Rancho Santa Fe

We have lived here for over 3 years now, in 3 different units as our family has grown. To say we have loved our community is an understatement… It is quiet (we now live next to a play area, and the sound isn’t too much even for our napping toddler or infant. Javier and the rest of the maintenance crew are here within 24 hours, usually within the hour if we have any concerns. The management staff are always kind and quick to assist as well, Katica is truly the hardest working lady ever… We have lived in higher end communities, but still haven’t felt a sense of community like we do here. Highly recommended! Whenever we look at other communities in the area, we always stay here because of how clean and quiet it is. The residents are polite and keep to themselves. Really couldn’t be happier.

I’m sorry I need let you know all. Since the water bill at first two months water bill was fine since change Aug 2015 are killing us high water bill. I check everything make sure to no run water or leak. And recent find out more high bill we shock and kill our budget losing and suffer not enough food. We patient that we love here apt so much nice but I’m very dissponent with water bill killing our living and our two paychecks and suffer we have kid. Push us feel like we have to move out which we need match balance our paychecks to living apt instead we broke suffer stuck no fun or less food. We are not even stupid richest period of life!!! Stupid water bill. Suck that living place cost so high! Thank you.

Awful place to live! Don’t ever want to live in this dump again! It’s like a zoo there kids screaming outside, no parking available for guests ever, and they slash your tired when you complain to shut you up! Apartment 192 worst place to live! Garbage right in front of you and a zoo outside! Worst experience of my life! And the apartment corporation does absolutely nothing about it!

I lived in Los Olivos for a year and loved it… now onto my horror story that is Rancho Santa Fe…
We moved into Rancho Santa Fe one month ago and have already encountered several problems:
(1) the staff is lazy, rude and incompetent. I have had more than one issue with them ranging from being yelled at my the red headed lady because of something someone else told me (thank god I keep emails so I could forward her what was communicated to me to make them uphold their end of the deal), to not being able to get keys for our third roommate. When you know three adults are signing a lease, you would think it would be automatic to make a third set of keys… guess common sense is not strong with this group of people.
(2) when we walked the apartment for the first time, we noticed a few issues, one being two wasps nests on the porch, it took two weeks and three phone calls to finally have them removed. Despite the fact that the employee walked the space with us, noted the nests and I wrote it down on our check in paper. Did I mention that they were active nests and we ended up with one in our apartment? Super cool, right?
(3) Fleas in the carpet. The recommendation by the wonderful office staff? Vacuum.
(4) This one is the winner… we found a cockroach in our kitchen and I found a larva of some sort in the kitchen cabinets. The cockroach didn’t bother me too much since they can and will crawl up from the drains. Gross and all, but sometimes unavoidable and something I can be forgiving about if it’s a once in a blue moon thing, but the larva in the cabinet makes me believe that they didn’t clean the way that they should of before we moved in. And where there is one, there are more and there are parents somewhere continuing to lay eggs. (UPDATE: One of my roommates posted a video of at least four or five maggots on my facebook page crawling around in our kitchen. We’ve lived here less than a month… we will be moving on ASAP)
While it is nearly impossible to avoid the Irvine Company because they hold a monopoly on all of Southern California, avoid them as much as you can. I’m so upset that I signed a 12 mo lease instead of an 8 mo. I’ve lived in seedier places than Tustin and never had these issues. I’d almost rather take the chance that someone is going to break into my car than find LARVA in my kitchen cabinets.
This company is literally the worst and gives no craps about anyone living in their apartments.

I can see the bounce house from our porch! Getting ready for some fun in the sun with the littles. Love this event here. They even bring in lifeguards, puts me at ease if I can’t see my kids. With such a large neighborhood it’s great to come out and meet other people. Have yet to have a bad experience here and it’s our 3^rd pool party. Keep it up Parisa! You are such a joy here.

