I needed to move and I had little time to find a place. Since Nest specializes in finding great housing I called to inquire about available properties. I needed something very specific: 1 bedroom, not on first floor, no pets, near metro, and in the city. I was rudely told that they could not guarantee finding me a building or unit that was no- pet since in DC it was "the thing people want" (meaning pet friendly). As someone with allergies and no pets my experience is the opposite, landlords appreciate if you don't have pets. But hey more power to Nest for telling me like it is. A couple of days later I found a fantastic place on Craig's list where the landlord is delighted to rent to a pet free person. read more

NEST recently helped me manage my property- I am away traveling a great deal and I feel secure in putting things in their hands. They are managing everything beautifully. In addition, my daughter and her wife have been helped as they commence balancing grad school and the real world. Lisa particularly is phenomenal in understanding people's needs. I am very tuned into from what center people operate, and she comes from a place of NEST for real - wanting everyone to have a home, and to make that home safe and secure. We are delighted at her service. Her staff is to be commended! read more

I should have paid more attention to the recent bad review about nest, instead of their global high score. I had to send 2 reminders to Tyler in order to set up and appointment with him. After not following up with me, he finally decided to answer and confirmed he'd meet at the proposed date and time. But never showed up. I called nest and after I explained to the person that I was waiting for him, she just laughed at me on the phone which really shocked me. Then she told me that it was probably my fault because I had not confirmed the appointment. I set up the appointment, he confirmed, what am I supposed to confirm? Confirm his confirmation? Their website and philosophy statements are really attractive but they clearly lack the 2 most important qualities of a property management company: reliability and good customer service. read more

I have been a client of NEST DC for a little over 2 years now. They rent out our 2 BR/1BA basement apartment. We have had two different tenants, a woman who relocated to DC from Seattle, and a terrific BF/GF couple who moved to the area from out of town as well. NEST DC led the search, according to my family's STRICT criteria each time (no pets, nonsmoker, quiet, etc), and each time they nailed it. We could not be happier with their effort to not only identify tenants, but identify ideal tenants. In addition to marketing the apartment, they manage it as well. They have a good lease with strong, appropriate language that adheres to the byzantine DC tenant and landlord laws while also being explicitly clear on our requests and demands on tenant behavior and respect for the property generally. Finally, their maintenance crews and field teams are very responsive, flexible, and courteous. Their rates are reasonable too, and they are on time and professional. I have had one water pipe burst, and they set a schedule, adhered to it, and did a very nice job repairing/replacing the pipe and re-patching all the drywall (and re-painting). The typical communication is all done via email, and as a landlord, every month I receive a monthly income report via email and at the end of the year/before tax time, they provide the needed tax documents for filing my expenses and income with the IRS. All in all, friends often tell me I am crazy for hiring a property manager to manage a unit so small, but NEST DC gives our family peace of mind that the income property we have is actually 1) generating income and 2) being responsibly occupied and maintained by good, nice, and professional people. We don't have time to do it on our own, nor do we want to do it on our own. So it works for us. I highly recommend them. read more

I've been working with Nest-DC for the last couple of years. I seldom offer reviews for companies but feel tremendously confident to recommend their services to anyone. Their willingness to go above and beyond is admirable in an industry that is notably lacking of decent customer service. I've rented several living spaces, and dealt with enough undesirable management personnel to know the difference here. The commitment they show to making a difference in the community is incredible and, I wish more local business would mirror their efforts. If you're looking for a place to call your "nest" in the city, Nest-DC is your best bet. read more

Worst property management company in the DC area. They will treat you like you have no rights as a tenant and diminish the value of the unit. Beware, negotiate directly with the owner or go elsewhere. read more

Nest has been our building property manager for over a year. We had a major incident where one unit had a flood and impacted four other units. Nest was extremely responsive and took care of all coordination amongst the units and with all of the different vendors and insurance companies. They sent out periodic updates and kept us in the loop. I could not have asked for a better experience in such a stressful time. read more

Nest helped me rent out an apartment I own. They were pleasant, professional and accommodating. Their advice was excellent and they offered creative solutions to my problems. I'd use them again, and recommend them - especially to property owners who work internationally or who are new landlords. read more

