Presidio Residences

Moving is one of the most stressful events that one can experience. You have the stress of packing, moving and unpacking. You want as much stress removed from the equation as possible. Fortunately, Benita of the Presidio Residences did exactly that. It has been a while since I used a leasing company and I always had poor experiences with them.
Benita bucked that trend. She was friendly, responsive and informative. She help me find a perfect place where I now call home for my family. I couldn’t be happier to use the Presidio Residences and would recommend them to a friend.

I’ve had a very positive experience with Presidio Residences. They have been kind, efficient and professional. I would recommend them to anyone interested in living in the Presidio.

When I moved out they kept 2k of my 3k deposit to «fix» the hardwood floors, which were hardly scratched. If you think that’s fair, go ahead and move there

Do not live here!!! They do not care about you or your health.
They are NOT regulated by the San Francisco Department of Public Health or the housing rights committee.
We have had mold in our house for a year that they have done a very poor job cleaning whenever we request it. We thought it was fine, until we found mold in a closet with an interior wall. It was prevalent in the upstairs bedroom as well with a glass sliding door. I was out of town for a few weeks and when I came back I started having severe allergies (I was having mild mold allergies before). They did not come solve the issue for a week and a half despite our complaining of allergies and the fact that over $ 1600 in belongings (shoes in closets, dresser, chairs, hamper) were damaged and not salvageable. We contacted the presidio over e-​mail and they promised to reimburse us for the damaged items but went back on their word and said they would NOT (even though we have the original promise documented).
THEY REFUSED TO TEST THE MOLD TO SEE IF IT IS TOXIC. And the mold is BLACK. They know it is not healthy and they will not test so they don’t have to actually take care of this.
I have no doubt it is in our walls and carpets, but they will do nothing and are not responding to my e-​mails at this point. Just opened a complaint with the better business bureau.
read this terrible story

The Leasing Office is the least efficient and most unfriendly establishment I have ever encountered. There are one or two people there who are nice and helpful but everyone else there is dismissive of even the simplest concerns and issues. In signing the lease and then with issues that have come up after the lease signing, the employees are difficult to understand and very defensive.
I wish we could have better people working in the Leasing Office because I love the park, my apartment, and my neighbors. It’s really one of the best places I’ve ever lived in, but the Leasing Office is just the worst management I’ve ever worked with. They always manage to find a way to make everything my fault and ignore me.

My family and I feel so blessed to have moved here. The people who work at the Presidio Residences helped us find the perfect apartment, and have also helped us stay in our perfect apartment. They do their best to make everyone happy and feel at home. We’re so glad we moved here and would stay here forever but the rents are very high and there is no rent control… That’s the only bad thing but living here is simply wonderful.

the jon stewart company will reduce you to tears. they wait till the last minute to resign you, making one a nervous wreck, they will up the rent as much as they can, they threaten. not nice people. they must have been given a mandate to squeeze as

Welp Unilocal,the presidio may be gorgeous, it may be a natural wonder, it definitely may be an incredible part of SF, and it may be the place for you if you’re into Orwellian rules and regulation and sophomoric management tactics via the John Stewart Company. The people who run the leasing agency in the park are in a word; craptastic (best adjective available). Apparently, if you’re education ended at grade 3 and you’re hobbies include kicking puppies you should look into employment with the JSC because ‘THEY WANT YOU!’. Here are a few things to consider prior to applying for a lease in the presidio:
1. You’re neighbors WILL be employed to spy on you. Think that’s crazy? Paranoid maybe? Nope, it’s a fact. Beware of little old ladies with tiny white dogs, they’ll give the NSA a run for their money.
2. Paying your rent and bills on time will NOT improve your value as a tenant. These schmucks don’t care what your deal is, as soon as they figure out they can squeeze an extra $‘s out of your unit if turned over to new tenants they’ll put they’re thinking caps on and employ any means necessary to boot you out. God forbid you have a doormat they don’t like or a seasonal BBQ out back.
3. If you’re interested in being singled out by a leasing agent because they’re bored, uninteresting, and overall horrible at life then by all means apply today. Call the leasing office and ask for «Shmangie Shmarcia». I’m sure the service you receive will be adequately subpar and full of subjective nonsensical decision making.
4. If you’re the type of individual who likes to showcase the area where you live by say, having friends and family visit from time to time, it may not work out. Say you’re sibling comes to visit for a weekend be prepared to get 3 letters the following monday regarding the fact that the JSC is aware you are illegally subleasing your unit and you have 72 hours to vacate the premises. It’s really best if you DON’T know or associate with other humans.
5. Be prepared to experience the residual depression coming from your surrounding neighbors… because honestly, if you’re having to deal with idiocy of this magnitude the odds are the majority of your fellow presidio dwellers are as well. I recommend starting a support group, quietly.
That’s just the zest of the lemon. Beware, these jackasses will stop at nothing to consistently devalue the beauty of the park and the potential positive experience of living there.

