Avalon Courthouse Place — Local services in Arlington

I echo all the bad reviews. I moved out about a month ago and this was probably the worst experience I've had with any company in my life. It was so bad that I had to move out after less than a year. The team, especially management, needs very serious problem-solving training. If they took problem-solving 101, they would know that nobody is paying premium prices to hear excuses about why the building constantly faces issues and how it is somebody else's fault that they are unable to address them. If you want to express your concerns, you will have to find your way to a higher-up on Linked-in or something, as on-site management will always go for the cheapest solution or no solution at all.

I will mention only a few of the issues, as there were too many. 1. My data was taken from the system by an employee who sent me an inappropriate email. This person had access to my unit and sent the email while he was there or shortly after, as he was doing repairs. The worst part was not that it happened, but how management handled it. They were not helpful at all and did the bare minimum even after this serious incident. 2. As many have said, elevators just don't work and are a safety hazard. In the 10 months I lived there I received more emails about elevator outages than I can count. At times it really felt like I was living in a 20-floor walk-up. By the time that I left, management didn't seem to be in a rush to fix this, as repairs and outages were ongoing for at least 3-4 months. 3. security in the building is pathetic. They don't let delivery people come upstairs. They don't care if you have covid or are sick, but none of my guests have ever had to register or interact with the front desk at all. 4. One thing more pathetic than the security is the fact that this building is considered "luxury". I paid for a "renovated" apartment and I got a very old not renovated washer and dryer. The dryer burnt my clothes in the first use, I got a stained kitchen counter, cut marks in the sink, dirty floors and counters and had to request an AC, window and balcony door repair immediately after my move in, as none of these were working.

Don't even waste your time complaining or giving feedback to on-site management. I did so and even when I moved out, they could only say goodbye in proper Avalon fashion, with one last touch of inefficiency. I reserved the elevator for my move-out with over one month in advance, as I just knew that something will go wrong, as always. While they said I was all set, I followed up after 2 weeks just in case. I found just a few days before my move out that they assigned me the freight elevator at the complete opposite side of the building, making the move-out much more inconvenient, time consuming, and expensive. Management didn't want to help fix this and redirected me to someone from the front desk that handled move outs. This person was extremely rude, needless to say she was too narrow minded to offer any kind of alternative solution to make the move-out quicker and didn't even apologize for the miscommunication. You should expect this kind of interaction for every problem that comes up in...

AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS - OLD BUILDING, TERRIBLE STAFF

Where to begin... Maybe the old building that is constantly requiring repairs or leaking into your apartment or hallway. Be prepared to see the following phrase - "we appreciate in advance your cooperation and understanding" - in the almost daily emails mentioning either elevators being out of service, a neighboring apartment being renovated creating noise for the entire day, or some other problem with the property.

Next, the incompetent staff. From a front desk team that treats you like you are a nuisance any time you come up to them, to a leasing office that will screw up simple tasks on a regular basis, the staff at Avalon has continued to go downhill ever since Carlos left. I could write a novel with all of the incidents I've had with the staff here. I have been a resident for 8 years and have finally had enough. I am counting down the days until my lease expires in February.

Finally, the shambolic handling of the COVID situation. I understand that these are unique difficult times and because of that I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, but again Avalon's incompetence has made me mention it here. They have made us go down to the lobby to receive all food deliveries, which was done to stop delivery drivers from walking through the complex. So instead of not needing to interact with anyone, and the delivery drivers leaving food at your door, you instead have to leave your apartment, ride in the elevator with other residents, and pick up your food from the lobby, where there is usually a large amount of delivery drivers and other residents waiting. So in an effort to "protect residents" they have gone with an option that requires contact with on average around 5 people (including delivery drivers waiting at the drop off table), instead of an option requiring contact with ZERO people. Well done Avalon. Oh, but they will let outside contractors walk through the hallways to do the apartment renovations or repair work. For some reason they are different from food delivery drivers.

Next, the pool situation. I don't even use the pool, but for me this was a great example of the incompetence of this place. All of my friends in surrounding properties had their pools open for 4 weeks prior to Avalon opening theirs. While Avalon only sent vague emails saying they were working on a plan (I'm not sure why they needed this time since the reopening guidelines were issued months before), other residents in surrounding buildings were enjoying their pools. Finally, when they did reopen, they decided that the pool would be closed on SUNDAY. Not a weekday, but the day most people are free and wanting to use the pool. I'm guessing this was because they were so late coming up with a plan that they couldn't get lifeguards on Sundays, but for me was a great example of typical Avalon incompetence.

In summary, avoid this place at all costs. You will quickly regret signing a lease here. There are so many nice, modern properties for the same price in the...

I echo all negative reviews already left. Couldn't recommend this building less. We have lived here for two years and conditions have progressively worsened, leading us to move out at the end of this lease. The elevators do not work, plain and simple. Elevator renovations are touted, however there's no real improvement as the new elevators have consistently not been installed correctly, causing people to get stuck in the elevator, unable to access certain floors, or call an elevator at all. Whenever a concern is raised about the elevator, your maintenance ticket is marked as resolved without any actual mediation. Not only is this an inconvenience in a "luxury" apartment, but these consistent elevator issues are a safety hazard. I do not feel safe using them. The building has abruptly lost power and water at least twice in the past 6 months for over 24 hours. Yes - some of these issues are due to an aged infrastructure and you have to expect problems when you move into an older apartment building, but there is never any resident retribution on top of the fact we pay extremely high monthly rates. The building floods whenever it rains. The parking garage is covered in puddles and water leaks from the ceiling whenever there's outdoor precipitation. Makes you wonder where all this water is coming in from/where it's going/where it sits/etc.. Additionally, several residents have experienced their apartments flooding for one reason or another more than once. Water was literally pouring off one residents balcony from a burst sprinkler. Rent has increased by hundreds of dollars each year we've lived here. Fire alarms go off falsely all the time at all hours of the day/night. You pay a $500 amenity fee each year you live here. The gym TVs have not functioned for over a year, and have recently been removed from the walls. A "licensing" rule is blamed in one off conversations when residents ask why the TVs don't work, but we've never gotten a legitimate answer. The weight room side of the gym is filthy, not sure if it's ever been vacuumed. There are wads of hair all along the edges of the room. We are no longer notified when we receive packages in the package room.

All "I pay too much to live in such a horrible building" aside, I don't feel safe living here. It feels like whenever an issue arises, a band-aid is put on top to create a short-term fix. I recommend exhausting all other options before choosing to move here.

Edit: Before posting a public review, I sent an email expressing some of our concerns with notice to vacate - no response. Only on a public forum does Avalon ask ME to reach out to them to discuss...