The Shay

Current Resident 1413205

Verified Resident • 2024 - 2026

Great place to live. Good amenities and space and views very conveniently located on u st and has many shops to eat from and entertainment opportunities. The community is welcoming and my favorite part is the roof top grill

Current Resident 1407795

Verified Resident • 2025 - 2026

The people that work here, especially the maintenance staff and concierge are excellent and very welcoming. It seems like the community aspect is not as much there but the value the location provides makes up for its faults.

Current Resident 1405879

Verified Resident • 2023 - 2026

It's been a positive experience during my time here, especially because of the staff, who have been consistently supportive and truly committed to the community. The only reason I won't be renewing my lease is that the surrounding area has noticeably declined over the past three years.

John_L939

Resident • 2020 - 2022

Why I chose to stay

I’ve lived at The Shay (West) since June, 2020. It’s in the heart of a gentrified, trendy, vibrant section of Shaw, just a few blocks from Howard University. The apartment community, like the neighborhood, is very diverse, youthful, LGBTQ+ friendly, & most important to me, dog friendly. This place is where my puppy (Neila) called home since she was 9 weeks old. She grew to love the small but comfortable apartment, the many dog parks nearby, & the smells & sounds of the neighborhood as more stores reopened after waves of the COVID pandemic. She loved meeting the many dogs in the building & around the block. And she became very attached to the friendly staff who have been so kind & caring to her. Dweck properties bought the building in 2021, when it was in disrepair, with low staff morale, & many disgruntled residents tired of long delays on much needed repairs. The Shay, the first luxury apartment building in the neighborhood, had lost its luster due to age and in comparison with the many newer & even more luxurious apartments that had sprung up around it. I appreciate most of the changes that Dweck has implemented. They reduced the large backlog of repairs, spruced up the common areas/exteriors, & kept the rent price the same. Their biggest improvement was in staffing. They retained & promoted Steven, to Leasing agent. They also brought in many wonderful new employees, from the Concierge team (headed by Tammie Teel), to the efficient repair crew (Willie, George, & James), to the hard working & friendly cleaning staff (Ana, Evelyn, & Heidi). There’s a genuine sense among the staff that they are treated fairly, valued by upper management, & that good promotional opportunities are there if they work hard. Residents like me care deeply about how they are treated, & can see how their happiness directly benefits us. When Tammie started as the Concierge manager, Neila had a special fondness for her. I think she sensed Tammie’s warmth, friendliness, & kind spirit. The photos showed the bond that Neila has developed with her “Auntie Tammie”. There are still maintenance & sanitation issues at The Shay, but management is open & responsive to complaints/feedback. And for as long as Tammie is here, the staff continues to be so supportive of the residents, & the rent stays at reasonable levels, Neila & I will happily remain here.

holtk08

Resident • 2020 - 2021

Wish I had more carefully read the reviews for The Shay before signing a lease. Management is completely absent since they “moved in house”, which just means nobody is accountable for the community. The current worst part is that the trash chute doesn’t work and hasn’t been fixed so the trash room is piled high with everyone’s trash, bringing SO MANY BUGS and flies into everyone’s apt. It’s a legitimate safety concern. The whole floor smells like trash it’s embarrassing and unsanitary. The leasing agent who gave me my tour told me he was a “temporary employee” when I had guests and the grills would not work, 6 months after I moved in. The walls are incredibly thin and we have logged 10+ maintenance requests in a year for nearly everything (washer, dryer, toilet, every drain, outlets) in unit breaking. Did I mention nothing here works? Parking is $250 a month and they do nothing to stop people blocking garage entrances for hours at a time, and when you get to the gate it takes minutes to open as the fob receiver (surprise!) doesn’t work well. Pet fees are so high that they don’t bother making residents pick up dog poop. They will send residents a blanket email, but won’t do anything. The pool is 3 feet deep and open for 3 months a year. The gym is missing nearly everything. I could go on but just don’t be a clown like me and find a better complex - for the cost of rent you could find just about anything else in any city.

Current Resident 442783

Resident • 2021

The noise is crazy in surrounding area. I am by no means a light sleeper but ear plugs are essential for a good nights sleep. With the recent build up of bars / lounges on 9th St that have patrons every night of the week it’s loud most nights until 4AM. Combined with the ATV / off road bikes that roar up and down the street nightly (sometimes groups of 20+) it’s super loud. Hospital, fire station and general mayhem of U Street on your doorstep provides constant background noise 24/7. This too impacts your work from home zoom call abilities. They play it down when you move in. Take this as your warning ??

SamanthaKrieger

Prospect • Visited 2021

I’m not normally one to review, but after such a bad experience I wanted everyone else to know about the hidden message when you sign your application. Please be prepared to pay the $500 deposit fee as soon as your app is accepted and don’t expect and exceptions to be made regarding getting this refund back. I applied a Thursday before Memorial Day weekend; was accepted and changed my mind on Tuesday. Since I didn’t sign a lease or hold the apartment for long- I thought I had no obligation to this building ; which I decided was not private or quiet enough for me. I was wrong. Despite multiple emails, the leasing staff was extremely unethical in how they handled the deposit and refused to give it back to me. Given these difficult post pandemic times, I expected more kindness in this process. I would recommend leasing at Atlantic plumbing instead.

