The Elm

The Elm has gone signficantly downhill I live on a high floor at the Elm and really like my apartment. Bozzuto was not very good, but then came AIR. The entire team at AIR seem determined to overpromise, underdeliver, and nickel and dime us for more money at every possible chance. Living in the building has taken a serious drop. The man-hours at the front desk are inadequate, they want to charge us for delivering packages, the dog situation is getting worse (poop and pee in many public areas), the police have been coming more regularly to deal with tenant issues, the amenities mostly don't work very well, and management is out of touch with reality. They are constantly putting out fires. Communication is terrible. There are charges for things that aren't on the lease, and people have been living with things like cigarette butts flying out the windows and down onto their decks. We've already been through one general manager and are on our second - they are just AIR people who do (and don't do) what corporate wants. Now that Blackrock bought Air, I imagine management will be taking their packages and early retirement. I don't expect much. It's a good building. It is poorly managed. Most of us are either planning to leave or have already left. It's not like we didn't try to help them. We did. But they promised and promised and things have gotten worse.

The Elm is a beautiful building in a great location to the metro and downtown, however there are many concerns with living here, especially since AIR Communities has taken over management. My bike was stolen inside the bike storage room, cut from a U-lock. Additional amenity fees were added after signing the initial lease. Packages are often left unattended inside and outside of the building or sent back to sender. The elevators are constantly malfunctioning with long wait times up to 15 minutes. There are frequent plumbing issues including flooding and water shutoffs.

Don't move here. Lived here since they opened in 2021 under Bozzuto which was great. They've since been sold to Air Communities. I've been over charged hundreds for HVAC usage and many others have as well. Management tries to explain the "shared billing model" which is a total joke. I was charged hundreds for HVAC despite turning it off for a month to prove a point. Management is now ignoring me. Don't fall for the glamor, bells, and whistles. Move some place with accurate billing and responsive management.

Was lied to about unit

I've got to say, I'm really bummed about what's happened to our place since AIR took over. It used to be such a great spot under Bozutto - clean, well-run, and the staff actually seemed to care about us. But now? It's like they've just stopped trying. First off, they're nickel and diming us for everything, even getting our packages is not costing $75 just to get access. Don't even get me started on the elevators. It's a coin toss whether they'll be working or not, and when they're not, it's a real headache. Everyone's crammed into one or two lifts, and it feels like nobody's in a rush to fix them. And when it comes to the fob system is a whole other story. I've been locked out so many times lately especially in the garage and the gym, because the fobs and the Smart system just don't work. It's super annoying. Honestly, it's just sad to see how much this place has gone downhill. It was more than just an apartment building to us; it was home. And it's just not living up to that at all.

I am eagerly awaiting the day when I can leave this apartment. I have lived here for almost two years. The first year was pleasant under Bozzuto's management, the quality concierge services and perks created a more luxurious experience. However, since AIR properties took over, the quality of life here has significantly declined. Getting charged for things we were not charged for prior is one thing, but not protecting the safety and comfort of residents is another. Despite its attractive appearance, the building frequently experiences serious issues. Every few months, we get overwhelmed by the smell of human feces due to sewer lines breaking from the very noisy construction under the building. The HVAC charges are exorbitant, reaching over $100 per month for a one-bedroom apartment. We're splitting the overall cost for the building rather than by usage of our own AC unit. Something is not right and no one has an answer for me about this. I've noticed hasty cover-ups of flood damage in the East tower and often encounter dog waste and twice human vomit in the hallways. I've seen footage of a resident brandishing a gun at another resident's Ring camera. The vibe used to be relaxed and friendly, but I walk around watching my back now. My apartment has two main issues: The water in the shower smells like sewage at times and the hot water in the bathroom comes out cloudy. Additionally, loud metallic banging noises disrupt sleep on floors 15-17, typically between 3-5am. This issue, known to management since at least October, remains unresolved. As a new dog owner, I was told it would be $50/month for him, but the next month, when billed, it was $75. They said it used to be 50 and they mispoke, this is not out of the ordinary. I have never taken my dog to the 30th floor dog ammenity becuase the smell is unbearable up there (ask to see it). Here's a word of advice to potential residents: avoid this place. If you value your sleep, steer clear of the floors mentioned above. Don't be deceived by the building's attractive facade; most East tower residents are very dissatisfied. Be prepared for unexpected costs, which are frequently increased without much notice, and longer commute times due to consistently broken elevators. You will need to add an extra 20+ minutes to your commute just to account for the elevator wait time. Most residents I talk to can't wait for their leases to end. In short, if you're looking for a home, I'd advise you to keep looking, there are a lot of great places in Bethesda, just not this one.

