I have been at the Dunes for a few months now and it works well for my family. I can understand the reviews but what you might not know is that whole building is getting painted, new balconies, carpet, etc. beginning in March of 2010. So hopefully the updating will help. Everything I have asked to be fixed has been done so within a week. I hear no noise from neighbors, except once in a while I hear a water pipe.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 10/29/2009
You have only been here a few months and have not been privy to how noisy the place is and how run down the property has become. Every month they have to turn off the water to the whole place to fix a leak in a unit. Also having two property managers fired in less than one year does not say much about the owners. Watching them escort the last property manager off of the property with less than a week's notice concerns me. As to any upgrades they say they are planning to do is all talk and even if they do eventually do any upgrades it will be at the expense of the tenant. They will do the construction at whatever hours they choose making it e en more of a unpleasant place to live. Also, I wonder if you are the family who talks so loudly that I can hear you on the other side of the complex. We have several families who make noise like they own the place allowing their children run in the hallways and talk very loudly in the place. I cannot wait for my lease to be done so I can move out!!!
From: Anonymous	Date: 10/30/2009
I have been a tenant here for 3 YEARS now and I'm VERY surprised how sensitive and needy the people are that post bad reviews about this complex. It it not as bad as you all seem to make it. This is NOT a senior community with a "you must be silent" rule in our contract. It is NOT that noisy or rundown. Any request to have something replace or fixed within our apartment has been accomodated quickly. I can't wait for the complainers to move out! Just for the record, I have NO affiliation with the owners or staff of The Dunes. I'm just tired of all the complaints about our complex that only a handful of petty tenants like to speak about on this site. I even signed a new lease to stay here another year. I lived in Oakland for 7 years and believe me, there are a lot of worse places to live. Count your blessings and quit donating so much time to being negative about this complex. Your efforts can be constructively directed to something more productive and positive.
From: Anonymous	Date: 11/03/2009
My family and I have been here longer than all of you and I have seen people come and go. I tend to side on the positive, always looking for the good in situations and in people. However, this time I must warn prospective renters to look very carefully before moving here. Talk to other residents if you see them in the courtyard. Ask around for facts. Knowing what is going on here at this time, I would not choose the Dunes. Continue looking because you deserve a place where the owners care who is on the other end of the rent check. It has been said that the Dunes is run by greedy, selfish and unfriendly individuals who will do anything to save a penny. This is NOT a reflection on the people they hire to MANAGE the complex. Good people have been let go and new people are hired, one after the other. Our last manager was fired a week ago and the new manager who replaced her is already gone. Go figure. I don't even think she lasted a week. Hopefully, it was she who decided it was best to leave. Whatever the reason for her departure, I wish her luck. It must have been expensive moving in, then moving out days later. Even with the owners on the premises, the garbage is piling up and the floors are filthy. We had a nice young man on the premises who cleaned four days a week. (thanks to the last manager who requested this.) I hope he is not gone. The downstairs floors, the elevators and garbage shoot areas are something else. If it gets any worse...like it was a couple of months ago, I then will agree with other residents that we should call Channel 7 News. I agree that we all pay enough rent to have high expectations. I hate to burst the bubble of the newer resident, but do not count on renovations. These promises are the same promises made over 7 years ago. The most recent "promise" is the one regarding the balcony and window repair.I just smile and say... whatever. By the way, I would just like to close with this: I believe in the sayings that one reaps what they sow. What goes around comes around. I believe that we need to treat others the way we want to be treated. Most of all, I believe in Karma. NO ONE is going to slip by through this life, I believe, treating others disrespectfully by taking advantage, being rude and unkind. Something is wrong with this picture... look around. How many empty units are there??? Take inventory of the empty garages.... once upon a time they were full. Blame it on poor management if you want to, but perhaps Karma is working here. The people who collect our rent and who rely on us to keep them going need to care how their residents feel and they need to start showing us that we matter as people, NOT numbers. We have names and families. We have jobs and are members of this community. Some of us are going through tough times. Some of our neighbors could use a lift. I venture to guess that the owners do not even know who we are. My husband was told to hold the door one day because she thought he was one of the gardners!! We have been here for years!! I have been addressed by my apartment number and have been asked who I was. Years!!!! THIS is why I feel so many residents are so angry. We are not unkind or unhappy people. I know the joy of loving others and helping others.The only way we will get through these times is by lifting others up when they are down. My children have learned this and will be beside us when lend a hand. Like I said, what goes around... look around. Karma. One cannot expect to prosper when you take advantage of others and situations of others. We all make choices. I cannot wait until our lease is up; we are so out of here.
