Valentia Apartments

My husband and I have been living in Valentia for almost a year and we simply love the place. We did check out a lot of apartments before moving here but once I saw the units and the amenities, I was more than sure about Valentia and fortunately, do not regret to have moved in here.
Amenities-​The pool is good size and usually does not have a lot of people except in summers. We love the Jacuzzi and have been using it 3 – 4 days every week. The landscape around the Jacuzzi makes the experience a pleasant one and the whole area surrounding the apartment complexes and the pool is well maintained. The gym is a little small but I think it works since it is never crowded.
The apartment– each apartment complex has an inner vegetation that is exposed to sunlight, meaning there are light wells punctured through-​out. The circulation space in the corridors and the general planning of areas inside the complex are note-​worthy. My husband and I have no complaints about the apartment we live in. It is spacious and has high-​rise ceiling through-​out. The rooms are good-​sized and the closets are plenty. My favorite part is the huge patio that has access from the living room and the master bedroom. and the views are splendid.
The only thing is that Valentia is a little pricy but I think you get what you pay for. Also, the rents all over SD have shot up! so, Valentia doesn’t seem too expensive:)

First time I’ve even been here and I was impressed with the architecture. Great fountains, park like areas to sit and relax.
I went to pick up my friend and was surprised with the ease of finding a parking space. I went inside the gym facilities and thought they where well equipped. If I was looking for an apartment it seems like a good choice, lots of people walking around and it seemed like a pretty active social area.

I’ve lived here for 6 months and have had a great experience. Friendly and professional staff in both the leasing and maintenance departments. Modern appliances and great landscaping. Safe neighborhood in close proximity to the UTC mall, Nobel playing fields and a public library. The only downside are the jets from Miramar that fly by but you will hear that anywhere in the UTC area. You won’t regret living here.

Potential renters beware! Be very careful when dealing with Valentia Apartments (Shea Properties), especially when moving out.
——
PROS:
* Plenty of parking: street and garage
* There is a great park with a library and recreation center right next to it
* There is a car self-​wash area, where Valentia pays for the water (or the tenants…)
* Located near UTC shopping and close enough to freeways for easy access
CONS:
* Expensive. And the rent is raised every year.
* Management team in the leasing office is super nice and friendly when trying to court potential tenants, but that friendliness diminishes. When moving out, they’re the complete opposite.
* Pool is small and doesn’t seem to be cleaned very often. I was a tenant for 2 years and I never saw the pool cleaned, or closed for cleaning.
* The workout room is small, but I guess it’s better than nothing. Ventilation isn’t so great and other tenants don’t bother wiping down the equipment after they’re done. Also, I don’t think they clean this room either since there’s always dust building up in the corners of the room.
* Gets noisy at times: parties, dogs, cars, shouting, etc. Seems to be especially worse during the school year. Management doesn’t do much about it.
* Putting in a work order for maintenance to come fix something is easy. Having them show up takes a lot longer than expected.
* The move-​out process is pretty tedious and the last bill may contain surprising charges. Also, don’t expect to get your deposit back.

Valentia Apartments seems like a pretty cool place to live but seems to have some really unfair practices with no way around them. The hold deposit to rent a place is $ 500 which after talking to several properties in San Diego is considered an outrageous amount, every other place we talked to only needs a $ 100 to secure an apartment.
Unfortunately our situation changed and we could not move into the place anymore and had to cancel. I tried to work with the management team on splitting the difference, getting some of the $ 500 back at no avail.
I’ve been checking the site to see what happened to the apartment we had reserved and looks likes its been rented already! So the Valentia Apartments did not actually lose anything from us not being able to rent the place.
If you are considering renting here please be careful that their hold fee is the highest in San Diego and if your situation changes, they wont help at all. Makes you wonder how they treat their residents!