Living here for 5 years Parrisa always seems to amaze me with all her events! Today was the pool slide event and even tho we came for the last 30 minutes, my son had so much fun! Best community Thanks Parissa!

We have been living in Rancho Santa Fe since 2006. I’m glad that I have raised my only son in this Complex because of amazing activities they offered. He never felt lonely and board and feel like we don’t need to take him out of the complex. we enjoy a lot of parties for all occasions.

Time To Go. I moved in 3 years ago and until 6 months ago was relatively happy with the community. But it has gone downhill. The maintenance staff is A+, very professional and responsible, but in the last 6 months we have seen rats and cockroaches and the overall vibe of the place is sketchy. The garbage dumpsters are still piled up with discarded mattresses and other items that sit there for weeks. Haven’t re-​visited the pool since last negative experience. There are now a lot of loud motorcycles and still many kids running around playing in the parking lots — I almost ran one over with my car when I turned the corner. The courtyards are filled with toys that are left out ²⁴⁄₇ like it’s their personal backyard. It’s just not as nice as it was but the rent keeps going up. Time To Go.

I’m not understanding the negative reviews. I’ve been living in this apartment for a year now and have yet to complain. Maintenance staff is very quick and the complex provides daily activities which we love as well. Not once have I seen this place under kept. The roads are always clean as well as the apartments (as long as you take care of them of course!). It is also nice and quiet with the exception of kids playing outside, which is not a big deal at all.
I love living here and plan to stay for more years to come!

I’m very surprised to see the negative reviews! I recently moved in and I love it here! I moved from another Irvine Company property and it’s just as great here. The move in process was so easy and Katica is so amazing. She is very helpful and just the sweetest. My unit was in great condition, I was very surprised when I did my initial walk through, they definitely take pride in their property. I’ve had to submit a couple of very minor maintenance requests and the team has responded in less than 24 hours! First time was within the hour! We have a 9 year old so we really love the atmosphere and the activities they have here along with the other amenities. I haven’t had an issue with parking, not even when my family has come to visit. I have been told that they will be implementing a new parking policy to ensure that residents are using their assigned spaces and garages so that should fix whatever other residents seem to struggle with. I would absolutely recommend this property and look forward to staying here for a while.

I love living at rancho Santa fe. Especially the events organized by Parissa. All The events she organizes is the only time we get to socialize with neighbors without that we would not have met the wonderful neighnors. Thank you for having an employee like parissa … I would recommend this property due to the many things it offers

Honestly in shock about the poor reviews. There is plenty of parking. Yes garages are full but each area has its set of neighbors. Make friends and work it out. Amazing maintenance team. Any call we’ve had has been responded to within a day.
My wife works in property management and it’s the same as everywhere else. Don’t destroy your home when you move out. Don’t be inconsiderate of those around you. I’ve heard numerous tenant horror stories. This company is fair and equal to all.
We love Hvianca and Katica but recently met Parisa. The pool party today was awesome and again met great neighbors, employees and new friends.
If you want a clean and professional company then this is it.

I would honestly give no stars if possible, but at least a one star rating is required.
I was honestly impressed with the photos I seen online and very impressed with the amenities as well, I decided to take a tour. However, when I went into the leasing office my mind was quickly changed.
I waited over an hour to be assisted because there was only one person in the office. Finally, after I stated I would leave, the leasing consultant had to call a property located somewhere up the street to assist me (that took another 30 mins.) You would think out of courtesy and respect for my time, this would have been done ahead of time, especially knowing no one would be able to assist me in a timely manner.
When I finally got to go inside the property was poorly ran. The paint was chipping from the exterior with visible dirt running down to and fro. The building looked very old and ran down. Nothing like the beautiful Spanish architecture that was promised. The landscaping was horrible. Leaves, dust and debris filled the parking lots and most of the entire complex. As I was touring on the go cart, I couldn’ t breathe, literally from all the dust that picked up and blew in my face.
It was early afternoon and the parking lot was full, there was no parking spaces this time of day? I couldn’t imagine how it would be in the evening.
The pool reaked of urine and children were running rampant everywhere. The water to the pool looked a tinted Brown. I was also turned off when I was told that depending on the unit I decided to rent, would i receive certain community ammenities. It was explained to me that not all residents received the same community ammenities? I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. How do you decide who gets what ammenities in a community?
I was not impresses to say the least, a complete understatement. I politely stated that i was not interested and would look elsehwhere. However Tracy a new community manager I believe emailed a link anyhow, asking for me to fill out a rental application. I responded saying no thank you. I was bribed with $ 100 off the market rate. I still politely declined. I also noticed online elsewhere that a majority of their units have been significantly reduced. I can now see why.
If you know whats good for you RUN FOR YOUR LIVES.

