Evolve Property Management

Evolve did such a poor job managing my building that the owner took over managing the property. Evolve was either unresponsive or underwhelming when it came to maintenance requests. My washer/​dryer combo was broken for at least two months and their maintenance team never resolved the issue. The owner had to step in to fix the problem.

After Evolve took over our building our apartment was broken into (pretty sure it was an inside job) and property stolen. We now see mice every night in the kitchen. The guys they hire look like they pulled up a pick-​up truck at the local shelter and threw them an Evolve t-​shirt. No worries though, apparently they treat employees like they do tenants and as a result there’s a lot of turn-​over. Never see the same guys twice. I guess they’ve «evolved.» Need to speak with someone? Good luck, they don’t answer the phone. We have a broken interior door that was reported months ago, its barely hanging by the hinges. At one point our kitchen ceiling collapsed due to water damage from upstairs and we now have a gaping hole (probably where the mice are coming from…)
Terrible company that I strongly advise anyone to avoid.

If I could I would leave 0 stars.
I’ve been looking for apartments and I came across some Evolve Properties. I set and online appointment and was reminded of them 2 hours before. I set one up for 12 and 1 PM.
Needless to say, I arrived at the first property and waited. NO sign, Nothing was evident that they were there. I then went to contact the number they had left which is basically defunct. All leads led to the voice mail.
I then went on to the 2^nd property at 1. I don’t know why I thought someone would be there, but once again, NO ONE.
Then a couple hours later, I received 2 emails thanking me for coming out and that they hoped I enjoyed the tour. Can you believe that?!
I called the office today and once again it led to the Voice mail. I will never do service or business, and would not refer anyone who wants good service and a place to live quick to do business with these people.

This company is a disgrace to property management companies globally.
I’m an owner of a condo unit in an Evolve-​managed building. We recently made the decision to fire them and I wanted to leave a note so that anyone researching Evolve can stay away.
Snow: As an owner, I don’t go by the unit with frequency. However, when I do go and see that there is ice on the sidewalks from a storm which passed over a week ago, I wonder…
Building maintenance: I’m not sure what cleaning they actually do, but the front area is always full of litter and the cleaning is done in a haphazard manner which leaves a lot to be desired.
Staff: Rude. I don’t know what else to say. I feel like I am being given a favor for the honor of speaking to them. Other reviews will go into how it’s hard to get them to respond, but ditto.
I read the response of the owner saying that Unilocal doesn’t allow positive reviews to be posted and blamed this on the fact that they don’t advertise with Unilocal.I looked at the reviews which aren’t listed and they all come from people with 1 review… Looks like someone tried to game Unilocal and got gamed.
Long story short, Evolve is a company that should be avoided at all costs.

It is 28 degrees outside and has been snowing all morning. All my radiators stopped working this morning and it’s freezing in my apartment. (It’s now 230pm). Supposedly someone has been ‘on their way’ for over 3 hours. I’m less than a mile from the property management company. Keisha told me that, as of 1 hour ago (when I called to check in) that the repair person’s car was broken down at 8^th and Maryland (which is ONE BLOCK away from my apt) !!! why lie??? .and of course no one is returning my calls now. WOWWW… I was pleasant and patient for the first three calls I made but why was I having to make the calls and not get straight answers or follow ups?
I get that you can’t make everyone happy but its’ alarming when everyone is unhappy with a company. Certainly it’s asking for the business to re assess their business model and or employees. My main frustration was not that there was an issue with the heat (although severely uncomfortable for me and my senior dog). It was the lack of communication and terrible customer service. I was waiting wondering if I should take a hot shower to stay warm but not wanting to miss a call or knock at the door. Nathan phoned me saying he would call me back and never did. The problem is now resolved but I am a dissatisfied customer just like everyone else because the experience was miserable! Can’t wait to move!
(Jeff and the actual service repair man were both helpful on the other hand– good luck to them)

Probably one of the WORST property management companies in DC. NEVER NEVER NEVER fall for the «All-​In-​One» service Evolve touts… your condo board and building will seriously regret it. Take for instance, the «Housekeeping fee.» This fee that is charged is the same fee that one would pay a professional cleaning service to do service 2X per week and is a crew of cleaners, not one person. Next, the «first level maintenance fee.» This is essentially a «secondary management fee» with no tied objectives. No written property inspection reports, no assistance with developing a yearly budget, not showing up for mandatory board meetings… You have no idea what you are getting with for this charge. This management company consistently failed at responding to owner and resident requests for several months. All of their good workers have quit to leave for other quality PM companies. STAY AWAY… STAY VERY FAR AWAY!!! DON“T SAY YOU WEREN’T WARNED!!!

