Rancho Sierra Apartments — Local services in Phoenix

Lived here for a little over a year which in the beginning I was in a rush to find a place (reason: grandmother passed away and was tough since I was looking out for her but old age took its toll) so I spoke to the front desk lady who was kind enough to help me out and get a decent apartment for me and in a quick time period. Was placed in a 1 bed 1 bath place since all other locations were close to the high school and I didn't want my dog to go berserk. The 1 bed 1 bath place was nice but will admit that it was small. It didn't dawn on me until 6 months passed and coming day/night in/out, it kind of felt a little sad and depressing but spoke with the ladies at the front office who kindly kept a look-out for a 2 bed 2 bath apartment with a washer/dryer. Unfortunately those units are extremely hard to get and come by (washer/dryer is the key) so I settled for a 2 bed 2 bath unit that has new flooring inside. It was recommended to me by Carolina (This woman is freaken AWESOME!!! Intelligent, beautiful, caring and kind, speaks fast so what I see is she has quick reflexes and problem solving, which are pluses due to the job role she is in) in which I can't thank her enough for getting me into this new place.

Now, the issues I had previously in my last apartment: For one, the neighbor that was south of me, I felt bad for her as her kid didn't seem to really care, hung out with the wrong crowd, and, with friends, look to stir up trouble. I had only one incident with them when I came home and they were sitting on the stairs, when I got to my door they started calling me a f*g and gay lover. I ignored them as that was completely random and don't know what caused them to start saying that but I decided to let it go. Well they started going up and down the stairs which my dog didn't like and I could hear them as well. I didn't want to start anything since they were kids so the best thing I could think of is either call the office or go to the patio and smoke a cigarette. So I decided to just go outside and smoke and see what happens. Well, that did the trick because they didn't like it, so they got up and left to go to Bosa's (as that's what they stated). So anytime they began to make noise and hang right outside our doors, on the stairs, I would go outside and just smoke a cigarette and they would leave.

The second thing is... of course... you all know what I'm about to say if you've lived here... THE PARKING!!! Haha even the apartment employees agree that the parking scheme is a bit messed up. My parking space was pretty far that it would take me about 1 minutes and 43 seconds (yes I did time myself a few days just to see) just to get to my car. This new place though I got lucky as the parking space is right in front of me.

Third thing: This is something that can't be avoided but the location I lived at couldn't get Direct TV or any TV channels. If you use Centurylink you will only be able to get internet (up to about 40MB) since the building has CAT 5E. DirectTV found that the location I'm at has no signal or direction to a satellite what so ever (this was only at the place I was living at as a lot of other places had Direct TV) so make sure to ask not only the employees of Rancho Sierra but also your provider. Would recommend Cox Communication as they use Contour and works perfectly along with the internet (which Rancho Sierra IS eligible for GigaBlast which is 1GB of internet).

All other residence/neighbors were nice, respectful, and easy to talk to (especially if you have a dog haha). I've already met a few new neighbors at my new place and feel like I'm in a safe environment.

Other then that I've not ever had a problem with the staff or maintenance. They've been so cooperative and friendly that its unbelievable. When I was moving from apartment to apartment, one of the maintenance guys asked if I needed help, which I kindly declined but thanked him so much for the offer. You rarely get that type of help almost anywhere and the staff in the office have always been helpful, friendly, and give out good...

I have lived at Rancho Sierra for 5 years. For the most part the office staff is wonderful. If you want a friendly chat or a hearty chuckle just stop in and say hello to them. Though, as with all human beings, they have their moments. Of course so do I so I am not judging here. Since we do not have a "business center" here like some places the office staff are always willing to fax or print things for you. They are also very organized and efficient. The maintenance team is the greatest. I love making a phone call in the morning and then coming home from work and finding everything taken care of exactly the way I wanted it. The property is taken care of weekly by landscapers and they keep it in very nice shape for the most part, of course the grass does die by mid-July, but hey, this is AZ. The one down side is that landscaping shows up very, very early on Monday mornings and you can hear all their leaf blowers and lawn mowers going. We have a fitness center which is very small but has the basics. The down side is that you can only use it when the office is open which sucks if you go to work before 9AM and get home after 6PM because you will never get to use it. We have three pools that are always clean and well-maintained. The hot tubs do go down now and again but most of the time are running quite well. We do not have community events or get togethers as some places do but I have met most of my neighbors and they are all great people, so we plan our own little get togethers and picnics and such. We have a wonderful mail lady but we are her last stop, so if for some crazy reason you "need" to get your mail early you won't like it here. The apartments are updated with new appliances and we each have a covered parking spot. The parking lot is well lit at night and this is a very safe neighborhood. The rent is reasonable, not the cheapest but not the most expensive either. So all in all I would definitely recommend...

The staff is friendly and the neighborhood is safe and quiet unless there is a football game at SMHS. For the most part I've enjoyed my stay here and don't have much to complain about other than the increase in rent for what the community has to offer. I originally inquired about renewing my lease at the beginning of April and was told not to worry and that they would be sent out shortly. In AZ landlords are required to provide a 30 day notice when there is an increase in rent and they only provided me with a 25 day notice right as I was leaving the country for Toronto. By the time I returned to deal with it their notice really only left me with 18 days. The staff was helpful upon my return however, I feel that they should honor the same pricing being that they did not provide sufficient notice as stated in AZ's Landlord Tenant Act and they were unable to provide proper justification of rental increases (which is a matter of opinion unless they have proper statistics of the area to back this) as I requested . The increase is a small increase however property management is not making any upgrades to the community. The water bill is an estimated $54 a month which is substantial for living in a unit without a washer and dryer and on top of that you have the extra expense of using their laundry facilities along with the inconvenience of hauling your laundry. Including water and taxes I pay an estimated $900-$915 a month for the 2BR 2BA unit which in my opinion is high when taking into consideration the lack of amenities and curb appeal. The new rent including water will be an estimated $950-$960 which is a lot for this unit and complex. Pros: friendly office and maintenance staff, good safe neighborhood and location, Cons: Dated complex, inconvenience of community laundry facility, substantially high water bill for not having an in unit washer and...