West Coast Property Management

West Coast Property Management had managed our 3-​unit building for ten years. I feel as though I was asleep at the wheel, as when I finally started paying attention to what was going on, there were sub-​tenants that were not properly recorded, dangerous repairs that needed attending to, and a big leak in one of the bathrooms. The garage was full of stuff, even though we had warned tenants before that this was a violation of the lease and a fire hazard. Additionally, there was a large gas powered BBQ on the deck that was in violation of the City’s fire code, and West Coast did not alert me of the problem, nor ask the tenant to move the grill. West Coast visited the property regularly to pick up coins, but never made me, or the tenants aware of any of the problems.

I am writing a post to alert you to bed bugs at 460 S. Van Ness – a WCPM building. I lived in this building in 2011 – 2012, this is my direct personal experience. This company rents apartments in this building even though they know there is a bed bug infestation. They will claim that the problem has been dealt with but I assure it has not. They are in a endless cycle of the bugs returning and returning because they use substandard pest control services. If you rent an apartment in this building your possessions and a year of your life will be destroyed– don’t do it.

One of the few responsible and professional organization left in SF. I was especially Impressed by how quickly action was taken when someone or something is found to be in error.

I’ve just moved into the Eddy property and the West Coast Property Management folks have been great to work with. They were very efficient and FAST about getting me my paperwork, telling me exactly what I needed to provide and generally they made the move in process super easy.
My unit is a studio and I love it. No complaints!

I have had a great experience as a resident of 655 Powell Street for the past two years. I live in a studio apartment. The fixtures are old and outdated but of high quality, and they work great. The best part of living here is George, the on-​side manager, who is truly a godsend. When I lock myself out (a pretty regular occurrence for me) he opens my apartment without charging the fee — even at 3am when I return from my job as a bartender. When I worry that I left my window open and my cat might escape, he goes and checks for me. When my ceiling lights burn out, he comes and changes them and doesn’t even make fun of my incompetence.
Earlier this year, the building had a bedbug infestation, which was not fun, but can happen anywhere and certainly is not the fault of West Coast. The company’s response (Ada’s response, specifically) was flawless. They hired the best company to treat our apartments with the most expensive and effective method available (heat treatment). Then, they had the service inspect with dogs to make sure the bugs hadn’t come back. West Coast did everything top-​flight, and this made the difference between suffering with a problem that often takes months to remedy and having my life quickly restored to normal. The peace of mind this gave me was really invaluable, and Ada addresses all problems with this level of efficiency.
My one complaint is that my apartment’s old, stained carpet should have been replaced before I moved in, and it still bugs me. However, I’m working with West Coast to hopefully come up with a way to share the cost of a replacement, and I’m optimistic that the company will come up with a reasonable solution since they’ve been great to work with every other time I have had a concern or issue. One of the washers or dryers is often out of service, but that’s not a huge problem when there are three other machines of each type.
As some of the lower ratings here indicate, not everyone has had the positive experience with West Coast that I have. Unfortunately, George and Ada can’t manage EVERY building, and I do admit these two staff members have truly «made» my experience with this company. I’d suggest walking around the building you’re considering and asking some residents about their experiences with their specific on-​site manager and WCPM rep.
The bottom line: Renting in SF sucks, but renting from WCPM does not. I would recommend my building to anyone who can afford it, because the superior service you get as a resident is worth every penny.

I lived in a studio apartment run by these guys for about two years. Never had any problems with them and they always responded to email requests very quickly.
I moved out last month because, let’s face it, living in a small space with a cat for too long will make a person mad. They gave me a walk out checklist and I DEEP DEEP cleaned that place. Like floor to ceiling cleaned. But this is San Francisco, so I figured I wouldn’t get every cent back. NOPE! Today I come home to find that they REFUNDED MY ENTIRE DEPOSIT! I’ve been hearing friends tell horror stories about move outs that they have undergone recently, so I was prepared for the worst.
What an excellent and honest experience I had with WCPM. Thanks to Ada and everyone else!