Our condo board ALSO hired Evolve after interviewing several companies. The pitch: «High cost but high service, saves money in the long run, yadda yadda»…We fell for it. We feel like we are self managing most of the time, except that we loose $ 800 a month ($ 9,600 for one year) for our small 8 unit building that has only hallways and front steps. We are almost through our one year contract. We tried to explain our issues and problems, but we are met with a lot of defensive replies. Evolve assures us that that we ARE, in fact, dealing with THE BEST POSSIBLE SERVICE. Why worry about the details, such as an lack of actual good service? Lots of ego and hard-​selling going on here.
We have very low expectations now. Pretty much every unit owner at this point considers these fees major sunk costs… Its not a good feeling when people feel like their condo fees are being wasted because you asked them to switch over to a Full-​Service Management Company that doesn’t really provide the «full service» part.
They have some really good people, but they seem like they area held back by a system of layers that the top management has set up (and continually defends despite its major shortcomings!) Unless they make some noticeable changes after this review, Do your condo building OR unit a favor: Don’t fall for the hype and new H Street office and nice web page. There are not a lot of options for Prop. Management in DC… But if you are going to pretty much self manage anyway, you might as well not break your budget for it!

While my review below is still fully valid, I do have one additional positive experience to add: Evolve was very quick to follow up and rectify the situation when I reminded them of their legal obligation. The person handling my move out went on vacation, but professionally, it’s generally advisable to take care of work BEFORE you take time off, rather than wait until after a deadline.
Pros: Easy to navigate website, beautiful apartments, free maintenance and pest control
Cons: Staff members vary from unbelievably kind and helpful to rude and incompetent. Failure to maintain their own timelines. Misleading leasing agents
My experience with Evolve has been a series of polar opposite interactions. Early on, I was very impressed by Evolve. Their website was easy to navigate and their leasing staff were prompt in helping me view the unit I eventually rented. As soon as we had any questions about the property or terms of the lease, however, our leasing agent, Natalie, was unable to do anything more than shrug and proceed to play with her iPhone. I hadn’t raised any esoteric questions; I asked whether the water heater was gas or electric… pretty common thing to ask
Upon moving in, we were given an improper number of keys to the unit, which our property manager Jordan was kind enough to take care of. Our issues persisted, however and were marked by lackluster response times and service levels. Our furnace broke at 2PM on a Friday last winter, on the coldest day of the season, and conveniently their office was completely vacant and all staff had left work early that day with no way to reach anyone. I learned never to trust them with urgent matters in the future.
My move out process followed the same schizophrenic pattern. Raquia was unbelievably helpful in confirming that I had completed all of the steps to terminate my lease and vacate the unit. I figured that there was nothing to do for 45 days until I would receive my deposit back, and then I proceeded to wait…
After repeated email and phone inquiries, I still have not received even an indication of whether Evolve managed to send me a check, much less the results of the post move-​out inspection. Both items are mandated by DC law within 45 days, and no surprise, I’m still waiting.

Evolve hired a contractor to replace our condo’s front stairs, and that company took our $ 2000 deposit and never did the work (and skipped town). Evolve did nothing to resolve the situation.

Since buying a unit about one year ago in a building managed by Evolve, I feel like I am living in a Shakespeare play because of the appearance vs reality theme I have experienced from them.
For example, I was impressed by the appearance of Evolve’s website and the kind of community involvement they say they are involved in. They seemed really put together and professional.
That was before I had a problem with water damage in my kitchen and actually needed them to act like a management company. I put in a ‘ticket’ May 20^th. It is now October 17 and besides having a hole cut in my ceiling (from which sewer flies and other bugs emerge) the source of the leak has neither been located nor resolved.
While one manager is professional (she answers her phone and/​or returns messages), I cannot say the same regarding the rest of Evolve’s team. Indeed, one manager, Chris Swanson, appeared overwhelmed when members of the Board and I emailed him pictures of the damage, including sludge, on June 19 – after nothing had been done about the problem. We tried a ‘point’ person, as he suggested, but that hasn’t caused them to act, either.
So between ‘tickets’, phone calls, emails, and a point person dealing with them directly, nothing has been done. I am a patient, laid-​back, reasonable person, and I understand that certain things are out of the purview of a management company’s responsibilities. But a leaking pipe (?) – that should be old hat for a management company. Instead, it has been 5 months and there is neither a plan nor a resolution in sight. Indeed, I have lost hope because Evolve has been unwilling or unable to deal forthrightly with this issue.
What prompted me to write this review? I learned today that another condo owner is having the same issue as I have in his unit. Evolve cut a hole in his ceiling, too, about six weeks ago, but has neither located nor repaired the leak.
I feel sad that it is now happening to someone else too, and that he will go through the long ordeal I have had.
I’d like others to avoid the same fate with Evolve – and go with another one if they have the chance.

