The Cairns

The Cairns restored my faith in corporate-​managed apartments! I don’t know about you, but every time I’ve lived in a large corporately managed apartment community I feel like they treated me like a transaction and tried to squeeze more money out of my at every turn — Not the Cairns! I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking to live in SLU (particularly in a building that’s pet friendly).
Staff:
Their staff was always extremely friendly, gracious and responsive. The community manager Jessica is wonderful! She really goes out of her way to help her residents. For example, I had an issue with not receiving my parking permit one month (which is managed by a separate parking company so technically not even something that she is in charge of) and Jessica went out of her way to work with the parking manager to ensure it was resolved quickly and seamlessly and that I did not have to pay anything additional. Scott, the maintenance manager, is also terrific. I never had any issues with the appliances in my place, but he installed my AC unit for me. My dog was also especially good friends with Scott– he wanted to stop and say hi to Scott every time we walked by the office!
Rent prices:
Their rent prices were very reasonable, especially compared to some of the other properties I looked at in the neighborhood. Their units are bigger so I felt like I was getting a lot more square footage for my money along with just the right level of amenities. I only stayed for my one year lease (sept 2014-​sept 2015) but if I had renewed for another year my rent would have only gone up 6−7% (as opposed to other management companies that I’ve heard of raising rent by 10% or more!). Regardless of how pristine I’ve kept previous places I’ve rented, I’ve always been worried about getting my security deposit back (some people are jerks about taking the whole deposit if you’ve even just hung one thing on the wall) but, again the Cairns surprised me with how fair and reasonable they were when I moved out! I had a unit with concrete floors except for the bedroom and they basically just charged me a cleaning/​wall-​paint-​touch-​up fee (about $ 40) and a small amount to have the one (bed)room of carpet steam cleaned (about $ 40) and I got the rest of the deposit all back!
Amenities:
While they might not have as many amenities as other SLU buildings (btw, who really needs a whole basketball court or a rock climbing wall in their apartment gym?!) The Cairns gym is well maintained, never crowded, and its perfect for getting in a workout indoors if it’s crappy outside. Their roof deck has 2 gas grills, plenty of tables, a pet area, and a great view. They also have a community room that you can reserve for FREE (they just require a security deposit which you get back when everything is clean, working, and put back when you’re done). Another bonus about the Cairns is that their apartment units come with Air Conditioning hookups/​vents already in the wall so you don’t have to mess with trying to install a window unit. You can either rent a unit from them or buy your own unit to hook up via to the already provided vent if it’s a hot summer (like it was when I lived there!).
In summary, the Cairns apartment units were a good value with the right level of amenities and a fair, friendly, and generally terrific staff.

I lived there for a year and just recently moved out to find something a little cheaper but if you can afford to live in SLU I would say definitely look into The Cairns. The units are very well kept and modern. I lived in a larger studio and couldn’t have been happier with the layout, storage, appliances and interior.
Pros–
The management and staff. Hands down some of the nicest people. Scott is the absolute best, he is so helpful and saved me numerous times. Maintenance gets to your issues, which there rarely are there, in a timely manner and does a great job. He even helped me jump my car when I had a dead battery on his day off. That’s true service. Jessica and Megan in the leasing office are awesome as well. Super friendly and accommodating. It feels like they truly care about your experience living there, it’s not just a paycheck to them. Majid is also great — solid staff.
Location. You can walk everywhere. Rapidly growing neighborhood, close to the lake and there are new things opening every week. In the last month I was there a Deli, Indian bar and nice Italian restaurant opened within two blocks. Connected to a German bar and coffee shop that are both great as well. If you work at Amazon, the walk to work is less than 10 minutes.
Rooftop. The roof was remodeled after I moved in and is huge. Has a great view of the Space Needle. Pet area (also super pet friendly building). Nice BBQ’s and there is never anyone up there.
Gym. Nice simple gym and there is rarely anyone in it.
Community areas are always clean and well maintained.
Huge pantry and walk in closet.
Cons–
I wish residents had roof access ²⁴⁄₇. If you need to take your dog out after ten you have to go outside and there are some interesting people out at night sometimes. Bring your pepper spray.
You have to punch in a code every time you are in the elevator which can be a pain if you have a lot of bags or are having company over. However, the flip side to this is the building feels very safe and secure.
Overall, a great place to live and I would recommend it to anyone looking to move into that area. Reasonably priced in comparison to some of the newer buildings that have gone up recently nearby.

