The Residences at Capital Crescent Trail Reviews
The Residences at Capital Crescent Trail located in 5325 Westbard Avenue , Bethesda, Maryland 20816, United States there are many issues and complaints with this community/location, scroll down to the reviews section to see the true reviews for this location
Contact Information for The Residences at Capital Crescent Trail
5325 Westbard Avenue , Bethesda, Maryland 20816, United States
Phone Number
Year Built
2002
Total Units
260
Location
Detailed Information for The Residences at Capital Crescent Trail
Exercise extreme caution when considering properties listed by the horrible company “AIR Communities” on rental platforms. While their promotional visuals might appear enticing, prospective tenants should be forewarned of a multitude of hidden fees. Beyond the baseline rent, there are significant charges for amenities such as parking, water, and mail services, which often require an additional subscription. The following are crucial observations derived from reviews by past tenants across multiple platforms. It is imperative that you review these insights meticulously to avoid potential regrettable experiences.
Here is 15 reasons why you SHOULD NOT! consider moving into The Residences at Capital Crescent Trail:
- Management Issues: Frequent changes in management lead to inconsistent practices and a feeling of being treated like a spreadsheet number rather than a resident. Concierge services have been discontinued, contributing to a less personal experience.
- Poor Building Maintenance: Complaints about dirty carpets, constant construction noise, and high electric bills due to inefficient appliances and poor window insulation.
- Reduced Amenities: Reduced shuttle service hours and amenities that do not match the rates being charged, alongside increases in rent that are considered unjustified given the services provided.
- Expensive Parking with Limited Security: High costs for parking spaces that lack proper security measures, leading to concerns about vehicle safety.
- Inadequate Response to Maintenance Requests: Slow approvals for maintenance requests have been reported, although once approved, the actual maintenance work is completed promptly.
- Unsatisfactory Renovations: Renovations that focus more on aesthetics rather than functional improvements, with old A/C units and windows still in place.
- Package and Mail Security: The building uses lockers for packages and mails, but delivery personnel often leave items on the floor, unsupervised, leading to theft concerns.
- Soundproofing Issues: Inadequate soundproofing throughout the building results in noise disturbances from neighboring units and the surrounding environment.
- Lack of Professionalism: Front desk staff have been described as rude and unprofessional, with additional unauthorized charges being applied to deposits.
- Construction Disruptions: Ongoing renovations create constant noise, posing a significant problem for residents working from home.
- Infestation Issues: Reports of pest infestations, including mice, that were not promptly or effectively addressed by management.
- Unaddressed Safety Concerns: Safety concerns arising from broken into mailrooms and a general lack of attentiveness to residents’ security.
- Failure to Return Deposits: Difficulties in getting the refundable application fee and security deposits returned, with management being unresponsive.
- High Utility Bills: Residents face high electricity bills due to poor insulation and inefficient electric heaters, with management acknowledging the issue but offering no solutions.
- Unresponsive to Tenant Needs: A decline in the quality of management and customer service, with tenants feeling their needs and complaints are not being addressed.
It’s essential to keep these points in mind and possibly look for other rental options that provide not just a decent apartment but also a pleasant overall living experience.
Read these comments below with caution before you make your decision!
External Links for The Residences at Capital Crescent Trail
Our website exposes the deceptive practices of AIR Communities. We link to external reviews on Google Reviews, Yelp, etc. but caution against trusting 5-star ratings. Many are the result of incentives for positive feedback, not genuine tenant experiences. We advise focusing on reviews of 3 stars or below for a real picture of these properties. Beware of manipulated ratings and seek the truth in the more critical, honest feedback
Reviews for The Residences at Capital Crescent Trail
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Google UserWe lived at this building for a year. It was fine at the time (other than the poor insulation and extremely high electric bills). However, more than a year after moving out, they are sending a debt collection company after us for over $1500 even though we were model tenants and paid all our rent! (They had previously assured me that they had fixed an error in their software system that listed our lease end date incorrectly, but clearly they did not fix it.) I have been trying to contact them for over a week about this bogus "debt," but no one will respond to me. They claim that I will be contacted by an assistant property manager, but this has not happened.
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Google UserIt has been over a year since we applied, and we were never refunded our REFUNDABLE application fee. We have called dozens of times and sent countless emails. The staff turnover is insane and makes it difficult for us understand what is going on. Just incredibly frustrating to feel stolen from in this way.