Very impressive presentation from Brandi Glass who was very personable and professional. She asked what we are looking for in and accomodated us with the location based on what we need. Due to my severe allergies her recommendation to a solution prior to moving in was excellent idea. Kudos to Irvine company for having her in their team! Now I just want to see what the actual unit is before we sign the lease

My husband and I along with our 2 kids moved here 2 weeks back and couldnt be happier. We live in a 2 bed/​2bath with an attached garage. We also have one car port. Never had a problem with parking yet. The office staff and the maintenance guys take care of our requests in a timely manner. Our patio opens into a small courtyard which has a kids play structure. enough to keep the kids happy and thankfully my neighbours all have kids ranging from 4−11…so we dont really have to worry about the kids being let out to playand the noise they make. I love the fact that the apt comes with a washer and dryer. I do have neighbours upstairs but apart from a few creaks now and then… which is to be expected when you are living on the ground floor… I dont have any problems with them. The pool is a good sized pool and its temperature controlled and its not too deep which I love. The gym is pretty decent too. The shopping centers are right around the corner which makes it convenient to go shopping or for dinner anytime. There’s also a park right around the corner. All in all a lovely place to live.

My family and I are moving into Rancho Santa Fe next week. We looked at several 2 or 3 bedroom apartments in the Tustin area and this was by far the best! The community feels comfortable and safe with lots of amenities. The office staff has been excellent in communication through out the entire process. Plus they have made us feel very welcomed. I love that it is a gated community, has enclosed garage parking and lots of grassy areas. The apartments are very clean and up to date. The property is well managed and clean as well. I would highly recommend Rancho Santa Fe!

I lived at this property three years ago and had a wonderful experience. I recently moved in thinking it would be the same experience. …was i wrong. The complex is poorly maintained mainly because the current management does not live at the property and could care less about it.
Aside from the parking issues and lack of garages used as storage enforcement, the pool is a health hazard… taste the water in the pool if you dare. Try to barbeque… can’t do it, the barbecues don’t work and who knows when they were last cleaned. Since a key is required at the nice pool bathrooms no one uses the restrooms! Guess where all the kids that are not being supervised are peeing? Very disappointing overall. can’t wait for my lease to expire.
Future residents take a very hard look and ask the tough questions before you move in… then move on.
Ok​.an update to my review. May 18, 2015 Two weeks ago I contacted rancho santa fe again hoping to move there for at least the three summer months. I spoke to the manager of the property giving her my concerns about my stay there last summer ie dirty pool, dirty barbecue cues, too many people in the pools, etc. She said the pool had just been drained and cleaned and that their policies to enforce amounts of people in the pool, pool cleanliness, bar be cues, parking issues and garages, etc were all addressed and cleaned up… I asked if she could put it in writing explicitly in the lease that the pool if tested by an accepted lab would show no bacteria or fecal content as well as the jacuzzi. I also asked for other requests related to cleanliness of the grounds, the condition of the apartment when I moved in etc. she promised me to follow up with the irvine corporate offices and get back to me in two days. she took my cell number and promised me a call back… I have never heard back from her
Also, I thought it odd that just two days later suddenly several new positive. posts on Unilocal showed up after months of other negative posts. This property has serious problems. It accepts section 8 tenants
I have notices those tenants all seem to be housed at the back of the complex. kinda goes with the rest of the policy at this property. the front office is all that looks good or is maintained. I really love the location and would love to live in the complex… unfortunately I guess it’s time to just give up in hopes that this property can be as good as the rest of the other irvine properties…