Lived here for 2 years and it was an overall good experience. I lived in a 3 bedroom with roommates.
Price
First year was 2252
Second year was 2453.
I could understand raising the rent $ 100 but $ 200 is pretty ridiculous. We did max out our noise complaints and I guess it is justified to raise it that much. The next year would have been 2600 if we stayed. Glad we got out of there.
Apartments
The apartments are very nice inside and out. Marble counter tops with a dishwasher and in home washer and dryer (did not appreciate until moving away) There is a ton of cabinet space which is a plus if you have more than 3 people living together. I lived on the first floor west side and a tree always blocked the sun out so my apartment was always very cold. Never had to use the AC in the summer and just put on a layer or two in the winter. There was very little natural light in this apartment but I would rather have a constantly cool apartment vs very hot one. Other than that they are very nice apartments. The guest bathroom started to grow mold from the steam from the showers since there is no window so I might suggest they need to install better fans in that bathroom or leave the door open when showering. Also didn’t like the Master bedroom setup with no door to the shower/​sink area. Had to install a curtain for privacy.
Service
The employees are all very friendly including the maintenance workers. I’ve struck up a couple conversations with them in spanish and they are all very friendly from my experience. They are quick with the maintenance requests as well. It says they will get to you within 48 hours but most of the time they serviced me the same day granted it was early when I put the request in. The apartment managers are very friendly as well. I’ve never had a hard time with them. Always provided me with business center key for FREE PRINTING with a smile.
Amenities
There are two pools I believe one large one by the leasing office and a smaller one on the west side. Never really used them. Always full of kids on the weekends. There are also two hot tubs on the west and east sides of the apartments. Again never really used them. Too lazy and didn’t want to track in water to my apartment. There are also two racquetball courts with timers so you can make sure to get a the court to yourself if they are full. The gym is really small with two treadmills a bike, an elliptical, some machines and some free weights up to 50lbs. Can’t really get a serious workout done but the gym is acceptable for beginners or people who just like to use the treadmill. Never really crowded but from my experience it’s typically really dead around 6pm on the weekdays. Also had 2 underground parking spaces but never used them. I always parked on the street since it was easier and quicker to get to my car if it was on the street. Never had any problems with break in as some other users have reported on here. There is tons of grassy areas nearby and a dog park nearby if you have pets. The dog park across the street near the park is good for all dog sizes since they have an area for small, medium, and large sized dogs. (Just something to keep in mind if you have a pet)
Deposit
I was pleasantly surprised when we got out deposit back. It was almost the entire amount. We definitely did some damage to the apartment in the 2 years there but they didn’t go under us and charge ridiculous amounts for repair and replacement of things.
Overall a decent apartment complex. Good for a one year lease if you get a good deal but definitely not a good place if you plan to stay for a while as they will raise your rent like crazy.

This place looks beautiful and seems like a very nice place to live;
however, the management is atrocious. I have lived at ~5 different places in the San Diego area and have never been part of a more poorly run complex.
First off, just speaking with anyone in the office is difficult. They seem to be friendly enough, but suddenly become lost or confused if you ask them any type of question. They become befuddled at the simplest inquiries. Not only do they not always have the correct answer for you regarding leases/​maintenance/​cleaning/​etc, but they have trouble piecing together answers based on logic, concrete, or relevant ideas. If you watch them when you are talking to them, it is easy to pinpoint the exact moment when they no longer have the slightest idea of what you came in there for, what the conversation is about, or where it is going. Their lack of intelligence, organization, and imagination is truly a miracle.
My roommates and I always paid our rent on time. Furthermore, we had a walk-​through with the maintenance crew when we moved out so that we would know what we had to clean. We spent a total of ~8 hours cleaning the house after our initial move out. Even still, we ended up being charged for ~$ 300 for cleaning fees. This was absolutely ridiculous. Many of the fees we were charged for we were explicably told not to clean by the maintenance crew. The maintenance guys were awesome, but their is a clear disconnect between them and management. Total, we owed about ~$ 600 of additional charges during our stay here – predominantly because the office is very sly about lease details, etc. Again, we paid our rent on time, cleaned our apartment, and did everything we could to avoid this – yet it still happened.
Please, please do not live here.

WARNING!!! DO NOT LIVE HERE! I cannot warn against this place enough. Terrible management, they did nothing but give us the runaround on our lease after living there for over a year and then when we finally did resolve our lease and decided to renew for yet another year, they apparently gave us the wrong lease with the wrong amount so when we went to pay our rent it charged us an extra $ 125 per month, despite a fully signed and executed lease to the contrary. When we tried to resolve this, we were effectively told to either pay the increased amount or default on our rent, with no regard to the ONLY legal lease that was on file.
This is not the first incident of this nature, this is a badly mismanaged complex that takes nothing but a hard line stance of «we appreciate you living here, but if you don’t want to pay our increases or comply with our nonsensical changes, feel free to leave». Absolutely ridiculous with no regard to the tenants.
All I can say is if you choose to live here I hope you never have anything go wrong or have any disagreement with management because you can expect nothing but a giant F off.

