Sequoia Redwood City Apartments

This place has changed management 2 – 3 times while we were there. Don’t be fool by the good reviews because those are outdated. Management who cares or made your life easy are no longer there. Word of advice for anyone who lives here; document everything when you move in/​out; take photos; make sure you are with them for all inspections; ask questions, and don’t assume they have your best interest or will take good care of you. Because they don’t. Don’t be fool by the remodel apt, everything else that matter (management, billing issues, noise level, maintenance request, parking, building safety) sucks here. I would not live here if I had known all the issues they have.

The management was a nightmare at this place. Our windows had cracks and was leaking, and the management refused to replace our windows. I guess they don’t really care much about water damage. The place was poorly insulated and you can hear all the street noise. Be prepared to be woken up 6am every Tuesday and Friday by the garbage truck right outside your window. The garbage bins itself were always full and overflowing. The community washer/​dryer were broken all the time, and when I complained to management, they said it was not their responsibility to fix it. At the end of our lease, they raised rent by $ 200, and expect us to pay an additional $ 100 for the parking spot that was originally free for us. I guess they want to consider this place a «luxury apartment», but this place is far from luxury.
The management completely scammed us when we moved out too. First, they always screw up their online billing, and they overcharged us $ 200 on the last months rent. I asked for my $ 200 back, and Monica (the leasing manager) said I won’t get it back until I move out. So we ended our lease and I spent hours cleaning our place and left it spotless. There was no damage or stains whatsoever, we took excellent care of our place. I was unable to be present during the final walk through since they can only do it from 9am-​5pm weekdays (how convenient). After they «performed» the walk through, they claimed our place was dirty, smelly, and had to do full repaint and detail. They used all of our $ 600 deposit, plus they used the $ 200 that they overcharged me for, and gave me practically nothing back. I complained that the $ 200 was my money that they practically «stole» from me and they had no right to use it for their cleaning services. Of course, like any corporate apartment, they did not care of what I had to say and will not give me a refund. I told Monica that I feel like they just scammed me, her response was, «you’re not the first person to feel that way,» and she still did absolutely nothing about it. That just shows how much they care about their tenants.
I am so glad I moved out from this nightmare. My advise is to stay as far away from this place as possible, the management does not care about you and will scam you!

This place was terrible. When we first moved in I left the review and the review was solely for Joe who was the manager at the time, he was absolutely fantastic. Since then, we had about 3 – 4 different property managements trying to take over, literally every few months it was managed by someone else. For starters, safety. Please do not go wander around after dark, it is not safe at all. I used to take my dogs out and one night a man tried to grab me and I ran away and screamed for help. We also had a bum living in our covered parking spot (which was free when we moved in and now cost $ 50-​$ 100 a month). There are constantly bums everywhere, they dig through the trash cans at night or sit in the front of building 1304 on the benches and sleep. We started bringing our dogs out on the patio and using puppy pads to go potty (we even thought this was disgusting) BUT with the safety concern I couldn’t risk bringing them out front and we had had it when our dogs got fleas CONSISTENTLY every time it would rain. When I called down to ask if they could spray, they said they would have to charge ME $ 50 to have someone come from San Jose since nobody else was complaining their dogs got fleas. You’re kidding me right?! It was a rough few months and went away when we started having them go on the potty pads on the patio. Speaking of patio. We had a few things up, lights and such, nothing huge, and we had them up since we moved in, never had any complaints until the month we were moving out we get a «remove this within 24 hours or face eviction» note on our door. And notes on your door… You’ll get them all the time, it’s obnoxious. We CONSTANTLY had maintenance in our apartment and since we work odd hours it was hard to sleep or shower when I felt like they were in there once a week. Don’t use the elevators either, they’re very old and break all the time and when they stop on your floor you feel as though it’s going to break. There was always signs up saying it was needing to be fixed. We also had a tow truck come in one time and they ripped off the ceiling and woke everyone up, they don’t even fix the ceiling they just patch it up and don’t throw paint on it so it looks terrible. One thing I don’t regret is my neighbors and the wonderful people I met living here, get to know your neighbors if you decide to live here, they are all very very nice but I would avoid living here if possible.