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Google UserI lived there for five years. It was good until the end. I told them that I were moving out. Then, they sent me a court notice for unpaid rent. I paid rents on time every time. Them just want to waste your time and create unnecessary troubles. I went to the court and the case was dismissed. One year after I move out, they sent me another note through a collection company for unpaid balance. I paid my balance when I move out. Be aware, guys! In addition, there is a Mexican janitor, who is very rude and an illegal immigrant. Once I left my keys at my apartment, I asked him whether he could help me open the door to the gym. He replied that "did not you see I am working?" He was just walking around. In addition, a few other staff regularly use water in the loading deck area to wash their cars.
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Google UserThey refused to refund the "amenities fee" when I found a different apartment... $300. Approach at your own peril
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Yelp UserThis place is horrible. They have made it look nice on the outside but the plumbing and infrastructure are defective and do not function. My unit flooded and despite my kids being traumatized and me complaining to management, they had me stay there for months and sent people pretending to fix a problem that could not be fixed. They finally moved me to another unit after months of living in misery, stench, humidity and filth. On the day I was moving out of the building, my unit flooded again with filthy water! Most of my paintings and boxes were damaged by the water and it was hard to pack in that stench. Again when I complained, they told me to contact my insurance. They didn't do anything to compensate for my loss and suffering. Oh, and the units run out of hot water when one person showers. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. They don't offer much despite their high rents.
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Yelp UserIf you are looking for an apartment building, do not select this building. We moved into this building about a year ago and consistently have electric bills over $200. Going as high as $350 in the winter. We keep our apartment at 68-70 degrees because of the electricity costs. This is because all appliances in the apartments and the in-room heaters are all electric. When I brought it up with the building's management they asked if I needed help setting the thermostats to a proper temperature. The manager stated: " electric bills do tend to run higher in our community vs another community with Central Heating, and Gas supplied appliances. Your entire unit is run by electricity." The building is completely aware of the high electricity costs their apartment has and purposefully turns off the in-room heaters when you tour the apartments. Between the electricity and "parking" fees, you'll be paying $400 more each month than they tell you.If you don't believe me, ask the following questions when you get a tour of one of this building's "luxury" apartments: - What is the average electricity bill for this apartment in the winter? - Can we turn on the heating system? I want to see how loud it is.- Can I talk to another resident about their experience with this building? ********************Updating this review to respond to a message I got from another resident:My usage from PEPCO is also 55-60% higher than equivalent units in the area. When I spoke with Katie (see her response below) she told me that there's nothing to fix and that this is just how much it costs to live in this building. She very kindly implied after this review went live that she wants me to move out.
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Google UserTerrible maintenance and services, we had mice infestation for 4 months and all they did was once a week check in and no actions taken. I had to buy anti-pest stuff my self (~100 bucks) and they did not reimburse either. The AC units are terrible too, in the winter electricity bills are around $300 and in summer around $250 only because their AC units are super low and ineffective with poorly sealed windows. They have a open parking lot with no assigned parking, security and no garage style roof, and still i had to pay $95 per car per month. The only reason kept me there for 3 years was the neighborhood and its accessibility to the trails.
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Google UserIf you are looking for an apartment building, do not select this building. We moved into this building about a year ago and consistently have electric bills over $200. Going as high as $350 in the winter. We keep our apartment at 68-70 degrees because of the electricity costs. This is because all appliances in the apartments and the in-room heaters are all electric. When I brought it up with the building's management they asked if I needed help setting the thermostats to a proper temperature. The manager stated: " electric bills do tend to run higher in our community vs another community with Central Heating, and Gas supplied appliances. Your entire unit is run by electricity." The building is completely aware of the high electricity costs their apartment has and purposefully turns off the in-room heaters when you tour the apartments. Between the electricity and "parking" fees, you'll be paying $400 more each month than they tell you. If you don't believe me, ask the following questions when you get a tour of one of this building's "luxury" apartments: - What is the average electricity bill for this apartment in the winter? - Can we turn on the heating system? I want to see how loud it is. - Can I talk to another resident about their experience with this building?