From: Anonymous	Date: 11/03/2009
I believe you are blowing things out of proportion and need to move - especially since you are so unhappy. I like it here and hope to be here for years to come. You shouldn't malign Oakland which has wonderful places to live - or perhaps you could move next door and pay $700 more. The best to you -
From: Anonymous	Date: 11/04/2009
I can appreciate all of you who are trying to be positive about the Dunes. I recognize that for many of you, this is your home and one takes pride in their choice to live in this community. However, there is a fine line between having a positive outlook and being naive. I urge those of you who are "happy" with the Dunes, to take a closer look at what is going on around you before suggesting these concerned tenants are "blowing things out of proportion." I would beg to believe that those who took time out of their day to write their concerns on this website, are not mean spirited people. I can only imagine that they have enough going on in their lives to take time out to write up a fictitious post about their housing community. I have yet to read a distasteful message on this thread. What I sense from their posts are pure frustration and disappointment. I urge you as a community to come together and discuss your concerns as a unit. If you have no desire to do so, then at least allow those who are frustrated to have a voice on this thread. As long as they are voicing their concerns in a respectful way, there is no harm in doing so. I for one am appreciative for ALL the comments listed on this post "good" and "bad." It gives a balanced perspective.
From: Anonymous	Date: 11/08/2009
Why doesn't anyone find out the real story about what is going on instead of posting BS that is not true. Some of you really need to get a life and make some friends and not with lonely old maid managers. Maybe you guys can ask the owners to let you out of your leases. Tell them how you feel and see what they say.
From: Anonymous	Date: 11/08/2009
If the person who posted that others are posting BS, then you obviously do not live here at the Dunes. I have lived here for over six years and can say what is posted is correct. This apartment complex is run by owners who did not wish to upgrade the place until they were told they were in violation of building codes and needed to upgrade things. As to if they ever upgrade, they haven't notified anyone as to when it is going to happen since more than likely it will not happen and they don't want to be put in the position that they said the building upgrades were going to happen. The person who posted posted first on 11/3 whose family has been here the longest has it all correct. We had five units move out in the month of October alone and that isn't including the new property manager who move in and then out in one week. The vacancy rate is almost 10% and that doesn't bode well for the place. If you lived here at the Dunes, you would know that they will charge you more than two month's rent to end your lease early. Also, unless you are transfering out of state for a job, most landlords won't let you out of lease. They call it breaking a lease and it will hurt you when you try to rent your next place as some landlords put you on a tenant lease system. Now, I can honestly say I like my apartment unit as I have plenty of space and all the amenities I need. The problem is this place is the noisest place I ever lived in and the most run down. We seem to have a few people who let their children run in the hallways, talk loudly and yell or scream at times. It can be quite upsetting to hear a child screaming making you wonder if you should call Child Protective Services. Also, it is common knowledge that when you come on to the property of an apartment complex you lower your voice since there are other people living there. The stairwells all could use some power cleaning (at times they smell bad) and it would be nice if people didn't use the recycle dumpster as the garbage dumpster putting bags of stuff by the side that do not belong there. I really don't want to move but the owners do not take care of the place and why would I want to pay my hard earned money to someone who doesn't care about their property.

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