I started living here with my boyfriend since December. I loved the apartment. We had a great deal — 1711 total (including dog rent for our dog) and it had granite counter tops, a patio, in unit washer and dryer, vaulted ceilings and a double sided fireplace. The staff here are wonderful especially Ceasar, the maintenance man. It’s right next to the Nobel dog park and the place is designed to be very dog friendly, they even have doggy poo bags by the lawn area! That being said, only until recently has noise been a problem [someone got a new lab puppy and it’s been barking at 5 am + another tenant who is annoyed at said puppy and yells at him to be quiet]. Up until this point, it’s been the quietest complex we’ve lived at (and that’s including before we got the dog).Tons of guest parking and they even started getting food trucks to come to the complex! Elevators were also super fast and every neighbor I’ve met has been very friendly.
My complaints are that 1) our bathroom was designed very stangely and it might be particular for our unit. It had two doors, one from the hallway and one into our room. Lots of knees were accidentally banged. 2) Parking is underground so water from one of the pipes was leaking and rust is now on my car that I can’t get rid of. 3) They raised our rent by 100+ when it came time to renew. We were told that it may increase a bit but 100+ was out of our budget. Besides that, it was a great place to live and I’m sad that we couldn’t keep calling this place our home.

I’ve lived at Valentia for almost one year now and I love the apartment community. All of the members of the leasing office are so great to work with — very friendly, they know you by name, very helpful, and overall just great.
I’m moving only because I got engaged and I’m getting a new job, so I am moving to Los Angeles.
By the way, I lived in apartment unit 4311, which is awesome… TONS of light, vaulted ceilings, nice layout [not just a square or rectangle]… I’m sad to have to leave this apartment unit and the apartment community!
Peter

With nice furnitures, equipments and facilities so you can move in right away. It’s also very convenient to do some shopping and sports nearby. Spent some very very sweet days with my love here~

I wanted to write a review for the Valentia because when we were doing our apartment hunt, I checked out Unilocal for all of the potential apartment complexes we were looking at. We have been living here since October (2012), and are so very happy we moved here. We are new to SD, and wanted to find a place near work at UCSD.
The leasing office staff is always very friendly and helpful. They are quick to respond to any needs. The maintenance staff is also friendly and professional, and respond to requests quickly. The grounds are well-​maintained and the apartment itself was very clean upon move-​in. We haven’t had any issues with noise or safety, and we live on the first floor. The location can’t be beat– with the Nobel Recreation Center, library, and playground right behind the apartment complex, and walkability to shops, restaurants, a beautiful duck pond, and of course the UTC mall. Parking is convenient, although the spots are pretty tight, so if you have a larger car you might find it more difficult, but parking is plentiful on the street. The gym is nice and clean, and although it is on the smaller side like others have said, I’ve never had to wait for the equipment I want to use.
My only gripe is that the AC/​heating unit on the patio leaks when you use the heat. I’ve been told that this is normal and there isn’t much to be done about it. I have to constantly clean up the small pools of water, and the paint is chipping off the floor in some areas of the patio where water builds up. But this is San Diego… I imagine we will not need the heat for that much longer, and we can get the porch repainted. So it isn’t that big of a deal, just kind of annoying.
That very small issue aside, we are very happy with our choice to live here, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Valentia to friends, especially those with young kids like we have. We’ve signed a lease for one year, but could imagine ourselves living here for longer.

I have been living at Valentia since August of 2011 and it has been a great experience. The staff is friendly, the maintenance crew is timely for any repairs, and the community is always quiet and friendly. I also enjoy how the staff of Valentia will put on different community parties. This is a great way to know your neighbors and have a great time.
What I love most about Valentia is that we are walking distance from a park, a shopping mall.
Another great thing about Valentia is that we are only a few miles away from the beautiful La Jolla Cove.

I live here and think its great. I dont see any problems that these other people are talking about. The management takes care of everything and its actually a pleasure living here, as opposed to a burden like most places. Keep it up!!!

*** I Don’t Live Here… I Work Here As A Nanny***
–I think the apartment set up is very nice. The doors and windows could use a little update and some of the vents are rusty.
–My boss just moved in last weekend and the guest bathroom toilet ran for an hour at a time, the outlet by the kitchen doesn’t let anything stay in, and her shower head was off. HOWEVER They were all fixed within a few days. Except the outlet because I forgot to mention it.
–Maintenance man Cesar was extremely kind and considerate (he brought booties! Which is something the refrigerator guy didn’t even have or offer. He actually pushed the fridge from the elevator and used the dolly in the apt which is sort of weird when the dolly was there the whole time)
–I find it a little silly to have to walk to the park to take the dog to the restroom. I mean if they have to go THEY HAVE TO GO! But it keeps the complex nice.
–Nobel Park is across the street. Its quiet… in walking distance… and theres a shopping center close by and the UTC mall.
–Overall I think this complex has its benefits. The Powerwashing a floor a day is sort of odd and loud with a baby sleeping. And powerwashing the door only to open it and now you have pushed dirt onto your white rug is annoying BUT HEY THE GUY MOVED OUR SHOES AND OUTSIDE RUG TO THE WALL SO NOT TO GET SPRAYED =) LoL Plus On That One.

