Preserve at Marin Apartment Homes Reviews
Preserve at Marin Apartment Homes located in 350 Robin Dr., Corte Madera, California 94925, United States there are many issues and complaints with this community/location, scroll down to the reviews section to see the true reviews for this location
Contact Information for Preserve at Marin Apartment Homes
350 Robin Dr., Corte Madera, California 94925, United States
Phone Number
Website URL
www.preserveatmarin.com
Year Built
1964
Total Units
126
Location
Detailed Information for Preserve at Marin Apartment Homes
Exercise extreme caution when considering properties listed by the horrible company “AIR Communities” on rental platforms. While their promotional visuals might appear enticing, prospective tenants should be forewarned of a multitude of hidden fees. Beyond the baseline rent, there are significant charges for amenities such as parking, water, and mail services, which often require an additional subscription. The following are crucial observations derived from reviews by past tenants across multiple platforms. It is imperative that you review these insights meticulously to avoid potential regrettable experiences.
Here is 20 reasons why you SHOULD NOT! consider moving into Preserve at Marin Apartment Homes:
- Excessive Rent Increase: Reports of rent being raised by up to 11% annually, making it unaffordable for long-term residents.
- Noise Issues: Complaints about being able to hear neighbors due to poor building construction and inadequate soundproofing.
- Lack of Maintenance: Delayed or ignored maintenance requests, leading to uncomfortable living conditions and security risks.
- Misleading Information: Accusations of being misled about apartment features, such as the availability of air conditioning.
- Poor Security: Multiple instances of break-ins and theft, including stolen bicycles, with little to no action taken by management.
- Unresponsive Management: Difficulty in getting a response from management for various concerns and requests.
- High Hidden Fees: Unexpected and high additional fees, including for trash removal, parking, and other services.
- Poor Quality Amenities: Amenities not maintained well, including a non-heated pool and broken gym equipment.
- Construction Nuisances: Ongoing construction leading to noise, dust, and inconvenience, without compensation or consideration for residents.
- Unfair Lease Terms: Policies and fees that change without proper notice, including parking and storage rules.
- Subpar Living Conditions: Issues with mold, leaks, and general disrepair that are not promptly or effectively addressed.
- Lack of Privacy: Reports of staff entering apartments without permission or adequate notice.
- Inadequate Parking: Insufficient parking leading to inconvenience, despite being a paid service.
- Poor Value for Money: The cost of rent and additional fees not reflective of the living experience or apartment quality.
- Lack of Transparency: Hidden costs and charges that appear after moving in, leading to financial strain.
- Unwelcoming Community Environment: A feeling of disconnect and lack of community due to management’s policies and attitude.
- Disregard for Tenant Comfort: Management’s lack of action on critical issues affecting tenants’ quality of life.
- Unsafe Environment: Concerns about personal and property safety due to inadequate security measures.
- Overcrowded Amenities: Amenities such as the pool being overcrowded and misused by non-residents.
- Poor Communication: A lack of clear and honest communication from management regarding issues and policies.
Reported Hazards for Preserve at Marin Apartment Homes
Dog Poop
Mold
External Links for Preserve at Marin Apartment Homes
Our website exposes the deceptive practices of AIR Communities. We link to external reviews on Google Reviews, Yelp, etc. but caution against trusting 5-star ratings. Many are the result of incentives for positive feedback, not genuine tenant experiences. We advise focusing on reviews of 3 stars or below for a real picture of these properties. Beware of manipulated ratings and seek the truth in the more critical, honest feedback
Reviews for Preserve at Marin Apartment Homes
ROBBED AGAIN AT PRESERVE AT MARIN Absolutely gutted to share the growing issues about the security situation at Preserve at Marin Apartment Homes. This "luxury" community should be our sanctuary, a place we're proud to call home. Unfortunately, it's starting to feel more like a free-for-all playground for thieves. Over the last few months, we've had numerous unsettling incidents, from robberies to car break-ins, which have disrupted our peace of mind. In an environment where we should be feeling secure, residents are now apprehensive and scared. And management is no help at all. Refusing to share security footage with police of the incidents - why don't they want to help? The most disheartening part? Our supposedly "secure" bike locker, a service we pay $50 per month for, has become a hotspot for thefts with over ten bikes stolen LAST NIGHT. This is not only deeply frustrating, but it also calls into question the sky high rents. We call upon the management to take immediate action. Our safety, sense of security, and the quiet enjoyment of our homes shouldn't be compromised. We need answers, we need solutions, and most importantly, we need ACTION. Share this post and let's stand together as a community. Let's remind the #PreserveAtMarin Preserve at Marin Apartment Homes that the safety and security of its residents should always be a top priority. We deserve to live without fear and constant vigilance. We are #StrongerTogether. #PreserveSecurity #SafetyFirst #CommunityMatters
We have been living at the Preserve for almost 2 years and due to covid and ailing parents have to break our lease to move to the EU. In less than 2 years the property management has changed 3 times. We were promised flexibility (per Christian Montoya) on letting out our unit and working together with another tenant who might want to upgrade and move into our beautiful top floor unit. Christian said to both parties that if we needed a few weeks of flexibililty between moving out and a party moving in that Corporate would not have a problem with this. Evidently NOT. During Covid and these challenging times, where we paid rent on time and have kept the place immaculate one would think that their would be a little flexibility from corporate. I would have given this place 5 stars but now barely 1. We are very disappointed.