DONT MOVE HERE!!! Apartments are nice, but the management makes the living experience a hell. It does not matter what you ask or need, everything is NO. They don’t care about you taking care of the property or paying on time, whatever you need is going to be NO unless you can sue them. They don’t keep their promises, they don’t do any repairs, trash is exploding on trash cans and they don’t do anything. We had heating problems in the middle of the winter and we practically had to chase them to fix it. Honestly, even though the apartments are nice, is so so so so hard to deal with the Community Manager that you are by yourself.

Things can actually getting worse with their extremely inefficient management. Our neighbor downstairs complained that his kitchen ceiling started to have leakage problem last Monday night. The manager came to check our apartment immediately, and found nothing leaking. Two days later, on Thursday, she finally came with a maintenance guy to examine the water content in the wall. And then nothing is done.
On Saturday, the neighbor complained more strongly, and we suspect that the kitchen sewer pipe is broken that cause the leakage, so we stopped using kitchen sink for drainage (but we still use the kitchen water tap and counter table for cooking, we just use a basin to catch all water and pour water into the bathroom toilet, which is extremely painstaking), so no water go to the kitchen sewer pipe. And consequently, the neighbor says no leakage since that.
This Monday, I called the leasing office to ask them when they would fix the leakage, and I was told the maintenance guy will come and examine. In the afternoon, I called to ask for any update, unbelievably, I was told because they forgot to ask for my permission to enter my apartment, and because the maintenance guy had the wrong phone number, they cannot enter my apartment. Seriously? How come they never called me for that, but rather waiting for me to call them?
This Tuesday, the maintenance guy finally came, but still couldn’t find the reason why the leakage happens. He says he believes the sewer pipe is not broken, and the leakage is cause by water dripping from the counter table, and he will check tomorrow.
Eight days, nothing is done to fix the problem. The most inefficient apartment management team I ever met. Do you want to live in this place? I wish our lease ends tomorrow.

The worst apartment complex we have ever lived in. We moved out immediately after our 1-​year lease ended. The main issue with this place is the management. There was some kind of issue every other week where we could not use our parking spot, workers had to enter our apartment, or our water would be shut off. On top of dealing with these inconveniences, management was never helpful and often slow in responding to issues with the apartment. Every interaction I had with management was incredibly frustrating.
During the year that we lived at Sequoia, the complex went through three different management companies (all bad). The pool was closed for the entire summer months because they had failed to keep the draining system up to code and had to get a permit from the city to do the repairs. One of the shared washing machines had been broken for weeks, and when I contacted the office manager to ask when it would be repaired, she responded: «Sequoia is not responsible for the maintenance of the laundry rooms. Residents can call the number located in the laundry rooms and contact directly WASH company.» What exactly is the purpose of the property manager if they do not upkeep the shared washing machines?
These are just a few of the issues we experienced during our time at Sequoia. The units themselves are fine. It gets pretty cold in the winter, but there is a heating system in place. The upgrades are cosmetic, not functional. The bathrooms are small and do not have any adequate storage, but the closets in the bedrooms are decently sized.
Overall, I would not recommend living here. There are plenty of other apartment complexes in the area with comparable rent and nicer upgrades (and allow pets).

One of the worst apartment complexes I have had the displeasure of living in.
The worst part is dealing with the office. The office closes before I get home from work, so I have one day a week you can come by but they’re usually too busy.
Packages that are delivered to the office take forever to retrieve. Remember, only open during work hours except Saturday! The mail boxes themselves are pretty small so most large packages will be dropped in the office.
The pool isn’t heated. They advertise that but it’s a lie. When I moved in they also advertised a custom accent wall, but they never delivered on that either.
The facilities take multiple trips to get anything done. I still have an outlet that doesn’t work. The crown molding in one part of the bedroom looks like it’s coming loose but we were told not to worry about it.
The unit itself is actually alright. The single-​pane windows mean it can get chilly at night. The water temperature can be finicky but you get used to it.

