Devonshire

This business is a scam. Period. The more I think about it and experience all the shadiness going on here, the more upset I get. I fully believe this place is an unethical business -- surpass the fine line of marketing/advertisement by stepping into the false/scam/deception advertisement, where they just tell whatever you want to hear when viewing the premise.

Once signed the lease, you start to find out whatever they advertised or claimed initially was actually unsupported. And we're not talking about one misinformation--we're talking about EVERYTHING! You actually have to pay for your own closet shelves (the maintenance team told me leasing agent outright lied about such being free, construction sound is actually disruptive (see other Yelp reviews and 3rd party reviews on this infamous topic--we were lied to about it being completed within a short period of time? Never happened.

The tenants who couldn't take it anymore, and chose to leave did NOT get discount or anything; they simply had to pay for breaking the lease... is that fair? Especially after being tricked to sign up for this said Lease Agreement.

I had 4 neighbors on my floor--all left within one year and chose not to renew the lease--with some quick research, you will see completely amazing reviews elsewhere, i.e., where the management actually cares about appeasing the tenants. Devonshire, you're in a hospitality business selling your luxury apartments, DID YOU NOT KNOW THIS?

Apartment seekers, go elsewhere. I'm more than happy to via private message, as many have reached out through the years, about the horrible experience I experienced -- AND violations of the housing law by their practices -- while I lived there.

Note: ever since Jon Russo left, there's no more adults at this leasing office--it's a circus here with bunch of clowns running the place.

We have lived at the Devonshire for five years. It is a safe, clean building that was fantastically run by a kind man who really looked after residents. Since Bozzuto has taken over, that has gone out the window. There is construction noise constantly, sometimes so deafening we can't hear each other from a few feet away. At $4k+ a month, I expect Bozzuto to do something to make up for the inconvenience. Taking a percentage off the rent would have been a good start.

The staff are generally very nice, but very little mask compliance by the front door staff during COVID-19. Changes to the administrative tasks have been horrible. Residents frequently wait three hours to a full day to receive packages because Bozzuto management overloads the package handling on one staff member. He's a really nice guy who deserves better.

The apartment itself is just fine. Secure and comfortable. Air conditioning and heat work very well. However twice now black mold has grown under our floors and is rapidly spreading. My husband has a severe mold allergy and even I am starting to feel unwell. Most recently maintenance visited us four days ago and assured us they would be in touch about a repair. As of this writing, there has been zero communication.

We have loved living at the Devonshire for all our years here but it seems that it's joined the march of developers cutting corners and charging excessive rent. We won't be renewing our lease.

UPDATE ON REPAIRS:
We have now been forced out of our apartment for nine days. Management has put us in a guest apartment which has cost us a ton of money in groceries and supplies. There wasn't even soap provided for us. This is day three of management and maintenance assuring us that the repairs would be done today. I just walked in to find that the repairs that originally took place in the hallway have now extended to our bedroom. During a pandemic we've now had workmen handle our dresser, bookshelf, and most disgustingly our *bed linens*.

Communication has been like pulling teeth. No updates when promised, no repair progress as promised. This is pathetic.


DON'T MOVE IN until someone else takes this place over because Bozzuto is a joke.

Devonshire has AMAZING views and finishes within the units. The apartments and amenities (except Lobby) just went through renovations (finally stopped). The pool on the 42nd floor isn't open yet but will be really nice.

Concierges and staff are really nice if you ask them for anything. The leasing/management office has improved in the last 6 months.

The location is amazing, you'll be within walking distance of everything. You can walk to Seaport, North End, BackBay, Cambridge and have so many food options nearby.

I wrote a negative review almost Fall 2020 after poor transparency and care from corporate (Bozzuto) and the leasing office. However, in the last few months, they have improved a lot on communicating with residences, organizing events, and having everything run smoothly.

**If you are in your 20s, beware that most neighbors won't be, quiet hours are at 9 pm.

When I was considering which apartment I wanted to lease in May 2021, my main needs were decent size, downtown location, and access to a pool. The leasing office ensured that the pool would be open by end of May 2021, so I was excited to sign. The pool was not opened until February 2022 - 9 months later into my 15 month lease. When I approached the leasing department on this matter, they stated that it was not explicitly written in the lease so it is not a breach and there is nothing they can do about it. So my recommendation is do not listen to a thing they say. Assess the building as is and if it does not live up to your expectations as is, do not sign regardless of what you are told.