I would not recommend this complex to anyone. It is very nice as far as amenities, looks, and location but that’s not all there is to living here. We recently completed a 14 month lease here and could not wait to leave.
As mentioned in other reviews, the parking situation here is absolutely ridiculous. The management does not enforce their own policies here in this regard. Most units have a garage for their own use. Many garages are used for extra storage, play rooms, gyms, etc… This puts a lot of extra cars outside taking all the open spots.
Come home too late in the evening or on weekends and you will circle the complex looking for parking and may even have to park out in back of the complex, which is only legal on the weekends.
If the complex rules were followed by everyone, and enforced by the office, this issue would probably be eliminated or pretty close.
Your other main issue here is that the property is owned by the Irvine Company, who are basically crooks. We were charged $ 350 out of our $ 500 deposit on the move out for cleaning the unit.
California law dictates that any property owner is responsible for normal wear and tear on a unit and must paint the walls and clean the carpets on a turnover. This is a normal cost of business and should not be passed to the consumer. The tenant should only be forced to pay for excessive damages or issues they have caused to the unit.
I have never been screwed by any apartment complex on my deposit as much as these guys. They are basically passing their costs of business on to the tenants, which is against the law.
Obviously I could take this to small claims court but the costs and time to do so far outweigh the $ 350 and I am quite sure that the Irvine Company banks on this fact. Most people will grin and bear it move on. This is a very poor attitude and practice for a company to have but that’s the way it is.
Beware this property and keep these issues in mind.

All apartments are going to have its good and bad.
Its all about where you live in an apartment community.
We always look for an apartment that is farther away from the front gates. That way you wont get alot of cars passing your apartment bumping music or speeding by all day and night.
Also we selected one of the apartment plans that has nobody under us. Our unit is over our garage and our neighbors as well.
We are also right next to the back gate which doesnt get alot of cars, but allows us easy access out to the main street and a short walk to the cute little park.
Most of the apartments have balconies and you have a courtyard view. We chose ours to be a parking lot instead and glad we did.
The courtyards have kids playing in them all day with no adult supervision. We have kids, but dont really want to hear other peoples screaming kids all day when they are home from school or during summer break etc.
Parking does suck pretty bad though. If you get a 2 bedroom apartment, then you either get 1 car garage and a carport. Or you will get a 2 car garage.
90% of the time you will not find any guest parking.
If you rent the clubhouse for a birthday party, you will not find parking for your guests.
Just keep that in mind.
The maintenance staff is really great and fast.
The pool is nice and even has a kiddie Pool. The spa sometimes is really foamy and gross though. You sometimes have to tell them to clean it.
One thing I really hate about the pool, is that they allow people to smoke in the pool area. Which means we have to smell nasty crap while trying to relax by the pool with our kids. I cant believe they haven’t banned smoking at public/​apartment pools yet.
We are happy we chose Rancho Santa Fe and enjoyed our time here. We moved here from North Cali just to get a feel of the different cities and areas we wanted to buy in.

well I’m searching for an apartment in Irvine or Tustin and I stopped at the leasing office today and talked to Alicia, she showed me 3 apartments that meet our needs.
This community has no 1 bedroom apartments, 2 or 3, gated, convenient location…
I liked the 3 layouts, seems like a nice community.
I was hoping to find some reviews here from residents get some reality check!
pet friendly with dogs up to 50 lbs, most of the Irvine Company apartments limited to 30 lbs, anyways we still have a lot of research before we pick up the right place,