Wharfside Pointe

Extremely poor customer experience here.
I’ll start with the positives; this really is a nice looking apartment complex with reasonable prices for the location and the current rental market. I toured a few different units with Shanice to get a feel for our preferences. She was very kind and helpful and seemed to understand our preferences based on what we saw (lots of natural light, one of the units with more closet space, etc.)
After that day we remained in contact, and when I saw a unit with my move-​in date became available on their website, I requested to view the unit whenever possible. I didn’t hear back after multiple emails so I emailed their main office email and heard back from Mariana. She said to come down to Wharfside to talk more about the unit that was available. My boyfriend met her while I was at work and she explained that she couldn’t show him the unit but told him it had everything we loved — a walk-​in closet, lots of sunlight, etc.
We asked if there was any way we could see the unit or even just see photos of the unit, both of which we were told would not be possible. So we asked for a floor plan, which we were also told did not exist (a little odd if you ask me, especially for an established apartment complex). We were told by Mariana that she could «sketch» out the floor plan for me so I would have a better idea. We were sent multiple quotes to reserve the unit, which would expire after 24 hours. We kept reminding Mariana that we would AT LEAST need a sketch of the floor plan before we could commit to the apartment. Mariana told me multiple times that she was going to sketch out the apartment in a few days time. She called me a few days before she was going to be able to sketch it, and let me know that the unit did NOT have a walk in closet, AND that the price for the unit had gone up and would continue to go up, so she recommended reserving it ASAP (putting down a deposit, etc, etc). The following day as I waited patiently to see a floor plan, was sent yet another 24-​hour quote, and finally was informed by Shanice that the unit was rented by someone else.
Overall nice looking apartments, but I simply don’t have the time in my schedule to wait around to hear about an apartment while being constantly pressured to commit to it without so much as an accurate floor plan, with a fluctuating price. Especially when we were never sent the information we were promised.

We moved to Seattle via job relocation from San Diego. A good point to be made is that most units have no A/​C and it was a warm summer. Over all I loved our unit, it was large, spacious and had an amazing view, considering we rented online looking for a six month lease it was perfect! We just bought a home here so it is time to go. I don’t have many negative things to say, but previous statements about the front office are correct. They are average at best and sometimes argumentative when looking for a parcel. We also lost heat for three days in one room, I turned in a work order, when I checked on it, it had been closed out without being addressed. The location is great and close to several amenities, so not bad for a six month stay!

I wanted to share what a great experience it was to live here. Originally, we moved from Arizona — never seeing the place first. But despite what you may read, Dahlia and her team are fantastic. She went above and beyond to find the best location of apartment for our needs. She took pictures of the actual unit and surroundings so I could see exactly what we were getting into.
The only reason we are moving is because we need a bigger place to live and we cannot afford the bigger units here. I wish we could! It’s in a perfect location close to downtown, walking to Ballard, Fremont, and Queen Anne. It also feels very safe here.
The units are all very updated and beautiful. They take great care of the landscaping. They are always there for you if you need maintenance or otherwise. I’m sad to go!

Horrible customer service.
This is a beautiful apartment complex, managed by the worst females you will ever come in contact with. I signed a lease thinking I had just found amazing new place to live but I ended up dropping the lease because the property manager, Dalia is terrible to work with. She was rude and unfriendly through the entire process.
It’s very important to like the people you rent from. It can easily affect your credit history and your sanity. I’m happy I found a new place to live!

I’m a big fan of this place. The apartments are nicely designed, appliances are new, the finishes look good, and the rent is reasonably priced.

Accommodating, great maintenance staff. Nice outdoor space, super nice gym. Allow dogs which is nice.

