By Rachael Gonzales on May 30, 2026 Verified by Google

I rarely leave negative reviews. As a small business owner, I understand reviews affect real people and businesses, so I try to be fair and patient. However, after my experience with DABCO the last year, I feel it’s important to share what occurred so other tenants and private landlords can make informed decisions.

DABCO took over management of our property in March 2025. During that transition, our rent increased from $1,100 to up to $1,400 per month through a sliding utility structure. Communication regarding both the transition and rent increase was delayed and often confusing.

Before DABCO took over, my boyfriend moved into the unit and this was disclosed to the property owner. We were told DABCO would handle any lease updates moving forward, but we were never contacted about the process.

We were also informed that DABCO would no longer maintain the backyard lawn, despite lawn care previously being included. We were encouraged to purchase our own lawn equipment and told the same expectation would apply to the upstairs tenants. However, DABCO continued maintaining the front lawn while providing no comparable service for the backyard.

There were also ongoing maintenance and cleanliness concerns. Debris from previous tenants remained on the property, and the upstairs laundry area accessible to us for a short time had dog waste surrounding it despite management being notified. Additionally, DABCO staff and contractors repeatedly misplaced personal property, including yard tools. Some have been given back, some are still missing.

The issue that ultimately prompted this review occurred when I received notice that my boyfriend was not on the lease and that we were in violation of our lease agreement, despite documentation showing his occupancy had been disclosed before DABCO assumed management. We were then told we would need to pay an additional application fee to add him.

When I sought clarification and included the property owner in the conversation, I was reprimanded by Mel Abrams and told that I need to not contact the property owner directly. What made this particularly frustrating was that the property owner appeared unaware of the issue DABCO was contacting me about and indicated he had not instructed DABCO to handle the situation in that manner. Rather than working toward a resolution, the interaction felt focused on reprimanding a tenant for asking questions and seeking clarification.

The situation became even more confusing when DABCO questioned pets that had been disclosed for over a year. Despite email documentation confirming they were on file and pet-related charges were being paid, I was later told DABCO had no record of two of the animals and that additional charges would apply.

Finally, as DABCO’s management of the property was ending, our garbage service was canceled and our trash cans were removed before June 1 (the end of their management term for our property), leaving our household without garbage service while neighboring properties continued to have active service. It’s not a lot, but it’s inconvenient and strange that ours were the only ones removed early.

My primary concern throughout this experience was inconsistent communication, missing records, conflicting information, and a lack of accountability when those issues were brought forward.

I do want to recognize Sienna, Amber, and the facilities and maintenance staff, who were always professional, kind, and helpful. Unfortunately, their efforts were overshadowed by the broader management and communication issues described above.

By Terry Russell on May 21, 2026 Verified by Google

I moved my son there so that he can go to school at WSU. During his time there he had to move to another apartment du allergies, and I wasn’t there to help check the department out. When I came there to move him back over to Tacoma area I was appalled at the way his apartment was. The apartment originally was made For ADA with a bench in the shower. When he moved in, they took the bench out, but left big old metal brackets sticking out of the wall. There was black mold above the shower due to moisture that was caused by. A wrongly installed dryer heater. Bars in the bathroom were rusted and appalling and so was the oven rack.. We ended up having to break the lease, which cost us extra money and we lost our security deposit. But it was worth it to get them out of his living conditions.

By Murat Sarsalmaz on May 7, 2026 Verified by Google

Alyssa is the STAR player there. She was amazing and helped me through the complete process.
You guys need to give her a raise or a good bonus.
Thank you Alyssa!!

By Kayla Dimmick on March 27, 2026 Verified by Google

Idk why anyone would ever recommend living at there apartments is a joke being told 925 is the rent for a 1 bedroom then after 3 months of living there paying almost 1400 hundred for random fees and water and sewer and garbage is a joke as it should be included in the 925 already

By Madison Manning on August 13, 2025 Verified by Google

TLDR; Trash, sewer, and water advertised as included in rent. It's not.
Emerald Downs/DABCO makes it really appealing and easy to move in, just to be ignored, disrespected, and scammed.
A few months ago, when I applied on the website for my apartment, it was listed with utilities like internet, water, sewer, and trash being covered by them. This is the main reason I chose to rent this apartment over any others, because it specifically fit in my budget with these amenities included. Even upon reading the lease, the utilities section states the same thing. However, I didn't catch an addendum placed at the very bottom of the lease changing water, sewer, and trash to be the renter's responsibility.
When I went to the office and asked, I was immediately shut down by the girl working the front desk who told me that it was actually my responsibility. When I told her that it was incorrectly advertised on their website and that was the only reason I chose to live here, all she said is that she'd "tell the marketing manager." When I said that it felt like false advertisement, she bluntly told me "you signed the lease."
In my opinion, she was not only unhelpful, but inconsiderate and did not at all seem concerned about being a part of what seems to be a false advertisement scheme. Although the wording of the lease is likely not her doing, she's obviously well trained to push back against anyone who catches this scam too late like I did. She didn't even look up my file, but immediately had all her answers to rebut my questions about the utility charges on my account. It's unfortunate that she's having to do the dirty work for the landlords, but it's also blatantly obvious that she's complicit in the scam they're running.
This is all in addition to their terrible customer service. I have been outright ignored multiple times by phone, email, and messaging directly through their website portal. The only consistent way to reach them is to walk into their office.
If you have to rent here, read EVERY word in the ENTIRE lease.