Beatrice_B359

Resident • 2020

Break-ins, stolen property, ongoing maintenance issues that require multiple repairmen to enter your apartment... The Shay is not the place to be during a pandemic. Management is unresponsive. I have been emailing them for over 3 months trying to get them to send security footage to the police from a break-in that resulted in my stolen property. It takes months - literally months - to get maintenance issues addressed (and boy are there many). When repairmen do finally arrive, it takes more than one visit to fix the issue. Need examples?: In my first few months of living here, I did not have a functioning oven, my toilet didn't flush fully, and my bike was stolen in the "secure" Shay bike locker room. Now I'm going on month two without a functioning washing machine.

Current Resident 825860

Resident • 2019 - 2020

I have lived here for a year and cannot say enough about how much I love it here. The apartments are gorgeous and the building is top notch. I would have to say the best part about living here would be the staff, specifically the manager Meera and the assistant manager Iain. I have lived at a ton of different apartments over the years, but have never had such amazing management that takes care of every single thing I ask or need. Meera and Iain are extremely responsive, amazingly upbeat and friendly, and are there anytime I need them. Would recommend this community to anyone and everyone!!

Current Resident 905082

Resident • 2020

Do not rent here. This review is for pre-Covid issues. Security is terrible in the building. Garage door is broken and left open for weeks. Car broken into. Maintenance requests don't get fixed. Packages lost multiple times. Front desk people don't care about any issues. The Management Team only wants to rent you the apartment and then the "nice friendly service" is gone. There are too many other apartments in DC to deal with the amount of small annoyances that add up over time. Will not be renewing. Look elsewhere. Save money. The location is fine but the noise from Florida Ave will keep you up all night.

Current Resident 755379

Verified Resident • 2020

So far it's been great. The staff are welcoming, the apartment is clean and working well. I enjoy the location and the leasing office was great while organizing my moving experience. There was one or two damaged parts of the apartment but nothing severe.

Current Resident 748877

Verified Resident • 2019 - 2020

Great service. Quick maintenance requests. Great building amenities. Rooftop grills are great. Quality finishes in apartments. Only complaint would be the package room seems to be too small for the amount of packages delivered and makes it difficult for the front desk to find packages

Current Resident 748834

Verified Resident • 2019 - 2020

Good, but I need a new window shade, one without pasta stains on it. One that looks clean, like that it was never used, like it should have when I moved in. Please send help, it's an eye sore. Don't forget about me.

Current Resident 747030

Verified Resident • 2020

Onboarding documents and signing the lease was tricky at times but we are excited to be a part of the community! The rooftop is really beautiful. The location of the building and parking situation is nice.

Current Resident 726715

Verified Resident • 2019

This a great community with fun residents, reliable maintenance, and welcoming staff. The area can be a little noisy but that is because its a fun and lively place to live! I am excited to see how the community continues to evolve and adapt to the changes of the city.

Current Resident 721373

Verified Resident • 2019

The leasing office staff were among the most professional, timely, and adaptable I have ever encountered in a residential move. The quality of community amenities, as well as great upkeep of the units did 99.9% of the sell for me. Truly set the foundation for a great living experience!

Current Resident 708625

Verified Resident • 2019

Aside from the annoyed greeting I received on my first visit to view apartments, I've had an exceptional experience with the team at the Shay. Brett, their AGM, was super helpful in showing us around and answering follow up questions, instead of doing a cold intro to one of his leasing agents after the initial tour. Move-in was super smooth and the entire team was very accommodating. I'm looking forward to my time here at the Shay.

Current Resident 707865

Verified Resident • 2019

The noise is the neighborhood is really bad. They downplay it dramatically when they're selling the apartment but the building is not well insulated. I'm a heavy sleeper and didn't think it would be a problem, but it's terrible. Do not recommend living here at all.

Current Resident 702131

Verified Resident • 2019

The Shay is a warm, welcoming place to live - I've really enjoyed my time here so far, and the apartment is spacious and bright. Maintenance requests are fulfilled quickly, and there is coffee in the lobby on weekday mornings. Only slight warning is that it can be loud (but given that it's on U Street, and I partake in it, it's not an issue)

Current Resident 693579

Verified Resident • 2019

Excellent community look and feel. Very responsive to issues and concerns and overtly courteous. The concierge are fantastic. Always greeting you with a smile, knowing your name and helpful to your needs.

Current Resident 651823

Verified Resident • 2019

The apartment complex is very nice, clean, and accommodating. The location is ideal, with easy access to U-street, the Shaw metro stop, and other nice stores and restaurants in the neighborhood. The staff have also been very welcoming and helpful day-in and day-out.

Current Resident 649033

Verified Resident • 2019

I very much enjoy this community. Not only is the location absolutely great, but so is the community. The host of the amenities that come with the apartment are beyond appealing as well. Above all, the concierge staff and management are all amiable, respectable and just good people.

Current Resident 646003

Verified Resident • 2017 - 2019

The building is ok. The staff is unprofessional. They have let the community slip and have made it a frustrating place to live... they have removed the garage door opener from the front dask and disconnected the phob from workin to control the $300 garage so if you remote doesn't work to get back in you are left waiting for another tenant to let u slide in with them. The music in east lobby broken for monfhs , bulbs out throughout then hallways next to the apt doors, building windows are filthy and have not been washed in 2 years or more... the load goes on!

Current Resident 639597

Verified Resident • 2019

It is clean, quiet and accessible. Great location. Apartment is really pretty and includes washer and dryer. Amenities are great. Staff is helpful. Feels safe. Happy overall with decision to move into this building.

Current Resident 639474

Verified Resident • 2017 - 2019

I enjoy my apartment quite a bit. There were some issues with management efficiently and effectively addressing elevator issues, but those have been resolved. The amenities are strong and the location great.