I’ve lived here for over 20 months and am very happy with everything overall.
General Pros:
Staff: The office staff are very friendly and helpful. They are available on site M-​S and are always willing to answer my questions/​requests. They’ll take care of everything from UPS/​FEDEX pickup to dry cleaning. The maintenance staff are awesome, too. Scott is always there to help when I need it, but with a relatively new building it’s not much.
Facilities: Built smart certified building, very energy efficient. Windows insulate the sound very well. Summers can get warm, but a portable AC fixes that issue. I rarely run my heater in the winter, usually only for a few minutes in the morning. Building recently underwent a remodel/​refresh consisting of new paint in common areas, remodeled rooftop deck (including double-​grill island and new furniture) with a great view of Lake Union, QA Hill, Downtown, and lobby/​gym improvements. Parking garage is available, or you can just get a zone parking permit from the city and park on the street for ~$ 30/​year.
Location: the neighborhood is very much in development, but construction on the surrounding blocks is complete. Restaurant and deli/​market are opening across the street, it’s a few minute walk to Westlake and its shops/​restaurants, downtown is a bit of a hike (15 min) but it’s doable if you don’t want to take the streetcar/​public transport. Easy cap hill access, u district is a quick jaunt down Eastlake. New bike share stations are a few blocks away at REI.
Other: Large pet friendly (there’s a great dane in the building…)! This is rare in Seattle, and the Cairns allows 2 pets.
Cons: the neighborhood lacks character, but hopefully as the new buildings across the street fill out that will change. Can be difficult to drive out of the neighborhood during rush hour (amazon commuters!!) but once the Mercer Mess is sorted out it should settle down. Until then, use side streets and time your exit carefully! Gym is smallish, it has a cable machine, 2 ellipticals, 1 treadmill, and a bike. It doesn’t get too busy, but I think it can get claustrophobic with more than 3 people at a time. (24 hour fitness is a few blocks away if it’s an issue). Some folks might not like a bar next to the entrance, but I’ve never had any issues with the crowd. Church bells on the S side of the building sound Sundays (~10AM) and holidays. I’m on that side of the building and it hasn’t been much of a thing, especially with the insulated windows. Garage parking is ~120 a month, and street parking can get competitive if you’re relying on your zone parking permit.

The management is so great!
Scott is so helpful with all the living problem. I accidentally throw my wallet within a beg into the trash room. He found and grab it back for me! He saved my day.