Ok, move out time means time for a review.
I don’t have much to say, overall a pleasant experience, so here are some bullet points that come to mind.
Pros:
Updated homes
Updated Appliances
Washer/​Dryer in unit
Garage Parking
Located near Fred Meyer, Safeway, Walgreens, QFC, Whole Foods, PetSmart etc.
Maintenance staff is helpful, responsive and nice. Carlos is the man. Jeremy is a good man too.
Cheaper rent than other places.
New Gym/​clubhouse.
Cons:
#1 con in my opinion — Garbage and recycle bin is a long walk from your apartment, unless you’re one of the lucky ones in front of the elevator.
Office staff has high turnover.
Walls are on the thin side. But you can deal with it.
Sometimes the old office staff would be on lunch and USPS, FedEx or UPS would not be able to deliver. I understand everyone has to take a lunch break, but part of their responsibility is to accept packages as promised. That hasn’t been an issue as of late though.

My boyfriend and I moved in to Warfside Pointe this weekend. From the first phone call we made to the company, we had the best experience. The man who scheduled our appointment to view the apartment was very friendly and helpful. He asked multiple questions upfront so that they knew exactly what we were looking for. Following that, Sandra emailed us to confirm the appointment and the information. She included the apartments and prices of the apartments that she was going to show us. (AMAZINGLY, they were the same or less expensive than the ad.)
That same day, Sandra showed us 3 brand new apartments and 3 newly renovated ones. We fell in love with the last one! She got our apps processed and our keys to us in just about 3 hours! We moved in that night! As advertised, we received a great deal on the deposit and parking as well. We even got an awesome discount on internet/​cable through Comcast for living in the complex!
Carlos, one of the maintenance guys, is great! The apt had just become available so it was missing its toilet seat. After he installed that, he went above and beyond (in my opinion) and took care of several other details that we would have never even noticed.
Pros:
Pets allowed! WOOF!
Updated gym
New space with outside kitchen and outside fireplace
New lobby area with TV, couch, coffee station
Garage parking
Easy street parking
Washer/​dryer in unit
Great staff
Con:
The only con so far is that utilities aren’t included in the rent and seem a bit high but everything else makes up for that.
I think we are going to be very happy here! =]
Thank you guys for making the move so easy!

I don’t rent from here, and am thankful for that. When I was looking for apartments I contacted them regarding a one bedroom. Their pushy sales tactics are horrible and very irritating. I was forced to put down a deposit before even having my application run, and if you end up not renting from them, like I did, good luck getting your money back quickly. I was told on 1÷6÷14 that my refund was being processed for the deposit and it would be back to me in 3 – 5 business days (which is the first of two lies, 1)
— where they take your deposit — says it only takes 2 – 3 business days to refund, but it has to be initiated by the property owners, and 2) they didn’t initiate said refund until 1÷12÷14). Lying to me about processing a refund of money that isn’t there’s by any right? F’ed up. Sounds like they try to pull fast ones on people all the time.