Drove 4.5 hours on Saturday to look at this property and had planned on signing a lease for the 3 Bedroom penthouse they have advertised on their site only to be told they could not show us around the property or meet with us. Apparently there were only two people on duty and they were booked for the day. As an alternative, we were told the web site was excellent and could answer any questions we may have regarding the property. Really??? One would think if you had two professionals who drove over 4 hours to see the property you could squeeze them in among the other scheduled appointments. If this is the level of service they provide we are thankful we found out before being locked into a lease. If you are looking to rent at this property be sure to schedule an appointment in advance or better yet...just stay away.

We've been here since July 2022. We renewed while Bozzuto still managed the building but then AIR Communities took over and the building has plummeted. Over the last couple of months alone there have been multiple water pipe ruptures flooding apartments (just before Christmas). Additionally, there are homeless locals crashing/sleeping in the lobbies and taking door dash orders, endless pet waste in the stairwells and COUNTLESS extra fees including the terrible Luxer package delivery program (assuming packages aren't just dumped on the floor in the lobby or outside on the sidewalk). Adding insult to injury, management/AIR Communities posts countless FAKE reviews to counter any negative feedback provided on sites like google. It's truly a shame because the building is so beautiful and offers great views but it's not luxurious and AIR Communities places no priority on the resident experience after you've signed your lease. There are better managed and nicer apartments in downtown Bethesda to choose from. $AIRC

The Elm was recently sold and is under new management. The new management team, AIR Communities has come in as the great disruptors. Amenities and services that were free have been eliminated or now have a fee. If you don't pickup your package within 48 hours, there's a $10 daily fee charged for each day past 48 hours. After 7 days, if you don't pick up your package you're out of money ($10 daily fee) and luck, the package will be returned to sender. They've also instituted a policy that requires residents to have a credit card on file to utilize the building package delivery system. I'm spending over $4200 in rent and AIR Communities wants to nickel and dime me???? All this in their FIRST week! What's next?

Terrible experience with leasing agent Kiara, but then looking at reviews from residents, it sounds like we dodged a bullet. Started off great, she advocated for us to get a great deal on the unit we were interested in, she got us a last minute showing of the unit, she was responsive, we did the tour, the unit wasn't available until August, we saw a unit that has "some similarities", we clearly voiced our interest in the unit but were waiting to hear back from her on when the current tenant was available to let us see the actual unit we would be renting. After that, she went MIA with very inconsistent communication, even though we told her that we were working with a tight timeline and needed to make a call on our current lease that week. After scheduling a visit in the middle of the day on a weekday after we requested evening or weekend, we still made arrangements to make it work with our day jobs but she calls last minute to say someone else already put in a deposit and was approved? up til this day (3-4 weeks later), we're still waiting for her to "get home in about an hour and text you info about other units and offers available". Very unprofessional and I'm glad it didn't work out after all.

UPDATE (January 2024): DAYLIGHT ROBBERY Wow, this apartment building went from being amazing to horrible! This building was sold in 2023 and the new management company has run this place to the ground! I just moved out and I'm getting charged for cleaning and damage, not true! I took a video before I left, and I left this apartment extremely clean with normal wear and tear on the walls from living there for 2.5 years. Now they are charging me over $400. Please don't rent here and support this kind of daylight robbery. It's extremely overpriced (rent went up 15% for a studio) and sells just based on its looks, but not its quality. Dog poo and urine everywhere. The review below was from 2 years ago, before the building was sold to a new management company. Bozzuto (the previous company) was fantastic. Six months that I've been living here at the Elm, I love it! Building is beautiful and excellent customer service and accommodations. Francisco is been my maintenance guy and his excellent, Zoe from leasing office excellent with the rest of staff!

This used to be a great building. Since AIR management took over, there has been a progressive reduction in amenities and increase in nuisance fees. Additionally, the building somehow now suffers significant water leaks on a near weekly basis. I had to vacate my apartment for a week, with no warning, and no adjustment to my rent, so they could refloor my apartment--which left my belongings in disarray, covered in debris, and some of my stuff simply disappeared. I could not possibly recommend this building less to anybody.

Unbearable Stench and Noise This place is the pits! It smells like a mix of old garage and spoiled food in main lobby and lobby level. It's so bad that the poor folks at the front desk have to wear masks all day. The stink even sneaks into our apartments sometimes. Then there's the noise. It's like living in a construction site! The guys next door are building an apartment, and the metro's building the purple line nearby. They don't even stop at night! Imagine noise at 2 AM, it's insane. The worst part is, the management team isn't doing a thing about it. It feels like we're stuck in a stinky, noisy nightmare with no help in sight. Think twice before signing a lease here!