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Yelp UserBuilding nice, management not so much. I lived here a little over a year. Over this time, the management team, with few exceptions, has declined. It kind of coincided with the lobby updates. Maybe they think because the surroundings are nice that they don't have to be. I had the most horrible move-out experience ever. I won't bore you with the details, but just know that it was completely their responsibility to fix things. Absolutely a complete failure by them. Over the course of that mess, they captured a level of rudeness, disinterest, insensitivity, and incompetence that was truly stunning. So awful to the moving company that they almost left the job - that bad. A very long (i.e., expensive) and stressful move that could have been avoided. I sent them a pretty even-handed email about it and not a word back. Except, a couple days later I got a bizarrely friendly email as if the whole fiasco had never happened. I asked if they had seen the email I sent before - and forwarded it. Again, no response. Also, I've overheard some of the mngt speak rudely and down to the concierges. As a result many of them do not seem all that into their jobs, and it shows. Utilities - My previous note holds true. You will pay about twice a normal bill because not well insulated and the A.C. units are old and loud (at least the ones in my place).Work out facilities - Avg. Mostly old, used equipment in a new space. It gets sweaty and they forget to change the wet paper towel container. As a result, residents tend not to clean the machines, and they are not cleaned well otherwise. Maintenance - Just avg. Also, day before the moving fiasco, one of their guys blocked the loading dock door that I'd reserved for moving with his black honda passport. He was clearly angry because he couldn't get out, after himself blocking the entrance for 2+ hrs. The concierge was not helpful and didn't seem to know how to find the vehicle owner, which turned out to be them. Really cannot make this up. Parking - expensive, $90/m for outside. I called the police at ~2 am because a couple people were going around checking doors. Could see out my windows. No answer at concierge desk when I called. But, otherwise seems like a pretty safe area.Shuttle bus - Star goes to the shuttle bus and Manny. Promote that guy! Access to the CC trail is nice too. For a fairly pricey place, there is better. I would not recommend after there poor treatment when moving out. Glad there was no deposit! I have no doubt they would have tried to keep it.
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Google UserI recently had the opportunity to stay at The Residences at Capital Crescent Trail for 18 months, and unfortunately, my experience was far from satisfactory. I feel compelled to share my disappointment regarding the issues I encountered during my stay, particularly the lack of soundproofing and the unprofessional behavior of the front desk staff. One of the primary concerns I had with The Residences at Capital Crescent Trail was the inadequate soundproofing. The walls seemed paper-thin, allowing every noise from neighboring units to infiltrate my living space. Whether it was conversations, music, or footsteps, the lack of sound insulation made it incredibly difficult to find peace and quiet within my own apartment. The constant disturbance greatly affected the quality of my stay and left me feeling frustrated and exhausted. Another major issue I encountered was the front desk service at The Residences. The staff, especially the front desk women, were extremely rude and unhelpful. Their behavior was consistently disrespectful and unprofessional, which significantly tarnished my overall experience. Furthermore, I was shocked to discover that they charged extra on the deposit fee, despite it not being explicitly mentioned in the lease agreement. This additional charge felt unjust and misleading, leaving me with a sense of mistrust towards the management. I believe that a reliable and welcoming front desk is essential for any residential community, as it sets the tone for the overall experience. Regrettably, the front desk at The Residences at Capital Crescent Trail fell far short of this expectation, with their unfriendly demeanor and questionable billing practices. In summary, my stay at The Residences at Capital Crescent Trail was marred by the terrible soundproofing, unprofessional behavior of the front desk staff, and their questionable charging practices. I strongly advise potential residents to consider these factors before choosing to stay at this establishment. It is my hope that the management takes these concerns seriously and addresses them promptly to provide a more pleasant and customer-focused experience in the future.
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Google UserVery unprofessional receptionist
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Google UserManagement under Marvin and front desk staff used to be great, however ever since he and a lot of the front desk staff has left everyone is pretty rude and apprehensive to do their job. Aside from the maintenance staff I never have a pleasant exchange with any employees anymore. Update: 40 days after my move out date I still have not received my $500 security deposit back. The property manager Patrice Shields takes zero responsibility for her job.
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Google UserLived here for 1 year and here are some reviews: Pros: - Affordable price and quiet. Cons: - The gym is usable if you only use the treadmill or exercise without equipments. - Management team is not the best. - Maintenance is poor, with hallways and elevators usually have unpleasant smell. - Bad soundproof. - The building uses lockers for packages and mails, but delivery guys often put it on the floor unsupervised. Also, the mailroom was broken into once which caused serious safety concerns.
