Ballard Realty Property Management - Seattle, Washington

ChrisAmy M.

Unless you're a slum lord and don't care about the condition of your property, I recommend staying away.

Our tenant complained to the company of our fence falling over in 2021, which they had propped up with a wood board. Their maintenance request was denied, and they said "it was fixed"- with a board to prop it up mind you. Fast forward to 2024, and the entire fence around the yard was failing, so much so that our neighbor threatened legal action against us.

They collect fees and do the bare minimum to take care of your property. We're now trying to fix all of the deferred maintenance on our property, and regret ever working with them.

Edit: It's also disappointing when a property management group fails to take responsibility for their actions. My tenants kept a detailed record of maintenance requests, so we are fully aware of what transpired.

The response to this post highlights their self-serving and unprofessional communication. If you scroll through the reviews on this page, you may notice similar experiences. As a property owner, it feels like the relationship is more about collecting their fees than about genuine client care. My tenants felt equally dismissed.

While we didn't sign off on the repair, it's because we ultimately had to address the issues ourselves. We felt the group didn't fulfill their duty of care to maintain our property safely, so we took it upon ourselves to ensure it was properly managed.

Wade A.

Avoid renting from this company. I rented a unit in Fremont in 2019 when I moved across the country, and Ballard Realty instructed me to mail the deposit via standard mail. Then, they made me send a second cashier's check via expedited mail, so I had to send them not one, not two, but four months' rent. They actually gave me an attitude on the phone when I asked that one of the checks be returned to me. The landlord was lovely, but every interaction with the realty company was downright pathetic. My friend who toured the unit recorded the tour on video, and he asked the person the only two questions I had- where is the laundry, and who is the cable provider. She told him she looked everywhere but couldn't find a laundry room (it was the only door directly across from my unit) and the cable provider would be Verizon (it was Comcast). So, if you must work with Ballard Realty, be prepared to work around them and do everything yourself at every step.

Edit to reply, I have since been married and changed my name. I did in fact rent with this company.

Jack M.

My wife and I were tenants in one of Ballard Realty's properties for 2 years. Overall, they were fairly responsive whenever we had issues. However, we wanted to write a review here to echo other reviewers who have described not receiving back the full security deposit despite the property being in excellent condition. In our case, we hired professional cleaners who did a great job and were not inexpensive. Ballard Realty still deducted part of our security deposit due to cleanliness. We think this is unfair, and would advise other tenants of Ballard Realty to not spend too much time/money on cleaning, as it seems likely the same thing will happen to all tenants regardless of how the property is left.

**UPDATED 9/15/24: After I explained the situation above to Ballard Realty, they were responsive and seemed to understand my concerns. They have refunded me the remaining amount of my security deposit.

Nick G.

I have rented in several parts of the US and always had my full security deposit returned. This company wanted to charge me for professional cleaning of the unit when we left the house in even better condition than when we found it (because they were selling it after we left). They are unprofessional in their communication and require all security deposit inquiries to be in email because they have been sued multiple times in the past. I myself am a landlord and would never treat clients with such disrespect. If you move in to one of their units, better have it cleaned professionally if you want your full deposit.

jackie L.

They helped make the application process smooth and easy and were understanding with some delays on my end! They also took care of getting things cleaned and ready for me for move in!

Opal O.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Ballard Realty. I’ve been a tenant with them at 2 units and they are so genuine, kind, and quick to respond to requests. When I applied for a new unit, they even remembered my old address and name from my previous tenancy a few years prior! It seems like they genuinely care about their properties and the wellbeing of their tenants and property owners. They set a high bar for other property managers in Seattle, and I think that speaks volumes in and of itself.

Michael T.

We rented an apartment from Ballard Realty for about 4 years. Staff were always quick to address any issues, and were respectful of tenant privacy. Rent was reasonable for the location and size. One time early into our rental, there was a garage break-in that affected belongings in my car (this can happen anywhere in central Ballard.) Ballard Realty responded almost immediately with increased security measures for the garage such as a stronger door, new remotes, etc... there was not a single issue after this (for years!) Company is run professionally, and champions excellent and clear communication. Would highly recommend if looking to rent in the area.

Andrei L.

Really helpful with our search! Family owned company with deep local roots, very responsive during business hours.