I moved to the Cairns shortly after starting work at Amazon. I stayed for about a year and a half, and I recently moved out for a variety of reasons. Having read the reviews on Unilocal and discussing the move out process with a friend who moved out a few months prior, I was unfortunately prepared for a stressful experience trying to get deposits back.
Here are some of my experiences:
1. The apartment was nice enough. Expensive rent, cheap finish, building starting to feel dated, but lots of space and storage with a decent view. The storage really didn’t make a lot of sense, as the cabinets in the kitchen weren’t placed where they could be used for cooking very easily. The walk-​in closet cut off a lot of living space in an already awkwardly shaped bedroom. The appliances were as cheap as you can get while still looking decent and performed fine, though the fridge didn’t have a good seal, so it was constantly making noise trying to seal the door. There’s a nice deck on top with a good view in all directions and a grill. They recently re-​did the deck, so it is probably even nicer now.
2. The location seems great and was the initial draw, but there is really nothing interesting nearby, so the area feels very isolating. The closest groceries are at Whole Foods, which is almost ¾ mile walk away — not great with a couple bags of groceries. Nobody makes South Lake Union a destination, and there are no good bus stops near the building, so I spent a lot of money on cabs/​cars. The nearby park also seems appealing, until you realize that it is currently a camp for a host of local homeless and there are perpetually people shooting up in the public bathroom — not a great place for kids/​dogs to play. Car2Go vehicles are almost never available, since the Amazon employees start leaving with them at 4:30, going to Ballard, Fremont, Capitol Hill, and other outlying neighborhoods. There are 3 Zipcars in the neighboring building, which is handy. There should also be a lot of new restaurants in the area after the new buildings are built out, but that looks to be at least a couple years out.
3. Management changed frequently. Currently, the building is on its third manager in the 18 months that I lived there. The feeling I got interacting with management and its policies is that it is very corporate and driven by short-​term views of numbers and maximizing short-​term margins rather than personal relationships to encourage long-​term leases. Every time the lease was renewed, exorbitant rent increases were demanded, even though much newer buildings had recently been built all around the Cairns. Month-​to-​month options were as much as a $ 400 increase. It was a struggle each time my lease was renewed to stay at something close to what I’d been paying. Given the explosion of housing opportunities in the area, this seemed short-​sighted on their part, and it was needlessly stressful, since I was able to negotiate to a fairly constant rent rate by threatening to move.
4. Their automatic payment system failed to make my payments twice when my lease renewed and when I gave notice. I was immediately presented with a notice to vacate and late fees both times. Having consistently made automatic payments for 6 – 18 months, I would have preferred a more personal touch than a notice to vacate letter stuffed in my door and then having to argue to get the late fees reversed.
5. On moveout, they charged me to replace the carpet, charged me for professional cleaning, and quoted deposits totaling $ 125 less than what I actually paid in deposits. In an e-​mail from them before they had inspected the apartment, «Since you have a dog, mostly likely we will need to replace the carpet and pet seal.» I paid a $ 250 fee up front for the dog, $ 15/​month, and a $ 250 pet deposit. According to WA state law, security deposits cannot be used to repair normal wear and tear. The carpet was in good condition when I moved out, visibly clean with no odors — in my assessment had only normal wear and tear. They pulled the carpet off the floor and claimed that spills which I had cleaned were dog urine from my middle-​aged, very house-​trained dog. I notified them that I had my own professional cleaning service clean the apartment before the end of my lease, which is not a requirement under the lease or WA state law. I paid $ 750 in security deposits, but they are claiming I only paid $ 625. If they are replacing the carpet after every person moves out of an apartment, and they would like tenants to pay for it, they need to charge this as an up front fee. I found at least one poster on Unilocal had a similar experience losing their deposit and I talked with a very responsible friend who recently moved out who also lost most of his deposit. I paid plenty to live in this apartment building, I took care of the apartment, and I left it in good condition with only ‘normal wear and tear’.
I was not able to get my deposit back after much wrangling. Disappointed with the management group.

We have lived here about 6 months and it has been great! The Cairns is very pet friendly and the staff is the best we have ever had. They are very quick to respond to any situation.
Our apartment has concrete flooring, an open floor plan and we can only here our neighbors when they are in the hall. It is pretty reasonable in price for the SLU (we have not renewed a lease yet so I will update). I wish the closet was bigger but who doesn’t.
The SLU is great to live in. We both can walk to work and have easy access to anywhere. Plus, there is a bar in the lobby!
When we moved in our apartment was boiling hot because we are on top of the building’s AC unit. The staff gave us a free air conditioner to use as long as we needed!
The only thing that lowered the star rating is I wish the gym was bigger and the lounge and roof were open later (at least the lounge, every time I want to use it to just sit in is after it is closed especially on Sundays). I also hate having to enter a code to access our floor. It is really inconvenient when you are carrying bags to drop everything and enter a code. I wish we could just scan the same key fob we use to access the building. They say the reason why the code and lounge hours are necessary are because the parking has non-​residents but I think they should figure out a way to not inconvenience the resident because they leased out the parking.

