Flats at Atlas

I am writing this review from the perspective of a former employee. I’ve seen all of the dirty shady things that go on behind the scenes. A majority of these negative reviews are warranted. This is a terrible place to live at and I wouldn’t recommend it to my worst enemy.
Kettler has to be the most unorganized company ever. No one in the leasing office knows how anything works. They sit back and talk about residents behind their backs. There has been many occassions where people have called to try to speak with someone in the leasing office and I was told to tell them that they were busy while they’re in the office gossiping and eating. Residents would come to the front desk to put in maintenance request and they would deliberately ignore them until the resident calls and complains for the 5^th time. I lost count of how many times I’ve had to send emails on behalf of residents who are fed up with the incompetence.
They are also terrible with how they are handling the parking issues. They have yet to come up with a contract with a towing company, so when people park in the wrong parking spaces they just expect us to put a sticker in their window knowing well that that’s all that can be actually done about it. They have no records of any of the residents parking information, so when their car has been broken into (which happens frequently) we aren’t able to take care of it until the resident comes and complains.
They still have not taken any of the proper steps to fix any of the problems within the amenteties. A good example is the golf simulator in the sports lounge. That has been broken for a very long time and they have shown no interest in repairing it anytime soon. The pool sticks are broken and in horrible condition, and the cleaners do a terrible job of cleaning the bathrooms and hallways. The maintenence team leaves trash in the hallway themselves.
I would not recommend this complex to anyone. Don’t let the ads fool you. They do a terrible job at running this building and they know it. Even to the point where the property manager is begging for residents to change their previous reviews and sending emails asking them to say something nice about them. I say this because I witnessed the property manager do it while sitting in her office. Please take your hard earned cash elsewhere and rent somewhere where the management company actually cares about their residents, and the business as a whole.

This is an update to a previous review. The new management team, Kettler, has made strides in addressing the several issues I mentioned in my last review. While everything is not perfect, there is a plan in place to take care of the common areas, including the deck and pool area, and my complaints about my apartment unit. The team, once reached, reacted to the situation swiftly and was able to take care of most, if not all, the major complaints.

Management at this property is incredibly unreliable and unprofessional. I submitted a rental application for an apartment with a $ 500.00 deposit and have not received any form of acknowledgement from a leasing consultant regarding the status of my application despite my futile attempts to contact the leasing office multiple days on end. What the management appears to be expert at is taking your money and hoping to get away with it with little pushback and questioning. The deposit I submitted with my application was promptly removed from my banking account the same day I submitted the application for review. Why, then, is it seemingly easy for funds to be cashed within the same day from prospective renters, yet receiving time-​sensitive responses/​answers to rental agreements and leasing contracts cannot be completed whatsoever? I was eager to move here initially, but now I am utterly repulsed and unimpressed with the non-​existent customer service and competence at this property. Like other reviewers have clearly stated, this place is not worth your time, energy, or hard-​earned money.

Update: Kettler could reply to my Unilocal review, but has yet to return any of my 25 calls, nor my voicemail, and their voicemail box is full. I had to call my bank to resolve my issues as Kettler is the worst service imaginable. DO NOT EVER MOVE HERE!!!
Kettler: answer your phones and do your job. you are a disgrace.

Since writing my last review, the issue with the loading dock doors has been rectified. Sad that I had to air a grievance on a public forum before it was taken seriously, but if that’s what it took… Social activities and attractive units are great, but safety is paramount. There were a couple of times that I noticed that the doors were open late at night on my way home from work, (typically when there was a new night concierge) but I called the front desk and they were immediately secured. There has recently been a change in management, so the jury is still out on if it will be for better or worse.

The building was sold 3÷31÷2016, new management company. So far, no issues with the new management company. Congrats to the old team for being professional and helpful in the past 2.5 years.

I previously lived here and yes it’s in up and coming neighborhood, actually my only negative but this complex can’t control that. I now live in California and wish my old apartment could have moved with me. The Management Team, Concierge and Maintenance were also my friends from the minute I rented my apartment. From the moment I moved in July there was 4^th July cookout for residents. I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying numerous events Scandal night, Football With hotdogs, popcorn and drinks. Cook offs with winning «Free rental of event room, discount tickets to local events and discounts on all of H St restaurant, gyms, nightclubs and bars. Actually to «ice challenge «with Management to raise money. This only complex that I know of that actually «Gives Back Appreciation Constantly to their residents .» And let’s not forget Wine Down Wednesday’s in Lobby. «I greatly will miss all my Friends here !!!