A month ago I would have RAVED about this property. It was owned by Bozutto and operated with so much heart, care and love for those who lived in the building. Unfortunately, the property was recently purchased by AIR and in one short week, it's become a place I would NOT recommend. AIR has added hidden fees, implemented fees to receive packages, taken away community amenities, removed 24hr front desk (the amount of times I walk down to no one at the desk OR the attendant sleeping on couch/on FaceTime/ etc), cleanliness has gone down, completely understaffed for such a large building, most of the staff don't seem to understand their role and can't give you an answer to anything, the overall care felt from management is null. If you're thinking about moving here, reroute to a Bozutto owned property- they're THE BEST.

I have been living at the Elm for 1.5 years or so. The units themselves are nice but there are many issues with the building - from sewer smells to trash chutes constantly broken, elevators out of service or randomly dropping while you are in them, flooding across many floors that required fans/ repairs for days, constant construction noise from surrounding sites and pet owners being disrespectful of other residents (pee in elevators, on balconies etc). For a luxury building that charges $5000 for a 2 bedroom one would expect better.

The worst managed apartment as far as I know. As Megan pointed out in another post, there is heavy metallic noise in the early morning, and it disrupts our sleep. We reported this problem to management team many times, but they never tried to solve it. I don't want to give even 1 star to this apartment because of the poorest management. Also, my room door was messed by someone 2 times.

Unresponsive Management & Unacceptable Living Conditions I've lived at the Elm for a year now, and the management's lack of attention to tenants has reached an unacceptable level. Our rent is being increased dramatically at the end of our lease, and we've been actively trying to find cheaper options within the complex. However, despite numerous attempts to contact the leasing agents, we've been ignored for months. No one is ever available in the office, nor do they respond to calls or emails. This has also been the case with other complaints we've had over the past few months. Packages frequently go missing without any accountability, and the management does nothing to address the issue. On top of that, there's a persistent problem with tenants smoking weed in the building, causing a strong and offensive odor. Once again, management has taken no action to address this, despite the negative impact it has on our living environment. I am beyond frustrated with how poorly this complex is being run. Residents deserve to have their concerns heard and addressed especially for the amount of money we pay, but that is clearly not happening here. Until management starts acting with accountability and shows genuine care for its tenants, I cannot recommend living here. Fix the problems or expect more people to leave.

Don't get fooled. They will bill you for extra charges double hvac 2 bil monthly, you will pay vacant electric bill while you pay your own pepco when you try to adress the incorrect billing they don't want to correct it they want you to pay extra fees. The apartments are small. Gym is small. A lot problems with plumbing: don't get fooled avoud this apartment and bad management:

Update 2/5/24 Property management announced a $100/month increase in parking fees (for vast majority of the spots) along with new mandatory reserved parking - there has always been ample parking with lots consistently having around 40% vacancy. This was an unnecessary change designed solely to increase fee revenue for management company. Update 12/14/23 The deterioration of the building and the community continues. There is an unbearable smell of raw sewage throughout the entire building today - this is not uncommon. There are also many apartments completely flooded. With flooding in multiple units, affected residents have told us the building manager is no where to be seen despite living on the premises. There has not been any communication from the management about the situation. Original review: The glass for this railing on the 17th floor has been broken for MONTHS. Just another example of how AIR Communities treats its assets as smash-and-grab schemes. $AIRC Update: this glass was fixed in November, nearly 6 months after it was broken.

The problem is not fixed. Please check the sound on channels 3-5 on the third elliptical from the right

Bad Smell Alert at The Elm Think twice before moving to The Elm. It has a constant trash smell in the lower lobby and garage. Worse still, it sometimes gets into your apartment. If you don't want to live with bad smells, you might want to look elsewhere.

