door open with one arm while pushing your cart or whatever with the other. Bozzuto could probably install a ramp in the front lobby....

Parking is horrendous at night. The management is giving out way too many spots, and at night, you have to circle or risk parking illegally on the nearby streets. On top of that, there is ongoing construction for a fourth building, meaning even more residents. What is this place thinking? Residents have complained but Bozzuto has yet to address the issue. Look at all the other reviews here that have already mentioned this problem.

The Wellington attracts many, many smokers. The management recently sent an email instructing residents to smoke 25 feet away from the buildings, but they don't enforce the rules or put up any signs. The cigarette butt receptacles are still in their original places right by the buildings. Most people smoke right outside of residents' windows on the ground floor (don't live on the ground floor, certainly not near entrances or the dumpsters). I often have to push my baby off of the sidewalk to avoid us inhaling life-killing smoke.

The maintenance staff are generally easy to talk to, but, they are not held to a very high standard when it comes to quality control. They seem to do shoddy maintenance work, paint splatters are left in brand new units, paint that chips and drifts to the floor, yucky-looking cabinets, etc. We experienced an overwhelming industrial chemical smell when we moved in that lingered for several months. I have no idea what it was. An odor like that cannot be safe for humans, especially for young children. We opened the windows, turned on fans, cleaned the apartment multiple times, but it persisted. For that matter, don't open the AC units. They look like the depths of a dark, damp hell.

Bozzuto charges you an extra $5 a month just so they can pay off (or make profit?) off of the automated Package Concierge system. I'd rather save myself $60 a year and pick up packages from a concierge desk, if they had one.

Despite the Wellington advertising that this is a modern building, it is not. I don't like living here and would not recommend it...