Half a star at best.
Their Maintenance team is the WORST for the following reasons:
Request go unnoticed with zero communication
Several appointments made, I take a day off from work to be there and then no one shows up! No one calls!
Things that were broken on day one with a «Scheduled Repair Day» haven’t been fixed after several requests.
These people will say whatever it takes to get you to sign a lease. We have major humidity and flooding problems in the basement so mold has started to grow. They want to send a handy man with bleach and water. They refuse to do what’s right for the tenant and only show signs of laziness and extremely cheap.
If you are on the fence about them, run. The nicest place (which ours is) isn’t worth dealing with these people. I’m amazed they are still in business.

The past year has gone a lot more smoothly with them. Still not stellar, but no major problems, either.

I wish there were 10 stars to give Evolve! This is a property management company with good service and good people!
My leasing agent was Natalie and she was a delight to work with, very responsive, listened to my concerns, and was able to make things happen quickly. Moving is such a stressful experience and working with someone like Natalie made it a breeze!
Also, I have now lived in 2 Evolve properties and I can’t say enough how awesome the maintenance team is. They are always so positive, happy to help, punctual, and willing to get the job done in an accurate and timely manner. Even when I was at my old place moving furniture around preparing for my move to my new place, an Evolve maintenance guy was there fixing the washing machine. When he was finished he offered to help me move some of the heavy things around because he could see I was struggling a bit. He didn’t have to do that or spend his time helping me but he offered with a smile. I have had many experiences like this one and that just goes to show that the Evolve team is a good one and I would recommend them to anyone!

Maybe the experience you receive through Evolve depends on the building you’re in. I’ve been at The Marday for about 3 years now and Evolve’s service has only gone from mediocre to abysmal.
For starters, I live in the basement, and there’s no laundry in the unit. Evolve manages the neighboring property as well, The Barbara, which has laundry facilities. When I was originally shown this apartment, the leasing agent said I could get access to the Barbara to do laundry. However, after asking several times once I moved in, I was told by the security guy that they’d never set anything up like that. Finally, after I discovered my basement neighbor DID have her key set up to do laundry next door, I put more pressure on Evolve to activate my key. It took them 3 times to get me the correct FOB key.
Also, since I moved in, I’ve had several maintenance issues in my unit. Each time, I’ve had to end up repeating the request — from bathroom tiles to ceiling leaks — because the maintenance team didn’t handle the repairs adequately the first time. I will give them kudos for generally responding quickly to the requests, but it’s extremely frustrating to have tiles falling on you while you’re showering, when they were just replaced the previous week.
I travel a lot for business. Several times I’ve come home to find leaks from my ceiling that have resulted in me having to throw out all of my bedding and sometimes other furniture and accessories. The worst was when I received a message from my neighbor the day I left for a week-​long trip, asking why the basement was flooded. Obviously, I couldn’t answer because I was on my way out of the country. Upon my return a week later, it turned out that there had been a MASSIVE flood on a higher level of the building, which resulted in a huge portion of my bedroom ceiling COLLAPSING from the water. The water sat there for a week, so I returned to a moldy and mildew-​filled bedroom, closet and bathroom. I lost thousands of dollars worth of property, and Evolve fought me every step of the way on adequately repairing the ceiling and the carpets. (They still never replaced the carpets, despite multiple requests for them to do so)
Finally, when I was extremely frustrated due to the above situation, I contacted DCRA (Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs) to request an inspection. I was concerned about the health issues and thought maybe if I got an inspection, Evolve would be more willing to respond. I tried to do the right thing and let Evolve know that I’d contacted DCRA, in an attempt to keep the peace and not blindside them. They responded with a very rude and aggressive tone, basically insinuating that I should’ve done more to try to tell them about the issues I had with their service. Then, a few days after I sent Evolve the reply from DCRA noting when they’d scheduled the inspection, I received a letter of «intent to file eviction.» Their reasoning was that I owed some rent, but honestly, I’d already worked that out with them and the landlord, and it wasn’t a problem until I contacted DCRA.
Basically, Evolve is a shady company that does just enough to get by and then makes you feel like it’s your fault when something goes wrong.
PS. The credit card option depends on your building. The landlord of the Marday does NOT accept credit card payments, only money-​order or check.