I was excited at first after my partner and I toured the apartment complex. We were eager to rent here so we filled out an application. Communication was constant and consistent until we filled out an application. I was told that I would have a decision within a day or so. I called, emailed and left messages and after 2 days of no status update I received an email stating the system was down. They took their money for the application fee but is moving slow as molasses with processing everything in a timely manner. I am very frustrated and disappointed at the level of customer service I’ve been receiving since filling out an application. I am starting to rethink leasing here. I will give an update once I receive some notification that my application process has even started.

All I can say, is you can do better. We have lived here for 1 year and we are looking forward to moving out. There are several things I take issue with:
1. Management — Management is terrible. I am so surprised the Bozutto company would take on such unprofessional employees. They lack appropriate communication skills and overall just do not care about their residents. At the end of the day, they’re just there for a paycheck. The only employee I can give credit to is the concierge Joseph who is always willing to go above and beyond for the residents.
2. Location — The location is not worth the amount of money you pay to live here. Yes, it is close to H Street, which is awesome. However, in order to get to H Street, you have to walk about 2 blocks through a very unsafe area. There are always police officers patrolling what we call «The Corner» and at least once a day, you can hear gun shots and/​or emergency sirens racing to some sort of crazy incident. Just last week, an individual was arrested right outside our apartment near the CVS. As a young female, I really just do not feel comfortable walking through there alone.
3. The building’s foundation is made of wood, as opposed to cement. Essentially, this means the only thing separating you from your wonderful upstairs neighbors is wood, and therefore, you can literally hear everything going on around you, at all hours of the day. The walls are paper thin. Like clockwork, I can hear my upstairs neighbor using the restroom every morning. That is just not acceptable by me. Everything from yappy little dogs, to walking, to playing music or the TV can be heard from above you and all around you. Again, for $ 1750+/mo it is not worth it.
Bottom line, it is very easy to get roped into the Bozzuto way: They rope you in with a lovely smelling foyer, new appliances, amenities, great «deals» (like 6 months free parking, etc.) but in the long run, I am promising you it is not worth it. They pressure you into quickly renting with them by saying, «These apartments go fast, better get it while you can!» and unfortunately, we fell for it. Don’t make the same mistake we did. Do your research, and find a place that has a wonderful management group and that is in an area you feel safe to walk around.

Everyone has been great, especially the leasing office representatives who have gone out of their way to assist me more than once. Thank you for a wonderful experience!

This review deals specifically with the application process rather than the rental experience.
My roommate and I scheduled an appointment to view the apartment this past Saturday on April 18, 2015. The building is beautiful with a lot of amenities. The management is smart because they show you all of the amenities before you actually see the apartment. We looked at a two bedroom apartment and the bedrooms were a bit on the small side, but not unusual for DC.
The surrounding neighborhood is not safe, even during the day. My roommate and I were harassed several times in broad daylight while exploring the neighborhood. I would not feel safe walking around at night. Not to mention the fact that the nearest metro station is Union Station which is a 30 minute walk.
We put down a $ 150 application fee and a $ 500 security deposit to reserve the apartment. The money was removed from my account that same day. We called them 3 hours later to decline the apartment and I requested that the security deposit be returned. However, I have not received the refund back yet and I called several times and emailed since Saturday and I only just received a response today, but I had to call them. I was told that the security deposit would be refunded by mail in 10 days. It is so annoying that they take the money out of my account in less than an hour, but I cannot receive a refund until 3 weeks later.
I would not recommend this apartment complex because it is in an iffy neighborhood, there is no close metro, and the staff only seems to care about you if you are giving them money.

I can’t say enough good things about the Flats! They were so accommodating when I moved across the country to relocate to DC. The concierge staff, especially Joseph and Allen, are so kind and considerate to the residents, and they take so much time to plan amazing events. The rent is definitely worth it! Will continue to stay with Bozzuto and The Flats as long as I’m in DC!

