Steilacoom Woods

This is my third year at Steilacoom Woods. I've stayed for as long as I've had because my experience has been generally positive here. Pros: -Quiet, safe neighborhood -Close to historic downtown Steilacoom, with numerous local business options (coffee, lunch/dinner, gift shop, etc.) -Friendly and responsive management and maintenance -Washer and dryer included in most units -Pet friendly -Close to JBLM North (17 mins) and JBLM Main (20 mins) -Your own (free) assigned parking space Cons: -Outdated units (particularly the kitchen and bathroom; you get what you pay for - this is not a glamorous place to live, but it's practical and affordable compared to other options in the area) -Limited gym appliances (you're better off with your own gym membership; the gym is basically in the main office's basement)

This is my third year at Steilacoom Woods. Overall, the pros far outweigh the cons. I have stayed here for as long as I've had because my experience has been generally very positive. Pros: -Quiet, safe neighborhood -Affordably priced compared to other complexes in the area -Friendly staff -Close to Fort Steilacoom Park -Close to downtown historic Steilacoom (about a 15-minute walk and 4-minute drive to Topside Bar and Grill, coffee shop, and other locally owned businesses) -In-unit washers and dryers (some, not all) -Pet friendly -Free assigned parking -Responsive, friendly maintenance staff Cons: -Outdated units, particularly the kitchen and bathroom (don't expect anything special, you get what you pay for) -Smaller square footage for 2BR units than most other apartments in the area (740 sq. ft. versus 900+ sq. ft. at other complexes) -Limited gym appliances

I put down a $600 deposit which included a $200 non-refundable cleaning fee, but they still charged me an extra $215 in "standard cleaning fees" on top of the $200 cleaning fee I had already put down. Then they made claims that I had left the apartment dirty even though I paid a professional maid service $100 to clean the apartment after I left (just to be sure I'd get my full deposit back). In the end I only got $31 from my deposit despite leaving the apartment immaculate and with zero damage. Had a maintenance issue which they never took care of or got back to me about. Otherwise it's a good community and I didn't have any problems. Hence the 2 star review instead of a 1 star review.

The management is very nice, but the apartments are pretty run down, there are some that have been renovated but those haven't been always done well. Some have carpets coming up, and there is mold/mildew in the apartments. The laundry rooms don't always have all functioning machines. Water doesn't taste good so you'll have to have a filter or buy bottled. Great location in beautiful Steilacoom though.

I have been here for 8 months and its been a good place to live for the most part. My main issues have been due to the fact that my apartment was newly renovated so there were kinks that were not worked out: my breaker keep going off for my kitchen, washer only worked on select cycles, dishwasher not working correctly. But maintenance is really good about responding to all issue.