The Cartwright Apartments — Local services in Irvine

$2700 torture chamber I really tried to enjoy living here but I actually dread coming back here every night. If I could go back in time and move to the Camden I would. Its the upstairs neighbor stomping so hard that the dishes in your cabinet shakes, it is people partying in the clubhouse (understandable), but you can hear people just speaking normally and even playing pool with all the windows closed. I mean really, you can actually hear every time the pool balls smack, which is so great when it's 1 am and you have a to be up at 6. I know upstairs neighbor noise is the price you pay in buildings like this, but here it is actually insane. My ear piercings from 4 years ago are getting irritated from having to wear headphones 24/7 inside, and even then you can STILL hear and feel every vibration. This building, it is like it was made of glue and paper mache. There's vents in the wall that just funnel sound into your apartment (I understand, they say its due to new building code, but that doesn't change what it does). I will say the office has apologized and said they would be helpful going forward. However, I got plain ignored by the leasing office in the first 3 months of living here. They say that in order to give notice to the loud upstairs neighbor the maintenance employee needs to go up and hear the excessive noise. I have sent them at least 10 videos where you can hear the slamming doors, stomping, and moving furniture all hours of the day and nothing has changed in 4 months. I understand quiet hours start at 10 pm so I only have brought up the constant noise from 10 pm to 8 am, but its genuinely ALL day. They did provide contact information for the proper person for noise complaints later, (and the move-in paper that I still have has no word of who to contact for noise complaints, only "After-Hours Maintenance Emergencies". My sister and I both remember the leasing employee mentioning plumbing and other emergencies. I can admit maybe just me but I didn't know noise complaints are considered a maintenance emergency).

For the office to tell me "You can always break your lease per the terms of your agreement". Really?? Thats what you decide? In what world am I going to repack, find a new apartment, AND pay them $6000? They later gave me the option of moving to another unit, but I would have to pay market price. Like how come my only options only affect MY stress levels and bank account? Are the videos and complaints not enough to even just talk to the neighbor upstairs? I tried speaking with the upstairs neighbor myself but he interrupted me, started to incoherently ramble, rip his wax pen, and blow it in my face, making it a very uncomfortable interaction. I'm a medical professional, he was very clearly under the influence. They told me that noise complaints are the hardest to prove and that their attorneys dont want to help because they will lose... So what I gathered is that even if I follow their instructions, take the videos and call their maintenance employee, I am on my own and SOL.

Other tenants also have no respect for cohabitation. The open, untied bags of trash in the hallway, takeout food trash sitting outside the door, the trash room being filled with unbroken down boxes, and practically getting run over by oblivious people when getting in or off the elevator. The first couple months living here, people weirdly very often spill something in the elevators. They do have a very lovely cleaning team, so it was only for 24 hours at a time, but still.

I've been living in apartments in OC and different cities in the US for 9 years. Not once, have I ever felt the need to post a public review, but I think its the sleep deprivation getting to me.

And the positive reviews!!! I was sent a message the first week of living here that if I left a review and mentioned leasing office employee's name, I would get $50 off of rent... So take the 5 star reviews with a grain of salt. (once i have the time to upload videos to...

I’m willing to share my experience and how I’m being treated with the management. My washer is rusty and has serval stain spots. At the beginning I reported to the leasing but they choose to do Nothing. The second time I found rusty particles fall on my clothes for a couple times and I reported to the manager. I attached the pictures of the rusty washer and rust particles on my clothes to the manager. He still claims that your washer is working fine, it’s a closed matter. They choose to do nothing. Yes and he claims he provides “five-star” service and it is a“luxury” apartment. The manager didn’t even feel a little bit of sorry about it. They already use cheap washer. It also dances when working and makes big noise. And when they saw my washer gets rusty and particles fall off they don’t even care about it. Those dirty particles are not easy to clean away and harm my skin. They ruined one of my white T-shirt (see in picture)

