As I write this review, I am 10 months into a 1 year lease. I remember reading reviews on this website before moving here, so I'll be glad to advise someone who may be headed down the same road I was. First, the good stuff. I really like the grounds, the woodsy setting on a lake. There are ducks, squirrels, eagles... sometimes I forget I'm in an apartment complex. I have found the staff to be quite professional and definitely helpful, especially with maintenance issues. However, more often than not, I get the feeling that they are being "fake" nice, like they don't really care, it's just their job to treat you a certain way. I do like the location. It's nice to be able to walk to one of the many stores that are close by. As far as neighbors go, I guess I've been lucky so far. No loud parties, fights, or other disruptive activity. My neighbors have been great people to live around. Other than the guy above me whose snoring keeps me up at night. Which brings me to the bad stuff. First point- the building itself. We have had moldy walls, windowsills, closets, and bathrooms. Mold gets on your stuff and doesn't come off. Rooms have a certain smell to them. Sinuses get clogged. Mold is not good. This unit can't be insulated that well if I can hear someone above me snore. Then there's the fact that the winter electric bill was over $125/month. I am on the ground floor and it is not a bright space, the windows probably let out more heat than they let in light. Another thing: dog poo. I have stepped in it. You will too. I know it is the owner's responsibility, but for the amount of pet rent they collect, someone should patrol the grounds. I've seen it get pretty bad in certain areas. Those are the major bad things. I could compose a list of minor things, but I would almost expect them in most rental properties. And for the worst of things- vehicle burglaries. Each of my two vehicles has been broken into in my 10 months so far. My losses are around $500. I have heard stories of MANY people having things stolen from their vehicles. There is supposed to be a night security person/team. I have never seen them. Nobody I have talked to has ever seen them. Do they really exist' If so they are not doing a good job. By the way I park in the free spaces that are further away from the buildings than the covered spaces. Carrying groceries for a hundred yards in the rain isn't fun. The parking spaces are smaller than average. My vehicles have scratches and dents on them that were not there prior to parking at surprise lake.
Overall, I would have to say that this place has its pros and cons, but when figuring in the ever rising cost of rent, I couldn't recommend it as worth the money.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 04/08/2008
My husband and I are moving in the end of April. We spent a lot of time researching different apartment complexes, and have driven through Surprise Lake randomly after dark, on weekends, on many occasions prior to making our final decision. Surprise Lake is far more quiet than ANY complex in Kent, where we currently reside. ALL apartment complexes have theft. They are targets for this type of thing. We are going to have the covered parking, which is a steal of a deal at $20 a month. Your electric bill appears average for winter months. AND you can live in the best of the burbs in a gated community and STILL step in doggie doo. It is a fact of life. I don't currently have a dog, but we have walked around the trail a few times prior to making our decision, and did not see any dog poo. I see most dogs on leashes with responsible owners there. I do not agree that the office staff is "fake" by any means. They are genuinely friendly, and answered ALL our questions (and we had a LOT), with patience and understanding. Even after we gave a deposit and they already had our commitment to move to Surprise Lake, they were kind, understanding, and never made us feel that we asked too many questions. One evening when we dropped off some paperwork, there was a community supper, which was "breakfast for dinner". All the residents we met in the clubhouse were good people, very friendly. If you lived where I do, you'd appreciate Surprise Lake Village. I have to get up at 5:30 a.m. for work, as does my husband. The Kent police just showed up after our security called them, because our neighbors leave their 5 and 6 year old kids alone while they work night shift. On the other side of me the husband was arrested on Valentine's day for beating up his wife. Our complex is a higher-end one in Kent, and our rent is quite high. Our home was attempted to be broken into, but we had wooden dowels on our windows. We make sure our outside lights are on, and we have alarms on our cars. As far as your snoring neighbor.... if he is asleep, he may not know he is snoring. You could be saving his life if you tell him... he may have life-threatening sleep apnea and could stop breathing in his sleep, if in fact it is that loud. I only am telling you that things are much worse elsewhere. There is mold all over the place, this is Washington state. We bleach our windowsills and spray Lysol mold and mildew spray, and still the mold comes back. Crack your windows open on sunny days and that will kill some of it. Otherwise, get some paper towels, fill a spray bottle with half bleach and half water, and wipe it down weekly. Everybody has to do this if you want to get rid of the musty smell. If you live on the first floor, that comes with the territory. Good luck, and I hope your situation gets better. It really is quite a decent place to live with good office staff. Give it a chance. We look forward to being residents with great anticipation!

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