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Google UserUpdate: Things are getting better. I believe another update is due to inform the potential renters better. Now the property is operated by Air Communities. Sometimes this makes you feel like a number on the spreadsheet. I wish they continued the concierge service. Gym equipment is not serviced for a long time, elevators can smell terrible and etc. but finally some action is taken on replacing the awful windows that was a major factor in increasing the electric bills. Maintenance under George's management is much better and George is doing a great job together with Alex. Yet, the increase in rents are more than 12% y/y and all the other additional costs (super high electric bills according to Pepco compared with other similar places) are I believe still not justifies the rates and rate increases. Shuttle is back with extremely reduced hours. Overall, reduced amenities, constant construction noise on the east side of the building, dirty carpets, high electric bills and very slow approvals on maintenance requests (although once approved maintenance is fast) with the rates demanded, is not on par with other similar buildings in and around Bethesda. But some things are getting better. Parking is very expensive for open parking. --- Previous Comment: I have been living in this building for the past 4 years. Until recently I couldn't have recommended to anyone to rent a place in this building as the management office was constantly changing, the promises were never held, carpets were old, took many days to reach to the maintenance, A/C units were so old that you could not sleep at night if you were running even a single unit and you pay sky high electric bills. HOWEVER, the new crew at the management seems very respectful and responsive. They are changing the carpets and the AC units. The windows are very old and have almost no isolation function left at all which drives the electric bills high. I will rvise this review once they change those too and then it will become a great place to rent. Thank you to Will, Tim, Patricia and Jerome. ALSO, Manny our shuttle driver, should be hired as one of the General Managers. He is the textbook and more of how a great manager should be. I cannot think of anyone more capable, professional, kind and genuine than him (this includes some people I have recommended to top 500 companies).
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Google UserExcellent concierge and attentive maintenance staff. However, air-conditioning in apartment units does not work properly. During warm days it is often impossible to keep room temperature below 78 degrees. Because of air-conditioning set up electric bills are excessive because often units have to run 24/7 to keep unit temperature below 80 degrees (our electric bills for a 900 sq ft apartment were greater than our former 4,200 square foot house)
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Google User ·
Google UserThis is not the place to live if you work from home. They are renovating a lot of the units and the business center, and there is constant construction noise. I've brought the noise up with management and was told to work in the business center, which is now also under construction. Our unit is nice and the front desk staff is really friendly, but the near constant noise has become a big pain point since I work from home.
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Yelp UserYelp is reporting that this apartment building is closed-- I'm not sure why. I drove by this week and it's still... a normal, open apartment building. Bad info, Yelp.I lived in this building 2018-2021. I found the building itself to be fine. Yes, one of the elevators is permanently broken. Yes, the windows are drafty AF so you will have a huge electric bill. Eh.The problem with this building is where it's located: down the road from American University. This means that the building is now an unofficial AU dorm. And it is LOUD. In the three years I lived here, I had three sets of student roommates move through the apartment next to me. The walls are paper-thin, so I could hear everything even when they were trying to be quiet. But they were never trying to be quiet. They were throwing loud parties with bass (BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM) until 4 in the morning. Smoking. Screaming in the hallway. I lost count of how many times I called the front desk-- or eventually the police. Nothing was ever done. It literally drove me to tears some nights as I sat in my apartment at 3am, totally exhausted, but unable to get even a little sleep. I eventually just moved out.I have no idea why the leasing office continues to let all these students move in, if it means everyone else is moving out in droves. It's totally miserable. Good luck to them.
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Google UserPros: The staff are friendly, helpful and polite. Nice and clean gym. Separate bike storage room. Everyone wears masks.The corridors are well maintained and cleaned often. The grounds are well kept too. The location is great with access to paved trail, good school. Prompt maintenance and easy online requests. Decent pricing. Good safe parking. Cons- AC units are not efficient and window insulation is terrible since the windows don't seal properly, winter bills run high. Cockroach infestation going on since the roaches are inside the dishwasher, come up the garbage disposal sink and are everywhere.
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Yelp UserIf you are considering a move to Bethesda- stay clear of the The Residences at Capital Crescent Trail.It is a lovely property and maintained nicely. It stops there.There is absolutely zero management on site nor does anyone get back to you in a timely fashion should you have any maintenance issues to be addressed. It takes maintenance several days to address any maintenance issue. They completely drop the ball with communication should you have a more serious maintenance issue such as no AC. The assistant property manager , Marvin Bethael, III is your only resource as a resident to get things taken care of as the regional manager Tim Colbert is nowhere to ever be found nor responds to emails or phone calls. Marvin either is incapable or or does not have the authority to get things taken care of. Bottom line- good luck if you ever have an issue that needs attention. And if you go so far as I have tried to get thru to the corporate office in NY- again good luck!As a tenant, the management of The Residences at Capital Crescent Trail is nowhere to be found and obviously feels no obligation to be there for their residents. Grade: F
Community Team