The management is rude, the hidden fees they charge are ridiculous ($120+/month for garbage!?), the floors & walls are thin so it's noisy, the parking garages reek of garbage b/c the garbage rooms are gross, guest parking is difficult, the windows are only washed once per year so they are filthy, lot's of things were being stolen from the garage, the pool chairs are plastic & so uncomfortable they are unusable, the doors slam closed and have injured occupants (severely), the appliances are cheap so dishes were never cleaned fully BUT the guys who do maintenance are great and very responsive. Most people I know dislike living here.
The management here is horrible. They will do whatever is needed to get residents into the units, but once you are here and paying them they don't give a crap about you. They never respond to emails/calls and are never in the office. There are never enough parking spaces around (even though we pay to have a spot). There is no air conditioning (which is horrible because it can get extremely hot in the spring and summer). Our pool is essentially the community pool that is entirely open to the public and nothing is done about this. I was really excited about being able to use it when we first moved here, but now it is completely overrun with random people at all hours of the day. I'm also pretty certain that the management is stealing from the residents because the $140 a month that is charged for trash is beyond insane. This is on top of numerous "miscellaneous" charges that are tacked onto the rent. So expect to pay a significant amount above what your "base" rent is every month (which is already super high). I've lived in a lot of places in my life, but I've never been this disgusted with a management team before (and don't be fooled that there is a "new" group of management here because they are still awful). Stay as far away from this place as possible!!!
ROBBED AGAIN AT PRESERVE AT MARIN Absolutely gutted to share the growing issues about the security situation at Preserve at Marin Apartment Homes. This "luxury" community should be our sanctuary, a place we're proud to call home. Unfortunately, it's starting to feel more like a free-for-all playground for thieves. Over the last few months, we've had numerous unsettling incidents, from robberies to car break-ins, which have disrupted our peace of mind. In an environment where we should be feeling secure, residents are now apprehensive and scared. And management is no help at all. Refusing to share security footage with police of the incidents - why don't they want to help? The most disheartening part? Our supposedly "secure" bike locker, a service we pay $50 per month for, has become a hotspot for thefts with over ten bikes stolen LAST NIGHT. This is not only deeply frustrating, but it also calls into question the sky high rents. We call upon the management to take immediate action. Our safety, sense of security, and the quiet enjoyment of our homes shouldn't be compromised. We need answers, we need solutions, and most importantly, we need ACTION. Share this post and let's stand together as a community. Let's remind the #PreserveAtMarin Preserve at Marin Apartment Homes that the safety and security of its residents should always be a top priority. We deserve to live without fear and constant vigilance. We are #StrongerTogether. #PreserveSecurity #SafetyFirst #CommunityMatters
Awful customer service. This is the second time we've shown an interest in these apartments. The first time we viewed the properties and were interested in moving in but couldn't get a response back from the management team. Second time around, after being assured things had improved, we arrived only to be left waiting for 25 minutes. When someone finally arrived there was no apology. She then told us the rates quoted on the web site and over the phone were in fact incorrect. Rest assured we wont be making the same mistake again. Oh and one of the current residents said its nice if you don't mind hearing your neighbors...
