Steve A.
Yelp
The very best part about this building is the folks who live here. I met some great people coming and going and on the walks with my pup. After that, my AMLI experience was not quite what I'd hoped, nor was it what was promised. I lived in my apt for a year before my rent was raised 31%, forcing me to move.
No question it's not a renters' market in Seattle. We renters don't have much leverage when there are so few apts and so many of us looking. Those of us who must rent are at the mercy of the buildings with space. When I chose AMLI, I opted to spend more in hopes of buying myself relief from the hardcore market and to settle into a healthy community. AMLI promotes themselves as such but misses the mark. Ultimately, I paid more for the same experience one would get from a basic rental.
As nice as the AMLI Wallingford appears from the street, the charm wears off quickly once you've been chastised by management or need something beyond simple access to your apartment. While the building is "luxury" and the amenities top notch - some of the staff treat tenants as though we're lucky to be allowed in. We're frequently admonished in emails and snarky notes on the walls.
Everything costs extra, a lot extra at that, and there's no wiggle room. When time comes to renew, you can count on maximum increase. As an example of the AMLI "Community Living" philosophy --- a bike storage room sits half empty on the first floor because, in addition to rent, deposit, processing fees, admin fees, storage fees, deposits, pet deposits, pet rent, and about $150/month in common electric charges, AMLI charges $15/month for bike parking. I pay $3100 for my 700 sq ft one bedroom + parking space, and was scoffed at when I suggested a comp bike spot would be excellent. I store my bike in my apartment while more than 100 bike spaces sit empty on the floor just below me.
As others have mentioned, trash upkeep and removal has been an ongoing issue here. Essentially trash removal at AMLI is DIY. The chutes and trash rooms are ill-designed such that things quickly overflow, leaving residents to pick up the slack. We are endlessly reminded to carry our trash downstairs through the garage and out to the dumpster room. #LuxuryLiving
All this aside, I ultimately choose to leave AMLI because my rent jumped 31% (for month to month) and I was given 2 days notice of the hike (management insists they left a note on the floor outside my apt a month earlier, but i never saw it). My new rent jumped to $3800 for the same 700 sq. ft. "We're a business" is the explanation I received for the hike. Opportunistic business. The conversation I had with the manager was unpleasant. I was condescended to and it was insinuated that I was not being truthful about not receiving notice of intent to increase my rent. At the end of the day, the nearly $40,000 I paid in rent and fees to AMLI bought me zero loyalty in return.
AMLI is a business first and foremost. It's their absolute right to secure as much money as they can from every tenant and tow the hardest of lines. I respect this is their business models. I resent the sub par treatment for the premium I paid.
To wrap things up, a couple weeks after move-out, and after a final walk through received a clean bill of health, I received a notice from AMLI that they would be keeping my deposit and that I also owed an additional $300 to replace the stove-top for scratches found after the walk-through was complete. I was told if I did not pay, I would be sent to collections. That's the last communication I receive. I paid the $300 because I know it will be cheaper than fighting a dispute with a collection agency.