I highly recommend not using them. Horrible horrible horrible and they do a lot of illegal stuff, like charge people without telling them, entering apartments with notice, setting up open houses without notifying tenants until the same day. Anyone that has these problems should report them to DC Tenant Board. read more

Nest has managed our DC rowhome since we moved to Denver about a year ago. They do a great job marketing the house and screening applicants. More importantly, whenever there is an issue with the house, we don't have to worry about a thing. The owners and the employees are all very pleasant to work with and knowledgeable about the rental market. My only complaint is that we asked them to hire a landscaper to do the lawn maintenance. It was on the pricier side for them to come twice a month, and when we were in town we drove by the house and noticed some issues with vines and such. So you may want to get your own landscaper if working with nest. read more

I couldn't be happier with my Nest experience! I hired Nest to do some design and light renovation work (involving carpentry and electrical work)-- I needed the work done before I moved in to my new place and this meant they only had a couple of days to make it happen. But it was no problem for Nest! Lisa came with great ideas for what we could do with the space and brought around two of her trusted handymen/contractors to bid on the work and make sure I got the best price. They drew up a contract that seemed reasonable and clearly laid out the work to be done, responsible parties, and cost. Lisa/Nest managed the whole process and took care of every detail (allowing me to focus on the gazillion other details involved in moving!!). The work was completed on time, on budget, and exactly as I had envisioned. Throughout the process, Nest kept me informed of progress on the work and followed up afterward to make sure my expectations were met (exceeded, actually!)-- they even stopped by on my move-in day just to make sure all was going well and brought a little housewarming gift! Great customer service. Nest and Lisa were accommodating, professional, and meticulous. Moving and renovating your home is incredibly stressful and exhausting but Nest really made the transition easy and I couldn't be happier! Thanks, Nest!! read more

I rented a unit from Nest over a time period spanning 2013-2014. I have had nothing but positive experiences from their product and services. The application process for the rental unit was speedy and without any issues. As far as living in the unit: rental payments are super easy via their user-friendly internet tenant portal. Each time I've had a maintenance issue, Nest staff has been quick to get in touch with me and super responsive to each of my concerns. Every maintenance issue was fixed in a timely and effective manner. In general, the staff at Nest is always ready to be helpful. A genuine pleasure to rent from. By far the best, most attentive, delightful, easy rental experience in my 4 years of living in DC. read more

My wife and I moved from Colorado to DC in June. Nest-DC was a great resource throughout the search process, providing basic information about DC and giving us good advice about the neighborhoods. They sent listings every day, and narrowed the search based on our input. In essence, Nest is like having a good friend who really knows DC. They can't work magic, and they don't have a separate secret database of listings, but they are dedicated to finding the right place for you. I was extremely pleased with their excellent customer service and friendly staff and recommend Nest wholeheartedly! read more

A little over a year ago I moved across the country and engaged Nest DC to manage the rental of my 1 BR condo. They have been nothing short of fabulous. I get timely and accurate monthly reports and deposits of owner distrib and frequent updates on service improvements, tips to me and my tenants on how to prep for seasonal changes like winterizing, etc. They also were my legs on the ground navigating the inspection of my property for DC licensing and were a good referral resource when I had to switch insurance on the property. Beyond Lisa and her team being very good at what they do, they are really pleasant to deal with -- a combination that's not always a given. One super-helpful thing they did for me, pre-marketing, was giving me a list of things I needed to do before they would list it. it took me a bit aback, but realized that if they are putting their good name to it, they want it to look good. And it also helped me get a rent that throws of a nice chunk of change each month. Glad they gave me that list. Really glad I have them in place. They take good care of my tenants (repairs and maintenance done promptly as needed), successfully negotiated a lease renewal with 2+% increase, and make my absentee-landlordship seamless and nearly effortless -- important to me since I'm four time zones away. I just see the $$ pop into my bank account each month, and they do the rest. Highly recommended. read more

I hired Nest DC to repair my apartment after my tenant vacated. They were very quick with a consultation and their hourly rate turnover work (paint, caulk, trim, touch-up); however, I ended up going somewhere else for the larger projects (plumbing, bathroom counter tops, electrical). read more