Hands down the worst place I’ve lived in this lifetime. The unit looks great in terms of upgrades with granite counter tops, crown molding, new kitchen cabinets. It’s all cosmetic because the actual functioning of the building sucks. You can hear neighbors in the building and neighboring buildings. Forget about weekends when people at nearby buildings throw a party with live bands.
The hot water will scald you in the shower when a neighbor turns on their water. Bad heating system, single paned windows. The back of the garage floods after a couple hours of rain and you’ll have to wade through it if your parking spot is in the back of 1212 Whipple. The plumbers seem to make multiple trips. Trash is often overflowing because neighbors throw out things like sofas. By Sunday night, it’s disgusting with trash is strewn on the ground. The pool was never heated when I lived there.
Now the owners are charging for parking because they seem to think it’s SF. They will raise the rent to the max, I had rent raised twice in one year, since I signed a 6 month lease. The second time $ 200.00. What a joke this place was. I was thrilled to get out. Other neighbors who are still there feel the same way, and several of us had rent increased around Nov 2015. They intend to write reviews when they leave.

Evidently before the new management came in this place was a nightmare. Ever since pinnacle picked up this property has improved greatly. Our only experience has been with new management.
I have to give it up to Brad for being such an excellent property manager. He is tremendously helpful and friendly. Maintenance is efficient and timely, and the common areas such as the pool and gym are tidy.
Our unit is well insulated, which makes for a cozy winter but a hot summer with limited ventilation. The ceilings and walls don’t really keep out noise, so we can hear the neighbors often. The apartment’s location on busy Whipple ave makes pulling out of the driveway something of a pesky task.
The neighborhood is excellent with a short walk to downtown Redwood City. This place is ideal for CalTrain commuters. There are plenty of restaurants and bars to walk to as well.
In short:
PROS:
Great management
Great location
Nice Apartment interior
CONS:
Noise pollution from neighbors and Whipple ave.
Whipple ave in general
Gets hot in summer

I am writing an update to my previous very poor reviews of Sequoia Apartments. I am changing my reviews to positive because of the newish manager Ashly N. This chick is totally awesome. She helped to change my perspective on Sequoia Apartments completely. She is very thoughtful, honest, and open about the things that are in store for the future of these apartments, and she cares a lot about the tenants and just people in general. She explained that a large part of the reason that there were communication issues with management before she came is because there were many temporary managers brought in while they were trying to figure out who would be best to pair with the property as they are going to be doing some major updating.
This building does indeed need some TLC. It’s old and especially needs some new water lines run, but I now understand that they are planning to do this. The building has a total 70s look and feel to it, but the apartments themselves are actually very nice. I did like my apartment, I was just not happy with the behaviors of all of the temporary managers and cross communications plus rent increases and extra charges. It’s never pleasant to get charged extra money, but it just takes the cake when management seems shifty and apathetic or sometimes worse.
Fortunately, I got all the issues I was having ironed out by Ashly, and I stayed at Sequoia for a while longer. I wound up moving to east bay because it is a now a more convenient location for me in terms of my daily life and activities. But I didn’t wind up leaving Sequoia because of management after all. Ashly rocks!

Much different rating after living here for 12 months, so I’m revisiting my review.

My review is from my experience of apartment hunting and the experience I had at Sequoia Apartments.
It was mine and my boyfriends desire to mover to a cheaper apartment than the one we live in already in Palo Alto.
We spent a LONG time checking out all kinds of apartments from Belmont to Menlo Park… and then we came upon Sequoia.
It was such a relief to deal with people who were so kind and friendly and helpful. To me, that was very important as we all know when you are living somewhere you have to deal with these folks for all kinds of matters. I could easily see working with them and being satisfied.
The apartment was GORGEOUS. Truly the nicest we had seen and we loved the location as we could easily walk to downtown RC and also to Caltrain.
In the end, we need to stay in Palo Alto but when the time is right we will FOR SURE be heading back to Sequoia!
Thanks Brad and Ashly for all your help and your great kindness! :)

During my recent apartment hunt, I worked closely with Brad in the leasing office. He really went out of his way to help me, answering all of my many questions and taking me on multiple tours of the available units as I was trying to decide whether or not to sign a lease.
Throughout the entire process, he and the other people I met in the leasing office were very responsive and knowledgable, and I got the impression that the new management team has its act together. Even though I didn’t end up renting a unit here this time around, the customer service was excellent and memorable. I will definitely keep this place in mind in the future.

I lived here 7 mos and I really like it. The new managers keep the place really clean and have a done a nice job improving the pool area and common spaces.
It is a great place on the Peninsula is you have a dog, big units and nice places to walk around in the neighborhood.

