I have lived here for almost 2 years and can't wait to move out. I agree with the 2 previous posts about constant renovations, poor customer service, and noisy grass blowers.
I would also have to add that there are a lot of bugs around the complex, outside and within. I have an ant problem in my bathroom, but the problem has not been addressed by maintenance. It took them about a month to fix my leaky faucets in the bathroom and kitchen. They only put molding around the faucet to "help" the problem. It lasted about a week before I had a leak again. I have also had problems with my toilet flushing. It clogs at least 3-4 times a day. I tried drano before contacting maintenance. Maintenance "fixed" the problem but again within a week, the problem was back. I use a plunger to fix the problem rather than deal with the idiots that handle maintenance.
The complex constantly sends out renovation letters. The main pool was supposed to be completed on December 24, 2008; however, it is still under construction. It doesn't appear to be anywhere near being complete. The complex expects its residents to live up to a standard, yet they don't have the decency to get the job done or to listen to tenant complaints.
I have dogs and live near a family that hates animals. The child is autistic and freaks out whenever he sees one of my dogs. My dogs are okay around kids so when he starts acting weird around them, they start barking like crazy. My dogs are normally well-behaved with the exception of an occasional bark because of noisy kids standing outside unit and/or coyotes howling. This facility is not as pet-friendly as they appear to be. It would be better if they had a separate section for people and their pets.
I have noticed that there are a lot of people that move out after a short period of time. I have lived in my unit for about 2 years and have had 3 different people live above me. There's another unit near me that I had 3 different families move in and out within the 2 year time frame as well. MCA definitely has a short turnover rate. It probably has something to do with the customer service.
Initially, when I moved into MCA they accepted credit cards as a form of payment. I rarely used this option, but did so when I had to leave town unexpectedly on two different occasions for funerals. The first time the complex allowed the credit card payment, but most recently they did not. They posted the credit card information on my door. The complex was in violation for two reasons. One for posting valuable, private information in a public domain. Luckily, I did not have any fraudulent charges on my credit card statement. If I would have had illegal charges, the complex would have been at fault. Next, they allegedly changed their credit card policies without informing their residents of the new policies. Since I had previously paid rent with a credit card, I had a "justifiable reliance" to make a payment that way. Also, in March 2009, I never received a billing statement so I was charged with late fees. Normally, I pay my bills on time, but the rent varies from month to month because of their additional fees.
There is also very poor cell phone reception at the complex. When I moved into MCA, I had verizon. I had to go about 5 blocks away to get a bar of service. Upon recommendation from the complex, I obtained a T-Mobile phone. The T-mobile phone didn't have any service either. I asked a teenager near my apartment and she recommended AT&T, but said that she still had minimal service with it. I now have AT&T but can only keep my phone located on a bookshelf to receive bars. I have to speak on speakerphone because I lose service if I move the phone. I also heard that Sprint has terrible service at the complex.
The Calabasas area as a whole is very safe; however, the complex doesn't have a peep hole located on the door. It's very unsafe because of the individual apartment access. There isn't security patrolling the area so it's hard to see out of the door to know whose knocking.
I also feel that it's necessary to mention that I live on the 1st floor of my unit. The previous neighbors above me were plant obsessive. They would water their plants about 3 times a day. The excess water would drip onto my porch. It ruined a storage unit of mine, as well as my bike and my sister's. The chains on our bikes are completely rusted. The current neighbors are extremely noisy. I can hear their TV from outside the complex (near my parking space) so just imagine how loud it is when I'm sitting in my living room.
Overall, I would not recommend living here. The staff is a complete joke. It seems like they only care about receiving their monthly rent to pay for the constant renovations. They don't care about the tenants or the tenants concerns. It's all about the money.

User Responses
From: Bob80	Date: 04/15/2009
great to hear from you, I've given up on calling maintenance all together, because they don't come at all or take weeks to fix anything, unless I stop them as they are driving by and beg them to come inside for repairs. Everything in my apartment is falling apart, light fixtures,mirrors,shower, toilet,carpet, washing machine, dryer, and even my balcony door.This entire apartment was renovated from top to bottom 4 years ago, so it seems odd that everything is falling apart as fast as they are. I can't keep up with neighbors moving out, it's very odd. I can't keep up with people moving in and out. It seems every 6 months someone new is moving in or out. And yes I hear all my neighbors from above or across the hall, even with their doors and windows closed. It gives us no privacy at all. I think all the doors and windows are made of paper. I say this again, I hope that this good for nothing company would spend more money on training it's staff then in renovation. No one cares how big the pool is or how nice the new shrubs are, we want good and helpful service that does not treat it's tenants like garbage.
From: pastures103	Date: 04/15/2009
I definitely agree with you. I can't wait to move out of here when my lease is up. It'd be nice if I could do it sooner. For as much as they charge for rent, you'd think they'd have durable fixtures and other working things in the apartments. I'd rather have my sink, toilet, and other appliances in working order instead of the luxery of the pool/hot tub. This apartment complex definitely needs to train their staff members and learn some courteous matters as well as appropriate customer services skills. They are just down right rude here.

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