The Grove

Half a year later rent has continued to rapidly increased from 900 including everything except PG&E to 1050 three years later with the added costs of water,
Garbage and sewer. There were «inspections» where they came into the apartment (with advanced warning) and apparently the only purpose was to make work orders to improve the apartment. We took advantage of this as an opportunity to mention the various fixable complaints we had about the dishwasher, kitchen counters, peeling paint etc. Over a month after the inspections there had been no effort to complete any parts of the work order. I finally emailed management about the paint and it was promptly fixed. However, the dishwasher hasn’t been looked at and the counter (which management made a point of saying they would fix) is still left untouched. Not only are things not getting any better the cost just keeps climbing and there are notices about no shoes on the balcony, no plants, no lights etc… Still a nice location but just don’t live here…

This apartment complex looked nice at first — they recently «renovated» the apartment interiors and had a nice looking website. Sadly, the actual experience of living here has been more than sub-​par. The buildings are poorly maintained and the maintenance person is extremely slow to respond (in some cases he doesn’t respond at all or just dismisses the request). Luckily I am pretty handy and can fix minor issues myself such as the spotty paint job and wall base that is peeling away from the wall. However, major items like leaking gutters remain unfixed. There are also frequent issues with drains plugging up. One time, my bathtub flooded when my upstairs neighbor took a shower. This issue ultimately was fixed but it was a hassle dealing with the management and I had to call the national FPI management office to get things done.
Finally, the laundry room is a huge disappointment with machines that frequently fail or eat quarters. I have to call the laundry management company every few months and I see notes from others about broken machines as well. Even though the laundry company is separate from the Grove’s management, they should rethink their choice of contractor.
Of course not everything is bad, the location here is great and I like my neighbors, however, I can’t recommend this complex to new tenants given its poor maintenance track record.

**SUMMARY**
A lovely, pleasant community with attentive, friendly and professional management.
**LEASING**
When my roommate and I first moved to Davis, The Grove attracted us right away. It has a visible charm, friendliness, and sense of maturity. We toured a 2×1 unit with Gary, the on-​site manager, and put down our deposit the same day. Gary was fantastic. Super friendly, down-​to-​earth, and took immense pride in his properties. Unfortunately, he left at some point during our tenancy.
Leasing’s easy and efficient. We got e-​forms via email, read them on our own time, signed electronically, and printed everything out for our files. (Tenants can also pay rent online, though I don’t use this feature.)
Between reading and signing I emailed Gary a set of questions about the agreement. He replied with neat, organized, detailed, and straightforward answers — and none of the hostility that landlords might show towards tenants who scrutinize their leases. I really appreciated his understanding and assistance in making sure I was comfortable with everything I signed.
**MOVE-​IN**
Gary helped us inspect the unit with a detailed checklist. The apartment was fresh and clean (newly remodeled); there were some splatters of paint and scratches, and he told me what to write to make sure they wouldn’t be taken out of our deposit. He was more upset about those remodeling leftovers than I was, and offered to fix the unit up again (I declined). Some of the shelves are a bit rough, and the doors don’t close perfectly. Otherwise, everything was in great condition.
**PESTS**
Worst part of move-​in was finding dead roaches left over from an extermination during remodeling. Gary apologized profusely, cleaned up the roaches, gave us a first-​month rent discount, and told me to call if the problem persisted.
Two months later, I emailed the office because we were still finding stragglers. Someone came, checked our unit for infestation, and said we were just seeing the last traces of the big extermination. Sure enough, the last signs of roaches disappeared shortly after.
About a year later our neighbors next door moved out, sending a fresh wave of roaches our way. Jessica immediately called the exterminator, and gave our pets a vacant unit to camp out in while ours, our ex-​neighbors’, and the surrounding area got nuked. Problem was solved in just under a week.
**COMMUNITY**
Aside from the incessant bird shit in Davis, parking is spectacular. Spaces are plentiful, free and unassigned. I’ve never had a problem parking right in front of my unit at any hour.
Neighbors are lovely, mostly students and families. The ones I’ve met are incredibly friendly and helpful when you’re in trouble (e.g., locked out on a Sunday). We smile and greet each other, and for the most part no one is rude, loud, or disruptive (the one time there was a problem, management promptly took care of it). The worst offense I could point to around here is the occasional doggy turd left lying around (solution: stay off the grass). This level of peace is rare and appreciated in a college town.
The internet isn’t perfect, but it’s FREE, and good enough for us. About 85% of the time it meets all our surfing, streaming, gaming, etc. needs, though it slows noticeably during busy hours. 10% of the time it’s prohibitively slow, and 5% of the time it crashes altogether (the longest crash we’ve experienced was about 4 hours). In short, don’t count on it for that term paper due in 45 minutes; otherwise, it should be fine.
**MAINTENANCE**
At first, I (and other tenants) had trouble reaching maintenance on the after-​hours pager. But the second time I requested maintenance — and every time thereafter — everything was resolved literally within minutes. They came to the unit, fixed the problem (s) quickly and with a friendly attitude, and tweaked some other little issues (e.g., a poorly fitted door) while they were there.
**MANAGEMENT**
I primarily communicate with management via email, and get prompt responses. When I call in there’s about a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ chance of reaching someone. There’s usually — but not always — someone in the office during business hours.
A different on-​site manager took over after Gary. I’ve only seen her twice, when I knocked on her door because I locked myself out of my unit. Both times she immediately came out, got the keys, and let me in. She’s very friendly and professional; based on our limited interactions, I’d say we’re in good hands.
**RENEWAL**
We weren’t going to renew at first because we’d planned to bring more pets to Davis. Jessica, the director, was very understanding and helpful throughout our deliberation process, even though we were in limbo for about two months past the due date for renewal notices. She worked hard to accommodate our wishes, and we eventually came to an agreement that allowed us to renew. Looking forward to another great year here at The Grove!
**TO BE CONTINUED**