NOLAN Apartments — Local services in Seattle

DO NOT LIVE HERE!!!! Every review is true, at first I didn't believe it and with housing filling up quickly for next semester Liv became my only option to not be homeless before classes start.

I am relocating to Seattle to attend the University of Washington, to pursue my Masters. I'm moving from Chicago and in an effort to have the smoothest transition I reached out to the team at Liv U District because of their close proximity to UW's campus and what appeared to be stellar amenities. For my dire situation (despite the horrific reviews the property has received) this was ideal as UW's graduate housing units filled up shortly after the housing selection began which left me desperate to find home elsewhere.

A couple weeks ago I applied to live in a 4 person, 2 bath apartment with my best friend (who I refer to as my brother) on as the guarantor because I won't be working this year. Less than a week after paying Liv's $250 security deposit I was notified that they had actually oversold the $1,089 per month unit I had signed for and that my lease was to be cancelled at the discretion of the landlord. This occurred less than a month away from the day I was supposed to report to Seattle for orientation. The option they presented, once again, AFTER I had applied, been approved, and paid my security deposit was to move into a $1,289 a month unit. When I spoke to a representative by the name of Nickolaus (Klaus) Geistert I was informed that units were going quickly and I didn't have much time to prepare.

I am a full-time student who will be living on a fixed income provided entirely by student loans. When asked if the Liv would make any concessions to address the error they have committed if I was still willing to live there, I was told there would be none in accordance with the Fair Housing policies. Once again, the over sale of my original unit was the fault of the team working at Liv U District. Now, as of today, I've signed the lease for the new unit but now Liv is insisting on further documentation from my guarantor after saying that his application was complete a week ago. My brother, who owns several properties here in Chicago believe that the entire ordeal seems suspicious and is cautious to provide this company with his information again. I was notified today by someone named Ben that if the desired information was not attained I wouldn't be allowed to move in but would remain financially responsible for the unit. To reiterate, a unit, I never desired, but signed for, because new student orientation begins the 18th of next month. I am simply trying to have the smoothest transition to Seattle to begin my studies, however, I've been left to the mercy of a property management team that seems to prey upon those with limited options, which does not seem fair at all.

I understand the importance of fair housing laws, however, it feels as though this organization is exploiting these regulations and using unfair practices to exploit students moving to Seattle dependent on federal funds in order to make a profit. At this point it feels as though I have no choice but to move into a hostile environment as I cannot delay my studies nor afford to pay for two apartments on student aid. I am desperately trying to ascertain in this scenario where the fairness lies. Who are these regulations protecting? In my experience and having spoken to property managers in Chicago when an error as egregious as the one Liv U-District has committed, where the landlord has sole ownership of the fault; they (the landlord) make the necessary concessions to provide world class customer service. Hundreds of young people move to Seattle every year to begin their graduate/professional studies at UW, how many cases such as mine have gone unreported? How much longer will this company be allowed to exploit the federal student aid system, young people in precarious financial positions, or be allowed to operate with little to no...

READ THIS BEFORE LEASING @ NOLAN: I don't normally spend time writing reviews, but as a resident at Nolan Apartments for almost two years, my experience has been extremely poor. There is more than can be written here, so these are some of the worst issues: Management Turnover: Each new manager blames the previous one for incidents, leading to a lack of accountability. Unprofessional Behavior: Management staff, including the general manager, have been rude and disrespectful. On one occasion, they asked me if they could take a photo of me without telling me the context and posted it on their Instagram. When I asked them to please take it down they told me they were not required to as per our lease agreement. Facility Problems: The front door of the apartment has been regularly broken for over a year, resulting in residents being locked out, once residents were locked out in the middle of the night in winter due to a fully broken door handle. Broken Elevator: This is the most recent incident at the apartment, the elevator broke due to water damage from a pipe burst and it has been broken for over two months. The deadline to repair keeps extending, and the real issue is they don't care to update the residents about what is going on. They did not share any updates for over a month after stating the parts would arrive in a week. I inquired about this and they chose to never respond. Having no updates in progress is still an update that should be communicated with leasers in a timely manner. Exploitation of Students: The leasing office rarely communicates with students about important updates, and when they do, it is often disrespectful. They almost violated city codes by entering apartments without proper notification which was only withdrawn when I mentioned it was a violation that would be escalated. Poor Internet Service: Despite being promised in the lease, internet speeds have been consistently slow for a year, with download and upload speeds well below acceptable levels (4.83/4.80 mbps). Attempts to address this issue with the leasing office and the internet provider have been futile, with a supposed new Wi-Fi company arriving. Again, they don't answer emails that request more information.

I hope this summary provides insight into some of the challenges residents face at Nolan Apartments. Despite these issues, the maintenance staff, particularly Rey, has been the saving grace, offering genuine help and kindness.

Before making a decision, I encourage future residents to consider the information provided here and explore other apartment options to ensure a better...

Disappointed in the management and repairs. It feels like they are trying to take as much as possible while doing the bare minimum. The front doors have been broken for a while and when we asked when they would be fixed, we were gaslit into the doors never needing to be fixed. There was a pipe burst earlier this year, (happened on the roof so it was none of the tenants who caused it) which took out both of our elevators. In response, they have communicated very little with us and keep extending the repair dates. It's been at least 3 months and no repairs have been made. Instead, the building decided to repaint the inside and add a quote screen (which no one asked for). They also moved the touring unit to the second floor to keep the discussion of the broken elevators out of reach. When the fire alarm went off during the pipe burst, I had to call 911, which caused concerns about who could call if there was ever an event of a fire. It was the weekend, but there was not a single person who worked there on-site when they have a big team. The outdoor concept of the building sucks and when it rains you have to be very careful where you walk. The stairs also have holes throughout them, so when it rains, and the elevator is broken, you have to walk down slippery steps and be careful of wet dirt falling from people walking above. There also seems to be a collection of hair that grows on the bottom few sets of stairs. It also stinks. Poorly managed, and since we have to be taking the stairs the mess has only continued to grow. When we first moved in, the unit was not inspected. There was paint splatter everywhere that we still have yet to fully remove, the blinds chewed apart (guessing from a previous tenant's pet), and disgusting window screens in all the rooms. Our bathroom door was improperly installed and caused a pool of water to collect outside the door every time you take a shower. When we expressed our concerns about this, our names and details were written down but nothing happened, stating they couldn't do much because of the people who owned the Nolan and Nora buildings. You would think with such a big team, they would have the resources to take care of the tenets they already have, but instead, it is to put on a show for incoming students, who ultimately will over pay for a place that's mediocre. Greatly...