NO NO NO! Do NOT rent with this "property management" company. Incompetence doesn't even begin to describe the people who work here. They taped an envelope with the words "spare key" to our front door IN THE MIDDLE OF DC. Cat feces was left on the third floor when we moved in. The unavailable Lydia. No one is EVER available when you call. They have a special one-of-a-kind "roommate swap" fee that costs $200! Yes, they tried to charge me $200 (they took it out of my security deposit) for my leaving when my lease was over. I would understand that fee if they actually provided a SERVICE like finding a new tenant or if I signed a contract stating that I agreed to such an arrangement, but they did nothing of the sort. During one call (when I finally got a hold of someone) they told me that since I replied to an email in which the email subject was "Roommate Swap", that I had agreed to pay the $200. Wat. I actually began the process of setting up a meeting with DC's OTA (Office of the Tenant Advocate). These are just SOME of the issues I had with them. Please please PLEASE think twice before signing a contract with them. If you decide to sign with Nest, know your rights as a tenant. read more

We lived in a condo managed by Nest DC for two years, and they were always responsive, friendly, professional and great to work with. Any maintenance issues were promptly resolved, they stayed in regular communication, and there was no hassle. They also manage the building and do a great job with the building management. We recently moved to another unit in the same building, which is managed by another property management company. Wow, big difference...and not in a good way. The service of the new management company pales in comparison to the service we always got from Nest. I'm so disappointed that we don't have Nest for our new unit. I know all the issues we are experiencing with our new unit would be resolved if Nest was managing our new condo. read more

Efficient and responsive. Consistently go above and beyond the call of duty - responding to inquiries on weekend/ after hours etc. I could not be happier with their service. They led a thorough tenant search, coordinated communication with my HOA, oversaw a seamless transition for move-in for the tenant. My particular unit that I was renting needed some TLC before it was ready for renters and they took care of everything. Highly recommend for owners looking to rent with piece of mind. read more

My roommates and I used Nest DC to find our new place. They set us up with a great house that is comfortably in our price range. We communicated by email for the most part, and they were always on the ball...not only responding same day, but usually within the hour. Paperwork was organized by them and they walked us through any questions. When we went to sign the lease and walk through the house, their representative was really helpful writing down everything we noted. If you're looking for help in your housing search, I would highly recommend Nest DC. read more

Wow, really surprised by some of the negative reviews. The entire Nest team has been extremely responsive and helpful. They haven't been around as long as some other firms, so I suppose it's possible they don't have the inside track on all neighborhoods. But suspect they're building their knowledge base very quickly, and in terms of accessibility and responsiveness they've been head & shoulders above most of the other management companies I've dealt with over the course of 20 years (off & on) in DC. PS -- So I clicked through to the filtered site & saw 25 or more 5 star reviews, none of which are captured in the overall score??? You've got to be kidding. Yelp, you seriously need to review your filter algorithms. Your star rankings have just become meaningless in my book. read more

Nest / Roost manages my condo building and they have done a fantastic job. They are responsive, friendly, responsible, and organized. It has been wonderful to have them on board at our building! read more

I feel like I went through the wringer with this company. I rented a $3,500 per month condo apartment in DC from Nest DC and had to literally fight them tooth and nail in order to get most of my $3,500 security deposit back. They initially retained the entire deposit because they said there was a small section of water damage on the hardwood floor in the kitchen directly under and slightly in front of the refrigerator. While this is true, it actually was there when we took possession of the apartment. I could clearly see that is was a result of the french door style refrigerator with the pull out bottom freezer drawer which at one point must have leaked or was due to ice falling through to the floor when the door is opened, which after living there, happened so frequently I ended up turning the ice maker off. Anyways, since it was there when we moved in, and seemed minor, I ignored it and neglected to bring it to their attention. Naively, because the agent did a walkthrough with us, and saw it, I assumed that they knew about it, and that it was not a problem. Well I learned my lesson upon moving out. Nest stated that they would be keeping my security deposit because the owner now wanted a contractor in to rip up that small section of floor and replace it. When I asked for the agent that rented it to us and who saw it, I was out of luck because she had already left the company. So, I was told I was now paying for a new floor. I had to resort to calling them every day and asking for them to show me how I caused this damage, when it was actually pre-existing damage. I asked them to provide photos of the undamaged floor before I moved in but they could not. After about a month of asking, they finally sent me a very choppy video in which this tiny section of the floor under the refrigerator and just in front of the door, was not clearly visible. I had to call a renters advocate, an attorney in the DC area specializing in landlord tenant mediation in order to get advice on what to do next. But, ironically sometime after that meeting, and calling NEST DC and telling them we'd just have to go to court over this, I received a check from them out of the blue for $3,500 less $175. The $175 reduction, they claimed was for a sticky back of these tiny command strips that my baby monitor required users to put on the wall as a cord keeper so the babies don't strangle themselves with a loose wire. So, NEST DC claimed they had to have a painter come in and paint the entire wall over again. Howerver, they never provided me with receipts or proof that the work was ever done. This, come to find out, is illegal in DC and they legally needed to provide my with receipts totally the $175 they retained. So, they not only tried to keep my deposit, for which I had to incur attorney fees in trying to get back, they also stole $175 from me, but I was so tired fighting with them, while dealing with moving to a foreign country at the same time, and having a one year old, and being pregnant again, that I couldn't fight anymore and I just gave up and stopped fighting. Moral of the story, renters beware and fully document the condition of the apartment during the walkthrough BEFORE taking possession. Utilize their condition form and be sure to KEEP a copy for yourself, and make sure your copy is SIGNED by THEM. Put everything on this condition statement, even if you think it is minor. I would also advise renters to take a video and pictures showing the condition of the apartment and if there is anything questionable in the pictures that you don't want to be responsible for, email NEST DC the pictures and explain this in your email and keep a copy of your dated email. Just protect yourself and don't let them do to you what they did to me. A lesson learned the hard way. read more