There are some definite pros to this complex and then some definite cons.
I’ll start with the pros:
There is an elderly asian maintence worker that is HANDS DOWN the best most awesome guy ever. He is super friendly and wonderful and I will miss him.
Great location
Washer and Dryer
Underground Parking (It’s not the most expensive, but it’s not the cheapest. There is also a fair amount of street parking and my guests can usually find parking there)
Gym
Rental Office staff is usually friendly
Pet friendly
Vending machines take CC!
Cons:
NOT ENOUGH RECYCLE CONTAINERS!
They do yearly inspections and instead of doing everything on one day, they do it multiple times.
Rent is now priced entirely too high
Pool is now gone (but, it looks like they are putting in a pretty nice little outdoor space which would be nice)
Noisy neighbors inside and outside
If you live facing 15^th be prepared to roast alive in the summer or sunny days– none of the living room windows have the ability to open!!!
AUM ultilties are over $ 80 month!
Gym has updated equiptment, but no windows open and no AC so in the summer be prepared to work out in sauna!
When I moved in 2009 pretty much none of the apartments were updated except for the «penthouse». Well, now they are updating the apartments as people leave. My rent was raised considerably this year, so I made the choice to leave.
I really loved Wharfside Pointe. I used to live in a 2 bedroom facing 15^th and really hated how insanely warm it got. So when my lease was up after 2 years I moved to a 1 bedroom on the other side of the building and was so happy that multiple windows opened.
However, I also inherited upstairs neighbors that loved to have their very own raves on the weekends! Boy was I in luck, not only did I get to hear their bass heavy music, their balcony was above mine, right off my bedroom which allowed me to be privy to their high thoughts on life. (gems include «Retirement is the number 1 killer of old people» and «No moment in life will be greater than my time at Burning Man» It was very difficult to live under them and I felt like the rental office was in no way helpful in assisting us with this. Almost every weekend we were calling the on call security folks to help me since the two times I went up to ask them to turn their music down nothing happened.
The only resolution the office staff gave me was to tell me that they were now on a month to month lease and would not be here much longer. What is the point of putting noise restriction hours into a lease if you will not enforce them?
Other than the absurdly raised rent prices (which I would have paid for an updated apartment, but there is no way I would pay over $ 1300 for a 1 bedroom apartment with the bare basics) there are several key factors that left me to find residence elsewhere. It seems as though what was once an apartment complex inhabited by professionals has no become over run with young drunk folks. Multiple nights I was awoken from drunk people stumbling out of cabs on 14^th that want to continue their party in the courtyard where their voices echoes. I have confronted them and asked them to please be quiet only to be told to turn my fan on to tune them out. Really?
They are planning on adding additional units to their storefront areas, which I think will be a nightmare to the underground parking situation. I wish spots were assigned, as if you come home late at night you are left with spots you can’t fit into because people parked off or they thought it would be super nice of them to park in the middle spot, making it near impossible to fit your car on either side of them.
One of the biggest items recently is that since putting the recycle bins in the parking area, they clearly need a third recycle bin, yet after months of having the same problem, they have not gotten a new recycle bin. I have attached a photo of the trash area on a Sunday evening. You should note that recycle is picked up on Wednesday!!! I have also seen their maintence staff taking this overloaded recyling and tossing bags into the trash! So much for being green :/​
Also, it is fairly true that they enter your apartment a couple of times a year. Now, it isn’t a ton, and they do give you notice. However, I’ve never lived anywhere that does this and I find the number of times a year they do this to be completely unnecesary and I feel that they do it that many times purely to check up on you. These visits could be lumped into one, but nope, they spread it out over the year.
So, would I recommend Wharfside Pointe? If you have lots of money and want to live in an apartment complex, sure why not? But, honestly there are better places you could live than here. I found a two bedroom that is much bigger and cuter and costs less than a one bedroom here. So, perchance you might want to look elsewher

I lived in Wharfside Pointe for one year. The maintenance staff were quick to respond to any complaints I had. The office staff were very friendly and often had cookies to share. In particular, Robyn helped me negotiate with Comcast to get 6 months free HBO after there was a problem with my initial setup!
I liked the location. It’s far from I-​5, but since I lived and worked in Fremont/​Ballard it was very convenient for me. The apartment was recently remodeled with stone countertops, very fancy.