Concerning Lack of Security. Having resided at the Preserve at Marin Apartments, I feel compelled to share my experience, highlighting one major issue that severely impacted my satisfaction with the community: the concerning lack of security at this property. This deficiency has resulted in a distressing series of car and bike locker break-ins, with at least three incidents occurring within the past month alone (that residents are aware of). The insufficient communication and cooperation with tenants to ensure their safety and the security of their property further exacerbate the problem. Additionally, the unauthorized use of the pool by non-tenants has led to an uninviting environment for local residents, diminishing the overall appeal of the community. At the Preserve at Marin Apartments, the absence of robust security measures has posed a significant threat to the well-being of residents. The repeated car break-ins have left tenants feeling vulnerable and anxious about the safety of their vehicles and personal belongings. The management's lack of prompt and transparent communication regarding these incidents has only added to the frustration and concern among residents, who deserve to be informed and reassured about steps taken to address the security issues. Moreover, the unauthorized usage of the pool by individuals who are not tenants has been an ongoing issue at the Preserve at Marin Apartments. This intrusion has led to overcrowding, untidiness, and a general sense of discomfort for residents who wish to enjoy the amenities they pay for. It is disheartening to witness the management's failure to enforce policies that would limit pool access to tenants, resulting in an unwelcoming atmosphere for those seeking a pleasant recreational experience. While the Preserve at Marin Apartments may possess certain positive attributes, it is important to acknowledge the severe drawbacks related to security concerns. The lack of effective security measures, coupled with inadequate communication and cooperation from management, has left residents feeling unsafe and dissatisfied with their living conditions. Additionally, the misuse of the pool area by non-tenants has diminished the overall quality of the community. Prospective tenants should exercise caution when considering the Preserve at Marin Apartments as their future home. It is crucial to thoroughly investigate the current security protocols, the management's commitment to tenant safety, and their ability to maintain a peaceful and enjoyable environment for residents. Weighing these significant drawbacks against any positive aspects is essential in making an informed decision about housing options. I hope this review provides valuable insights into the living conditions at the Preserve at Marin Apartments, allowing potential residents to make an informed choice regarding their housing needs and expectations.
This review is based on the staff at the Preserve and it's parent company AIMCO, rather than the facility/location. First off, I hate to complain, and the apartment, the onsite pool, gym etc, are all fantastic However it is very clear that the staff only care about getting you in and receiving your rent check each month, as soon as you become a tenant they simply ignore you! The lack of response and down right inability to perform is shameful, especially for a place that charges around $5000 for a two bedroom. I have made multiple (around 8) complaints over the last 6 months about the noise coming from the upstairs neighbors and absolutely nothing has been done - despite it saying in the lease that if a noise complaints are made you will have to put down rugs/carpet on the hardwood flooring. Most of the time they don't even call you back, or they set a time to call and then don't pick up. It's been 6 months! Unfortunately that isn't even the reason that promoted me to write this review... I actually just had two mountain bikes stolen from my parking spot (they were chained up securely, but the thief had bolt cutters) and when I told this to the manager (the new manager who was brought in to replace the last one) she simply replied, "yeah that's been happening a lot recently." Well thank you for the warning!! She went on to explain that there are no security cameras on site, at a place that is as expensive as this?! This is very poor in my eyes. other issues include, but are not limited to; -$140 per month for trash (up from around $70 when we moved in) - very, very slow to fix anything on-site. - even slower to fix things in your apartment. - top fire-pit has been out of action for weeks (maybe months) - pool unheated for weeks (maybe months) - The staff can be quite rude... when i asked why they don't have water in the communal fridge anymore the lady replied quite harshly "I stopped buying them because everyone kept drinking them all.".... well yeah, that's the point! Anyway, apologies for the rant, but 6 months of deprived sleep due to constant banging, running, and screaming from upstairs has left me very frustrated.
Lived here for a year. If this place was free, I wouldn't move back. It looks nice and shiny on the website, but in real life it is a decades old complex that received a recent makeover. We had multiple issues on multiple occasions with unresponsive/rude management, water leaks (pleural), and even asbestos concerns. Also, I echo every other concern raised here including ridiculous garbage fees, thin walls, cheap vinyl wood-like flooring (advertised at hardwood), seemingly non-stop fire alarms, etc.
If I could give this negative stars I would. They stole our $1,500 "holding fee" when we submitted our application. Took a week to tell us we would not be getting the apartment. We are now having to threaten to sue them to get the money back. All during a pandemic. THIS IS A SCAM!! PRESERVE AT MARIN ARE CROOKS AND WILL STEAL YOUR MONEY.
I've been a resident for more than 4 years and can't wait for my lease to end and get out of here. Read the reviews closely - the positive ones usually come from new residents that are often enamored by the modern interior design, great views, and nice location. The negative ones, which are many, are from residents like me that have lived here awhile. The management of the property abysmal. Property managers turn over every few months, always with email from the parent company describing how committed they are to find a great replacement. Managers are rarely on the property and when they are, they are focused on leasing the many open units, or sending silly emails about how important it is to follow community rules, with no follow up. There's one maintenance guy for the entire property. He tries hard but has an enormous backlog and is always apologetic for the long delays in responding to service requests. BTW - when you see responses from the property to these reviews, they are not from a real person that is onsite and familiar with the property.