Stephanie was super unresponsive. I had a few questions about an apartment I was considering applying for and she didn't respond to my emails. She was sure to send the link for the application though. read more

If you rent through Nest as a tenant just make sure everything is in order before you sign the lease. I'm dealing with a lost mailbox key and they are not being very understanding or responsive to the frustrations from this screw-up that I had no control over but am now having to deal with. They also passed the buck on the details of the complex that I am now living in so that I have to learn things as I go in a way that I would not have had to do if I rented directly from the property manager. On top of that I am now faced cleaning out some junk left behind by the owner or previous tenant. On the bright side, their web portal is easy to navigate so that documents, rent payments and maintenance requests are easy to access and track. read more

I hired them because after a month of searching on my own, I was extremely disappointed and unable to find anything I was remotely interested in and also had an vacation planned that left me scrambling to find a place ASAP. Most importantly, I have what immediately rules me out for most DC landlords: a small dog. After speaking with Nest, they seemed to be quite confident in finding a place, as "he is well under 40lbs and it should be no problem." I happily spent the money thinking that they had some good connections to condo owners and had experience finding pet-friendly apts. Unfortunately, I have no idea what they did for me that I hadn't already done in my month of searching.They completely misrepresented how easy it would be for them to find dog-friendly housing.They probably sent me 15 listings total, all from craigslist (which I was already going through hourly to find something) and about half of those listings were not dog friendly. Save your money, totally not worth it. read more