Floods, inappropriate fees, poor management

The Elm was great when Bozzuto was managing, but has since been acquired by AIR Communities who is by far one of the worst property management companies I've had to deal with. Management has no change management skills and are extremely unprofessional with their communications. Their emails always have a rude and condescending tone. I'd like to see them try to speak to me in person the same way they communicate via comms. They do not answer or accept phone calls, they don't respond to emails, but one thing they will do is hangout in the common spaces to "work" and prevent the residents from using the spaces that we pay for. They have offices, they just choose not to use them and when asked if we can use their empty offices they have the audacity to say yes, but with an hourly fee. Let's be so serious here. AIR is extremely cheap and tries nickel and dime residents for every little thing that should be included in a luxury building. They refuse to even pay for a printer service we had with Bozzuto... are we really that down bad, AIR? 24/7 concierge is never at the front desk-- sure they have additional responsibilities, but a competent management company would realize they need additional headcount and have two people working at a time. For some reason the first thing they implemented following the acquisition was informing us that we'd be charged for utilizing the package system, Luxor. Although it's ironic that our packages are never even checked in anymore, so we're expected to pay for a service they can't manage. I haven't spoken with a single resident who is happy with AIR and would strongly advise you rent elsewhere as this property is no longer worth the price. There is always dog pee throughout and around the building so it always smells terrible, dog park on the 30th floor is disgusting, constant false fire alarms, double charging for utilities, building leaks in common spaces, pipe bursts in apartments that have occurred multiple times now resulting in flooding, elevators are always down and people keep getting stuck in them-- sometime they even drop while in them, endless construction noise, etc. etc. etc. All of the good reviews were from when Bozzuto was managing the property and if they are recent are likely paid because there's surely no way they'd get them otherwise.

My move in was facilitated by the Bozzuto team specially Maecy made my move swift. However, my move out and my stay towards the end of my lease was made difficult for me. There were several imcidents where the police was even called on me. Following my move out, the management team was extremely difficult to communicate and process my final deposit. I did not receive a response to my complaints, and I also noticed they removed my one star review. Deceptive and not inclusive.

I wholeheartedly echo the sentiments shared in the preceding reviews. Just a few weeks ago, this property was a gem under Bozutto's management, meticulously maintained and overseen by staff who genuinely cared about its residents. However, since AIR took over there's been a swift and alarming deterioration in quality. Beyond the concerns previously mentioned (such as the introduction of extra charges for package receipt, elimination of community amenities, inconsistent front desk staffing, and the noticeable decline in building cleanliness and upkeep), the elevators on the east side have become a consistent issue. Frequently, only one or two elevators are functional out of the three, leading to long wait times and overcrowding. I'm not sure whether this is a result of technical issues or if staff are neglecting to unlock the service elevator beyond its reservation hours. Furthermore , the fob system, which grants access to the building and its amenities, has been malfunctioning. Over the past few days, I've been locked out multiple times, with neither my fob nor the Smart entrance system working. Being locked out of your own building, with no working system or staff to assist, is utterly frustrating. To sum it up, it's truly disheartening to watch a once-beloved property degrade to such levels of inefficiency and neglect. It's more than just a living space; it's about the quality of life, and currently, this place is falling short.

Worst management ever..

Update 2/8/23: Avoid this apartment at all cost. They have increased the parking fees by $100+ and are charging $50 to charge electrical vehicles only for 3 hours at a time, so if you thought you would save money by having an EV, maybe not if you were to live at the Elm. Also, 3 hours is not enough time to fully charge an EV. The residents had no issue with charging stations before so I don't know why the management is suddenly creating this new policy, other than to keep nickel and diming their residents. They are also switching to assigned parking spots, even though the residents are fine with the way things currently are. Management asked us to select our preferred parking spots and emailed us hand-drawn floor plans of the parking lot that don't even match the actual layout. Why couldn't they get the actual floor plan of the building? This whole place is a mess. Hallways and units are flooding, the building literally smells like sewers and garbage, and yet the management decides to fix parking spots -- which is a non-issue -- and continue to increase fees. Extra fees for what? A decaying apartment? Original review: Imagine paying $4000 in rent every month for a "luxury" apartment and not having access to water. You can't drink, cook, or use the bathroom. This is what living at The Elm is like. They've shut down the water again to fix another leak, which happens regularly. They don't even provide the residents with containers of water during these water shutdowns, leaving us to fend for ourselves. This building has major infrastructure problems and living here has been a nightmare.

Unprofessional maintenance staff!! I am currently out of state on vacation and my ring cameras caught the maintenance staff snooping around in my bedroom and closet. They were apparently inspecting the water pressure in the laundry room, bathroom, and kitchen. There's no water faucets/pressure in my bedroom and closet so they have no reason to enter when the doors were closed. One can only assume this is normal behavior for them when they enter a resident's home when that resident isn't around. I have heard rumors of the staff entering resident's homes without notice. Fortunately I have nothing valuable for them to steal but this is still a gross violation of my home. Also all the recent 5 star reviews look fake and aren't relevant to living at the Elm. That's why all the 5 star reviews have no likes while the 1 star reviews have dozens of likes. The reviews with lots of likes accurately reflect the nightmare on Elm street.