The second unfair thing is hiring third-party without notice. When my toilet is flogged the maintenance comes but they failed to fix it. Then they say they will find helper and the toilet is fixed. But then manger told me there is a 225$ bill on me for the plumber. No one ever notify me that it’s a charged service as I thought it was their team. The manager didn’t provide any information of the rate or fee, and didn’t notify me or ask my permission. Then he just hires a third party and put the bill on ME. I have to pay something I am unaware of. I don’t even have the chance to say no, or try to fix the toilet myself. I lived in other apartments in Irvine before but I never need to pay anything for maintenance. Even if serious conditions occur they will notify me that I might be charged. Since I am paying the plumber, Cartwright didn’t not provide any information about this service such as the company name, hourly rate. They just hire strangers come into your room and fix your appliances. Then charge you without telling you. It’s not professional nor ethical.The manager even refer me as “a tenant who don’t adhere the guidelines” in the e-mail. Just because I accidentally flogged the toilet. And he never feels a little sorry or embarrassed about what he did. The way he replies email is always demanding and hostile. And he is the one decides everything of the apartment. I tried to talk to another staff and still no one is willing to help me.

Third thing is sketchy and lie. When I was transferring my lease I talked to him about the one month free and he said I could get the fee transferred,too.But when the day comes and another staff was making the lease for me she say there is no such thing of one month free for your unit. When I asked the manager he said he never agreed anything of that. And they require me to provide documentation to prove it. Well I only talked to him verbally so I can’t do anything.I was completely being fooled.I agree with one of the comments about they are “sketchy” they give me only half month free after this. There are tiny spiders in my room before I moved in. I really can’t deal with them.I also encountered cockroach on the hallway.

I really made so much good friends and neighbors in this place. They are also get shocked after hearing what the manager did to me and scared to ask for maintenance. Some of them are moving out. I guess I know why. I feel emotionally exhausted when I tried to seek help from the leasing. I never receive any nice massages from them. It’s basically bills or denies. I hope my experience helps your decision. Also some of the five stars are obviously fake as they are basically the...

I recently moved out of Cartwright Apartments in Irvine, CA, before my lease term ended, and I couldn't be more relieved to leave. The decision to move out early was driven by the appalling behavior of the management, particularly Kayla, whose unprofessionalism and outright rudeness made living there unbearable.

Unprofessional and Rude Management: Kayla's behavior was consistently unprofessional and condescending. From the start, any attempts to address concerns were met with sarcasm and a dismissive attitude. She seemed more interested in exerting control and belittling residents than in resolving issues. On one occasion, when I brought up a maintenance problem that had gone unresolved for weeks, she rolled her eyes and made a snide comment about how "residents always expect miracles." This kind of treatment was not just frustrating but also deeply disrespectful.

Lack of Accountability: The management team's lack of accountability was shocking. Maintenance requests, even urgent ones, were often ignored or addressed after unacceptable delays. I had a broken dishwasher that wasn't fixed for over a month, and every time I followed up, Kayla either made excuses or simply stopped responding. It became clear that they had no interest in maintaining a decent standard of living for residents.

Shady Fees and Practices: The management also seemed to take advantage of residents through unfair fees. Upon deciding to move out early, I was charged an excessive penalty despite explaining the hostile living conditions. To make matters worse, I received a bill for damages that were clearly pre-existing, with no acknowledgment of the detailed move-in inspection report I had submitted. This felt like a deliberate attempt to exploit residents who dared to leave.

Living Conditions: While the parking situation is one of the few positives about this property--there are plenty of spots available--most other aspects of the living conditions were subpar. Noise was a constant issue due to the thin walls, making it impossible to enjoy any peace or privacy. Additionally, the amenities were poorly maintained and often unavailable. The pool was closed for weeks without notice, and the gym equipment was outdated and frequently out of order.

Hostile Environment: Living here felt like walking on eggshells. The toxic environment created by Kayla and her team left me feeling unwelcome and stressed. Even simple interactions, like asking a question about my lease, were met with hostility or ridicule. I dreaded going to the office because I knew I would be treated poorly, regardless of the nature of my request.

Final Thoughts: Despite the ample parking, I cannot recommend Cartwright Apartments to anyone. The hostile and unprofessional behavior of the management--especially Kayla--overshadows any positives this property might have. The combination of poor service, shady practices, and a lack of care for residents made my time here one of the worst rental experiences I've ever had. Moving out early was the best decision I made, even with the penalties, because staying any longer would have taken an even greater toll on my well-being. Save yourself the frustration and find a community where residents are treated...