Review History for anonymous

Canyon Village Apartment Homes


Review Author Icon

anonymous

Resident ā€¢ 2006 - 2010

4/27/2010

Short version: This place is good enough to live in if you're looking to save money. The maintenance crew is okay (although you have to be pushy sometimes or the job doesn't get done right, see my shower story below) and the management is nice. Parking can be rough if you have more than one vehicle. Some of the neighbors are a little trashy. Train noise is not a problem if you have a unit far from the tracks. Air conditioning is not adequate. Potential for mold problems. I still somewhat recommend this complex for those trying to save money; it's relatively cheap for the area, and livable. Long version: My girlfriend and I moved into Canyon Village around 2006, and lived there for four years. Two of those years were in a two-bedroom apartment, and the other two were in a one-bedroom. At the time, we looked at over twenty apartment complexes in Orange County and found Canyon Village to have been the best price-to-square-footage ratio while staying in an area we were familiar with. The management has always been very nice to us. We did have the rental office lose our rent check once, which resulted in a scary eviction notice on our door which we had to clear up once they found the missing check. It had been misfiled internally. From that day on we had them make signed and dated photocopies of our checks when we paid rent, for our own protection. The apartments themselves are very roomy, especially for what you wind up paying. The first problem we noticed was the ventilation; there was a single air-conditioning unit in the living room, and the place could get very hot, even with it running full blast 24/7. This was especially bad during the summer. Our first major maintenance-related problem was our hot water not working in the shower one day. All the other faucets in the place still had hot water, but not the shower. It took them almost THREE MONTHS to fix the problem. That is probably what I am most bitter about: My girlfriend and I showered in cold water for three months due to inadequate maintenance. It was a horrible cycle of informing maintenance, having the guys come over to replace a part, and discovering that the water was still cold. This happened over and over. Sometimes, the guy working on it would leave really quickly after applying the "fix", likely to just get out of there before I could inform him that the fix didn't work. One guy gave me attitude when the water managed to get barely lukewarm, pretending that it was normal hot shower temperature. :( What a nightmare. We eventually had enough, hired our own repairman, and he had the problem fixed in ten minutes; it turned out that the maintenance crew repeatedly ordered the wrong parts, and tried to wedge them in at impossible angles to try to make it work. After that we had wonderful hot water again! If my girlfriend and I had been more pushy or rude, I think we could have gotten the problem fixed more quickly, so your mileage may vary with the maintenance crew. We would call and remind them of the problem once or twice a week for those three months. We were repeatedly shocked and appalled by how ineffective the maintenance crew was at fixing that specific problem, and how annoyed some of them became. :( Some of the guys were nice, though. Parking can be very difficult to find, especially with the opening of Wholesome Choice next door. Your first car is fine, as you have a car port, but any other cars and you have to fight over very limited spots in the community. Unless you're parking during off hours, you're most likely stuck parking on the street, which is restricted at certain days and times. Even that can almost get full, depending on the time of day. Your parking spot may also be relatively far from your apartment; ours was on the opposite side of the complex, for whatever reason! They do have laundry facilities that are open 24/7 now; that's a fairly new thing. It did suck having to carry loads of clothes over to them, though. Now, for the neighbors. Some of them can be very trashy. I've seen grandmothers with a ton of tattoos taking care of young children (likely their grandchildren; never saw the actual parents), smoking right next to them. I swear one child looked like she was five years old, but was still in a diaper. I heard a lot of screaming outside that residence. I've seen a few people living in their cars parked on the street nearby, too. There are (or were, it's been a while since I've seen them) a depressing number of stray cats in the area. I actually rescued one (he was near starvation) and he's now a happy member of our family. :) Friendliest cat ever. The lease states that you are not allowed to have outdoor cats, but this rule is not enforced at all. I've seen a lot of neighbors irresponsible with their pets. I've woken up a few nights to loud arguments. To be honest they're kinda entertaining to listen to and watch. I had to call the cops three times while living there; twice for what sounded like domestic battery, and once for a car that had been broken into in the outside street parking. The train is loud if you are outside, but if you are inside with the windows closed, and in an apartment at least half as far from the train as you can be while still being in the complex, you'll barely hear it. We never had any disturbances from them. Toward the end of our stay at Canyon Village, we had a leak that resulted in a mushroom growing out of carpet near the front door. (I think the door could have used a bit more weather stripping, in retrospect.) We later also had mold growing in the bathroom ceiling. I'd clean it off with chemicals and it would come back after two weeks. I notified the management and they cleaned it off, but it just came right back. Despite some of the problems we had, though, I would still recommend Canyon Village to anyone looking to save money. It's relatively cheap for the area and it's not unlivable. My girlfriend and I eventually did decide, after years of being frugal, that it was worth the extra money to move somewhere else with nicer amenities (specifically, a washer and dryer inside our apartment, central air, and a garage.) That's why we moved out of Canyon Village. If you're in dire financial straights, though, or just looking to be stingy with your money, you could do worse than Canyon Village. It's probably the best bang-for-your-buck in this area. Compared to a trashy apartment complex I lived in while attending UCLA in Los Angeles, it was definitely an upgrade. Do realize, however, that without central air conditioning, you may have heat problems, especially if you run a couple computers in the house. You also want to get a unit as far from the train as possible; if you get the closest unit, it will be too loud. If you get a unit at least halfway down away from the train, it'll be just fine with the windows closed. This review was written in April of 2010. Things can and do change, so be sure to take a good look around at other apartment complexes. Be as fully informed of a renter as you can be. Judge Canyon Village for yourself when you visit. Best of luck to you and your family in your apartment search. :) Also, thank you to the management and maintenance crew for having had us there for the last four years. The intent of my review is to be helpful and positive, all the while remaining honest. I don't find 100% negative reviews to be very realistic. The cup is both half full and half empty. I hope this review is helpful to you. If you have any questions, feel free to ask as a comment or reply to this review, and I'll do my best to answer.

    Review 15 out of 44

    Share This Review

    Check Availability

    Canyon Village Apartment Homes

    March 2024

    Sun
    Mon
    Tue
    Wed
    Thu
    Fri
    Sat
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10
    11
    12
    13
    14
    15
    16
    17
    18
    19
    20
    21
    22
    23
    24
    25
    26
    27
    28
    29
    30
    Beds

    0

    Baths

    0

    Share This Review