I lived on the top (7^th) floor of 655 Powell St for one year from 2013 – 2014. Altogether, it was a good experience and I would recommend this apartment complex to potential renters!
The property is owned by West Coast Property Management (WCPM). This did make me nervous at first because most big real estate corporations do not have the best reputation for customer service. However, whenever I had a question or concern Ada Wong at the leasing office was always quick to respond and very helpful. George, the landlord, lives in the building and I think he is a huge reason why many people like living there. He is super friendly and quick to fix any issues.
I lived in a studio apartment and my kitchen was updated with oak cabinets and granite countertops. I paid $ 1,895 per month, which is unreal from where I come from (Michigan), but it was reasonable considering the proximity to my job in the Financial District and shopping in Union Square. My apartment didn’t face the cable car line, I made sure of it since I hate that noise, so I didn’t have the best view but it was relatively quiet. They offer online rent payment which is convenient. The area is safe, only once did I see a homeless person sleeping on the stoop but if you go down another block or two it can get sketchy.
A few cons — I could hear the neighbors next to me only when they flushed their toilet, which did get annoying since they seemed to use the toilet super late at night and super early in the morning. Also, whomever lived below me had late-​night screaming sessions every few months and played horrendous music on full blast. I believe George has talked to him a few times so I assume he won’t be living there much longer if it continues. At least one washer always seemed to be out of commission as well and it can get really hot on the top floor in the «summer»!
I received my security deposit back in full, which was surprising (again, back to the huge real estate corporation thing) but I did thouroghly clean it and I had all hardwood floors so there was no carpet to clean.
Side Note: I do wish San Francisco would invest in screen protectors for their homes, especially 2+ floors. My poor kitty passed away from falling out my window and I was a mess. In Michigan, we’re used to screen protectors. This has nothing to do with the apartment itself but it was truly devastating. George was there to help me with my cat’s passing as well, he is just a great guy!

From a investor’s perspective I was impressed with their deep knowledge in residential property management. Also, their focus on building a management plan which meets the investor’s goals.

I contracted with West Coast Property Management for 1.5 years. If you are considering contracting with this firm, please consider the following issues that I experienced:
1. when I called the main office telephone number, it is never answered and I was required to leave a message;
2. when I left a message for the VP of the company to discuss an urgent matter, he never returned my call;
3. if I needed to request assistance from my assigned property manager and she had a schedule conflict, the firm did not have back-​up assistance available to me unless I wanted one of the maintenance staff to assist me. But I would need to pay $ 55 per hour for his/​her time. This charge would be in addition to the monthly management fee I was already paying!!;
4. the dishwasher required replacement. I was able to choose the make & model for the replacement. However, the cost of the replacement & installation was deducted from the monthly rent one month, but I did not receive a copy of the bill until two months later with that months management statement! I even asked for a scanned copy to be emailed to me and I never received one!!;
5. the firm allowed tenants to drop their monthly rent check in a drop-​off box or mail it in. If the check was placed in the drop-​off box on a Friday nite or weekend, the firm did not record the actual date of deposit until Monday. This provided no accountability of when the check was deposited or if it was a late payment. The firm just assumed it was paid on time!
If you contract with this firm, I hope your experiences with this firm are better than mine!

I rented a studio from WCPM for two years in the Castro neighborhood. Having rented for 15 years in various places up until Jan 2013, I can say this: I’ve never, ever, received a full refund on my deposit until i moved out of this studio. I’ve always maintained and cleaned my apartments, leaving them better than when i moved in, and WCPM was the first to actually acknowledge that by returning my deposit in full. Many can and do subtract the legally allowed «cleaning fee» regardless of whether it is needed. The only other bit i’d add is that (for the building where i was at), WCPM was not intrusive or overbearing. Some reviewers say they are lazy, perhaps so, i do not know, but personally i’d rather have an absent landlord than one who wants to enter my apartment excessively. As far as cons, i’d say they do use apartment quality appliances like everyone else in my price range, and the passing along of the 50% of the annual rent board fees is quite silly despite it being legal. Overall, from a renter’s point of view, WCPM is definitely one of the top if not the best PM companies I’ve dealt with.

