The Retreat at Bothell — Attraction in Bothell

A Three-Year Tenancy Perspective

Rating: ⭐ ⭐️

After a lengthy three-year stay at this apartment complex, driven more by necessity than choice, it’s time to share an honest review of our experience here. Despite initially moving in with hopes for a comfortable home, the reality has been starkly different, marked by a series of disappointments and inconveniences that have overshadowed the occasional positives.

Yearly Rent Increases: Our journey began with a reasonable rent of $1,800 for a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment. However, the financial strain quickly mounted with annual rent increases, bringing our current payment to $2,500 for the same unrenovated space. This trend, coupled with a lack of enhancements or upgrades to justify such hikes, has been a significant burden.

Security Deposit Concerns: The likelihood of retrieving our security deposit seems slim, a sentiment seemingly dependent on an exhaustive cleaning effort rather than fair wear and tear assessment.

Maintenance and Repairs: While maintenance personnel are prompt in their response, the efficiency in resolving issues, particularly regarding part replacements, falls short. The complex battles with recurring appliance breakdowns and fire alarms set off by mere showers, reflecting on the quality of the living conditions.

Amenities and Living Environment: Promised amenities lose their appeal when faced with frequent malfunctions or inaccessibility. The dog park, a potential highlight, is unfortunately littered with sharp rocks, posing a risk rather than a retreat for pets. Similarly, the garages and storage options are impractically small, adding to the list of daily frustrations. The parking lot have been known to have nails. I’ve had to patch two tires.

Heating and Cooling: The apartments are difficult to heat during colder months, and the absence of air conditioning, unlike neighboring complexes, has made recent hotter years unbearable.

Noise and Privacy: The thin walls offer little to no sound insulation, leading to a constant awareness of neighbors’ activities, further diminishing the sense of privacy and peace.

Value for Money: The essence of our experience boils down to a questionable value proposition. The relentless rent increases, coupled with the myriad issues from maintenance woes to inadequate amenities, starkly contrast with the quality of living offered.

Final Thoughts: If an easy commute is your sole criterion, this might be the only redeeming factor of residing here. However, for those considering making this their home, it may be wise to weigh the compromises against the convenience. Our experience suggests looking elsewhere, where the value aligns more closely with the cost and...

On the outside these apartments are beautiful! It comes with all the amenities and is great for pets! HOWEVER, the apartment and the staff are HORRIBLE! We lived there for two years. During this time it changed from Archstone Apartments to Avana 522. They worked very hard to make sure the outside was appealing, but just like the saying goes "Don't judge a book by its cover!" During the time we lived there we experienced a severe amount of mold. There was black mold all over all the windows. The only thing they did about it was have a maintenance person come and clean it with bleach. They had to do this every month or so because it always came back! Then there was mold on the walls of the living room and our walk in closet (which damaged a lot of our clothes) from water damage from the bathroom. It took so long for them to realize that was the problem. They would add splash guards on the bathroom even though I repeatedly told them that was NOT the problem. Another problem was the storage outside. There was a 3 inch gap from the door to the floor. This allowed for mice to get in and leave droppings all over our things. They boarded up the gap but never sent pest control to clean our storage. Instead they fixed the problem of any more mice getting in our storage, BUT trapped the mouse that was still in there. On the day of our move we found the dead mouse that was trying to claw its way out of storage. Avana did not offer to pay for our damaged things, instead told us to call the insurance because it was not their fault if it was a pest problem. However, they did not properly hiring someone to get rid of the mouse initially and having a 3 inch gap in the storage door is their fault. To top it off when we had our final walk through they told us the cost of the damages, which were reasonable. However, when we got our final invoice they added $500 more dollars for having to replace parts of the carpet. When asked to see a detailed invoice of the actual carpet damage they gave me the run around and have not contacted me back and have refused to return my call. Obviously, they can’t prove that those damages actually existed but wanted to steal more money from us! They are very unprofessional there and do not care about their residents. They spend too much time worrying about the outside and not the inside which goes for the apartment and the staff there. SO if you want to be treated poorly and live in an unsanitary, unsafe apartment then AVANA 522 is the place for you. Also enjoy stepping in dog feces on a daily basis. The residents there are not responsible and neither are the people...

The first year that I was here (2012-13) was fantastic...until it was time to renew the lease and we were priced out of our 3 bedroom apartment as the rent went up over $300 per month!

Despite the unexpectedly high rent increase I decided to stay in the complex, and down size to a 2 bedroom. This is when it got ugly and, in retrospect, I should have just left then. The leasing agent I was working with was super sweet and polite but failed to reserve the apartment we agreed upon not once, but TWICE. Each time we had to rush to find another available apartment. As a result, I ended up paying an extra month's rent in the overpriced 3 bedroom while I waited for a 2 bedroom to open up. In fairness to management, they did agree to give me that month at the original rate since it was their error(s) that caused it.

In the end, the only apartment left was a 2 bedroom that is nearly as expensive as the original three bedroom. I also had to pay $1200 to replace the carpet in the old apartment due to my former roommates' dog. As far as I can tell from previous reviews and from what I've heard from other residents, it's common practice for this complex to charge pet owners to replace the carpet, whether there was in fact damage or not. It also doesn't matter that you've put a security AND pet deposit down. Pet owners should expect a $1200 bill after move out. I guess that, the pet deposit, and the pet rent are all the price you pay for living in a "pet friendly" community.

The biggest mistake I made was renewing my lease here in 2014, rather than finding some place cheaper in the city. Yes, you read that right. Before I decided to stay, I found houses for rent in nice neighborhoods in Seattle for as much as $500 less than I pay here.

Other cons: It is nowhere as nice on the inside as it looks on the outside Forced to use the concierge trash service, which does not pick up Friday or Saturday Monthly admin and upkeep fees are high,and expect dog poo in the yard for weeks If you don't have an assigned parking spot, expect to walk 1/4 mile to your apartment Smoking is being banned on the premises so smokers will need to leave the grounds to smoke Every few months, there's a rash of car break ins Once per year, an email goes out warning to keep animals off the grass due to the toxic chemicals they use to treat it

Pros: It is relatively quiet Close proximity to the expressway and easy bus access (if you're going into the city) Shopping nearby Two outdoor pools BBQ area that you can actually use if you go early or late enough to grab a grill Two small...