Alpine Woods

I’m back for another update because hey, why not? First, I’m regrettably renewing my lease for six months because I’m too poor right now to move. Also the rental market in SD is pretty brutal. So, with that out of the way, let’s get to the nitty gritty.
It’s winter in SoCal. Which is always fairly mild right? Remember when I told you that in summer months you should be ready to pay a billion dollars for your electric bill? Well, I’ve really figured it out although I already had a hunch why. They gave you wonderful granite countertops in lieu of energy efficient, 21^st-​century windows. In my living room, you can feel the draft coming through the window. Literally, like a breeze. A freakin’ breeze! Indoors! Oh that 36 degree air blowing through my windows is lovely.
Speaking of windows, when I shut my master bedroom door with a reasonable, normal amount of force, the living room windows shake. That’s just weird because the two DO NOT share a wall. Oh and my master bedroom, let me tell you. My master bedroom is like 20 degrees colder than the rest of the house. At least. Why? These gosh darn windows I tell you.
Okay, whatever. High electric bills, drafty windows and poor structure aside, I’ve had an alarm going of in my building’s «control room» or whatever for like 10 days. I’ve called the office and my neighbor has called the office. Imagine a smoke detector amplified by 2,975% and that’s what it is. EVERY. THREE. SECONDS. I timed it last night because I woke up around 1 a.m. unable to return to a restful sleep due to the noise.
I will say, the maintenance team rocks concerning timeliness. They always show up in a timely manner and are very respectful and helpful when they can. Except when your air conditioner has broken for the 59^th time because your windows don’t retain cool air and the property management company is too cheap to replace the 1,000-year-old units.
Sorry, I hate long Unilocal reviews too, but I’m almost done. The pool area is still pretty crappy. Again, you’d think with the amount of rent they charge they could at least put some decent tables out there. It’s like the office managers went to Wal-​Mart, walked into the garden center, intentionally searched for the cheapest table and said, «Yup. This is the one. It’s the perfect table to fade in the sun and crack because cheap.» I mean really, there is nothing appealing about the pool other than taking your kids there to swim so they’ll shut the hell after asking for the bajillionth time to go to the pool
Okay, I’ll end there since I’m getting ready to go sign my new six-​month lease. They only raised my rent by like $ 200 or something, so yeah. Not TOO bad I guess.

If only I can warn people about the importance of having flood protection on they’re renters policy. Or stay away from this whole building I save my apt one too many times n to never be thanked for it pisses me off I should of been like every one else. «Oops my tub over flowed how weird“right? Go f yourself trying to keep our deposit while your plumbing ruined our move our box’s destroyed not to mention the expensive paintings and college books I’ll never see again ugh I should of left everything wet there didn’t reimburse the bill when they had warehouse electric fan running for 72hrs straight how annoying let’s say this they love lawsuits

Time to update my review. 2 months after we sign our lease again because we pay 1700 a month in rent and couldn’t afford to go to 2200 for a month to month lease… Well since then on Halloween my window was broken we put in our complaint and they said they would send maintenance to tape the window til it could be replaced… No one came thunder storms came first and almost shattered our FRONT window. After a week and 3 visits to the office and it was FINELY fixed. This was after tweaker guys blocked our garage daily fixing whatever tweaker stuff they are fixing. The tweaker was evicted but some home is now LIVING OUT OF his garage!!! It’s always nice coming home from work and having to run in my house because there are random men walking and or following behind me… Let’s add the tweaker fixing his car on jacks right out front of the complex. All of this and I still pay 1800 in rent. My final blow is that we pay rent like always and so. e how my check is returned I had all funds in my account but they messed up somehow and I was charged an extra 120 to make my rent 1920 I try and ask them what had happened I pay the fee then they give me an extra 5 dollar fee… Umm Wtf is with this place it use to be great but it’s a Shit hole now and I’ll be forced to break my lease to get somewhere safe…

First off I’m currently living here now;
That being said. I actually like my unit. I think I have the best one out of this place. I have the unit all the way in the back that doesn’t have any neighbors above or below me.
I have nice upgraded counters, nice black appliances and a fire place
I just hate a few things
Like how you have to pay an extra $ 85.00 for a garage
An the fact that my daughters toliet has been broken for months but the Mexican man (older tall one that has zero tolerance for customers) actually told me to put my toliet paper in the trash after using it. After going into detail saying this is a new issue that just happened with it not flushing he refused to do anything about it saying since our other toliet is fine this one is to. I’m just going to hire a plumper myself this is ludicrous.
They also raise the rent every year by a $ 100.00 than give you $ 75.00 off if you sign a year lease.
Which is still raising your rent lol
But all in all I like my house, I like the fact my daughters feel safe, my unit actually feels like a home and not apartment, I don’t have to deal with loud neighbors (btw my next door neighbors are freaks lol oddest family I’ve ever seen)
Parking is a little bit of a issue
I have people who double park up in front of my garage when I’m trying to actually use it. But the office staff actually help and get it resolved.
I’ve been dealing with them for about 7 years now
(long time lol) Sandra is my
Go to girl for help even though she manages the other units down the street
All in all the best place in alpine I feel to live
(until I have enough to put a down payment on a house)