I have lived here since June with 2 roomates.
The only person that we all agree is nice in the office is Mary, but we don’t interact with them that much. The gym is painfully small, but I haven’t had to wait to use a machine yet (maybe because the size makes it unpopular?). We recently needed maintenace to come fix a few minor problems, and it really bugged me that they refused to give a guestimated time slot of when someone would arrive. It also kinda bugs that they allow dogs because on a few occasions I have heard them barking. and barking… and barking. I thought it would be awesome living by the street because we could make noise on our balcony, but its turned out to suck because we often hear girls and their drunken laughing/​screaming in the street at ridiculous hours in the night.
We recently received a noise complaint notice for «loud stomping» past 10, which is complete bullshit and makes me hate my downstairs neighbor even more. In fact, all the neighbors are unfriendly and I almost never see them. It seems in this place you gotta stick to yourself and (apparently) tip toe past 10.

Had a very similar experience to Cathy A. at Valentia. I suppose that one dons a frayed polyester suit and comes to believe one a real estate magnate. The economic downturn has obviously bypassed Shea Properties, as they seem to be in full recovery.
When I went in, tall dark and loathsome appeared to have greater concern about whether his colleague had located her misplaced keys versus leasing an overpriced apartment. Perhaps the office people are kind and a wandering mortician happened upon a chair and free computer. Who can be sure? All I can tell you, San Diegans, is avoid this place like the H1N1!

First of all –I hate apartment shopping because it is a lot like buying a car…
My husband and I are in the market for a new place and we currently live in Mission Valley but since my husband works at UCSD we thought maybe we would move closer to his office.
It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and we were excited to be out and about in sunny SD to find our next home until we happened upon VALENTIA.
We walked into the Leasing Office and were NOT greeted upon entering the building. We went over to a counter where diagrams of models available were for viewing. We knew we wanted a 2 bedroom but which model was best for us we still did not know.
We walked over to the desk of a Leasing Agent since he could not take the time to even acknowledge our presence. He never gave eye contact, never smiled-​he was so damn rude. Unfortunately I did not get his name-​but he is tall with dark hair. I told him we were interested in a 2 bdrm and he grunted and pulled out a sheet of paper with the prices-​circled the rent for 2 bdrm and that was it-​nothing more said. No offer to see a model, no offer to ask what day we needed to move not a god damn thing said by the village idiot.
I just don’t get it-​leasing agents just about everywhere we go are so damn rude. They are so condescending –do they not understand if not for the renter-​they don’t have a fuckin job. Where is the gratitude for us –the renter?
This guy pissed me off so much. As a Latina I couldn’t help but feel that it was because of the color of my skin that he did not want to rent to me or my white husband.
Needless to say we will not be moving to VALENTIA EVER!
I will make sure the word gets out on how shitty this place is-​I promise.

My sister and my car got broken into and stuffs stolen within 3 months. When those happened, both of our cars are parked in the gated garage.
You will have 1 assigned parking spot and you pay $ 75 a month for the second spot. There are pretty much no spaces to park when you get home at around 6:30pm.
When it first happened to my sister, we suggested management to do something with their security, like hire some patrol guards or install camera. They said they don’t want to be responsible for the property in the garage etc… that’s why no camera. and the $ 75 it’s only for making sure that you have a spot to park.
Also, they really vandalized your car when they are trying to get in. They tried all of the doors, scratches, dents are everywhere. They banded your doors, broke your windows etc. And, when this happen, don’t expect there will be staffs to help you.
1 star is given for the maintenance service and friendly leasing officer. Friendly but not very helpful in my case.
And after since, I try to park near the mail box area where there are more lighting and waiting for my lease to end. I am almost out, just 1 more month. For those who are planning on moving in, GOOD LUCK!

This is a great smaller apartment complex. It’s relatively quiet most of the time (I’ve only had problems with loud students a few times during my 1.5 years staying here). The leasing office is great on service. They followed up on service appointments to make sure that things were fixed to my satisfaction. They also occasionally delivered packages to my apartment if I couldn’t make it home in time before the leasing office closed on weekdays — it was so great having someone to sign for my wine club deliveries. Parking was also easy — I had an assigned spot, but sometimes didn’t even use it. There was a small gym that wasn’t too busy if you avoided 6−7pm on the weekdays in the winter.
I had a one-​bedroom apartment and it was fairly spacious (800 sq feet), very clean and new, and included its own washer/​dryer on the patio.
Overall, a great place to live if you want to be in the UTC area.