I am conflicted as to what to give this apartment complex. I moved here from Connecticut, fully aware that this neighborhood was up and coming, but due to the proximity of the apartment complex to my work, I decided to take the plunge knowing that the neighborhood was not the best. That being said however, the apartment building itself is exceptionally secure. There is 24 hour concierge and I very rarely had to wait more than 10 minutes for concierge for either package reception, or really any concerns that I might have had. Additionally, there were always security patrolling at night, secured entrance to every door, every gate, etc. However, the neighborhood left me feeling a little less than secure when I left the complex at night, and is what ultimately led me to decide to move towards a more established neighborhood (I am a young female residing alone).
In regards to their staff, their maintenance is great, very quick to respond, polite, and respectful and always helpful. Their concierge is fantastic, I give them major props for hiring such fantastic people to greet the residents and their guests. They were exceptionally helpful and quite frankly, the most helpful staff members in the entire building. They were an absolutely excellent face to the building. The biggest concern that I had with the management, and thus the reason for my 3 stars instead of well deserved 4 – 5, was the lack of communication and the multiple large miscommunications that had occurred while I lived there.
While I was apartment searching, and ended up deciding on the flats, I filled out an authorization form for them to charge my bank account for $ 500 for a reservation fee for my particular unit. After confirming multiple times that all was ready for my move in, and moving in, about a month and a half after move in, I received a notice under my door alerting me of an owed balance of $ 575.00. At this point I was not upset, but merely curious as to why this was the case, I sent the leasing department an email and spoke to a leasing agent about the charge. She looked in my file and said that she saw the charges and that she would make sure that the charges were removed from my account. To be sure, I also emailed her again to ensure that I was understanding correctly, and everything was confirmed. I went about my own business until I received another delinquent account form. After some back and forth, I decided it was fair and square to just pay the rental amount that I owed, since, although it was their mistake to not charge me and tell me multiple times it was taken care of, it was money that I owed. I would’ve much rathered there be good communication between the management and staff so I didn’t have to completely change up my budget to accommodate this payment, and spend time trying to figure out whether the amount due was really due or not.
Flash forward a few happy months later, I decide to move from the Flats at Atlas. I handed in my notice, with the understanding that had I found a new tenant for them, I would not be held liable for their lease break penalty (this was also confirmed multiple times with the leasing agent). Of course, me being the diligent person that I am, I did decide to go ahead and lease aggressively to find a tenant. I did find multiple people interested and willing to apply, before I find out that the information that I was given was incorrect and the unit had been preleased sight unseen, and they were sorry but there was nothing that they could do. Now, I completely understand that they leased the unit. Absolutely, the unit was placed on notice, and they had every right to lease the unit, but their miscommunication made me spend copious amounts of time searching for a tenant and also made a prospective tenant lose out on an apartment that they were truly interested in moving into. However, due to their impeccable politeness and professionalism, I knocked a star off instead of two. This was an exceptionally frustrating experience for me, but they were absolutely polite and very kind to work with.
This is a great complex, there are many perks to living here, mainly the amenities, concierge staff and building itself. However, to any prospective tenants, I would warn you to be exceptionally thorough when working with the management office. Due to the miscommunications that had arisen, it made me always retrace my steps when working with anything pertaining to the financial aspects of my lease. The staff are all amazingly polite, they give excellent notice for any work that needs to be done, and of course, they have been nothing but kind to my guests when my guests visit.

Omg!!! I’m interested in the apartment and arrived late, but I was greeted by Joseph the concierge and he was absolutely wonderful. He was so pleasing and sweet. Made me feel like I was already at home there. If I ever decide to make that my home, I wouldn’t be mad at him greeting me everyday cause he’s such a ppl person.
PS the property is BEAUTIFUL. I’ll try to come back and make it on time, if not then I will hope Joseph is not too busy to give me a tour with my impatient tail. But overall, I had a wonderful experience.

I applied and put a down payment down on a 2 bed, a den, 2 bath at the Flats and the staff was great up until that point. Then everything went down hill. I would rather lose the money than live here!
The staff are only responsive when they are getting money from you. After that, it was like I didn’t matter. They told me to come in on a certain day to see the room layout and I showed up and waited 2 HOURS to try to meet with someone. They then told me none of the 2 bed/​den/​2 bath were available to see. They could have called me to tell me that so I didn’t waste my time.
They never told me about the Unilocal promotion of a free application with check-​in but they gave it to my roommate. When I inquired about getting a refund they said come in person, So I went in person and they told me they couldn’t do that any more. After fighting with them on the phone they hung up on my roommate.
The customer service is terrible. The premium services they rave about are just a façade. I feel like I have been scammed. I have yet to get a hold of them. I would not recommend living here at all.