Updated 6÷23÷2014:
I have lived in this unit for 2 years now and boy, has my opinion changed. I have been continually disappointed with this apartment and Evolve management. Repairs are half-​assed, band-​aids that look terrible. Some of the ongoing issues:
1. Wall damage from a leak reported on 6÷3÷2013 HAS STILL NOT BEEN ADDRESSED… over a year.
2. Wood/​dry rot in hallway reported on 6÷5÷2013. The contractor said they would have to replace the entire hallway becuase they could not match the existing wood. Instead of doing that, the maintenance guys were instructed to «fix it themselves» with wood filler and stain.
3. My kitchen counter was stained and marked up (the previously tenant appartently did not believe in cutting boards). They replaced it. And by replaced, I mean JUST THAT SECTION. So, now I have two different shades of white counter top.
4. My light switch (that controls the ceiling fan and light) stopped working a week ago. (6÷16÷2014) and no one has come to inspect or repair it.
In fairness, it’s not all bad — the maintenance staff are some of the nicest guys. They did replace a noisy air conditioner last summer within a few days, which was great.
All lin all, I wouldn’t move into this building or an Evolve managed building ever again.
****
I have to say I was stunned to read some of the reviews on Unilocal (after) I signed my lease and I wondered what I had gotten myself into since they were so different from my experiences with the staff and look of the apartment I rented. I’ve waited three months to write this review!
Every request I have made has been followed up on and resolved in a timely manner. In the few instances where Evolve wasn’t able to «fix» the problem in their 24 hour window, I recieved constant updates through the website on the status of the work order. In an older place, things break, they just do. I’ve been pleased with when and (for the most part) how, management has taken care of issues.
+ low pet deposit, AWESOME
+ allowing dogs over 35 lbs, AWESOME
+ online payments
+ online work orders
+ communicating with the tenants on the website
— apt could have been cleaner when I moved in (baseboards & doors needed a good scrub)
I really believe they are trying to run a business that goes above and beyond, yet understands it is a business — needing to make a profit. They do a good job of balacing the two.
Karen, Natalie (leasing agent), Rodrigo, Jordan, Jeff… everyone I’ve met has been friendly and willing to help.
**Huge thanks to Karen for being at work early this morning and helping me get back into my apartment after I locked myself out taking the dog for a walk.**
I really like my apartment and my neighbors have been awesome.

I can’t say that any of the poor reviews on this site reflect anything like the impeccable experience I had renting from Evolve. It’s strange to even think they’re talking about the same company. I’m calling out shenanigans… just sayin’.
I was in a bind and had to find a place quickly and wanted to stay in the area near my job. Another friend of mine rents from Evolve and highly recommended them so I perused the website and found an amazing loft apartment for a very reasonable cost.
I met up with Natalie who was punctual, friendly, and informative. She answered any question I had and was pleasant to chat with as I had her whip out the paperwork right then to apply for the apartment. The place is absolutely immaculate and I get compliments from anyone I’ve had over on how gorgeous the place is. Hands down my favorite apartment ever, every single aspect of it is perfect for me down to the color of the paint they used, modern but neutral. Oh and dog friendly? Sold.
I had my application through that day and dropped off my deposit checks the next morning at the über convenient H Street office where everyone was incredibly friendly and relaxed. I was anxious to have the place locked down and be secure to have a place to move to in a couple weeks and they didn’t waste a second helping me out.
Moving day came around and I popped into the office and met Nate who was going to do my walk through. He was personable and professional and did a very thorough inspection and noted even the littlest thing I wouldn’t have even noticed and promised to have them taken care of ASAP, which he came through with. The man who came to take care the minor issues was very nice and unobtrusive, and did a perfect job.
The website’s convenience is such a bonus, I love it. Couldn’t ask for anything easier.
Nate and Natalie have been both responsive and pleasant throughout and I’m confident I can count on them should any issues arise. Considering some of the horrible landlord experiences I have had in the past, I am over the moon being able to feel so secure and taken care of.
I would recommend Evolve to any of my friends (and already have) and consider myself lucky to have found a property managed by them.

