Stonemeadow Farms

Hells No. If I could give zero stars I gladly would. Hubs and I lived at SMF for 14 months. From the start it was a nightmare. First, We signed/​put deposit on a one bdrm, and then got a call that the 1 bdrm ground floor unit that we’d been promised was actually a ADA unit. They *say* they didn’t realize it was ADA until after they went in to clean it (and we’d signed the lease/​gave deposit). How do you *not* know which apts. are ADA? This apartment was already a tiny 640 sqft/​$ 1200 mo and w/​an ADA we’d have even less counter space/​storage. So, we ended up stuck with another unit, 3^rd floor w/​1 set of stairs. So we get moved in. A week later, our door is broken in (they got in w/​a measly screwdriver into the deadbolt – secure I tell ya!) and our apartment is RANSACKED & ROBBED. All my jewelry is gone, with the exception of my wedding set. The Aholes missed it sitting on the kitchen counter. After the police leave, the «lady» maintenance manager actually sits there and complains about my request to put 2 deadbolts on my door (so that I feel an ounce safer in this hellhole). She’s received numerous complaints on various apt review sites, and they are valid. She is VERY abrasive and RUDE, and shouldn’t be working with the public. And, lovely, when she comes to install said deadbolt, she puts her toolbox on my kitchen table and scratches it. Wonderful. The only reason we were there was b/​c we were between home purchases (and actually own nice stuff, I guess she’s not used to that). We thought this would be WAY shorter term that it was, and would have loved to have gotten out of there sooner. However, with the competitive housing market coupled with the fact that we were saving every penny we had for a larger down payment on a home sealed our fate at SMF. And believe me, the constant changing terms of their leases will tie your hands. Unless you want to get completely screwed, you have to live out the lease, and they WILL ONLY give a short lease extension if you pay about 50% more than what your shoddy apartment is worth. Otherwise get ready to sign at least a 6 month extension for a fair monthly rate. The laundry list of what is wrong w/​this complex and the management is a long one. The *only* good thing I can say about this place is that maintenance issues were taken care of in a timely manner. That being said, several times the maint. staff damaged or broke things in my apt. (a garlic roaster). They were honest about it, but really? So, here’s a rundown of major issues: They CONSTANTLY are coming into your apt. for inspections, maintenance, etc etc. Totally excessive. They don’t give much notice, and they stick the notices in your door. God forbid you’re gone on vacation, its a huge flag saying «hey, I’m not home!!! Come rob me again»!! It’s loud. Tenants let their toddlers run outside on the sidewalks and patios at 9−10pm at night, screaming. The workout room is always out of paper towels/​h20/​disinfectant spray. Parking is an issue if you’re home after 6pm. Plan on parking at least 2 bldgs away. Our apartment constantly smelled of neighboring cooking odors. It was incredibly pungent ALL THE TIME. So, you’d better LOVE Indian food and curry. The place is super dog friendly (fine – I love animals) but half the population doesn’t clean up after their dogs=poop everywhere. Cigarettes litter the sidewalks. Threatening letters saying you will be ticketed if you don’t pick up your cigarette butts/​dog crap are also left on your door, but nothing ever results from them. How about someone get off their ass in the office and cruise around the complex once in a while looking for the perps? The management/​office is a JOKE. Lots of office staff turnover. Completely inept at dealing with serious issues like security and theft. When we were robbed, and the police told me of other robberies in my bldg (#7) as well as many car thefts. We actually woke up one morning to a stolen car dumped in the parking lot of our bldg. You call the office to report it and they giggle & make light of the situation. You’d think maybe some security cameras were in order? Oh, no. But a new fire pit near the pool was installed! How much did that cost? It’s all about making money and NOT about making tenants safe. When we finally moved out, they did keep part of our (exorbitant) deposit, and I’d spent HOURS cleaning that place. And, the kicker, since we were leaving before our lease was up, they strongly advised us AGAINST «gambling» that our apt would rent before the lease was out (which, if we paid out the full lease upon moving, would ensure us a refund since it’s illegal to «double rent» an apt in WA). Instead they recommended that we just take the penalty and walk away (which would have saved us like $ 500 if our apt didn’t rent until our lease was technically out). Well, it rented w/​in 2 wks and they had to refund us approx$ 2K. Bottom line, don’t live here, you’ll hate your life.

