I was looking for apartment before the management changed. The rating of Balboa was 5.0. I talked to Ann, and looked around the apartment and couldn't like it more! So I decided to move in, right before the management changed, supposedly on a year-rental contract.

The day I was moving in, while packing things into U-haul, I got a sudden call that I have to bring the rental check for the first month and sign the contract within the next hour. So in such a mess and hurry, they (not Ann that day) made me to sign a monthly contract instead of a yearly one... I trusted Ann, and had absolutely NO clue the management was about to change, and didn't pay attention of the 'monthly' 'yearly' issue.

Days after I moved in, the management changed with a one-day notice.

Then they reformed the place to much uglier in my opinion, and chopped off most big trees and nice bushes, put in frail thin small trees and petty (rather artificial looking) flowers instead. Also the ugly rental office signs and canopies on the road... The place lost its charm as a natural green land...

And soon they started increasing the rent. I tried to explain them I should have been on a yearly-contract. No use of course, they won't by any chance honor that. They won't even allow me resign a yearly contract AT the first increased rent -- yes, they only allow me to stay on monthly contract so that they keep increasing the rent.

So rent increased $85 once. $35 again. All within less than a year. No clue how much more it will keep going. It is definitely over-priced for such a place in a not-good neighborhood, WITHOUT even a fitness center, and very old buildings. Now even community house is open ONLY when rental office is open. Not weekend. Not holidays. Who needs the community house during 8am-5pm working hours anyway! Before the two rental increase, with the old landscape, I thought I found a gem in that neighborhood. Now, it's a so-so apartment, and I am just pissed off -- by the rent.

Why I haven't moved out' Simple: who wants the tremendous trouble of moving' Particularly within ONE year' And I am the type with lots of furniture and extra stuffs for living... Furthermore, I am 'likely' to move out of south-bay area in a year or less from now anyway.

After these said, I didn't really experience Ann's management.

The new management does fix things very promptly upon request. The management staffs changed once DURING the new management, and the current two staffs have a more amicable attitude than the first two, in my opinion.

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