Terrible Apartment, Stay Away! Living in this apartment is a nightmare! Water service is cut off at least once a month, messing up everyday tasks. But the worst part is the never-ending loud noise. There's construction work next door during the day and Metro Purple Line work at night(AM hours). It's not just annoying, it's bad for your health, causing stress and disturbing your sleep. The management doesn't seem to care. I strongly suggest you avoid this place and look for a better apartment.

UPDATE: 11/9 I previously anticipated AIR would continue to nickle and dime for the new AC pads and key lock pads that they changed for absolutely no reason. Well this morning we were sent an email that the building will be charging a $12.45 monthly fee for those things. Unbelievable. The building has continued to go downhill in all the worst ways. Avoid UPDATE: 9/3 Avoid Avoid Avoid. This apartment was just sold from Bozzuto to Air Communities. They have only been in for a week and now told us we will need to pay an annual fee of $75 to receive packages and are implementing $10 daily late fees if you don't pick it up. We did not have to pay anything for Bozzuto to receive packages...I've lived in 10+ apartments and have never heard of such a money grab when rent for 1 bedrooms here start at $3k+. They sent out a notice that they are updating our key pads for our homes and AC system (this building is practically new and they all work fine). Can only imagine what other hidden fee's will be added on randomly in the coming months. Not even a week in and showing how much a greedy company they are. Not to mention the AWFUL 24/7 construction (see review below) and the fact that you get double charged for electric/ hvac 1- through the elm and 2- through pepco. Original Review: This building is next to two construction zones: a new apartment building (from what I was told) and the purple line metro. The construction does not stop, it occurs 22-23 hours of the day and leasing was not exactly forthcoming with this information. Both construction projects have permits from Montgomery County to work before and past normal "quiet" hours. Monday-Saturday: Construction for the apartment building starts between 6am-6:30am, sometimes as early as 5am. This construction ends anywhere between 7pm-8pm. Sundays are usually quiet, but not always. If it rains during the week, expect them to be out there on both weekend days. Purple line construction is also all day from what I have gathered, but also continues all night. They do not stop until 3-5am. As I type this, there is currently a thumping noise that is causing vibrations in the building. They also do blasts during the day which is incredibly loud and shakes the windows. Think you can handle the construction, but realize after a few months it's disruptive and want to raise a complaint/ leave due to the disruption? Your lease will have a construction addendum to protect the building from any liability from the noise. The building itself is beautiful and they have a great gym/ amenity areas, but the construction is intolerable at times. I wish, along with many other residents, that leasing was forthcoming with this information before we leased. We were told that we would "barely hear it" because of how well the windows keep out sound and that they only work normal hours. This is absolutely false. If you absolutely must lease here, try to get a unit on the West side or very high up. You can hear the construction on the 8th and 17th floors of the East side, and can only imagine how loud it is for the units below.

Welcome to The Elm, a place where quiet time is a big joke! You can't never rest here yay 🙂 I've never lived in a place more disrespectful than this.

Service has decreased and fees have increased since the management turned over to AIR communities from Bozzuto. UPDATE: Chase, community manager, was unable to retrieve my previously signed lease from Bozzuto and required me to locate it for him... He also made clear no concessions are being made for east tower despite construction and he showed lack of care in his communication around service issues. Will be considering leaving within our 30 day satisfaction guarantee window of new lease, as trend of new management is concerning. Used to love this community, but would no longer recommend.

This is one of the worst places to live in we are under new management and they are terrible. We had a homeless man sleeping in the first floor bathroom on Christmas Eve and then we turned around. I talked to a neighbor and they said that they were supposed to be getting work done in a house they walk in a house, the contractors and they pantry eating a food, please whatever you do don't select this place to live. Everybody is moving out. Air management is terrible.

Beware: Hidden fees after hidden fees only 1 week after new company took over! Extremely disappointed by the new management company, AIR. We were told by Chase that physical check processing will cost a $10 fee come October, only after inquiring about our September check payment processing via email. This is not stated anywhere and we did not have to pay any fees by dropping a check off with Bozzuto. The whole point of paying via physical check instead of through the portal was to avoid online fees, but this company is clearly money hungry. It also sounded like we can no longer drop it off at the front office and instead will need to send it to their "shared processing center" (no address or announcement provided for this either). Can't wait to see them try to say we are "late" and charge us additional fees at this rate. What an absolute joke. Not to mention all the other additional amenity and extra fees that have been added on in only the first week of them managing the building. This is a great first impression, AIR. Most of the people leaving five stars recently do not live here as an fyi