Depending on the day and my mood this rating alternates between a 4 and a 3. My wife and I actually like it here quite a lot and are currently on our 4^th lease and second unit since originally moving here. The trouble with this complex and more specifically the buildings to the north is parking. It’s a complete nightmare unless you come home before 5 (in many cases earlier), you can rule out getting a spot even remotely near your building. Typically the only spots left are in front of the office. No idea if this is due to too many cars per unit, though I thought there was a two vehicle limit provided in the lease, or simply not providing enough spaces for the renters. This can all be avoided by renting a covered spot, but it I would think that tenants should be provided for. This is not a reflection of the office staff, as they are always very accommodating and friendly to work with, and typically remember you by name should you pop in. And the units themselves are nice, spacious, clean, and in a very comfortable part of Bothell.

I live there now. Like one of the other reviewers, I tried the main complex first, and now live in the annex where I found a nicer view and better parking. It seems like a nice place to settle in.
Positive qualities:
1. Each apartment has laundry and dishwashers.
2. The complex has social events, like parties and kickboxing classes.
3. The staff is the friendliest I’ve ever seen.
Cautions:
1. Each of my apartments has occasionally had a noise issue. Each unit has ventilation fans which turn on at most any hour; the staff can’t stop anyone from turning theirs on at 5 am. Also, the heating shafts work as well as intercoms for transmitting noise from upstairs TVs and bedrooms.
2. When you move out, the staff is very likely to take money out of your deposit for carpet cleaning. Admittedly in Seattle the carpets need it. But I’m more familiar with apartments where carpet cleaning is free with a one-​year lease.
3. I’ll admit I’m not hyperactively clean. But on my last move within the complex, I got penalized for how I failed to keep clean *the inside of my dishwasher*. Repeat: The Inside Of My Dishwasher. Aren’t dishwashers supposed to keep themselves clean?

hi to you who think smf is the greatest.
my girlfriend (soon to be wife) and i lived there 6mo. tougher and she 10mo. before me. i am a very clean person and so is k, we have cats and a bird. smf on our leaving attempted to charge us for a paint job for the roof, pay for carpet, cleaning of the stove, and keep all the deposit and tack on 185.00 on top. needless to say the cust. service sucked to the point of rude and just bitc*ie.. the maint. staff were sloppy and messy. we had to take them to smalls claims court,(and i can say the little guy won) to get our $$ back .
stone meadow farms apt. are the worst place to live !!

I am a current resident of Stonemeadow Farms. I have lived in the complex for over one and a half years. I have actually lived in two different units in the complex. I had a roommate for the first year and a half in a 2-​BR 2-​BA, and now I live on my own in a 2-​BR 1-​BA.
When I lived in the main complex, my biggest complaint was the parking situation. If you worked off-​hours, parking was great. But if you work normal business hours, parking was a MESS! All of my neighbors were great, and the management was awesome about renewing leases and maintenance. Some peoples cars got broken in to, but mine never was… I guess I just did not leave valuables in plain sight for stealing.
I now live in the lower apartments (called the «annex»). I had heard terrible things about the annex, but actually LOVE being down below! The parking is fantastic. My neighbors are awesome. I must admit that I did see a mouse when I was out in the parking lot one day, but when I was at home with my parents as a kid there were mice in my yard there too. I can hear my neighbor get up in the morning and turn on the shower, but that’s what I get for living on the bottom floor.
The management staff is cool. They’re a great group of people, you just need to know how to manage them. It’s all about positioning! :) The maintenance staff is amazing! They’re always awesome about fixing stuff.