NEST is the worst property management company I have ever dealt with. They never conducted a walk through of the property prior to my moving in. After I moved in I realized the first floor of the house had a major rat infestation in the walls, the master bedroom on the 2nd floor had a mouse infestation [I realized it when I woke up 1 morning to see that mice had literally chewed up a brand new winter coat I'd just bought.], the kitchen ceiling had water stains and mold growing in it [which I didn't notice when I came by to see the house the 1st & 2nd time] from the bathroom above it [the shower spewed water all over the floor that led to the water damage & the mold; the master bedroom didn't have door knobs on the door, the windows did not have screens, there was a pile of broken furniture left at the top of the stairs on move in day that I ended up having to ask my movers to move, there was a pile of dirt from a plant that had been knocked over in the master bedroom and just left there next to the radiator, the basement had a horrible smell of "rat" according to the pest control guy, and the door to the basement kept blowing open but we had no way of keeping it closed because no one at NEST had given us keys to the basement door prior to move in. And by the way everything I just listed is a DC Housing Code violation. So I sent Lydia an email documenting everything with photos and even recordings of the rats [chewing through the dry wall in the kitchen], that's when she said, "Oh we had no idea the property was left that way" to which I replied, "So you never conducted a walk through of the property prior to us moving in?" to which she replied, "No, I guess we're going to need to get better about that in the future." So they sent Dane Denson who was very nice and honest about the state of the house. To speed this story up I'll just add that we constantly had to check NESTS math, it was consistently wrong in several calculations, Lydia became defensive when we were just pointing out things that were going wrong. They were resistant to giving us a heads up as to when the maintenance & pest control people [all of whom were great] would be stopping by. I woke up 1 morning to a maintenance guy standing over me at 7:30am unannounced while I was sleeping because I slept on the couch in our living room for over a month because of the mice in my bedroom, meanwhile I'm paying $1500 a month to sleep on the couch of my new place. They lawyered up really quickly and went along with the landlord, Zachary Levey, [who lives in Spain but owns the property we just left at 1907 8th St. NW between U & T in Shaw], when Mr. Levey said that if we moved out by the 15th of January we'd "only owed him 3 months rent." He was hoping we'd be stupid and not know our rights. It also came out that prior to my moving in apparently the house had human feces bubbling up in the basement and the city needed to come by and dig up the front yard to fix everything. Mr. Levey was lucky we didn't report him to the DCRA [unfortunately it took the DCRA over a month to get out to our house to survey everything so it was useless to our situation but that's another story. The long and the short of it is we found the NEST team to be sloppy, inexperienced and needing better math skills. Oh yeah and I forgot to add that Lydia was very resistant to having a conference call with us so that we could ask questions and save time. It was a terrible experience. The stress, time suck and expense it cost us all because we had a terrible landlord & a property management company that never took the time to do their due diligence. Think long and hard about using NEST and if you do use them ask a lot of questions prior to signing anything. read more

We use them for property management. Stay away. Very disappointing. They act like they are a young start up, with a cool vibe. They end up being inexperienced and shockingly bureaucratic. read more

I've worked with Nest both as a renter and as a leaser and I've always been impressed with their professionalism and responsiveness. The truth about renting and DC living is that shit happens and life is expensive. But as a small business with real dedication to the local community I couldn't think of a better operation to work with on property management. I just bought my first condo and if I ever get to the point of renting it out, I would know exactly where to go. read more

I've been living in a row house that NEST manages for about a year now. I find working with a property management company, they are much more responsive than a random landlord would be and they always fix any problems the house may have. Their customer service is great. Any issues we've had from a burst pipe to a broken laundry machine, NEST sent someone within 48 hours to respond. And they make swapping housemates very easy as well. I like working with them and find them trustworthy. I've been really enjoying my stay in the house. read more

Love Nest!, They manage the Monique and have done a great job and have been very attentive. The whole team is great, but Chelsey and Patrick particularly shine. Thanks guys! read more

I have been very disappointed by this company. Employees do not respond to my emails for over 48 hours and do not return my phone calls at all. In addition, I made a complaint in February and it was not resolved until June. As an owner, I would never hire this company to manage my property. read more

I was so excited when Nest came on board as our property managers...fast-forward a year, and things are not so happy. Most recently, we experienced a flood in our apartment. Not only did Nest fail to react in time, they sent through the wrong technician (roofer instead of plumber, which according to the plumber was a rookie mistake) and waited several hours before doing so, by which time there was a lot of water damage that could have been avoided. Even worse, they were shockingly unapologetic and tried to get the Board to say that we were liable for costs even though everyone agreed that the cause was due to broken building machinery in the roof of the Condo. They continue to be unprofessional, unhelpful and seriously late in responding to requests. read more

I only used Nest DC for a few months before finding a place to live closer to my school, but I thought they were phenomenal. Email responses were prompt, they handled situations very professionally, and were respectful of getting things done quickly - whether it was my paperwork to move, something that needed fixing in our apartment, or serving as a go-between with the apartment owner. Our apartment was very new and well taken care of, and they worked to ensure that it would stay that way. My interactions with various members of their staff was always a positive experience. They way they operate online is also very efficient. It makes it so simple to pay rent, send in maintenance requests, and communicate with them. I would certainly look to use Nest DC again next time I move. read more

Update: deposit issue has been fixed and nice follow up emails sent to us. +1 star.