If you love San Francisco and you love forests and the ocean, you simply cannot beat life in the Presidio. I have lived here many years. I absolutely love it and council that — despite the assortment of reviews to the contrary — actually has their heart in the rpight place and makes a genuine effort to be fair and equitable. It is my opinion that the prices are quite reasonable too when you factor in all the embedded amenities.
Some points to consider: you can’t really roll out of bed to a nearby coffee shop. You should have a car or some other form of personal transportation (if you are committed biker it can work but lo the day you need to do some serious grocery shopping).
That said. It’s a happy place where you are sure to be happy if your instinct is to love the placewhen you set foot in the park.

I lived in the Presidio for two years and absolutely loved it. At the apartment I am currently in, I find that there are many moments where I wish I never left. It is beautiful, peaceful, close to the ocean and the apartments are kept up very nicely.
However…there are definitely many flaws. People in the office such as Benita make living there very difficult. While it may be because I am young, I never once received respect from that woman. She was disrespectful, rude, and inconsiderate to me. Regardless of my age, I was still living there and paying rent. I was not a problem tenant in any shape or form and felt that she could have dealt me more like an adult. Besides that woman, the staff was kind and considerate.
One other issue for me was the raise in rent. The rent does not stay the same, it changes every year.
If you have a car (and a clean record and good credit) this place is for you. There are hiking trails surrounding the area and being across the street from Baker Beach is a definite plus. I wish they offered reasonable two bedrooms because I would move back if I could still afford it! I miss the view and the sound of the ocean so much, and the apartments were kept up very well. Wood floors, tons of light, updated kitchen and quick maintenance!
Overall, the three stars is only because of that horrible woman. She made any interaction in the office stressful, unwelcoming and uncomfortable.

Let me be clear. If I were rating living in the Presidio, it would be 5 stars. But living in the Presidio comes with a very large asterisk… the Jon Stewart Leasing Office. Everything OTHER THAN the Jon Stewart Leasing Company is fantastic.
The Presidio Trust is amazing. They are responsive and friendly when questions come up and receptive to ideas for creating a stronger community (they recently built a community garden in our neighborhood.) The Work Order Desk is wonderful. They are quick to respond, fast to fix the problem, and always friendly. The landscaping team does beautiful work in keeping the grounds maintained. I’m always proud to show off the neighborhood. Neighbors are great. Community is fabulous.
Jon Stewart Leasing Company is the bane of our existence. Individuals in the office are faux friendly and full of wrong information. They will say one thing and send a nasty letter when they find out you’ve done what they said it’s okay to do. Because they refuse to accept responsibility for their errors, I’ve learned the hard way that the only way to communicate with the office is via email. Everything must be in writing or it will come back to bite you later.
4 beautiful years living in the Presidio. Verdict: The Presidio is a spectacular place to live! The Jon Stewart Company needs to have their contract terminated.

Presido residencies are a middle man. They need every penny they can screw out of the tenants.
They raised my 400 dollar since i moved in here. No rent control.
Never ask for a new stove or anything. They will raise your rent. They call it upgrades.
They are the Trusts shakedown mob.
However living in the Presido is great.

We live in Baker Beach apartments and with any rental in SF there are the plus and the minus aspects of living. First off, we have a 2 year old so living where I can park my car in front of or always close to my house is a big deal. We LOVE the clean air, trees, beach across the street and ocean view, hiking trails outside my front door and variety of kids playgrounds in all directions with in walking, biking or short drive depending on the experience you want. Having Planet Granite as my gym, SF Air for the kids and SF Gymnastics with a toddler program AND Le Petite Baileen (kids swim school) all in the Presidio make this like a small country club. We sleep to the sound of the ocean at night and LOVE that we are in the city but with space.
The downside is even in the presidio, your neighbors can be LOUD. Although I will say the management company has been very willing to be helpful. We didnt like the application process as it was very invasive but understood the gift of living in a national park and went with it. It was and is worth it. The rental office is friendly and helpful and to all that have their compaints… remember they work for private industry but answer to the federal government a precarious position to be in if you ask me. Overall I would say for those with a car, especially for those that have kids the Presidio and baker beach apartments is an amazing opportunity to live in the city with a healthy lifestyle and activities!

My friend lives in one of their Presidio residential apartments. Since I hang out at her place more than I hang out at my own house, i practically live there as well.
Their apartments are located in a nice little neighborhood all with a great view of the ocean. However, it gets a little creepy at night due to the lack of lighting.
The only complaint I have against this place is their management. My friend accidently locked herself out of her place today and did not realize she did until 3:45pm.When we called the management place to see if they can give us a spare set of keys, the only response was «Okay, as long as you get here by 4pm». Well problem is, we were all the way in downtown. Anyone knows no matter how fast you drive in sf, there’s no way in hell we were going to get from downtown sf to the Presidio in 15mins. When we informed them about our little «situation» all they said was, well we have to close at 4pm. OKAY fine i get it, it’s saturday and you guys close at 4pm fine. but what were we suppose to do when they’re closed the next day and the office does not open until monday? The only response we got back was «well sorry mam» uhhh. okay.
Needless to say, we were pissed. Since my friend lives by herself, no one has her extra set of keys. Not only that, but when we asked if we can get a locksmith to open the door for us, they immediately said we can not do that and that it will violate our housing contract if we do. SO WTF do you want us to do? Sleep outside for two days until you open your office again on monday? seriously!!!