I lived there with my family for three years, and my honest advice is ‘do not move in there, do not even consider it’.
The apartment complex looks nice, but it is more a façade. We were swarmed by ants the first day, as are many of the residents. Despite the supposed pesticide spray and our own efforts, it was a constant battle and point of massive anxiety for the family for the entire time we lived there.
Things are constantly breaking (appliances, doors, sinks, toilets, furnace). The hot water is turned off at least one a month for repairs. Repair requests at the office are always lost; I have never had one followed up upon. Repair requests made online to main company do get a response from maintenance but rarely actually get fixed. I have actually watched workers look at something, say it seems okay and leave. Not one repair that was made was done so in one visit. It took six months of visits to have the dishwasher replaced.
The communal areas are not properly cleaned. I went into the office repeatedly with cut from fragments of broken glass imbedded in the carpet of the gym. Several of the weight equipment cords and wheels are dangerously worn out, and the gym lacks proper ventilation. The return air vent is covered in plastic they haven’t removed despite repeated mentions. The air conditioning is shared with the main office and sparsely leaks cool air. There is no air movement in the gym; no fans of any kind. The gym is a health hazard and is not usable during the day in the summer from stifling, sauna-​like heat. The pool and jacuzzi are closed almost as much as they are open, typically for health reasons.
The office staff are not available often despite posted hours. There is a be back sign with a time clock posted the majority of the time. On occasions I needed to speak with them or drop off checks, I have checked every hour and found that a few hours after their posted return time the posted return time has changed. You would be lucky to have the office open for even a full hour during the day.
When your lease ends, they raise your rent by hundreds of dollars each time you want to continue your lease (every year for an annual lease). You will pay rent for each and every pet you have. You are required to pay a myriad of deposits when you move in, none of which will ever be returned to you. I scrubbed that place quite literally until my knuckles bled. They took pictures of a few crumbs on the floor, one small cardboard box on the patio, and the interior of the oven which was cleaned but had old stains typical of a very old oven. They charged us hundreds of dollars beyond the cleaning deposit which was hundreds in itself. Every single deposit is kept whether or not there is actually any need for it. Upon moving out, we were also charged for repairs for several items for which we placed repeated, unanswered repair requests. Moreover, all records of our several dozens of repair requests seem to have disappeared. When you move in you fill out a list of repairs or issues so that you won’t be charged for those. We were not only charged for things like the broken patio door that they never fixed in three years, but we were also charged for things that didn’t exist, like a fire screen. How could we possible have noted something that no one ever mentioned that the apartment should have had. We were charged almost an additional months worth of rent in ridiculous and trumped-​up charges.
The place may look nice, but it is falling apart and plagued by insects. The staff is rarely present and repairs are avoid for as long as possible. The company gouges you for as much money as possible, when moving in, while living there and when moving out. And I consider the general conditions there as unhealthy.
In almost twenty years of apartment living, Alpine Woods is near the bottom of my list.

