The Westbrook at Brewer's Row — Local services in Richmond

I know this is already a long review but I could honestly go on and on about this place. I lived here for two years in two different units. I moved out early and paid double rent because living there became unbearable. I know others who have done the same and I know others still living there that hate it.

It’s a brand new build that appears nice but it’s faux luxury built cheaply. Elevators, fob scanners, fire alarms, etc. constantly out of order or malfunctioning. We got constant notices of repairs having to be done throughout the property.

The community doesn’t give a shit about the place. Leaky trash bags left in hallways over the weekend, dog shit not picked up (even on sidewalks), dumping trash from their cars in the lot, etc. Management enforces nothing beyond a polite email reminder.

Then there’s the noise. You can hear every footstep from upstairs neighbors. If you live on the top floor, you will hear the HVAC units in the roof running almost constantly. Just a very deep machine noise that fills the space. Management will gaslight you and say it’s normal apartment living but they know it’s bullshit. I’ve heard from them directly that they’re concerned with the number and nature of the noise complaints. It’s the building but they put the blame and responsibility on residents. They send out emails asking residents to not wear shoes in your apartment and to listen to your TV with headphones at night. Is that normal?

Location isn’t that great. It’s an industrial warehouse area that has been “up and coming” for years now. Ask yourself, if the location is so great, then why did a mixed use development decided to convert the bottom floor retail space into additional apartments? It’s because no business (except a construction company office) wanted to move into that area.

Lastly, I’ve noticed that the friends and family of management will post glowing reviews here to inflate their rating. I’m not sure how many, but I know for a fact that there are multiple fake reviews here. I’ve heard those same members of management who live here say they hate living at the Westbrook, so...

I am disgusted by the way issues are handled at this property. If something gets broken in your apartment and it’s obvious it was something that you had no control over. They will charge you outrageous amounts of money, without sending you an invoice or alerting you that the amount is posted to your account. My friend lives at this property and woke up to her bathroom mirror being cracked on the side. She didn’t notice it until 4am when she went to use the restroom. The maintenance serviceman came to inspect the mirror and didn’t feel like the resident was at fault. This is a new building, and as anyone knows as the building settles cracks can appear in some unexpected ways and areas. The resident was taken advantage of, they said they were charging her for the mirror, by way of a email that was not addressed to her, but her roommate concerning some other business. To make matters worse the resident accidentally overpaid her rent, by mistake. When she went to the office to make them aware, they told her the ledger is at $0. They charged her over 700 dollars for the mirror and a 200 dollar fee for labor. The resident had no idea of the price. So for this reason, I say beware of this community. They are sly and unprofessional in their dealings with their residents. I have experience in working with property management and this is not how you handle maintenance situations with your tenants. Again, I feel the resident was taken advantage of and deserves an apology and the situation needs to be made right. Stay away from Steelhead...

If you enjoy being woken up in the middle of the night by blaring fire alarms, or want your pets to live in constant fear of loud, horrifying noises, this is the place for you.

This apartment complex has serious issues with its fire alarms. First, the smoke detectors inside the apartments are unbelievably sensitive. Every time you bake something in the oven, the alarm goes off—no smoke, no fire, just hyper-sensitive detectors. We’ve complained multiple times, and management insists there’s nothing they can do. Cooking at home becomes a constant battle with these alarms.

But the real nightmare? The building-wide fire alarms. It started in August when, for several days in a row, the alarms went off for no reason whatsoever—at 3 a.m., during work calls, or in the evening when you’re just trying to relax. Initially, we went outside thinking there was a real emergency, but after countless false alarms, it became clear that there was no fire. And let me tell you, the sound is so loud it’s physically painful.

Management claimed they fixed the issue, and for a while, things were fine. But now, the alarms are back. This is the third day in a row they’ve gone off: 1:30 a.m. one night, 8 p.m. the next evening, and now again at 2 p.m. No real explanation, no accountability. Meanwhile, residents with pets, babies, or simply sensitive hearing are left suffering.

It’s unacceptable. If the smoke detectors and fire alarms are this faulty or sensitive, replace them. Fix the system....