I've had a mixed experience at Elm Apartments since moving in early July 2023, and here's my breakdown: Pros: - Excellent location - Impressive building design - Welcoming community areas - High walkability score - Quick maintenance response times Cons: - Since new management (Air) took over in late summer 2023, utility fees have skyrocketed, making living costs less affordable. - Ongoing construction noise disrupts the living environment. - The community pool, while nice, is disproportionately small for the community size. - The cabinetry design is peculiar, wasting valuable storage space. - Receiving packages is inefficient due to the current system in place. - Management's lack of feedback and the absence of a concierge presence have left me feeling a bit disconnected and unsupported. - Safety is a bit concerning with the large amount of strangers who gain access to the building. Overall, Elm Apartments has its strengths, but recent changes have impacted the overall living experience negatively. I expected a 5-Star experience in exchange for the higher than average cost of living. Update: 1/18/24 Dropping to one star because there is a major problem with the plumbing in this building. There have been several major water leaks causing damaging floods to several units. These floods have become a weekly occurrence where the water to the whole building is emergently shut-off for hours. This displaces residents to nearby hotels. Unfortunately, the residents are NOT being reimbursed. Those of us who haven't been flooded are living in fear waiting for the pipes to burst and destroy our homes next. We are also worried about the quality of repairs, are we being subjected to living in black mold conditions?

You can never get ahold of anyone if there's an issue (maintenance aside). I also was given a written document that I'd received a month rent free due to the unit I chose, which I didn't get. They also put in writing what you'll be charged monthly, but it seems to always be hundreds over the original agreement amount. I have in written texts/agreements what I should have been charged for my 7 month lease and it's WAY more. They just take it out of your account without accountability. They call you call you email you 100x about your renewal but if you have questions about your lease you can't call anyone. You have to put in a request then it takes 3 business days to get a response. Ridiculous, if I could get the same person or someone competent on the phone to help me I wouldn't be here leaving this review. regardless of how bad my experience has been. The building also smells like a fart, don't you dare get a package shipped here worth anything. It will end up on the ground out front or across the street at 7 springs apartments.

Lived there for 18 months, it was a great place. When new management took over services and quality went down hill... friends still living there have seen no much improvement. A wasted opportunity.

Updated in March 2024. Don't move here, it's too bad. Many people know what AIR Community has done. They bought Elm and transformed him from the best apartment in the area into a very ordinary apartment in half a year. You pay the most expensive rent in the area and get the crappiest services. Your neighbor will not park according to the parking space regulations, and you may even have to wait for the front desk on the first day of work to call your neighbor to move the car at 12 o'clock in the middle of the night. Their reserved parking and towing services are staged, meaning you can park anywhere as long as you move before the next morning. When you find the solution to the apartment: the front desk, he will tell you that this is my first day on the job, so I can't help you and I can only wait until tomorrow morning to call the towing company. The dog park (on the roof) that we once enjoyed is now barely maintained. The front desk does not sign for express delivery 24 hours a day, but just leaves it at the express station for us to find ourselves, and it is often placed in the wrong place.

AIR properties acquired this property from Bozzuto Management (who was wonderful) and in less than a week after acquiring, things have gone aggressively downhill. 1)The first day, the community printer was removed, with management not sending out a notice about it until a week later saying "we apologize for the inconvenience, and urge you to utilize community resources". This printer was consistently utilized by the residents of this building and was taken away with no notice. 2) AIR properties has decided to take the previously free package room, and charge access fees requiring a credit card on file. While they say that they are waiving the yearly fee for the package room for the first year, they have decided as well that after 2 days they will charge you a late fee of 10 dollars per package per day. There is also no option to opt out of this service..do they expect the residents who don't want to pay for this fee to not get packages. 3) For the last 3 days, there had been dried dog feces on the main entrance way to the apartments. I know this because I have made a point to see if it is cleaned up, and it has not been. Monthly rent of 4500 a month and the first act of AIR management is too nickel and dime the residents of this previously nice community. Check back in few months to see if the rating has dropped from their current rating of 4.7 stars (Sept '23)!