***RENTER BEWARE***
I hate giving businesses one star. There are always great things about a specific place, but after living here for over a year and they way I was treated as I was moving out I think that I can’t justify giving any more than one and If I could get away with it I would not give them any.
I lived in Apartment 304. This is where I had my first baby and raised him on my own, the area was relatively quiet when I moved in. The scenery is amazing I could look out of my balcony and see a mountain sunset. Don’t get me wrong the people of Alpine are friendly and kind, but these apartments and their practices reflect badly on the community.
1. When I moved in (Aug 1, 2013) I had rented a garage space. When they opened the garage there was sewage spilled down the walls. The lady who rented me the apartment (Michelle) promised me that they would clean it up for me. I was 7 months pregnant at the time. They do not check or help with the garages that they charge you 95 dollars for and an extra 65 dollars to rent the garage door opener. No one came to clean up the sewage out of my garage until my garage door broke in November because they had bee doing construction on the balcony above my door and broke the frame causing glass to go everywhere from the broken window. When they fixed the door they swore they would clean up the sewage, but instead they left glass all over my garage floor and the sewage was still splattered all over the wall. (I was very pregnant and could not get on a ladder to clean up the sewage so I just tried to avoid coming close to it) when I called them for the fifth time and told them I had pictures and I would file a formal complaint they finally sent someone out.
2. At the end of October I received a notice taped on my door saying that my rent was going to be increased by 300 dollars for a month to month if I did not sign a year long lease with them by Dec 15. I was scheduled to be out of town for my maternity/​Christmas leave and my lease was not supposed to be up until February 01. I ended up panicking because the idea of moving with a newborn terrified me. I really felt bullied into staying.
3. Their website gives the renter a false view. It clearly states that their are security systems in each apartment and while that is true they are inactive and do not work. I did not find this out until after I had signed my lease. Also they do not have lights in the room. you have to buy lights and there is an outlet that shuts on and off with the wall switch. When I asked Michelle which electrical outlet it was that turned off and on she could not tell me.
4. They do not pull out the rent when you make the payment sometimes they will wait a few days and then when their are insufficient funds they do not call to tell you they wait until you are five days late and hang a notice on your door, With an obvious late fee tacked on. I called their corporate office to complain about this once and my online account was revoked. No one called to tell me I had to figure it out on my own, and then every time I had to pay after that I had to get a cashier’s check and go into the office to pay. Most of the time I went in I would hear the girls gossiping and badmouthing each other.
5. 50% of the parking lot cars got broken into in May. A lot of people’s personal items were stolen and unfortunately my garage door opener was in my car at the time. When I called to report it to the complex they told me they had already heard it, they weren’t going to do anything about it and that I should contact the police. And rudely said I would owe them another 65 dollars to replace my garage door opener.
6. I turned in my notice to move out on Aug 1. I cleaned everything and told them I would be moving in with my boyfriend on September 15 and I needed to break my lease. They were very understanding and they told me there were a lot of people looking for my floor plan. I checked out with Michelle on September 9, we did our walkthrough and she said «The apartment looked great, that it would just need a quick clean and be ready to go on the market and they would contact me when the apartment was rented.» On September 30 I called to find out how much I would need to pay for rent as I had not heard anything about the apartment being rented. I was then informed by a very confused sounding Diane that Tenants had moved in on the 17^th of September. I asked her when I would receive my deposit back and she said corporate would call me. They never did. Today I received a bill for 785 dollars with charges for repainting and re– carpeting that supposedly cost over 1,00 dollars and took place in less than eight days. I’ve never hung any picture or did any damage to the walls.
All that being said this company is very shady. I’m so glad I saved all of my pictures and took some before I left because after this I’m going to the Better Business Bureau!

**UPDATE** Here’s a video I made when I discovered I could make a similar noise by pushing on the ceiling.

So I have been living here since September and although the apartment is upgraded, it was done poorly and every morning there is an awful smell coming out of our sinks that the maintenance people have not addressed other than telling me to dump chlorine into it.
The leasing office is also completely clueless. I was told I would get a statement every month including our utilities and our rent so that we know each month what to pay. I thought how amazing right… WRONG! Someone thought it would be a great idea to put the address that we were moving out of to move into this place as our address to send the statements. I figured this out in October 2013. It is now June 2014 and guess who STILL is not getting statements for the rent to the actual address they are paying for… Yep this girl!
Every time I tell them to send it to my actual address they say they are working on it and that I can always stop in and ask them for my bill. First of all who the hell is going to seek out a creditor and ask for a bill… secondly I have an 8 – 6 job. Guess what times the leasing office is open… Yep 9 – 6. Okay so I decide maybe Ill call and get the amounts owed… You think anyone calls me back… ever? NO
Best part of all of this is that now they are charging me a late fee for NOT paying bills I am NOT getting sent to the correct address. I talk to the local leasing office and get nowhere so they give me the number to a lady that can help me. Yea apparently I have a different definition of the word HELP than the people that are running this place. She just told me the same exact thing as the previous woman and when I told her I couldn’t drop off a certified check for the amount owed because I was not going to be around when the office is open, she told me that it was in my lease agreement so I am shit out of luck. Well thanks a lot for nothing!
Oh mind you, once I got the notice of the balance owed as a late notice I dropped off a check for the amount owed. So even though they have a perfectly good check for the amount owed, they wont cash it because its not a certified check and they charged me a late fee and are going to charge me an additional $ 5 everyday until they do get a certified check. The late notice didn’t even have the whole balance owed apparently!
Apparently, the words customer service also do not exist in these peoples vocabulary!

I’m about to move in to these apartments and although they look a bit older and run down on the outside, the insides have been nicely redone. Granite countertops in kitchen and bath, nice flooring in both. Sandra in the office was great, but avoid Sue. Sue seemed pretty clueless and did not show me all the available units so I orignally decided against them, but when I went back and met with Sandra she showed me another unit that was exactly what I was looking for.