I have lived here for six months and have yet to run into any problems. My rent is incredibly affordable for SLU, and the location cannot be beat. I get to walk to work every morning, and have had no problems with the neighborhood whatsoever. I live in a 500 sq ft. studio which I find is large enough for one person comfortably.
The number one best thing that I have noticed about living here is how incredibly quiet it is ALL THE TIME. Due to the concrete structure, I have yet to hear either of my neighbors. I am on the bottom floor and never have to deal with heavy footsteps above me, or any disturbing noise.
There is SO much storage here, and all the appliances are new and in great working order. SLU is such a central location, with easy access to every neighborhood around here. I would highly recommend this building to anyone thinking about moving in.

Me and my boyfriend lived here for about a year and a half in from 2009 to 2011. It’s a great location and a nice building. I’m sure most people live here problem free but given all the issues we had I wouldn’t choose to rent at the Carins again or recommend it to anyone else.
Pros:
–Great location, walkable and close to downtown. Lots of great stuff to do in SLU.
–Great bar downstairs with great atmosphere and food.
–Market downstairs if you need to grab something quick.
–Nice layouts on some of the units, we had a great deck.
–Lots of windows and light. Building has the best rooftop deck we’ve seen anywhere.
–Pet friendly
Cons:
–Appliances and fixtures were on the cheaper side, not bad, just cheap.
–We had fairly loud neighbors throwing parties with the door open into the hallway. It felt like a college dorm.
–One side has a church that rings bells every Sunday morning, our side had a nightclub that had loud concerts with all their windows open until 2pm on weeknights.
–When we moved in we loved the two managers, Lourdes and Jose. After a few months they were replaced with a never ending stream of surly temps that never knew what they were doing or what was going on.
–When we moved out we checked with the office staff on what we needed to do (we had to break the lease) after we moved out we found that they had told us the incorrect information and the parent company tried to charge us $ 10,000 even though nothing was said about it on our lease.
–Maintenance staff was responsive to minor issues but they refuse to respond to emergencies. Our kitchen flooded on a Friday afternoon due to a clog. We called the emergency line but they refused to fix it until the following Monday when they finally called a plumber. Meanwhile our kitchen was periodically flooded with foul smelling sewage the entire weekend.
–There were several break-​ins while we were residents into the garage.
–People just tend to let anyone in as long as they are waiting at the door.

Pros:
LOCATION! I love SLU!
Bar downstairs, good beer, good food, good hangout.
Different floor plans, I’ve seen a couple different units that are very nice and have their own uniqueness to them.
Pet friendly, I’ve seen lots of dogs in the elevators that are happy.
Nice neighbors, never had any problems with them.
Maintenance staff, very friendly and always willing to help when an issue arises.
Secured living, I feel safe living in this building with the security measures they have put in place.
Cons:
Appliances, though they look new, they’re cheap and don’t work that well. (to be specific the W/​D and dishwasher)
Parking, small spots, jerks that run the garage.
Elevators don’t always work… seems to be an ongoing problem.
Speaking of elevators, for as big as this complex is, they don’t offer any carts for groceries or when moving which I’ve had in every other place I’ve lived, is this strange to anyone else?
Church bells, wake me up on my only day off… every Sunday and it’s so loud… they also sing/​chant surrounding the church and ring the bells at midnight/​2am on Easter, we all know he’s risen, can you do it inside please?
The management is hit or miss… it depends on what mood everyone is in. They can be curt or they can be extremely nice. I’m not a mind reader so this is problematic at times, especially when you need something done or have a question/​issue to bring up and no one wants to help.

A wonderful place to live!
I’ve seen my fair share of Seattle apartment buildings, and this is by far the best! From the high-​quality residences to the amazing office staff, I can’t say enough about The Cairns. All our neighbors are friendly and respectful, and any maintenance issues are handled quickly. This is not a run-​of-​the-​mill, impersonal property. Anyone lucky enough to score an apartment here is sure to enjoy their new home!