Bait and switch. Atrocious security, only half the amenities open, and an unresponsive front office. I decided to rent at the Devonshire based on the amenities available. This included an indoor pool, an indoor play place for children, a very nice gym, and office space. Since moving in, the only amenities open are for adults. As the weather turns chilly, the building only sees fit open those locations that are geared towards their older residents. I feel very much like this was a bait and switch, because when I had called originally the answer was that these amenities, specifically for children and or geared to children would be open. The building is situated in downtown Boston. Which is Fantastic location for anyone living and working downtown, just don't expect your $5,000 a month for rent to actually earn you a call back once you've signed the lease.

Devonshire is the absolute most bang you can get for your buck in Boston. It's real luxury (not like these new trendy apartment buildings with paper-thin walls). My wife and I have lived here for two years and have only good things to say about it. Excellent amenities, a great community, and responsive building management. This is the first place that I have lived where I thought everyday, "I love this place."

Here's what I love:

The Gym/Top Floor Fitness - They have an actual gym that is spacious enough to workout in, a yoga studio, and an indoor lap pool that is rarely in use (I swam laps during the first snow storm of the season). In addition to this they have professional workout classes everyday of the week except Friday. There's yoga (which I haven't done) and strength/high-intensity interval training type classes (abs Monday, lower body Tuesday, upper body Thursday and full body Saturday). I go to the strength classes pretty religiously. Colin, the owner of Top Floor Fitness and instructor for the strength classes, is excellent with correcting form and pushing you to get a good workout. The classes are also a great way to meet other people in the building.

Culture - Devonshire seems to be very effective at cultivating a good culture. They hold seasonal parties, with a wide-range of people. The building is normally quiet. We've met and become friends with a lot of young professionals and expats (but there are also older people and empty nesters). The leasing office and people at the front desk are always nice, helpful and very responsive.

Building Management - The building is very clean--I've never seen any bugs, mice or anything. There have been a few occasions in the past where I needed to call maintenance. They've always been quick to respond and the issue has always been resolved pretty immediately. There was one occasion when I smelled marijuana coming through the vent in the bathroom. Not wanting to make a huge deal about it, I emailed the building manager. He responded immediately, told me it was being looked into and told me to call the front desk if it happened again--it never did.

When we first started looking around Boston for apartment complexes we looked at a lot of places. The major impression I got from most of the other complexes was that they were interested in churning people in and out; they'd lure you in with a good deal and then raise your rate extensively when your lease came up for renewal. I held out writing a review for Devonshire because I was curious how much our rent would go up. For the first year we had a very modest rise (less than 3% increase) and the following year there was no increase at all. I guess they want their tenants to stay.

You can't go wrong with this place.

Location... Location... Locations! Steps from the Boston Common, the Water, and in the heart of the Financial District... the Devonshire is one of the best located buildings in the City, especially if you work Downtown.

Beyond the incredible location and first-class amenities, the staff here are wonderful. Everyone has a positive and upbeat attitude and are always warm and welcoming... it feels as familial as a high-rise building can be. They remember the little things about you.

Lastly, the leasing office staff (Svetlana and Michelle in particular), make every concerted effort to make your living experience spectacular. With thoughtful and curated resident events, and a staff that works to ensure any unit work (construction, things breaking, etc.) are done effortlessly and at any time of the day, you really could not ask for more.

I am happy to call the Devonshire my home.

They've been doing renovations all over the building since last year, and will not finish until 2022. Now with COVID 19 going around and my office requiring staff to work from home, everyone in my meetings can hear the loud construction noises. (Note: Management does offer shared space to work, but this obviously is not an optimal solution to have every day.) You sometimes also get to smell the turpentine or glue or whatever it is they use for the paint and/or in their flooring.

This building is in a good location and management is attentive (kudos to Michelle). However, given the chance to do this all over again, I would have left the building and probably consider coming back after the construction is over.

There is so much construction noise within the building, particularly above my unit, that it is very difficult to carry on with anything even with earplugs on. This is especially bothersome since I, like many other residents I'm sure, are working from home. The noise (e.g. - hammering, drilling, etc) would get to be so loud that I'd often find myself with no choice but to leave. This has been going on for months and the noise typically starts before 9 AM and continues past 5 PM. I should've been told that there would be construction noise impacting my unit so that I could've made an informed decision about whether to rent here. I've been here 7 months thus far and I am just counting down the days until my lease ends.

I'm finally moving out of the Devonshire (and out of Boston). I've now lived here for 2.5 years and in 3 different apartments, and I've loved every moment of it. I'd still give it a 5 star and if I'm ever back in Boston, this is the only place I'd consider.