Management has a habit of illegally towing vehicles without following proper procedure under California law.
We have lived here for over 5 months and while this place is in a beautiful setting and somewhat well maintained by the maintenance staff, the property managers onsite are mainly unresponsive to residents after you move in and are continuously changing their policy on charges to residents. Examples include: trying to charge residents for outside parking after being told outside parking at the signing of the lease was free, trying to charge fees to residents that store bikes behind their (paid for) garage parking spot even after being told this was okay when signing the lease, and the most absurd charge is for "valet trash" (this is in addition to the city trash charges). The buildings don't have trash chutes in each building, so instead they have decided to leave an ugly brown bin outside of each door and charge $40/month for trash service from the brown bin. Note that the brown bin does not include recycling (the majority of most people's trash), so you still have to walk down to the trash room to take out recycling. On top of the valet trash charge, you also have to pay a city charge for the trash picked up in the trash room, this charge is anywhere from $60-$70/month. We are a small (two person family) who travels and is frequently away with minimal trash that has a monthly trash bill of $110 a month. In addition, since this a variable charge, this charge has somehow increased by 53% since we moved in. Watch out for the extra charges not explained during your tour of the building prior to moving in and the potential for them to try to add more charges on due to a change in policy that wasn't communicated to residents. Don't expect much help from the onsite management staff once you move in. We have to send a minimum of 3 emails to get one response on any particular inquiry and usually with an unsatisfactory response.
Exactly what you can expect if you move to The Preserve.... The only amenity I use, the fire pit, breaks down annually. It hasn't worked in months. Lots of excuses, no results. The light on my deck was broken for 2 years before they got around to fixing it. My deck doors don't close and, after numerous complaints, I'm on a who knows how long to get it fixed backlog while my utility bill soar trying to keep my apartment bearable and I add to Climate Change. No one seems to care. And the corporate response? Do nothing, never contact him, don't fix anything but use our billion dollar corporate largeness and try and make him look bad on Yelp. The property is so beautiful, the people who work on premises are so wonderful...it's amazing that it can get this bad.
When your out looking for a new apartment on a Saturday and there is only one representative that is too busy to assist and your asked to come back in 3-4 hours, that's a problem. Seriously, on Saturday, the only day we had together to look at places. I think it's a sign that they are not properly staffed to care for the office, tenants and future tenants. So we left and won't be back.
First, the good: The Preserve is in a beautiful location, with wonderful water views and great access to Ring Mountain trails. Very convenient from a commuting perspective, whether you take the ferry into the city, or get on the 101. Great school district (Reed in Tiburon) if you have school-aged children. Other than the location and local amenities, the actual apartments and the living experience is terrible. The sheer volume of tenant turnover is clearly a testament to something being wrong with the property. We saw probably 50-75% turnover in our building in the year we were there. * It is close to impossible to get a response or engagement from the building management on anything. o We had a leak in our unit and black mold (photo attached). It took a month of fighting before they were responsive or would fix anything (they had endless people out for estimates, which were requested by "corporate". We had an entire room blocked off as a biohazard and yet to get them to take any action required herculean efforts and daily follow ups on our part. Given I was pregnant at the time, living with black mold and having zero responsiveness from management on the issue was pretty scary. It's not just an annoyance - it's an unsafe living environment. o Our bathroom flooded as there was a pipe blockage somewhere above us. We were bailing water out of the shower and dumping it into a sink in the other room to prevent it from flooding the bedroom. The entire time we were on the phone with the emergency line who was "leaving messages for approval to get a plumber in". Again, the mysterious "corporate" must approve everything. o The fire alarm went off in the main entrance and could be heard throughout the entire building. It was deemed to be "not an emergency" by the powers that be and they let the alarm continue going off for over 24 hours, throughout the night. o The people who lived below us smoked (the entire complex is non-smoking). When we spoke to the individual who lived there about it and he slammed the door in our face, we asked for help. Not one email (of which there were too many to count) on the subject to the property manager was ever answered. The entire landing of the floor that he lived on reeked of cigarette smoke so it was hardly an insignificant issue or one that wouldn't be noticed. o Moving out was comical. We gave THREE months' notice (the lease stipulates 2 months' notice if you are not renewing) and they charged us 3K for "late notice" which took time and aggravation over a month (well past move out) to get them to correct. I probably wasted 20 hours of my time on emails and VMs that were never responded to or never got us anywhere closer to resolution. I truly believe that things like this are not errors, but ways for them to try to pull one over on you and hope you don't notice or simply leave you so frustrated that you would rather pay than deal with them. Essentially, once you sign the lease, you're on your own and they don't even have the decency of pretending to care. * The building construction itself (as evidenced by the examples above) is bad. There is virtually no sound barrier vertically between the units. We could hear every footstep above us, knew every TV show they were watching, and could hear every toilet flush. In the year we lived here I can honestly say I have never had a good night's sleep. It wasn't the fault of the people above us, it's just simply that the apartments have no noise barriers whatsoever. After a year at the Preserve, I could not be happier to be leaving. The poor construction of the units is one thing, but the complete and utter lack of responsiveness, communication and sheer disrespect that the property management shows towards the tenants makes living there a painful experience.
