Potomac Towers

I am a current tenant in the building.



Management: The management of this building is dishonest. This past month our utility bill was 4 TIMES what it normally is. The management told all residents to file all complaints with the utility metering company "Studebaker Submetering". Upon contacting Studebaker sub metering we were told that



"The property ran out of their heating source and had to purchase oil for the use of heat for the apartment. The property is just now receiving these bills for that purchase, which is why you see it on your bill now. The property instructed us to break the cost down for three months. Meaning the next two bills will have an increase in HVAC."



$180 a month is RIDICULOUS for utility charges for a one bedroom apartment! Even more ludicrous is that the management KNEW this increased HVAC charge was about to be dumped on all the residents for THREE CONSECUTIVE MONTHS and didn't have the decency to at least warn residents that it was coming or explain what was going on. They tried to pawn all responsibility off on the utility metering company. Completely dishonest and unfortunately an accurate representation of how the rest of this building is managed as well.



On a separate note the maintenance staff is very responsive however the HVAC units in the building are very old. The unites are covered with mold every summer when the AC is on and despite filing multiple complaints with management and the maintenance staff they do not replace them they simply keep cleaning it off every few months.



Location: The location is fine but there is a lot of noise from route which runs just behind the building.



Amenities: They are over valued by the building. The "gym" is small and has very old equipment that barely works and no free weights. The roof patio is NEVER open except for 3 hours on July 4th every year to watch fireworks. The pool is nice though is not heated and often too cold to be comfortable.



Overall I would NOT recommend that you move into this building.

I have lived here for 4 years. Overall Potomac towers is mediocre, they are overpriced and under deliver.



The heating, air conditions, electricity and water are billed through a company called "Studebaker Submetering". The algorithm that the company uses does not accurately asses the use of heat or air conditioning. It reports the temperature in the apartment as a means for determining how much "heat" one apartment used. This month was warm in DC and we were hit was a very large bill. The heat is still technically on in the building but it has been so warm that our windows are always open and the heat is off 100% of the time (we even close the radiator valves). The algorithm records our temperature as being the 75 degrees that it is outside and our "heat" portion of the bill charged us for that. Utilities for a one bedroom range from about $100 to the $170 bill we got this month.



This billing practices of this company are questionable.



The building are always late turning on the AC in the spring which is not fair considering that everyone now pays utilities.



The amenities are mediocre and overvalued by the building. The gym was recently repainted but the equipment is ancient and half of it does not work properly. There are no free weights, only 3 weight machines.

I've been in the area for quite some time, and this is by far the worst building I lived in. It's old, smelly and surrounded by all kind of noise and pollution sources. If you have allergies (like myself) this building and its surroundings will just make it worse.



The building is overlooking the highway (I-66) and Route 50 (Lee Highway). It's also right underneath the path of planes heading to DCA airport, which can be very unpleasant and noisy (it's worth noting that studies have associated airplane noise with many diseases such as infertility).



The noise factor from the Highway can be also very disturbing, as half the building is facing the I-66. In my case, I can't even open the windows given the surreal noise I get.



The AC system in the units is old, outdated and represents a health hazard. The amount of allergens it releases is just alarming. I once opened the upper cover of my AC unit and was shocked to see that its home to numerous little insects.

Same story at the kitchen. You can't even leave a bag of flour in the cabinets. Last time I did, it was also full of insects.



The appliances are outdated and very bad quality. My fridge broke twice in the space of 4 months, including one time I was away on holidays. When I got back, all the food had perished and the whole apartment was smelling like hell. One neighbor even alerted the management thinking that there might be a dead body inside, given the smell that found itself to the hallway.



The dishwasher is also a joke, dishes come out of it pretty much the same as they entered.



The walls have cracks all over, and those by the window are getting water stains from the rain and not surprisingly mold also.

The management of the building (Virginia Management) is all about profit. Move in fees ($300 non-refundable), pet fees ($500 non refundable)... and rent increases. Don't get fooled by the smoke to the eye renovation they did to the hallways and elevator, the true fact every resident knows is that it's an old, falling apart building, with units that need complete renovation and redoing.



- Pet Policy : You can't really call this a pet friendly building. They don't allow "visiting pets". So if a member of your family or friend has a pet and wants to visit, they won't allow it.

If you decide to have a pet, they'll charge you a $500 non-refundable fee, and increase your rent.



- Parking : It's only outdoor and free (for now) but be aware. Your car will be damaged if you have an SUV or a large Sedan. I had to get rid of my Ford Edge because it was collecting scratches and dings all over in the parking lot.



- Bike storage : it's smelly, dusty and non safe. My $600 Mountain Bike front wheel was stolen (lock broken), and another bike near by also stolen. The management did absolutely nothing about it. They simply don't care.



- Maintenance : The maintenance people are doing their best, but again, they can't do much about such an old, breaking apart building.



- Move in / Move out : If you're moving in, you'll have a crazy time moving your large furniture through the narrow floor hallways and through the tiny doors of the apartments. If by any miracle you manage to get them through, you'll probably have to leave them behind when you're moving out. They won't go out through the tiny narrow door.