I recently began renting a property that Nest manages and my entire experience thus far has been nothing short of spectacular. After dealing with some of the other, larger, management companies around the city, Nest's professionalism and efficiency is truly a breath of fresh air. Any and all issues have been dealt with promptly. I don't think I will ever work with another management company again! read more

NEST DC has been a fantastic property management company and I can't say enough great things. They manage my current condo and have been very responsive for the past year. Now, my roommates and I are planning to renew our lease again all thanks to Mike Finkelstein, an all star employee at Nest. I wish I could give him more than 5 stars! Mike is responsive, helpful, and dedicated! I HIGHLY recommend Nest!! read more

Nest manages the apartment we moved into three months ago, and since the first day they have been negligent, rude, and unscrupulous. When they showed us the apartment, they lied to us when they said it had "central air." Not until we moved in did we find out that the AC is controlled by our upstairs neighbors, that the AC is insufficient in our apartment, we were sweating through the end of the summer. We were then promised an AC window unit which never happened. On top of this there were a number of other issues with the apartment: broken appliances, insects, no weather stripping, broken lights, etc. All of these issues took days and days to resolve, and the communication between me, the Nest office, and the maintenance people was confusing or non-existent. I was locked out of the apartment for an hour during one of these maintenance visits because the Nest office failed to convey to me and the maintenance person what the situation was with the keys. The clothes dryer has broken three times now. The second time it broke, it took over a week to get it fixed, and the Nest office gave us incorrect information multiple times so that we couldn't even plan to go to the laundromat. It's currently been broken for several days and we've had no word on when it will be fixed. In general, when we have called the Nest office about this long list of problems, we've been treated dismissively, or downright rudely. They are disorganized and incompetent. I would never rent from them again and I would never trust them to manage a property. read more

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Nest DC!!!! I was living in a situation in NE/H Street DC with poor property mangement then none due to a landlord that ran off on his tenants. Fortunately, a new landlord bought our buiding and had the smarts to hire Nest DC to manage it. I feel like I'm truly valued now and my needs as a tenant are met. The personalized care and professional management by the Nest team has made all the difference. I now enjoy where I live and would happily rent another unit from them again!!! GO NEST DC!!! read more

A few years back our Philadlephia agency was stock with a rental home for five years in the DC area. Our agency no longer occupied the home with residents from our program and was stuck with a home that had not been upgraded with all the modern amenities common in the neighborhood that bought rents common in the neighborhood. After a paint and other cosmetics we thought the property might be ideal for students. Since Tennley town was close by, the two colleges in that area migh be idea. I came across Nest DC after talking with several Real Estate companies in the neighborhood who handled the higher end rentals in DC, one recommended Nest DC. I met and spoke with Jim on the telephone for several weeks before meeting him and Rhianna face to face. The same day I met Nest I met the tenants who would be moving into the house. We found a group of students, through an outside realtor source, to rent the house. Nest was there strictly to manage the rental. During the course of one visit they were ready with everything needed for checking the new tenants properly. Though many people advised against renting to students, Nest was on top of this rental for the final two years we needed to lease the house. Rhianna did a great job of keeping me informed and visiting the house, arranging for ongoing services and meeting me at the house when I was in town checking on the property. Her attention to detail was unmatched. Thank you Rhianna Jim and Nest for your services, I shared your regular newletter with other property managers in our agency and would look to you for future assistance in the DC area. Mike S., Philadelphia, Pa. . read more

I rate Nest DC one star only because they have pleasant people on their team. Unfortunately, no one on their staff has an expertise in landlord tenant law (meaning significant experience in) or in the negotiation or drafting of contracts. Nest executed the lease with a prospective tenant without first showing it to me (the homeowner), and that opened a can of worms. I knew enough about contract law that the lease would not be good. And it is not appropriate for a company to bind the owner to terms when the owner is not even aware of them. Turns out, the lease had challenges. When I tried to communicate with staff members about how things should be handled with the tenant, they didn't have solutions to offer because they have no knowledge of the best legal way to handle disputes. You might stand to lose money. I strongly caution against hiring this company until they put an attorney on staff. You should also make clear in the property management agreement that they are not permitted to use email as a primary form of communication on important issues. I complained about emails saying that I wanted to speak to them, not just email, but they still wouldn't return my calls because "We are always in the field," they said. They rarely ever returned phone calls. The tenant reported the same thing. I stopped using their services effective August 1, 2014 and now manage my own rental. The people at Nest are professional in the sense that they keep a proper attitude when blood starts to boil, but they are wholly unknowledgeable and uninventive about how to manage their relationship with people, which is the biggest part of their business. read more