I must say I am very impressed at the actions taken after my initial review. The smell of smoke has gone and the management team made great leaps to make sure it did. Not only that, there are designated times for dogs to be free off the leash which gives EVERYONE a win! The sincerity in fixing the issues has even encouraged a lease extension!
Thank you Flats for taking the time and effort into making sure your tenants needs are being met!

Have lived at the Flats since January and it has felt like home since I moved in. The front desk and office staff have bent over backwards to be accommodating, I love the fenced in area for my pugs, love meeting the other dog people in the neighborhood, the neighbors are really fun, and I feel really safe. This is my first Bozzuto property and I’m pleased with it.
It was a bit over my budget initially, but the responsiveness that I’ve gotten from the staff make it well worth the price. They allow you to paint your place (which has helped it feel like home for me) — and I’ve been able to hang ceiling fans to cut down on A/​C costs — which is great!
They know me by name at the front desk and always greet me with a smile and a hello which makes coming home nice.
The Flats is like an oasis in the craziness of DC, so I really appreciate it!

My boyfriend & I have been living here for 8 months, and we plan on renewing at the end of our lease. We have had nothing but pleasant experiences since moving here. We feel the entire staff is friendly, accommodating, and quick to respond to any issues within the apartment. We love the proximity to H St, Rte 50, and 295. Although we don’t use public transportation, the building is on a direct bus route. We didn’t take advantage of garage parking due to the additional expense ($ 150 a month); however, there have only been a couple of occasions when parking was scarce on Maryland Ave. We love the amenities, especially the grill & pool area. We both take advantage of the fitness center, and although it’s a little small; we are normally able to get a treadmill within minutes of walking in the door.
To sum it up — within weeks of moving in last June, I remember being on the elevator exclaiming, «I feel like I’m on vacation everyday I live here!». Although reality has set in, especially with this winter weather, I still feel lucky to call The Flats home!

Edit: After speaking with a rep from the apartment complex… my initial review (below the spacer) isn’t entirely correct… so I am updating.
Story in a nutshell: When I emailed to ask a couple questions, I was told the monthly pet rent was $ 150. I was honestly livid because that was such a high amount. But the owner commented on my review, telling me it’s actually $ 50. After a couple emails, it seems that an employee made a mistake.
I would just take this review down altogether, but that didn’t seem right either.
It’s too bad that the person I emailed with at this apartment complex told me incorrect information — it may have changed several things. Heck, I could be living there right now.
I have a new coworker who lives here and she, all in all, has pleasant things to say about the place. Mostly, she really likes the sense of community she has there.
And, it was really great that the owner correct my review but wasn’t rude. I’ve left a bad review on places before and received borderline hate mail. So, good on them!
—
Just in case anyone is looking to move in, this is the crock of shoop you have to look forward to:
«We are a pet-​friendly building, and we do charge a pet fee of $ 400 plus a monthly pet rent of $ 150.»
«…plus the $ 500 amenities fee and the $ 75 application fee.»
That’s right. Your 8 pound cat will cost you $ 150 a month. PLUS pet deposit. And don’t get me started on the amenities fee. That should obviously be included in your monthly rent.
I mean, are you kidding me? $ 150 a month for a pet? In addition to a deposit? If someone could justify that for me, that would really great.
One of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard.

This is in response to Maya’s comments…
I have read all of your other reviews and all you do is find negative things about everything. Anywhere in DC you will find homeless people. I am not sure why you felt the need to refer to folks as «thugs». You are clearly insecure by bringing down other folks and makes me wonder why you trash Flats at Atlas as being ghetto and that there are better places nearby but then you trash the «better» apartments in separate reviews for being too expensive. You cannot have it all.
And to top it off… You called Aldi a low income grocery store. You don’t even know your shtick. Aldi owns Trader Joe’s. Both Aldi and TJ are simplistic stores.
I am just glad that you don’t live at the Flats at Atlas, it would make me cringe thinking that such a negative energy force is lurking around the area. The Flats at Atlas is a good apartment and it is cheaper than the high end apartments that you clearly cannot afford per your other reviews and sure we have the occasional «shirtless thug» you affectionately refer to that you will find in front of any other high end apartment in DC. I have come to the conclusion that you trashed Atlas because you can’t afford living at the Flats.