The Presidio is an awesome place to live. We’ve been here five years and have found the staff at John Stewart to be really helpful and nice. We love our neighborhood and the park is kept really clean. Also it’s very safe here. Any sign of trouble (which is rare) and the park police is there pronto. It’s like living in the country, but in the city. Stellar!

I live near a park police officer who thinks he’s the king of the block. The neighbors a are not so friendly. Tenants in the block were pulling the seniority bill.
The walls in the houses get so moldy to the point that it’s hazardous. The water pressure sucks. More than several occasions the power went out for countless hours with no warning. Be mindful that this is a national park so if you live here you’re gonna have to put up with all the events that goes on in the Presidio. Every year the rent goes up. Yup, no rent control. These Bastards will over charge you for everything. Oh, that guy Tim from the Presidio Trust is Useless! Avoid him at all cost. He’s nice when you’re signing the lease then he’ll 2 face you like Slim Shadey! Typical slickster snake. BEWARE!
Now that I don’t live in the Presidio I can easily say that I’m saving money on PG&E, Gas, and most of all, my precious time.

Their tactics for collecting information from people are more invasive than anything else out there in the rental market, they almost always rip off people when it comes to their carpet and condition of their apartment at the end of their lease, charge them for it no matter what the condition is and get the carpets replaced anyway, no matter if you had it professionally cleaned or not.
The only reason why they get away with this is that the Presidio is so beautiful and many people want to live here. But beware, the Residences are tipping the balance between making this a liveable space and people being aggravated by their invasive and harsh tactics.

Living in the Presidio is a distinct lifestyle decision. It is a very unique situation, and I feel that the other (across the board) negative reviews only really tell half the story. The management company is amazingly inflexible, and the rental process indeed is a chore; at the same time this reflects the challenges of working with the Federal Government, the staff really do want to do what is best for their tenants. (Imagine having the IRS as your roommate)
For me the one-​time hassle of moving into the Presidio is more than mitigated by a stunning location that has the benefits of living in the suburbs (clean air, open space, parking) with the benefits of living in the city (30 minutes to downtown, bars/​restaurants within walking distance, culture, etc.) without really the costs of either, aside from the slightly above market rent. Few things in life compare to sitting on your patio and watching the fog creep over the Golden Gate Bridge, walking down to Chrissy Field at 4a in the morning when jet lagged, or running through a field of wildflowers less than an hour before being at a meeting downtown. Although I probably would not move back because my life is in a different place now, i.e. I want to buy after finished with grad school, I strongly recommend considering the Presidio if this type of lifestyle appeals to you.

I lived in Baker Beach for 1.5 years and I just moved to my new apartment. Now that I have my deposit check cashed. I’m ready to spill my guts and give the run-​down.
My place was on Pershing Drive. It was beautiful to look at, but
the place and you will see there are no amenities within a practical walking distance. Sure, its the most affordable place in town save anything south of 101/​Division st (no offense, I now live south of 101 and love it) but that really was its only perk. People on here have already complained about the thorough-​ness of their reference and background checks, but it is understandable because the place is owned and operated by the National Park Service. Congratulations if you live there, because you are in a National Park. No other National Parks rent out residential property like the SF Presidio. Its a one-​of a kind experiment the government began after the base closed.
It was neat to live in a historical space– did you know Jerry Garcia was stationed there? Buffalo soldiers were trained there, and the Main Post has a museum. The Presidio offers a Presid-​igo shuttle that drops people off from the main post to Embarcadero Center and to Mission Street (Transbay Station) and to Cal-​Train.
That was the least they could do, because if you don’t have a car, you’re stranded pretty much. There are a couple of Muni stops, but it really is quite a hassle if you have no car. Cabs hate to come out to the Presidio because its so far from other pick-​ups, and they often get lost.
They were kind of harsh on our deposit when we moved out, and the place was in great condition. Again, I blame it on being in a National Park. Strict.
The place was pretty, but it wasn’t somewhere I was really syked to have lived for so long. So many vibrant neighborhoods in this town. The 1 good thing was i was allowed to have a w/​d, but I had to buy my own, and then when I moved, I had to craigslist.

Money Money Money… seems like if you want to live in the Presidio, its going to cost you. After Living there for 5 years, the prices are going through the roof… and of course the service is sub– standard, mole rats in the yard, rats in the house from painters leaving the doors open all day. 2 weeks after painting, our mailbox still sits on the porch, as well as masking paper and tape from painting. Very poor attention to the residents. The Presidio residences are managed by the John Stewart company… they get 0 stars in my book… Unless you have endless resources, the Presidio residences are reserved for those who make as much as the people on the Presidio trust…