1305 Dock Street Apartments — Local services in Baltimore

I called 1305 Dock St home for 3yrs, but my summer departure finally frees me to share my tale. While not one to write reviews, my tumultuous journey with the current property management team compels me to break that silence.

The Good:

Prime Location: 1305 Dock St shines in Baltimore's Harbor East, a hub of upscale living. A stroll takes you to downtown or the historic charm of Fells Point, with abundant upscale dining and entertainment. Perfect for people-watching and leisurely walks.

Exceptional Maintenance: Kudos to the maintenance crew – they're the Batman and Robin of swift, knowledgeable, and accommodating service.

Safety Assured: Although lacking a 24/7 doorman, the building felt secure throughout my stay.

Friendly Neighbors: While you won't be trading pie recipes daily, both building and area residents exude friendliness and respect.

**The Bitter:

Management Mishaps: The management transition from Bozzuto to Kettler in 2021 felt like sitcom material. Kettler's approach seemed more reserved, and they kicked off by raising rent by over 20% the first year, followed by a 4% increase. The real kicker? Their refusal to acknowledge overcharged utilities, deflecting responsibility throughout.

Maintenance Challenges: Impressive as the maintenance crew was, they faced their share of hurdles. An inexplicable odor plagued our apartment; despite attempts to fix it, the mystery lingered. Water leaks from the office above became a recurrent issue. Summer air conditioning outages added to the woes.

Construction Symphony: If you enjoy the sounds of construction, 1305 Dock St is your orchestra pit. Motorcycles, dirt bikes, and weekend revelry in Fells Point keep the noise levels up.

Amenities Lacking: 1305 disappoints in the amenities department. Overflowing mail lockers and a shortage of space mean package retrieval waits. The clubhouse resembles an elevator music playlist - minimal. No gym, movie room, or outdoor space dreams realized.

Parking Peril: The attached garage, once a perk, now faces a parking crunch due to area construction. Electric scooters and bikes provide some solace.

Rent Hikes: Kettler's arrival brought a staggering 20% rent hike, far beyond the 4% norm. Daylight robbery comes to mind.

Apartment Not Luxurious: Despite size, our apartment fell short of the luxury promise. Low-quality cabinets, an undersized refrigerator, and compact washer-dryer disappointed. The view was the sole highlight.

Security Omissions: An absence of a 24-hour doorman in a building of this caliber raised questions.

The real drama unfolded upon our departure. Mishandling of overcharged utilities set the stage. With a 60-day notice, we received an uninspiring instruction manual, not the expected 30-day or final inspections.

Two weeks post-move, an email with a ledger arrived, followed by a veiled threat of collections. This, despite our record of timely rent payment, content neighbors, and an uneventful relationship with management.

Billing for two extra days of rent and pet fees arose from a move-out date misunderstanding. The trash room dispute revealed a charge for more than our share. An invoice for "extra" paint, told originally for hole patching, later concealed for peeling paint.

Attempts to discuss these charges with Kettler were ultimately met with silence, resulting in the bill sent to collections within a few days.

The unprofessionalism, pettiness, and refusal to accept responsibility from management were exasperating. No wrongdoing was ever admitted, threatening our credit in the process. My strong credit score spared me, but for others, this could be a nightmare.

In summary, my sunny tenure at 1305 was largely due to minimal encounters with management. I recommend the area but advise potential tenants to scrutinize not just the building but also its reviews and management practices. As a landlord myself, I'd never treat tenants as we were treated during...

I'd say this place ranges from a 2.3 - 3 star review personally

Cons: Everyone says that it is so quiet in here but it is because you are not allowed to make any noise. If I play my music, or, anything I have had neighbors tell me to keep it down. You can pretty much hear everything you neighbors do and potentially 2 rooms over too when people talk. So, it seems like there is a lack of privacy in some ways. Utilities are a little bit odd overall. The building uses method 7 to calculate your electric and method 8 to calculate your water and sewage bill. My lowest bill has been $115 and my highest has been $153. That does NOT include my internet, parking pass, or TV/Hulu Live cost's. So, as you imagine it can be a little costly once you add internet, TV, and parking. Essentially, for a single bedroom it is pretty pricey because I am in a spot that is 620 square feet ish. Another odd thing is there is no shower fan. I am on the side facing Federal Hill, but, if you are on the side facing Fells Point there is some construction that can be loud and effect WFH I believe. You also don't have a gym here, a pool, or really any amenities (outside of free coffee).

There are some great things about this building too though:

Pros: Parking is great and right next to your apartment. Not a long walk to the garage and is very safe. Never have had an issue finding a spot in the garage. Also, the view from your apartment is awesome no matter what floor you are on. You are pretty much in the heart of the city so there is always something to do if you know people in the area. Fells point is a 2 minute walk. You can pretty much get to anywhere you need to be in a 5 minute walk. The room's actual appliances are nice overall. I believe it is right next to a JHU campus. No need to own a car if you live here because everything you need is right here. Staff is great overall here and have had no issues with them. Very friendly group. They have dog treats and candy for kids when you walk in.

Overall, all in all I would probably try and find a building that has a little more privacy and also one that has amenities. But, this building is a nice one overall. It really is just about what you are looking...

About to finish my 15 month lease at Dock Street. No complaints whatsoever about the staff - they were absolutely amazing for my entire stay there.

Definitely would have given five stars, if not for the consistent, loud, inconsiderate gatherings of urban youth on Point Street. View was incredible, but I think I would have rather lived on the side facing Center St, where the youth dont typically loiter and blast their music at all hours of the night. Private security for the grounds doesn't do enough to drive them off.

Apartment combo washer and dryer is tiny, poor quality, and takes literally hours to dry clothes. Not a huge deal, but it is a nuisance to use.

Additionally, I've started smelling weed in the halls within the past few months. What people do is their business, but for the price I pay for rent and living in a place like this, I expect not to have to smell weed or any other smoke/drug odors. Management is pretty lax about it. All they do is send out a toothless email to residents. Bit absurd that they think that an email reiterating their policy is going to do any good.

Update: Management has been a bit more aggressive about their no smoking policy, but still smell weed about every other day on 7th floor. I suggest looking at units on different floors if it...