Santa Clara Square Apartment Homes — Attraction in Santa Clara

Before choosing to reside in Santa Clara Square Apartments or any other property managed by Irvine Company Apartment Communities, prospective tenants should carefully consider the following information. The statements shared are based on our personal experiences and are factual. However, it's important to acknowledge that individual experiences may vary.

Throughout our tenancy, we encountered numerous challenges. Echoing the experiences of other residents, we struggled with inadequate sound insulation, which left us constantly disturbed by noise from our upstairs neighbors. Early morning pickups by garbage and recycling trucks near the Commons East Cafe on Augustine Drive were a recurring nuisance, even with all our windows shut. Moreover, the peace of Augustine Drive was frequently shattered by the roaring engines of cars and motorcycles with loud exhausts, racing through the area several times a week.

Furthermore, we've observed miscellaneous items left in common areas, unauthorized parking in loading zones, and occasional instances of unattended dog waste. The first two occurrences happen regularly, suggesting that management may not be taking action to address them. Additionally, we dealt with a malfunctioning elevator, broken elevator buttons, and mail room doors, all of which remained unfixed for weeks. Lastly, most EV charging stations are designated as "reserved spots," and the few available for use are consistently occupied. Despite these challenges, we initially considered staying in our apartment due to the complex's appealing appearance, amenities, and convenient location near workplaces, shopping centers, and dining options. However, a $300 rent increase, which we deemed unjustified given the ongoing issues, led us to decide to move out after only 11 months.

During our move-out process, the scheduled final inspection didn't happen as planned because the appointed individual failed to show up, and there was no communication about their absence. This resulted in wasted time away from work, particularly frustrating since final inspections weren't scheduled on weekends. As a result, we had to reschedule the appointment without our presence, causing further inconvenience. Our frustrations grew as we encountered the same complaints previously raised by former residents about exorbitant move-out fees. Upon receiving our final bill, we were shocked by charges amounting to $239 for apartment cleaning, $101 for carpet cleaning, and $79 for paint. It took numerous phone calls and emails, during which we reminded them of our move-in inspection log and submitted photographs clearly indicating that none of the listed "standard maintenance" tasks were completed before our occupancy, before they eventually retracted the cleaning and paint charges. This ordeal raises serious concerns about the professionalism of resident services personnel or potentially an even graver issue, the integrity of the establishment's operations, suggesting a reliance on residents not challenging erroneous charges.

Although we successfully contested the erroneous charges in our final bill, we can't regain the time we spent away from work and personal commitments, dealing with Santa Clara Square Apartments over issues that shouldn't have arisen in the first place.

If you're still considering moving into this complex despite the challenges detailed in this review, we strongly advise steering clear of units located along Augustine Drive to minimize noise disturbances. Opting for a top-floor unit might also help diminish noise from neighbors above, although it could mean sacrificing convenience, as your parking spot will likely be on the same floor. If your unit doesn't appear to have undergone professional cleaning and painting before your move-in, be sure to take photos and meticulously document this in your move-in inspection log. Conversely, if the unit seems professionally cleaned and painted, avoid excessive cleaning efforts before moving out. Keep in mind that you will still incur these charges regardless of the apartment's...

I lived at SCS for more than 2 years. My overall experience was quite positive.

Pros: These are new apartments. When I moved in, I was the first tenant for my unit. I very much enjoyed the modern design of the unit, the large windows, the hardwood floor, the central AC, and the gas stove. The maintenance team was absolutely top notch. They were fast, efficient, respectful and friendly, and they get the job done. I have made many maintenance requests while I was there and never had I been disappointed with their work. This apartment complex is located in a prime location in the heart of Silicon Valley. It is minutes away from 101 and San Thomas Expressway. The Santa Clara Square Market Place is right there, and it’s nice to have Whole Foods so close to the complex. The overall ambience of the community is great. There are lots of families and young professionals on site, and I never experienced noise issues. The common areas of the complex are kept clean. Although in some aspect I have different things to say about the management company (see below in the con section), I must clarify that Irvine company is a lot more reasonable to deal with than many of the other apartment management brands you can find in the Bay Area. My experiences in interacting with on-site personnel have all been positive. Managing an apartment complex this size is no easy task. Keep the entire complex running and comfortable is only possible if everyone treats their job with at least some passion, and I can feel that the on-site folks want to do their share. I respect that.

