This review is only for Embassy Apartments. I have written a separate review for the property management company (Northwest Apartments).
In August 2018 I was specifically looking to lease a studio flat within a short walk from work. I viewed three units in the building. The first one I viewed was an absolute mess and still under renovation. Out of the three, the unit I rented was in the best condition. When I first moved in, the then resident manager was good, although there was no shower curtain rod in the bathroom and text messages to her concerning this went unanswered.
The landlord allows tenants to smoke in their units. The smoke seeped out into the hallway and I could smell it in my unit even with a towel placed at the threshold of my entry door. I am allergic to cigarette smoke and informed the resident manager and management of this. The resident manager sent an email to tenants asking them to open a window when smoking but otherwise did nothing to stop this.
The units have old, vertical, wall-mounted gas heaters which make a very loud metallic "banging" sound when they come on. Even with earplugs the loud "banging" would wake me up often. The old heaters also emit a gritty grey dust and fibrous substance.
The single-pane sash-type windows are original to the building and let in cold air during winter months. They also allow in dirt from the surrounding streets and alley.
Because this building is old, note there are only three electrical plugs in the units. There are two in the main living/bed area and one in the kitchen above the stove/oven. There is no electrical plug in the bathroom.
The ads for the units state they have updated cabinetry. None of the three units I viewed had updated cabinetry. In the unit I leased, the bathroom medicine cabinet was clearly original. The cabinetry in the kitchen is also either original to the unit or was replaced in the 40s or 50s. It is far from being upgraded and the online photos of the kitchen cabinets prove it. Thus, this is blatant misrepresentation.
Be prepared to pay close to $100.00 in shared utilities. When I first moved in, tenants were responsible for paying for their own gas and were required to open an account with PSE. My gas bill was rarely over $20.00 monthly during winter months; about $12.00 other months. But then, the landlord went to a shared system. I suspect the landlord did this to force tenants to pay for the heating of hot water as units do not have individual hot water heaters. The monthly cost for gas doubled.
Also, be prepared to pay $2.75 per wash and per dry for your laundry. This is the most I've ever had to pay in Seattle for in-building laundry services.
The location was certainly convenient for work, but the area is filled with homeless people and drug users. I saw used syringes in the alley on a fairly regular basis. read more