The complex looks nice, I guess. Showed up on a Saturday at 1045 for our 1100 confirmed appointment, only to be stood up. After calling the number and getting InTouch with someone, they stated they had no way of contacting the leasing agent and that she's probably out on the property. Seriously, who has no way of contacting an employee?
This is a horrible apartment complex and the owners, AIMCO, do not care, all they care about is exploiting current tenants and have them pay premium rents while receiving substandard living conditions.The appliances are cheap, the pool is NOT heated, the walls are paper thin, and there is black mold, to name a few. Everyday items in the units are not installed properly, the front doors, wood floors, cabinets, closet doors, bathroom fixtures, etc. There are thefts, which should never be an issue with a place with this high of rent and location, but they have zero security measures, make horrible staffing decisions, and do not care about the safety of their residents, all they care about is how much they pocket. Residents are charged over $120 per month on top of all the other add-ons and rent, just for trash, it is the city trash charge plus $40 per month specific to AIMCO for what they call "trash valet", over $2,000 per year just on garbage alone. The photos they showcase online are photoshopped and inaccurate. They lowered their rent on available units because people move out as quickly as they moved in once they realize how ridiculous this place is and there are always several apartments available. But they then screw over current residents by not only charging them the highest rent in the entire complex, but for entire Marin county, and then on top of the they RAISE their rent if they renew. Hey AIMCO, lower rents of premium tenants and realize you have a cheap apartment community.
Where is anyone from corporate? This place is a disaster from the property manager Lindsay to maintenance. It has been a nightmare living experience and no one cares. They have given zero concessions for the massive construction on property, which is a huge part of why living here is unbearable. There is dust and dirt that comes through the vents and into the units 24/7, you can see it on the walls and breathe it in. We are constantly being held up driving in and out due to the construction trucks and all things related to construction. For years now we have had to also deal with the loud noise of construction starting at 7am lasting all day long. The pool is freezing cold, which when we moved in they said it is heated all year round. The amenities never work and everything on the property is run down. The property manager and maintenance are so rude anytime there is an issue and they do not care and refuse to fix things. It is an old run down apartment community with zero accountability. They say they charge such high rent because they can and they don't maintain the property or care about the construction or concerns of residents and they make living here miserable because they can. No rules are enforced. It is a hell hole and I hope people do not rent from them.
WOW! Read the reviews that are not good ( AND MOST IMPORTANTLY - the last part of this review). They are telling. I was going back and forth with the manager. Appointments kept getting made and cancelled. Texts at all hours (which I found out were automated and not even a person.) The morning I did get an appointment... found out the manager walked out and there was a corporate person there that flew in from another state. CAN'T keep managers because it's a sleazy place. That morning the listing said that they had 11 apartments. I get there and the new "manager" takes me to see an apartment. She tells me it's a 3 bedroom... I said that I was okay with a 3 bedroom But, I had expressed that I really wanted a 2 bedroom with a view. She proceeded to tell me that THIS was the ONLY apartment that they had available. Period. No view and probably the worst location on the property. I told her that I only was interested in a unit with a view. Then... she said, "well we do have a 2 bedroom with a partial view in another building... but, you don't want that one...) She had just emphasized that they DIDN'T have any other units available. ONLY this one. I said... I wasn't interested in that unit and asked to see the public spaces... just in case another unit because available... I looked at her and asked..." How much is the unit that you just showed me... in case I can't find another one?" She looked at me and I kid you NOT.... said, "It's $3200 today if you take it and sign up today. It Goes UP every day after that and if you wait 2 weeks to sign the lease... It would be $5500 per month... " TOTAL SLEAZE.... I wouldn't rent from people like this if my life depended on it.... and now they are showing 13 units available for a place that only had that ONE... and DIDN'T have ANY coming available part
mgmt just wants to extract money from tenants without giving services; some apartments are in bad shape and nothing is fixed on time ; our refrigerator gone bad and it took them 8 months to do something about it. bad hardwood floor - never got fixed.