I could maybe look beyond the mice, leaky faucets, unsecure locks, smells, poor maintenance, etc., but the customer service at Evolve makes it a company that needs serious work.
The staff consistently tries to strong-​arm residents into believing basic tenant rights — like a pest-​free building, or service/​maintenance that does not disrupt normal living — are not to be expected. While often good at replying to service requests, they do the absolute minimum, which results in more necessary repairs often within the week. They then try to blame you for this poor workmanship. In particular, Nathan, who seems to have no real training, will yell, ignore, cuss at, and belittle residents. It is a wonder that he was able to get a job in the first place.
We had mice for months before any noticeable change happened, and from what I gather that was only because the city stepped in (unconfirmed). Previously my cabinets fell off the wall (thank goodness no one was hurt), shattering everything inside. They tried to replace it with the same broken, then even more unsteady cabinets and literally call it new. I had to make a major fuss just to get this change (though Nathan maintained that the scratched, lop-​sided cabinet was new). When I complained about my electricity going out if a light and and AC unit — nothing else — were both on, they told me I had unrealistic expectations.
The most frustrating aspect of the company is that is could be really great, with basic customer service standards that would probably result in less money on repair bills, fewer hours on the phone with upset residents, and a better standard of living. But Evolve chooses to not do this.

My girlfriend and I recently began renting a townhouse managed by Evolve. Based on our experience of reaching out to the leasing agent, signing documents, the move-​in process, and maintenance requests, I have had a very positive experience with Evolve to date. I recently moved from another building in DC with a management company, and I can easily tell you that my experience has been much better than with my previous management company (in fact, it was one of the reasons I moved out).
When we were looking to at our current unit, we visited Unilocal and read the reviews. Clearly, there are some people who have had bad experiences with Evolve (although I’m not sure how a working experience there would relate to being a tenant). However, Unilocal shows only 7 reviews and I’m told there are up to 22 reviews that have been written. In the broad scheme of things, I’m told they manage something like 600 properties. This led my GF and I to believe that the vast majority of EvolveDC tenants, like us, haven’t had any negative experience with EvolveDC worth writing about.
I’d encourage everyone to focus on the unit/​apartment that you are interested in and reach out and contact EvolveDC to judge for yourself. Ultimately, you must like where you live and the best management companies are responsive, but largely not a part of your daily life. As I’ve said, our experience has been positive to just-​fine. Certainly not a reason to exclude EvolveDC properties from your apartment search.
I should also echo an earlier comment about the convenience of their online request system, the monthly direct deposit system, and some of the local deals that can help you get when you move-​in (cable, housekeeping, etc.).

I wish Zero stars was an option for this one.
My buildings condo board hired Evolve after interviewing several companies. We ultimately decided to go with Evolve because they presented themselves as the «Cadillac» of management companies. High cost but high service. We definitely did not receive high service!
They miss-​paid bills, missed bills all together, made multiple accounting errors, did not properly bill each condo for the monthly dues and were generally unresponsive and rude.
When we finally decided to end our relationship with them is when things really got fun. We found out our electric and water for the building were nearly 3 months in the rears and was in threat of being shutoff! (Water doesn’t shut off but they put liens on your property).
After a long and exhaustive effort the board was able to get things sorted out and fixed but it was a nightmare and one that Evolve couldn’t have shown any less support during.
We approached Evolve to help rectify the situation because of their egregious errors. We also requested a partial refund of the management fee we paid to them (just under $ 1700 a month for a 24 unit building) and they refused. We then took them to small claims court here in DC where we won a judgment against them. If you’d like to look up the case, the case number is: 10SC37544.
During the small claims case our building represented ourselves while Evolve retained professional legal representation. Despite this huge disadvantage we still won a judgment against them — a testament, I believe, to the egregiousness of Evolves comedy of errors.
I absolutely could not recommend this company to anyone for any service.
As a side note I would like to take this opportunity to speak highly of ONE of Evolves employees… Nathan, our «On site» manager that handled fixing things around the building and general physical management. Nathan overall did a respectable job. He answered phone calls and we had reasonable, respectable interactions with him.

Yey! Evolve is reading my reviews!
I just received a very pleasant phone call from a man named Nathan that works with Evolve. Apparently, everyone from Evolve has read my reviews (yey), I then was told that my review was shady and arrangements were made to get the copy of my key made so they can actually do the repairs (it’s about time)!
After I said thank you so much for finally taking care of this Nathan rudely replied yep and hung up.
Customer service at it’s best. Great job Nathan Cockrill (sp?). I could feel the warmth and your willingness to help through the attitude in your voice on the phone.
Attempting to strong arm me will not stop the HONEST reviews of what I am experiencing with your company.