Years at this apartment: December 2011 — January 2013
RE: The worst scumbags in my experience and opinion!: Wharfside Pointe apartment manager and its management in Seattle, Washington.
We rented from Essex Property Trust for thirteen months. Before we moved in, one of the employees of the building did a Move In itemized statement check on all rooms with me and my housemate. We wrote down all the existing items that we had seen, for example, small stains on the carpets, holes on around the doors frame, cuts in countertops, dishwasher, rust on grout and tub, stains in the cabinets, stains inside the drawers, broken pieces board under the sink, spots on the carpet near the kitchen, scuffs to balcony door, worn and dirty carpet, holes and stain on the walls etc. and when we moved in the carpets in each room were dirty but after we complained they cleaned the carpets.
A few months later we found out that, although my room was close to the major street with lots of traffic noise, when it was raining (which it often is in Seattle) the balcony leaked water which creates an annoying drip, night after night after night, and Essex wouldn’t allow you hang things on your balcony (like a towel) to stop the dripping noise. All the windows were poorly sound proofed with poor ventilation. Also, utilities there are very expensive. When we decided to move out, that was when the true colors of Essex management shone through. The property manager had personally walked the unit with me and told me that the place was fine and acceptable and we both signed the Move in/​Move out Itemized statement. When I requested a copy, she said she would mail it to me shortly thereafter. This did not happen. I only knew what happened when my ex roommate, who moved to another state, called me up and told me that she had been mailed the letter with a bill. The letter was forwarded to me. I received an e-​mail from her that we owed a charge of carpet cleaning, apartment cleaning, and painting touch up. I had been expecting to receive my portion of the security deposit back. We were shocked because during the Move Out inspection, she told me that everything was approved and that the apartment was in great condition. As a matter of fact, I left the apartment extremely clean, much cleaner than when we first moved in. After I moved out, I cleaned the apartment very well and I also hired a professional to clean the rooms again room by room. Thus the kitchen, laundry, bedrooms, bathrooms, hall, balcony, windows, and carpets were perfectly clean. Naturally, I disputed their claim. I even had the cleaning service I had hired write a letter, attesting to cleaning the apartment professionally. It made no difference. The scumbag manager and the scummier bagged account representative of the Wharfside Pointe were instead very rude, unprofessional, and obnoxious when our concerns related to their maintenance issues were brought up, and my calls to the management of the apartments to recover of my refund security deposit were answered by being hung up on by the account representative without answering my concerns. Eventually, they didn’t even answer the phone. So to all potential renters: Renters Beware! I do not advise anyone to move into the Wharfside Pointe apartments complex in Seattle or any building owned by the Essex Property Trust. Whatever money you give them in good faith will be kept even though they promise to return it. This company gives the worst customer service that I have ever had. I have also filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau in Seattle, Washington, the Rental Housing Association of Puget Sound, and the Washington Department of Consumer Affairs.
Some smart advice before you move to a new apartment is to make sure you take lots of pictures of each room, including floors, cabinets, porches, balconies, windows, walls, appliances etc and document every defect. Be extra diligent about your move in and move out itemized statement list, fully understand the rental contract. When you sign the documents, get the copies right away of all the documents that you sign with the manager: otherwise, they can add more items on the move in and move out checklist that you signed afterwards, and if you don’t have proof that what they have listed happened after you signed the documents, you will be out of luck. It will be very hard to prove that they wrote things without your consent. We have to protect ourselves from dishonest, predatory landlords in all aspects of these kinds of deals. It is highly unethical and unfortunate that a property management that can seem nice enough truly is just out for your money and trying to intimidate you in whatever way possible to get you on the hook. Don’t be fooled like I was. Protect yourself. You are dealing with crooked management.

The office staff has really gone above and beyond for me. I broke my foot. They brought all my packages to my apartment. Jessica even offered to take my dogs out for me. My garage door opener stopped working one evening and he actually came to my apartment after hours to give me a new one.

If the rent hadn’t Increased so much this year, I would have stayed. But there are a few things that people should know about this place.
Apartments are pretty nice.
Apartments are pretty big.
If you are thinking about renting an apartment in the C, D, or E buildings, try to get on the side that does not butt up against 15^th ave or the Ballard bridge. The traffic noise can be loud, very loud. And in the summer the apartments can get really warm (my unit only had one window that would open, out of the 4 large view windows that my unit has) which made it difficult to cool down.
There is only one Garbage bin (plus many recycling bins) for the entire complex, and it is located a bit of a ways away. There are no garbage cans anywhere else on the grounds. If you have a dog… well then you are walking a distance to throw away the baggie…
When the sprinkler system starts to go off in the summer… the Garage starts to flood a little… nothing too much, but can be concerning when you drive under a waterfall of water… Kind of makes you wonder how the foundation of the building is.. and how safe your car is in the garage… Parking spots in the garage are «interesting» there are many tiny spots, and a couple of spots that are regular size… there is a strategically sound way to park in all spots, and a lot of people choose to park in the same spot each day. which actually makes things a bit easier.
It seems that there are times that you get a notice on your door every other week about them needing to get into your apartment for some type of inspection… but they try to time it so that it is concentrated to a couple of months. and then you are free again until the next year. I only bring this up, because if you have a dog, you have to either make sure they are not in the apartment on those days, which can be a pain since, the notice usually indicates a 3 day window.
The Manager is nice, And does her job well I just wish they could find someone else to work in the office that sticks around longer than a month. The maintenance Team is great as well, you always see them working on something.
All in all, I liked the place, but know that I will have some heaftly charges when I move out, because the paint that they use is water based, and picks up every finger print, and you are unable to wash them off, without removing the paint.