RENTER BEWARE. We just moved out after a single year lease and this has been the most hellacious experience at an apartment complex we have ever had. First: Hidden Fees for "amenities" You pay for your parking spot. 150 a month if you have an electric vehicle, 50 a month or more for garage parking and 35 or more for a standard space outside. You have garbage "pickup" which is 35 a month and comes when they feel like it. often it stacks up for days. Never discussed when we signed lease and the fee is mandatory, even if you want to take your own trash to the dumpster. You pay for the amazon locker system (50-100 a month) which again was never discussed during lease. Rent is 5k or more so if you want a cheaply made/designed complex with poor customer service and a rotating door of staff (all of which have been barely high school educated and dont seem to give two cares about their renters) then this is your place. Construction: Never communicated to us until the day prior. They are tearing up a significant portion of this complex and we hear jack hammers, trucks and equipment ALL DAY, starting at 7am. Its super peaceful and enjoyable. Parking: When they started construction they eliminated parking to 80% of the lot for building 6 and 7. This left people with families, disabilities etc. ZERO options for parking close to their building. You would think for 5k a month you would be able to park fairly close to your home. Not the case here. Fixtures and Interiors: Incredibly CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP. When you tour, it looks nice, seems legitimate but let me tell you, after only one year here we have had massive plumbing issues that required us to have no showers or water for two days several months ago, paint that chips and falls off the ceiling when neighbors walk too loud above you and little to ZERO maintenance of the grounds. Staff: We have lived here one year and there have been three to four different "managers" (i say that with a huge amount of sarcasm) running preserve. The "madame" or "boss" of this group is a woman from Dallas, TX who shows up once a quarter or so and addresses nothing for the community and then leaves. If you are looking for consistency, service or any level of superior experience for your 5k-10k per month....this isn't the place for you. Rules: We are supposed to keep our patios and parking spots clean and organized so we don't look like a back alley way complex. Nobody abides by this and it isn't enforced. People walk their dogs and there is animal poop EVERYWHERE because nobody picks it up and the maintenance team does nothing. Lease renewal: You will be charged 20-40% increased to move to month to month after your lease runs out unless you sign an aggressive and poor value lease for another year to three years. They make it impossible for anyone to stay a year or less at a reasonable rate. they also tell you in the beginning that they dont raise rent over 5%, that is not the case and they will rip into your wallet the minute they have the opportunity. Access: There are no handicap parking spaces near most buildings (pretty sure this isnt legal) and there is no easement or ramp for people who are in wheelchairs or who cant utilize steps. Already reported this and not sure if it is mandatory or not, but if you need a ramp, dont come here. The views are great, but you pay for them and frankly, for 5k or more a month, you have a lot of options....even in Marin. SAVE YOURSELF THE TIME, MONEY, FRUSTRATION and HEADACHE and stay away from this nightmare and their nightmare staff. The place is trash.
DO NOT rent from this place. AMCO is an awful company. They don't explain charges and costs associated with moving in/out. We moved in in 5/2015, and except for the fact that it's all new and modern, the rest is a rip-off and management is unresponsive and/or rude. When we moved in our trash bill was $25-30 /month for basic trash plus $40/ month for Valet trash, I thought that was ridiculous, but them 3-4 months ago they increased the basic trash bill to $100/ month plus the $40 for valet!! I emailed Windy (manager) about it, and have spoke with many other residents that our outraged, of course the Preserve has no response and continues to charge every until here $140/ month for trash, total robbery. If you have a problem or need something fixed, don't hold your breath. You pay for parking but you can't store bikes or carseat/strollers in your parking place that you pay for without getting emails or letters to remove. Also, we moved in here with free outside parking which they now since numbered and will start charging for soon. We have friends that live here that had black mold in their pantry and it took Preserve 2 months to remedy it, with no credit for rent or inconvenience. Another friend that just moved out warned me last week that they require you to write a 60 day notice even though your lease is expiring and BTW, 60 day notices are against CA rental law, only 30 day is required. It's a huge corporation, iron clad lease BTW..there is no getting out of lease if you wanted to move. You cannot sublet, and early termination is 3 months rent. 3 bedrooms here go from $4900-7000/month, you can do the math. The best part about this place is the pool when it's heated and the BBQ with view. They claim it is heated year-round which it's not. It's been cold for 2 months now. This was a temporary move for my family and I and it's been an awful experience. I can't wait till our lease is up. We have made some great friends while living here, another positive, although they all feel the same way.