DO NOT MOVE HERE. The building has major structural problems and is handled by poor management. Ever since we moved here in February 2022, our HVAC would break every 2 months or so. Maintenance staff told us that there was a leak in the unit, which was causing our bill to skyrocket to $300-400/month JUST for HVAC. Throughout 2022 and 2023, the building also had to shut down the water several times for hours during the day to fix some water issues. In November 2023, the unit below us complained that there was a leak coming from our bathroom. When the maintenance staff came in, they saw that the plumbing was not sealed properly, causing water to flow down to the unit below. Then a couple of weeks later, the water boiler on the top floor exploded and caused flooding in the hallways of the top 15 floors of the building. This caused major water damages in the walls that had to be aired out and repaired. This month December 2023, the bottom 15 floors of building then flooded, and this time not only were the hallways flooded but also several units. Residents had to file insurance claims for damaged personal items and also stay at a hotel while their units were getting serviced. On top of our exorbitant rent prices, the new management (Air Communities) is also trying to nickel and dime us by having to pay extra to store our packages in the lockers. We did not have this policy with the previous management (Bozzuto). The new management wouldn't give me access to my own packages unless I put in a credit card on file. There is currently no way to opt out of this new policy. The concierge desk is also usually empty, which is a security risk. Elevators and elevator keys are often broken. A few months after we moved here, Bozzuto remapped our unit to a different unit for the energy provider Pepco. This was done without our knowledge, so for months we were actually paying the electricity bills of a different unit. Due to this error, our account has accumulated excess fees which we were in the process of disputing last summer 2023 with Bozzuto. However, the transition to the new management Air Communities disrupted this process. When we tried to dispute these charges with Air Communities and our building manager, they ignored our emails, and instead sent us eviction notices because they said we weren't paying rent, even though we've paid rent on time since we moved here almost 2 years ago. We are seriously considering moving out and we wish we never moved here in the first place.

Water leaks keep happening, broken elevators often, poor commonspace cleanliness, etc

It is a beautiful building with amazing views but lots of issues.... delivery drivers don't know where to deliver, security is poor, elevators are slooowww, and I experienced TWO water leaks from floors above. Management could care less about disturbances that created for me living and working from home. Not worth the 8% rent hike I was offered on renewal. There are better options in Bethesda.

*Update 2/15/24: After my previous one star review, AIR Corporate took the time to sit down with me and talk through my concerns. They claim to be addressing a lot of the issues raised by myself and other residents. If that proves to be true over the next couple of months, I will update my review accordingly. I still generally have to say that since AIR took over, they have made significant changes to the policies and fee structure. Many of these changes are poorly communicated leaving residents feeling concerned about our future. Below is my original review with a few pieces removed as they have been specifically addressed already. I can't wait to move out. This building used to be a great place to call home, but since AIR Properties has taken over my experience has been very disappointing. I've lived here for a year and will not be renewing my lease! Fees added or increased since AIR properties took over: 1) Residents are expected to pay a percentage of the common area utilities. 2) Luxar Package delivery service 3) Smart Rent fee 4) Pet rent increased/month Services changed/removed since AIR properties took over: 1) Front desk staff are not very helpful, often not at the front desk, and do not always ensure proper package delivery. When I asked why a package wasn't logged into the system I got the response "well that's not our job". Though AIR claims they are working on resolving this. 2) Parking is now assigned with roughly half the spaces now being considered premium spaces which cost $100/month extra. Meaning many residents will be parking further away or paying significantly more AIR claims they are interested in improving "the resident experience" which is interesting considering decisions are made without asking for resident buy-in or feedback. When residents raise concerns to on-site property management, concerns are often ignored and downplayed. Additionally there have been several major leaks in the building in the past few months. Issues like this can happen from time to time and are not AIR's fault however, their response has been less than stellar.

Increase in fees significantly, lack of management presence and friendliness. Hidden cost inflat significantly such as conservative utilities in addition to pepco charges. I would not recommend this place. Prior this property was owned and managed by Bozzuto for a few years and it was amazing. Try a Bozzuto property in bethesda for better service and accommodations.

Every 5 star review here is based on moving into the property and how easy it is. The 1star reviews are after people have lived here for 6 months. That should tell you what you need to know. I also think the residents should all gather together and make sure we aren't being double charged for HVAc. Because we are! This apartment has a serious water issue. I've been relocated to different apartments due to leaks. I honestly don't know if it's safe. It was a great first four months but AIR is nickel and diming us to death with parking, pet, and package charges.

This used to be wonderful place to live when Bozzuto was managing, but the new management group that took over (aire communities) has been very unpleasant and unhelpful, as such I would not recommend living here.