I’ve lived in the westernmost of the three buildings for over a year. The previous management was more than adequate, and the two Russian guys who did maintenance were cordial and reasonably responsive. However, the new management is draconian. They are tearing the already thin fabric of this community apart with their insistence on removing any traces of individuality and creativity in what appears to be a greedy and misguided effort to make the place more upscale. That will be quite impossible with buildings that are over 40-​years old like these.
I feel bad for the poor gal stuck between the heartless one percenter owners of these buildings and the rest of us lubs who work hard for a living and just want to come home to a place they can at least minimally enjoy. That has ended for me now and I will very likely be moving when the lease is up.

I lived here for a couple years. It wasn’t all that bad… everyplace has its pros and cons, so here’s mine.
Pros:
–Updated appliances in kitchen, stainless steel fixtures, nice counter tops and cabinets, tenant choice of color of accent paint on wall, ceiling fans, crown molding throughout
–Maintenance acted quick if there was a problem.
–People in the office were responsive and courteous.
–Area was nice upon move in, new carpets. paint…clean.
–Small workout area, heated pool, community kitchen and bathroom for parties
–2 laundry rooms in one building with 5 washers and 6 dryers total
–They didn’t gouge me on security deposit upon moving out.
–Gated parking
–Clean area for the most part
Cons:
–Meth heads in building
–Walls are paper thin, best if you can live on top floor since you can hear people just walking above you… ANNOYING!
–Pets are allowed in building which is fine, except when dogs are barking at all hours and pets are peeing/​pooping in common areas and owners don’t clean it up.
–Whipple Avenue can get loud if you live in an apartment right along the street. Especially sirens, and people yelling/​hanging around on the street.
Honestly it wasn’t unlivable. The worst part was the person above me was super loud and wore heels all the time which I could hear every step the person took. The best part was that the management was easy to get along with. If I was to recommend this apartment building to anyone, my tip would be to live on the top floor/​corner unit away from the Whipple side of building.

Moved in a couple of weeks ago and my hubby and I are very happy. The property and apartment are updated, clean, and pretty quiet. The manager is very responsive and seems genuinely concerned with the tenants. The neighbors are friendly too!

I’ve lived here a little over a year and have loved it! The new bamboo flooring, granite countertops, and stainless steel appliances all make the place classy and new! I loved that the management allowed me to pick the colors of two accent walls which has been a great added touch!
I agree that the management before had a tough time with follow through but I feel the new manager is reasonable and accountable! I had a bee issue and called the 24-​hour number and the manager called me back and took care of it the next day!
I would give this place 5-​stars but the recent rent increase was a big jump… but I do believe that you get what you pay for!
I would recommend you check this place out!

I had an awful 6-​mo. stint here and recommend anyone thinking of renting here to think again. They fortunately are under new management, but the owner is the same, and that is where all their awful customer service stems from.
Because of their negligence our apartment flooded after the first 2 weeks we stayed there. Not to mention that when we moved in the place was filthy, and they refused to exempt us from any carpet cleaning or other ‘painting’ fees because that was their ‘standard move out policy.’ We just wanted to be treated fairly, and that simply was not afforded to us. On top of that when our lease was up all they offered was an increase in rent… Who would pay more to live somewhere like that? Needless to say, we moved, and are much happier for it.
Try somewhere else, without construction noise and potentially with managers who care about their tenants’ well-​being.

I rented from Sequoia Apartments last year. My experience was that it took a lot of work to get a call back for any customer service.
I was first assigned to a parking spot that was already assigned to another resident. I had to park on the street during my entire move-​in. Once I got a spot to call my own, two months later it was assigned to someone else! I showed up on Thanksgiving and had nowhere to park. I gave my notice at that point, so there was no help in getting my spot back. For my 30-​days notice I was forced to park on the street. Rediculous.
Parking is also not «gated». I lived here for 4 months and the gate was broken (stuck open) the entire time.
It took the maximum number of days to get my deposit back. I only got a percentage of it with no explanation as to why I did not get the full deposit.
I moved out in the middle of the month, and continued to get new utility bills for days that I was not living there.
Not a good experience overall. Would not recommend.