This apartment complex has proven to be a regrettable choice for residence due to a number of persisting issues that are inadequately addressed by the management. Among the most prominent and distressing of these problems are the defective doors and windows, a concern that the management is fully aware of, yet exhibits an alarming lack of urgency in rectifying. The lengthy repair times, often extending to several months, leave residents subjected to uncomfortable, cold living conditions, and expose them to potential security risks. This situation reveals a disturbing negligence on the part of the management, demonstrating a concerning disregard for the safety, comfort, and well-being of the residents. The management's inability to swiftly address these critical issues, coupled with their dismissive attitude towards resident's complaints, paints a picture of a poorly run establishment that fails to prioritize its residents' needs. Moreover, the overall maintenance of the apartment complex leaves much to be desired. From faulty gym equipment to a generally unclean environment, the complex consistently falls short of providing a satisfactory living experience.
Update after one year: First, I still believe Lindsay and Hernan are the best. They're responsive and easy to work with--truly a pleasure. I reduced my rating for a few reasons: 1. My first renewal notice arrived, and they want to raise my rent by 11%; that's asinine. It's been one year! lol. 2. I live on the second floor of Building 5 and can hear my neighbor above me on a daily basis. I specifically asked about noise prior to moving in and was told it wasn't a problem. After moving in, I learned the prior tenant had issues with the same noise. In short, I was lied to. 3. The corporate team is aware of appliance issues and isn't proactive about swapping out equipment until it breaks or impacts your living. My sliding glass doors broke and were inoperative for months, and my dryer stained my white linens with grease stains. Both issues were resolved, but my rent wasn't reduced, and my linens were not replaced. Pros: Like I said, the local team is great. The views are stunning, and while I don't frequently use the common area amenities, when I have, they're a nice perk. Overall, for the price and annual increases they're looking for, I can rent a single-family home or a condo and recommend the same to anyone looking at this place. It's not luxury and not worth the cost.
Update: First, I still believe Lindsay and Hernan are the best. They're responsive and easy to work with--truly a pleasure. I reduced my rating for a few reasons: 1. My first renewal notice arrived, and they wanted to raise my rent by 11%; that's asinine. It's been one year! lol. It's now listed on their site for 25% more than I pay too (I gave notice I won't renew). Wild. 2. I live on the second floor of Building 5 and can hear my neighbor above me on a daily basis. I specifically asked about noise prior to moving in and was told it wasn't a problem. After moving in, I learned the prior tenant had issues with the same noise. In short, I was lied to. My neighbors have similar observations about the noise from above. 3. The corporate team (and interim community manager) is aware of appliance issues and isn't proactive about swapping out equipment until it breaks or impacts your living. My sliding glass doors broke and were inoperative for months, and my dryer stained my white linens with grease stains. Both issues were resolved, but my rent wasn't reduced, and my linens were not replaced (in fact, I was told by a manager in LA to submit a claim for reimbursement via my renters insurance). Pros: Like I said, the local team is great. The views are stunning, and while I don't frequently use the common area amenities, when I have, they're a nice perk. Overall, for the price/annual increases and the lack of transparency (and lying) form the landlord, I'm better off renting a single-family home or a condo and recommend the same to anyone looking at this place. It's not luxury and not worth the cost.
