Albers Mill Lofts is considered to be one of the most luxurious apartments in Tacoma. Take it from someone who has lived here – it is far from that. Several other apartment complexes in the area have taken over. They are bigger, newer, and also are only a few steps away from downtown. If you don’t know, the Albers Mill Lofts was an old historic mill previously called the Albers Brothers Mill. It is a historic landmark (1984) and according to Wikipedia, it is owned by the Foss Waterway Development Authority.
From someone who has lived here, I can tell you the quality of the apartment complex has seriously gone downhill. There is no property management on-site so as you can imagine the residents (and others) park pretty much wherever they want. Of course, when you have a friend over, you’ll have your car towed but if you need someone towed (parked in your paid spot) they will not respond or call a tow truck for you. As a resident, you don’t have the authority to tow other vehicles parked in your paid spot.
Crime has increased. Cars are often broken into. I remember awhile ago where several cars were hit and glass was everywhere. There has been a shooting in the parking lot into a resident’s car and my understanding is the resident survived. Nothing at the complex really gets fixed and you rarely see any maintenance personnel. You submit a support ticket then 8 months later someone walks into your apartment randomly saying they work for Albers. No communication or response to issues from my experience. If you see maintenance (always someone new), they are usually “low quality” and not someone you would pick to be in your apartment alone honestly.
The one elevator is often broken. Good luck climbing those stairs. Outside door locks are often broken so the keys change all the time. You’ll be standing outside for hours waiting and hoping someone on your floor has a key to let you in. It has to be your exact floor also. There is no way to switch up/down floors if the elevator is broken. You’re stuck. There is no support if you plan on calling. Even the emergency number goes to VM. Don’t expect a callback or email – that doesn’t happen here.
Several years ago the mailboxes got broken into and destroyed. They replaced all the mailboxes and relocated them to the lobby. There is a door in the lobby that doesn’t work (doesn’t latch) so the homeless or thieves tug on it and open it right up. Packages are often missing now and drivers don’t deliver to your door anymore. It’s a real mess they’ve created for themselves. Neighbors are often helping other neighbors grab packages so they don’t go missing. Homeless sneak in and sleep in the lobby and gym until they get pushed out. The Attorney’s office from the lobby was broken into and my understanding is that happened from the inside. Suspects were caught on camera entering and leaving from the parking lot. I’ve heard on several occasions residents having conflicts with unknown people trying to get into their apartments and cops were called. Like physical conflicts. Really scared a female resident and rightfully so – everyone should feel safe in their own homes. That sometimes is questionable here.
The outside gate into the parking lot is never operational. It’s “always getting fixed” so tweakers and crackheads are always coming through checking out the place.
Your rent amount each month is never the same here. They do a weird “sharing” model that is divided up between the residents. Community electric and water is “shared” across residents on their monthly bills. As residents move out, they sometimes leave things behind and that will be “shared”. Charges for water are shared or “allocated” to you by some fuzzy math formula. If you’re a single person, expect to help other residents who have a bigger footprint than you (like the family of 5 upstairs). You’ll see weird items like “Sewer fixed charge” and that will be your responsibility. It appears like all the expenses of the community flow down to the residents. All the common areas are paid for by residents so the community owners don’t really pay anything on their own. You’ll also have to pay a statement fee even if you go paperless. There is no way around this and it makes no sense. My point here is that your rent due amount won’t be consistent. It changes every month and who knows what it will be.
The apartments have small water heaters so expect your showers to last about 5 minutes. You can save some hot water by brushing your teeth with cold water. It really sucks. Seriously. This is luxury living at the Albers Mill Lofts in Tacoma.
End of May 2022, a resident on the 5th floor (with a previous felony it turns out) was arrested for a murder allegedly. Not sure how he was approved to live here but that was concerning to many of the residents. You can read the story here. After the arrest, there were undercover officers and forensic vans all over the place. Management still hasn’t said anything to the residents or acknowledged the situation. A resident has reported that there continues to be noise/activity in his apartment but nobody knows who it is. Albers Mill Lofts continues to be quiet about the situation.
A previous Felon at Albers Mill Lofts in Tacoma.
Expect your rent to increase every year. In 2022, reports from residents saying their rent has gone up 20%+.
…. and that is why the Albers Mill Lofts are Trash in my opinion. You should look for something better. Try the newer Henry apartments, Thea’s Landing, or the brand new Astor apartments in the city.
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Disclaimer: This is a criticism website from 1st hand experience living at the Albers Mill Lofts apartments in Tacoma. There is no commerce on this website and it is protected under the 1st amendment. It is free to use with no monetization. Everything expressed is my opinion and review.
1821 Dock St, Tacoma, Washington 98402
(253) 627-5200