Island Homestead Apartments - Bainbridge Island, Washington

Derek S.

I came over to Bainbridge to visit Island Homestead, and I will say that it looked fantastic in person! True kudos to the teams taking care of the community!
The landscaping, between some rain and shine as we do in Washington, and clean look of the outside of buildings were all unexpected and a wonderful surprise. They said it was recently redone, and it seemed to be a complete thought when updating.
The floor plans that I walked were also spacious, really well designed and layed out to make them feel larger than you'd think.

John F.

We had a great experience with Katherine, the property manager at Island Homestead when we looked for an apartment as we were downsizing from our house on Bainbridge. The property got a facelift a couple years ago and is very well located only a couple minute walk from Winslow Way. Katherine was very friendly and helpful and going through the application process (not done that in 25 years!) was a breeze with her help. If you're looking for a place walkable to the ferry and all the restaurants and places downtown I'd go for a visit.

Mary D.

Office is incompetent, I spoke with Catherine at length to look at an apartment. Made an appointment for 5:30 which she agreed upon. We got there and she completely forgot and just said "oh I'm sorry" in a very demeaning voice. I wouldn't rent here based on the staff alone.

Dylan A.

Island Homestead is well cared for by Veronica and Dean. We lived there for 5 years and loved the place. Convenient location, reasonable price (for the island, anyways).

Dean, the maintenance manager, was always quick to fix any issues that popped up. He's also just a great guy and we'll miss having him around.

We did have some humidity issues living on the bottom floor, but the property is currently undergoing a major project to replace all windows and siding. Still, consider a dehumidifier if you move into a lower floor.

Rachel R.

Update October 2023:
I hate to have to edit this review - but I really must. I regret how overly positive my first review was - as it has wound up being completely inaccurate.

If you move here - just be prepared for the ridiculous amount of noise.

Pros: excellent location, reasonable rent, large apartment

Cons: you will hear your upstairs neighbors every move, conversation, snore etc.
If they have dogs, as almost all renters in this complex do - it will sound like there's an octopus made of elbows running wild overhead...and there's not a damn thing you can do. You must suffer.
The appliances are old and worn down
The heater hardly works

Initially I said that the complex was quiet...that is absolutely false. I have lived in NYC, Washington DC, Dallas, and other places, and the upstairs neighbors are the loudest people I've ever lived under. There is zero noise dampening, so we hear everything above us, including the thundering when the dogs get their "evening zoomies."

I thought this was the best community I'd ever lived in because the location is incredible, the rent is decently priced, and Veronica is a really kind manager...however, I cannot overlook the constant cacophony of animal and human noises that makes living here almost unbearable. The neighbors are nice, but wildly inconsiderate at the same time. I cannot imagine the mental gymnastics required to actually allow your animals to run wild inside, knowing full well your floor is someone else's ceiling.

Just know that if you move here, you will not have privacy in terms of the never-ending noise. You will hear every step, every conversation, and probably every snore. We certainly do.

I have been renting for over 10 years, and Island Homestead is hands down the best community, the best apartment, the best management I've ever had. I don't say this lightly. Veronica is incredible.

The people who live here are so friendly, and the location is wonderfully quiet. My husband and I moved from Washington DC - so it was about as radical of a change as you can imagine. City living to paradise living, basically.

So why not five stars? Two reasons really - neither of which are the fault of the apartment manager. First, carpet. Second, paper thin walls. I grew up with carpet, I'm not opposed to it, though it screams of the 80s (which checks out, the complex was built in the 80s). I take issue with it here because this is, as I've been told, one of the only apartment complexes on Bainbridge Island that is pet friendly. That's wonderful - really. What is not wonderful is moving into an apartment that still smells very much of its previous four legged occupants. We don't have any pets, but our carpet wreaks of dog. The carpets were cleaned professionally before we moved in, but this is a problem years in the making and cannot be resolved by mere cleaning.

Second - there's very little, if any, soundproofing. We hear pretty much everything going on in the apartment above us. In fact we don't really need a TV - we hear theirs loud and clear every night. We are subject to their schedules because of the absolute ruckus overhead that starts promptly around 7am - though mercifully is extended to 9am on Saturdays. Thankfully we are both up by then anyway so it's not as much of an inconvenience as it could be. The floors are comically squeaky - sounds like horror movie sound effects. Since the complex is pet friendly we hear the dogs periodically thundering overhead and have to remind ourselves not to duck for cover.

I want to clarify these issues are not reflective of our neighbors, or of Veronica. We are so thankful to have such decent people living above us. For the most part the noise (and the carpet) isn't an issue. Though it is a bit exhausting having to constantly deal with someone else's sound system shaking our walls every evening. I sometimes wish a reminder would go out that we're sharing walls, and maybe you don't need to watch The Avengers with the volume cranked up to max.

Ryan H.

Veronica and Dean are caring, thoughtful, and do a great job at bringing the community together.

Veronica is responsive and eager to help problem solve. She has a genuine desire to ensure you are happy with your home. The place would not be the same without her.

Dean is quick to address maintenance concerns, and always corrects the issue the first time. He does an awesome job keeping up with the grounds, pool, and hot tub.

I defiantly recommend Island Homestead!

Karen A.

Just always great to be here, meeting my neighbors and neighborhood! I love the farmers market, music and frolic! The bands playing and food offered is wonderful!

Daryl

Nice people work there. But it is managed by Greystar Property Management. Avoid any property they manage. You’ve been warned.