Sure the place wasn’t too bad while I lived there, the rent was extremely reasonable and my apartment was spacious. Parking on the street was frustrating at times but rather then spending $ 100 on a spot I could usually find something. It was after I moved out that the true colors of this property and Essex management came forward. They charged me $ 650 on my move out statement for carpet replacement for a completely false reason, without doing a move out check out with me to discuss the damage. I had to take them to small claims court, where I won, to get the charge removed from my account and get paid what I was owed on my damage deposit. Renters beware, the location isn’t great, it’s an awkward distance from Fremont and Queen Anne but is nice to Ballard. The apartments are nice enough, but if you decide to move in be diligent about your move in and move out paperwork otherwise you might end up having to fight a ridiculous charge as well.

Horrible place to live! Week 1 had Maint issues continued for 3 months when the roof started leaking!!! Got so bad they let us out of our lease… Oh yah and the Mike and ikes are stale parking also sucks!!!

Oh Wharfside Pointe, you hold a special place in my heart. For it is you that helped furnish a roof over my head during my first year of living in this great city of Seattle. I was new to the Northwest, without a friend or care in the world. My expectations where high and well… you fell a bit short.
Let me count the ways:
Pros:
~ It’s a place to live. Location wasn’t too shabby either.
~ There is a jar of Mike and Ike’s as you enter the office.
Cons:
~ I was moving up to Seattle from California, thus had been looking at apartments somewhat blind — relying solely on descriptions, videos, and pictures. Found a nice apartment here at Wharfisde Pointe complete with a waterfront view, fireplace, top floor, and great square footage with an interest. When I arrived, I was greeted with a completely different room sans fireplace, waterfront view, and a totally alternate floor plan than what had been agreed upon previously.
~ The previously agreed month-​to-​month renting plan magically changed into a yearly lease.
~ They began construction on the outside of the walls, not more than a month or two after I moved in. Scaffolding from top to bottom, plastic wrap blocking any sort of view and preventing fresh air from welcoming itself in. Did I get to sleep in on Saturday morning? Hell no. Those bastard construction workers started hammering at seven in the morning. Speaking of those bastards — a made friends with a group of girls in one of the other buildings, and they complained that the workers would stare into their windows when they were jumping around on the scaffolds like monkeys. When complaints were brought to the administration staff, they fell on deaf ears. No compensation for the discomfort. No final say as to when the construction would be finished. Not even an apology.
~ The drive way into the A/​B building garage was mighty steep, causing my car to scrape every time I drove in and left.
~ They raised the price of rent multiple times. (Note: this would be for new renters, we had signed a lease. Although that didn’t stop them from trying to charge my roommate and I more.)
~ Gym and spa? Ha! Gotta love the odd-​numbered barbells, broken cycle machine, and the horribly stinky tanning bed that-I-wouldn’t-have-touched-with-a-ten-foot-pole-even-if-some-hot-chick-had-been-in-there-naked.
~ Heater vents stank like dirty fromage.
~ Dishwasher = liked to fall apart and cause glass on the top shelf to break when it fell down.
~ When I was fed up with paying the extra $ 100 for parking in the garage (which had been raised from the initial price of $ 50) there was limited parking on the streets nearby. Often I found myself coming home late, parking about one/​two blocks away, and walking home.
And finally,
~ The Mike and Ike’s were stale.
(Please note that I have written this review in past tense, implying that I no longer live there. I was there for as short of time as I could and have no intentions of ever returning. Ever.)