We (2 people) rented a loft at the Allston lofts from the time of its openning for two years and knew, in such a short lapse, two owners.
The rent was way too high for the poorly constructed, poorly managed small apartment. The superintendant refused to change both fire alarms when they started to beep from dead batteries, although the alarms were not accessible to us (they were on the ceiling of the loft, two stories high from the ground). We had to get the fire department to change them, and they had a severe argument with the manager/superintendant (as legally, they HAVE to change the alarms in Berkeley). We could hear alarms beeping in other (unoccupied') apartments for days...
We also had a non-functionning lock at the door for more than six months - again, it is a legal obligation for the landlord to maintain and insure that the locks work in Berkeley's renter's rights.
Again at the top of the ceiling of the loft, unaccessible without a very long ladder, a lamp which came with the appartment died within a few months after we moved in the NEW appartment, and it was never repaired despite repeated requests, written, oral and by email. This is yet another violation of tenant's rights at Berkeley.
Overall, the place was very noisy (sitting by Jupiter, a local bar).
There was also a trash problem and a bug problem in this appartment. It is located by the back alley to a series of eateries which clean their grills and what's not everynight under our windows. We had huge mosquitoes and other large insects every night in the appartment (no screens on the windows), and we have complained to the local health services.
When the owner changed, the new owners invented new charges which were NOT in our original lease (see other reviewer), and they could not care less for our privacy. For repainting the entrance door of our appartment, they just openned our appartment door without warning and did not care of our complaints.
The corridors were too warm, possibly a fire hazzard (the local fire station at the time did not know where our place was...), because of the sattelite equipment in a closet there which has no ventilation (dixit the cable guy who installed the equipment in question).
There is no security in the building: no camera, the front door does not lock half the time, and there is no security besides the intendant (when we were there, a useless little guy...).
In fact, the whole place was poorly built: closets which did not close, cables (TV,...) which were not plugged, dirty bathrooms, with caulk in the tubs in little poking heaps, and we got the place NEW (just finished), so it must be quite pathetic now.
Overall, I have rented appartments in Berkeley and other large cities for a long while (as a student and early professional), and Allston is by far the worst experience I ever had. I URGE anyone to NOT rent this place, no matter what the salesman/woman tells you. You will bitterly regret it!

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