I have been living in a building managed by West Coast for a year and a half now. Maybe it’s because I have an absolutely fantastic on-​site building manager, but pretty much all of my requests are tended to right away and remedied adequately. I have yet to experience any real emergencies, but I don’t have any qualms that they would be taken care quickly. The few times I have interacted with the folks in the office have been pleasant and they are responsive.
All in all, I like West Coast… but primarily because my building manager is awesome!

I rent an apartment that this company manages and I’m a bit surprised by the negative reviews. If there’s anything wrong, I report it via their website’s online submission. 95% of the time, they are very responsive and takes care of my service requests or problems within a day or two.
Once in a blue moon, my online submissions go unanswered for a week and I get a call afterwards from them telling me that they accidentally missed it. Since my request was not urgent, I was ok with it. If it was urgent, I would have called them instead.
However, occasionally, they do get my request and they are working on it, but they don’t tell me or give me an update. It would actually be nice if I got a simple status update email. But overall, I like how they are managing this apartment.

I’m going to venture to guess that any good review for this company has been paid for by the company themselves.
What all the other reviewers are saying is correct.
This company is lazy, negligent, and more or less treats its tenants as if they were third graders.
We had a CO leak in our apartment (which as you know is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS and could KILL YOU) and it took us calling PG&E out for emergency inspection TWICE before they would adequately deal with the problem.
The leak was coming from our (cheap) stove, and the first PG&E employee said that it needed to be replaced or the problem would persist. You would think a property management company would jump all over this opportunity – a couple hundred dollars for a shit stove versus hundreds of thousands in a wrongful death lawsuit – but no. They sent out some kid to do a crappy job of replacing the hose in the back (again, not deemed to be sufficient by PG&E) rather than replacing the stove.
After we called PG&E back a SECOND time, they finally very begrudgingly replaced the stove.
What a terrible company.

I’m not sure what people are thinking when they review companies like WCPM in the manner they do, WCPM is simply handling your building as the actual owner directed them to do so.
That being said, my experience with WCPM could not have been any better but I had a wonderful building owner, who really did look after my best interests. Mel owns numerous buildings and each time I had any concerns or complaints, they were dealt with immediately.
WCPM is paid to be the go between of the building owner and tenants, they do so as directed by the owner, if you want to complain about your building ownership, go after the actual owner.

WCPM just took over the management of my building in pacific hts where the landlord was managing it for years. It has turned from a warm, inviting management style into a bureaucratic and insulting experience. As others on here feel, WCPM treats its tenants like fools, and insinuates that whatever may be going wrong is the tenants’ fault. My online payment wasn’t working, ada said it was my fault — 4 emails later she realized it was her’s and has yet to apologies; george promised me there was no issue with the intercom and no way I could have my # routed to it, a little back and forth and he miraculously added my out of state #, yet it doesn’t work consistently.
if you are a building owner looking for a maximized bottom line, i suspect this is the company that you want to work with. If you are an owner, interested in happy tenants in a positive working arrangement– i’d move on

I feel soooo lucky to be have rented from west coast. They are amazing. The owner is a huge arts supporter and runs a building in berkeley. West coast gives homes to over 70 artists.
THANK YOU MEL! THANK YOU WEST COAST!

West is the worst property management of all time. They say they will replace a appliance but only find out its another one from the basement. They hire cheap exterminators that bring in roaches instead of getting rid of them, hire handyman to do the plumbing and elevator repairs. West is cheap, and takes forever to respond. However, when it comes to that rent they will send you letters and call you to make sure you pay your rent. I’m glad West Coast does not manage this building anymore, a real estate company manages it and they are much better than West Coast, they hire professional exterminators.

