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Do Not Recommend: Lots of Issues
From:
rentalexperience
Date posted:
8/14/2005
Years at this apartment:
2004
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2005
2 responses
I lived in the Centennial Tower for about a year and, unfortunately, cannot recommend it. Here are some of my experiences:
(1) Unresponsive Management: The neighbor's toilet (I believe) overflowed into my apartment, and management did nothing, apparently thinking that they could not enter to deal with the problem without my permission. I returned home late at night to sewage-like smells and soaked carpet and nearly an inch of dirty water on my bathroom floor. Management promised to clean up the problem and wash the towels I had to use to clean up the mess myself, but nothing had been done the next time I returned to the appartment. Only after complaining again did management respond -- a few days after the overflow. Corinna (sp'), the manager, was obsequious and promised to find out what happened and get back to me. I never heard back from her.
(2) Broken Promises: After I decided to move somewhere else, management told me that they had a tenant who would like to move in on the first of the month. I moved out and cleaned the apartment and let management show the apartment before my lease term ended. I did so as a courtesy to the new tenants and because management agreed to give me a week's credit on my rent if I left the apartment a week early so that they could get it ready for the next tenant a week early. I cleaned the apartment and moved out more than a week early and told management that they could have the apartment back, but that I would need to drop off the keys a few days later, which they said would be fine.
I expected to get a week's credit on my final settlement statement. In fact, I got only a small fraction of the week's credit. Why' Because, contrary to its promise, management counted my move-out from the date I turned keys over, not the date I moved out and gave them the apartment back. The new tenants moved in on time. So, I ended up paying for two living spaces for a week, and Centennial got an extra week's rent.
I recently had a very unpleasant conversation with management about this. Corinna assured me that she would investigate what representations employees' made and get back to me. She never did. I called again just a few days ago, and another staff-member assured that she would call me back when she got off the phone. I haven't heard from her yet and don't have high hopes. This is a pattern. Overall, I did not find the staff to be very professional.
(3) Paper Thin Walls: One big problem, unrelated to management, is that the building construction is poor, and privacy is minimal. I could hear TVs on both sides of my apartment, even when the TVs were at a low volume. I heard conversations through the walls. And, at night, I frequently heard people in a neighboring apartment having sex.
(4) Questionable Security: The security personnel are very nice, but, in my view, there aren't enough of them. I frequently saw non-residents in public parts of the building -- which was sometimes frightening to me. I also witnessed the FBI escorting someone out in handcuffs in the lobby late one night. The building is large, and there is a lot going on in it, not all of it "savory." I note that the parking garage -- which opens to a dark alley, and whose door stays open long after cars drive in -- was of particular concern to me.
(5) Steep Rent Increase After Just One Year: After I already decided to leave Centennial for other reasons (in part, those described above), I received a letter from management detailing a staggering increase in rent if I decided to stay. The rent/parking increase amounted to, if I remember correctly, around 20% (or about $200 per month). That seemed excessive given that nothing about living at Centennial had improved during that time: The public areas just got dirtier and more worn; the parking garage more crowded; etc. Also, I did not notice a corresponding rent increase in other buildings when I looked at craigslist. I think the reason for the rent increase has less to do with the market or improvements to the building than it does with the new ownership.
(6) The Surrounding Area: I thought that living downtown would be exciting, but it turned out to be a bore. In my opinion, there aren't many good restaurants around the Centennial. Surprisingly, bus service isn't that great in this area, either, in my view. The worst thing about the neighborhood, though, is that a VERY BUSY fire station is right down the street from Centennial. This means that, unless you are living on an upper floor, which costs a lot more, you may be awakened at all hours by fire truck sirens. I would expect poor sleep if you live in this location.
In sum, I can't recommend the Centennial Tower. In my view, it has a lot going against it -- unresponsive and, in my view, dishonest management, questionable safety, not-so great location, and terrible noise -- and it just got much more expensive. It's really, really easy to find a better and cheaper place!
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User Responses
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From:
ninitadefe
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Date:
10/31/2005
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where did you find a better place let me know??
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From:
swhitmyre
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Date:
03/13/2006
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I share your sentiments with this building, but not the location. I adored Belltown why I lived there. Indeed the fire trucks were tough to get used to (I wore ear plugs). My eperiences with the broken promises were the same, and also the unelxplained charges and recording of move out dates when other terms had been verbally agreed. The management there seems more than happy to screw people out of money left and right. It doesn't help that the building is a complete POS too. Doesn't meet Washington state HVAC codes and the smell of the corridors could make one gag.
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