The five-star reviews based solely on a leasing agent's competence or the architecture have zero to do with actually living here. Since the new owners took over in September 2023, quality of life at the Elm has dramatically declined from a five-star to a two-star experience. Since that time, the list of amenities has gradually been whittled down in the name of maximizing profit. All landlords want to maximize profits, but what I don't understand is why AIR Communities thinks nickel and diming residents and reducing amenities that cost very little to the building -- angering people and motivating residents to break leases or not renew -- is the way to do that. Can you imagine suddenly having to pay a ridiculous $75 a year just to receive your packages? Sure, you can opt to skip the fee, but then they just leave your packages dumped out in the open for anyone to walk away with. In the past, package lockers were free, as they are in most buildings. Now, residents are angry, but hey the landlord is a few thousand dollars richer. Other profit-maximizing changes made since September: they eliminated the community printer (really, how much does that cost?); management and leasing have set up shop in the common areas instead of in their designated offices (now sitting empty), reducing the spaces for residents; cut the schedule for the cleaning crews, so the building is often filthy for days (particularly after snowstorms); even eliminated the free coffee in the afternoons. Free coffee is not a big deal, but people really liked it and it costs very little. But their getting rid of it should give you insight into their mentality. Profits first, residents whatever. Security has gone downhill too. The front doors are often broken; the concierges are now ad hoc, with no relationship with residents so that we're all just a mass of nameless people; the front desk is often unmanned; delivery people wander the building at will. As many reviewers have pointed out, the building has serious water and flooding problems in the East tower. So why did I give the Elm two stars instead of one? Things that I still like: the location is great. The building design is great. The furnishings in the common spaces (thanks to the previous owners/managers) remain lovely, though I wonder how this crew will keep them maintained. A couple of the ad hoc concierges are nice and actually seem to care about customer service. Maintenance requests are usually promptly answered. And the day-to-day manager, Chase, is a nice person and responsive. His corporate overlords, however, stink.

Update 9-10-23 Well the good times MAY be over. The Elm is now owned by Air Communities and the transition has not been good. My bathtub recently had a leak (due to construction done by Carr)and the new community manager told me to submit a claim to my renters insurance and go stay in a hotel! Unbelievable. Plus management wants to charge us to use the Luxer One locker and package room. Standard amenities. Did we mention how much we pay for rent. Everyone is complaining. I hope it gets better. I will say Luis the service manager is great and kind. The concierge team members Heaven, India & Asia are nice. We miss the old team, but there are a few good people. Bozzuto managed review below. I love everything about The Elm. Once you walk in you are mesmerized by the beautiful decor, architecture and greenery! The staff is phenomenal and lead by Kimberly and the building manager is Mr. Eddie. We love the concierges John,Patrick, Tonya and Tissa. Living at The Elm is like living in a hotel! Check it out!

No one was at the front desk for at least 15 minutes when I showed up to move despite having called ahead earlier in the day, the elevator was not reserved so moving took a long time, and there were no more parking spaces in the garage so I have had to park in a public lot which is inconvenient. Other than that it was fine, staff are helpful, and the building is clean and nice.

They don't have screens in their windows which is a dealbreaker. Also the leasing lady there didn't seem to be the most friendly. Kind of surprising given this is such a expensive apartment.

The first time we came to tour the building was in May, and we absolutely loved what we saw, but more so, the lady that was giving us the tour (totally forgot her name), she made us fall in love with the building. I scheduled the second tour for today through the chat, I let them know that I was coming with my ESA dog, which they told me was absolutely fine. When we arrived, a woman named Jazmin greeted us with no smile, no emotions. At first, I hoped that maybe the first impression was wrong but oh no. Pretty much the first thing she told us was "Pittbulls are not allowed in the building" -??. Even after showing the chat, where it was previously stated that it's ok for me to bring my dog in, I got "We don't want to bother the existing residents' dogs" - excuse me? It made me so angry, because my dog is everything to me, and for someone to say that she would bother others was extremely disrespectful. So I wasn't allowed on the tour, only my boyfriend. Jazmin, if you are reading this, you need to work on your costumer service skills, because the attitude we received definitely turned us off, which sucks because I was in love with the building and apartments. The Elm, your leasing office agents are your direct representation, and if your future residents get treated like "sorry you don't belong here", there's something you should work on as a team. Jazmin also said that I would need to submit a special form for my ESA dog through the portal, which would be a no issue for me, but she couldn't even state what would be the difference between the document that my therapist provided vs. The Elm's form. Also, when I was chatting with someone on the phone, I specifically mentioned what spaces I am interested in, when we arrived Jazmin knew nothing about it, so maybe for the future it could be beneficial for both parties if the leasing agent could know what apartments to show when people arrive. Unfortunately, very disappointed, I was really looking forward to move in.

Nice building but most inefficient concierge. Takes me 10 minutes to do a job, and another 20 to wait for a concierge. Guys, please hire like 5 more people for the front desk