WCPM put up with all my random bullshit and for that I am thankful. Managing buildings in the Tenderloin they probably get a lot worse than me, but I can still be pleased right? Treat their buildings and staff with respect and they will give you the same.
When I wanted the apartment oh so badly after being on the hunt for a month, Ada pushed all my forms through and made it happen in 8 hours.
When I was told contractors were coming to replace my windows I freaked out, workers in my apartment for 8 hours while I wasn’t home left me certain my cats would fall out the window to their doom. But Ada got the window company to change the day so it worked better for me, and down to only 4 hours instead of 8.
When my downstairs neighbor threatened to kill me I got good advice from WCPM about what to do, I could tell they took it seriously. They took care of it, he was evicted within a month.
They are proactive and spray for pests bimonthly, so while my neighbors throughout the TL would bitch about bed bugs, mice and roaches I saw naught but two spiders my entire 18 month stay.
Over and over I’d give them a call on something and they’d take care of it. I remember being about 8 days late on rent due to holiday travel and per my lease I was charged a $ 50 fee. It’s in writing, that’s my bad. After talking with them about it for all of 2 minutes they said they’d waive it for me. How nice is that?
Renting in SF can be a bitch and that’s why I really appreciate how hassle free WCPM made my day to day. A lot of my interaction with them was very short, single sentence emails, but I’ll take efficient and straight to the point over a load of bullshit any day.
That whole neighborhood may be a giant circus but at least I knew when I made it back home I was in a place that was nice, clean, and safe. Good deal!

So– unfortunately I had to give this review a star, but if allowed, I’d give WCPM 0 stars. When we moved into our new apartment with WCPM, we were very dilligent in reading our lease, requesting a final walk-​through to inspect that everything was in order, etc. When we moved in, the Pilot light had not been turned on, the heat was not turned on, there was a clogged sink, many of the doors did not latch, and we could not find our trash, recycling bins, etc. After reporting all of these items to Donna, she took several days to follow up on each item, no apologies, no rush, just took her time sending contractors. (Actually, we fixed all but the clog on our own).
The plumbing in the entire building is awful, it’s known for clogs and water leaks in the lower units.
Donna is unresponsive and unapologetic when there is something wrong in the apartment. She sends one word emails and does not properly notify us when she’s made changes (or not made them).
My reccommendation– lease from a realtor/​property manager who gives a crap about keeping the building up a little bit better. But that’s just my two cents.

Our saga begins…
Set up a time to see an apartment with Jessica. Wait outside the apartment for 30 minutes — she doesn’t show up, doesn’t answer her cell, office phone goes straight to voice mail. But she calls me the next day, slightly apologetic, and sets up a new time for me to see the place. This time, Jessica shows up only 10 minutes late — but has forgotten the keys to the apartment. Incredulously says «Oh well I had to go home and feed my dog anyway…» Hmm.
Sadly, I really loved this place so I set up a third visit in which Jessica shows us the property — which is beautiful — but informs my boyfriend and I that we may be too young to rent it. Well I’m 23 and he’s 26 and we’re both financially qualified … so…
She says maybe it can work out and since I have such a crush on this apartment, we fill out our applications, fork over our $ 30 each and set up another apt. with Jessica — fingers crossed. Days later, she cancels this appointment and tells us that the owners don’t want to rent to «kids our age.» Hmmm.
I’m not one to hop on the «discrimination» wagon, so I won’t call this age discrimination. I will say that Jessica wasted a ton of my time and was extremely unprofessional. If she knew there was an «age limit» on the place, she shouldn’t have strung us along for weeks.
One star for returning our money from our credit reports, although it took about 20 phone calls and 3 canceled appointments (no surprise). I don’t know what WCPM’s other managers are like but I would suggest staying away from Jessica if you’re short on time.