Cons: Packages being stolen is a prevalent issue in the Bay Area, and unfortunately SCS is not an exception. I have lost at least 6 packages while I lived there. My feeling is that the issue improved as time went on, so maybe the community has taken effective actions, but this is only a personal observation. Car breakings have also happened across the community. Although there are security patrols on-site 24/7, it appears impossible to eliminate these risks. The car break-ins and stolen packages have never risen to a level to which I would consider moving because of it, but they are still a reality that should not be ignored. Despite being a brand new unit, I noticed that many materials used in the apartment is average or below average. For example, one of the cabinet doors in the kitchen fell off within three months after I moved in. These things did not bother me much, because the maintenance team always came in quickly and fixed everything. But if you are moving in with an expectation of true luxury living, you probably want to adjust your expectations accordingly. When it comes to renewal, the corporate office that assigns renewal rates does not appear to understand the local leasing market, which is a very big shame. What really drove me out from this complex was the ridiculous renewal price I received. For a one bedroom apartment, they upped the monthly rent by more than 300 dollars. I started looking elsewhere right away, and was able to sign a lease for a 2b2b with a cheaper monthly rent. Only after I signed the new lease, they came back (without knowing I signed elsewhere) with a much more reasonable offer, which I probably would’ve taken if it was offered to me in the first place. This interaction shows that the corporate office has not done their homework for the negotiation. I have spoken with many other tenants regarding the renewal process, and it appears that the unwarranted price hike and the unnecessary gamesmanship are both prevalent when it came to renewal. No one is naive here, and we all understand that this is a business and Irvine Company needs to make money at the market level, so maybe the corporate office can take the same amount of time and effort to study the market that an average tenant would spend when they look for a place to call their home.

Overall, I very much enjoyed my time at SCS. It is not immune from many issues that are prevalent in our community, but there are many upsides that I enjoyed and...

STAY AWAY! For the luxury-level rent that they charge, you'd think that you would at least get decent service...nope, not in ANY way. In fact, I've received the worst service from any of the management companies I've rented from. I moved into an already occupied apartment and went to pick up my apartment keys, fob, etc and the woman in the office was rude, unhelpful, tried to charge me for a car tag when our lease says we get two vehicles (also they won't honor the lease and provide a second parking space without a fee, despite my LEGALLY BINDING LEASE stating we get two spaces included), she would not provide me with the kiosk code so I can let people in remotely, and when the key and fob that she provided didn't work and I couldn't get back in, she told a disabled person to walk a half mile to get a new set instead of sending someone to let me in (my car was parked within the secured area). It's been months and I still don't have a way to let anyone in because I am told each time I call that the call box isn't working so they can't access the system, yet my fiance has no issues using his. So, yeah, they flat out lie to you when they don't want to bother.

Also, a fun fact about living here: you will be regularly barraged with insanely loud emergency sirens and verbage blasted DIRECTLY INTO YOUR APARTMENT via wired speakers, which, if you're unfortunate enough to work from home and they do a semi annual test, will be on continuously for quote, "as long as we want, up to 5pm" (we were told this when we called after it had been going on for an HOUR already starting at 10am).

Then, when the maintenance people came the same day to test the smoke alarms in the unit, they gave ONE knock/bell then IMMEDIATELY started entering the unit! They gave us about 5 seconds to answer the door before walking in, which is not a proper way to enter an occupied apartment, even if you gave notice (without any specific time of arrival). Also, when we told them that they should give us more time to answer the door before walking in, they were extremely rude, said fine we can come back later and charge you, then one man pushed past my fiance to start his inspection and then didn't finish it!

See the included video of the sound I had to listen to for HOURS since I'm disabled and could not leave my apartment that day.

Oh, and if there is an actual emergency and you have mobility issues, good luck! The (attached) recording during emergencies that they blare says not to use elevators and they actually BLOCK THEM OFF. I hope they get sued when this inevitably results in someone being harmed.

Not to mention my car has been broken into TWICE, I've had so many packages get stolen from the mail room I've lost count, and had their "security guard" film my fiance and I as we were driving in the parking garage one night and when asked he said he was told to film cars coming in by management. What. The. Actual. Hell?!

In short, if you want: to pay more than anywhere else (and still be charged extra for every little thing) to have the worst customer service where you are treated like they actively hate their residents (and won't help you in any way), be bombarded with all-day sirens inside your unit multiple times a year, have people just walk into your apartment, have people speak to you like you're a piece of crap they just found on their shoe, have your vehicle broken into and mail/packages stolen and, if disabled, be trapped in the building during an emergency...

Then this is the place for you!

Otherwise, I'd stay far far away from this absolute trash of a management company (make sure you check out the other "luxury" and not so luxury communities the Irvine Company manages as it's...