A word of warning: whenever you get to lease renewal time it seems that the Preserve owners prefer to engage in behavior that would only ever work out to their advantage: they will offer you a new lease where the best pricing is combined with a weird term so that your next renewal will always take place during a peak period; they may attempt to increase fees on parking and other extras at that time as well. We recently went through our third lease renewal and aside from a nominal increase in rent (which is expected) they proposed to increase the fees on all of our parking. By "increased fees on parking" I mean exactly crazy numbers: the EV parking spots (which are limited) are more than doubling in price from our last year's rate of $120. It's predatory: they know that we have an EV, which we bought just because we had EV parking at a certain cost, and we need to charge that EV. What's worse is that whether your drive a Leaf (less than 110 miles range) or a Tesla (300 miles range), everyone pays the same flat fee. Complete BS. They could have put in metered charging points, which would have provided transparency along with a level of fairness because previous generation EVs have tiny batteries (that require phenomenally less amounts of electricity to charge) vs the newer batch of cars (with gigantic batteries and 200+ miles range: Tesla, Bolt). With that said, after much complaint, the leasing office backed off on their plan to hike up our parking fees to insane levels for our fourth term. We had already begun to start to look for alternatives but with this turn of events elected to stay for another year. As for my previous review...nothing's changed. They company did absolutely zero about the bbq smoker that whenever it's used requires us to close all of our windows (the wind blows off of the bay straight up the hill and into the buildings at the top, predominantly Building 5). Thankfully, the smoker isn't used very frequently. Correction: I shouldn't say they did "nothing", they did manage to dispatch the community manager we had at the time. That means in the three years we've lived at the Preserve, the community has iterated through at least four community managers. If you can ignore the flaws of this place, it is a great setting and the building and surrounding facilities are only a few years old. 06/23/18: Had to bump this review back down to a 2 because of the bbq situation at Building 5. I had completely forgotten one thing: when it gets hot here gets really hot (it's in the 90's today) and these apartments don't have air conditioning. So when people are bbq'ing and using the smoker (as they are right now) I can't enjoy the use of my balcony and I have to close all of my windows and sit inside a stuffy apartment waiting for people to stop grilling. This certainly doesn't make for an enjoyable experience.
I am updating my review because the building has really gone downhill since I moved in two years ago. Like most have said in other reviews, the costs continue to go up (150.00 a month for garbage is absolutely ridiculous) and the service continues to get worse. The amount you pay is not worth what you are getting. They do not do a good job of taking care of the property. My Windows haven't been cleaned in the two years I have lived here, landscaping is terrible, and the staff has changed and they are very unresponsive. Although the units are modern and nice as is the pool, my recommendation would be to not move here.
I lived at the Preserve at Marin for almost 3 years. While this is a nice community, with good apartments/views, the management isn't up to scratch (except Ruben, who's no longer there), which is why it get's 2 stars. In the 3 years that I stayed, we went over at least 8 property managers! Year over year rent increases are also insane (our's increased by more than 15% which is why we decided to move out... had I decided to stay, my total rent increase from 2016 to 2019 would have been 25%+). There definitely is a lot of turnover at this place (which tells you everything) . The management is also not very responsive (unless you escalate issues) and you have to remind them again and again and again - they do have their usual excuses: "Oh I contacted the other person who lives in your apartment", or "I was just about to call/text you". Also, you end up paying $140-150 for garbage, which is crazy! Anyway, with a better property management, I believe this can be a good place. Also, there's no loyalty shown for people who've lived there long term... they want you to get out and they do that by the steep rent increases. A week before I was supposed to move out, they offered to keep the rent flat from last year (too little too late), and that's probably because they have tons of apartments open now, and no one's willing to move in. To conclude: Once you have signed the lease, you are left on your own, and they don't care - that's the reality.
We moved in about 3 months ago in order to get away from SF city living. While the area is gorgeous and our neighbors seem very friendly we have had issue after issue with our apartment. To start off there were certain apartment hunting websites that claimed this complex had AC. The day we moved in we were told that isn't the case, even though there is an AC control on the wall with a "cool" setting. I took a screenshot and passed along to management. We spoke with management and they were very willing to look to correct the mistake with the online site, but we left a comfortable apartment and decided to pay a rather large rent with the anticipation that this was a feature. In addition to that in the 3 months we have been here we've had to request maintenance about 10 times. A lot of these requests have been for the same issues, mainly windows break off their hinges and our Dryer never dry's anything. During my wife's walkthrough of the apartment she specifically asked about the noise level to which we were told it has never been a problem. That is not the case. We can hear our neighbors walking above us, dogs barking, construction all day right next door and when doors slam shut they rattle the building. This makes for very long days in a Post COVID world where we are working from home for a good portion of the week. I spoke with management about all of these concerns and they most they could offer me was the ability to move into another apartment unit within the same complex as it became available. That being said the apartments that became available were about a thousand dollars more in rent. We've been trying to be good sports for this entire experience. As mentioned above our neighbors are very nice, everyone tries to be as courteous as possible and the area is beautiful. The maintenance staff is responsive, professional and considerate. However, even with all of that, the apartment was in very poor shape moving into it and I feel like it was misleading having sites claim there was AC in the complex. We agree to pay a high rent premium with the understanding that there are certain standards of living attached to it and so far we have not experienced those standards.
The community has some great advantages like location, views, simple maintenance, but some community rules are not enforced. For instance, some residents use their terraces to store bikes and gas grills. Also, while most residents follow the leash rules, a handful regularly do not. It leaves residents not comfortable with dogs in a tough spot. Some simple changes would make the community much better.
Community Team