SKAIA

I want to be fair upfront — the on-site staff are great, the building is solid new construction (never hear my neighbors), the location is nice, and Timeless Coffee downstairs is a genuine perk. If this were just about the building, it’d be four stars. But since Sares-Regis took over management, the tenant experience has tanked.
The overall vibe from management is adversarial. Every minor issue — trash left in a common area, for instance — gets a building-wide email that reads like a legal... threat. Cameras will be checked, charges will be brought. It’s constant, and it sets a tone that makes you feel like a liability instead of a resident.
When they first took over, I had urgent maintenance requests open including a ceiling leak and a broken fridge. Radio silence. I had to physically walk into the office to get any response. The previous management company had also been handling renters insurance for a lot of tenants, and those policies quietly lapsed during the transition. Instead of giving people a reasonable heads-up, Sares-Regis stuck 3-day cure-or-quit notices on our doors. For a problem they inherited.
Common areas are locked down outside of limited hours — can’t access them early morning or late at night. This is my home, not an office building.
On the lease side, the previous company offered a 2-month concession on a 14-month lease and renewed it yearly. Sares-Regis replaced that with a 2-week concession, while advertising a 4+ week “look and lease” deal to new tenants. So existing tenants get a worse deal than someone walking in off the street. I’ve been here over two years, have an income around 8x the rent, and they still denied my application to transfer to a 1-bedroom because of a past bankruptcy — completely ignoring my actual payment history. So now I’m stuck paying month-to-month for a junior 1-bed that costs more than a 1-bedroom, with no options.
A note on the unit itself: the “green” HVAC system barely functions. Heating and AC are essentially nonexistent. West-facing units with the big windows become a greenhouse. Dishwasher doesn’t really work either.
The bones of this building are great and the on-site staff deserve better than the company above them. Also worth noting — shortly after Sares-Regis took over, they held a raffle where the entry requirement was leaving a 5-star review. So take the glowing reviews with a grain of salt. If you’re considering living here, just understand what you’re dealing with on the management side. Read More

First of all, I want to give a huge thank you to Jowanna, Nicole, and Erwann, because of them I was able to get in a quick tour, sign my paper work, have my apartment of choice inspected, and moved in at a timely manner. Before applying I was so stressed as I needed to find a place quickly that met all my needs.

Let me just say, the view is incredible! As an artist I enjoy going up to the top rooftop (yes, there's more than one) and setting up my easel and painting.
The other amenities are... nice as well, including a rooftop pool, gym, and more.
I don't have a pet, but there's a pretty decent size dog park/run. Jowanna was even nice to ask me if I'd prefer being on a floor with less dogs, not that I mind but someone might. I enjoy that it's located in the center of the night time action, but tucked off in a way you still feel safe.
I also really appreciate the decent size parking lot and constant security around the place. Jaz and all the rest of the security have been really nice and welcoming and all contributed in some way of making my move easier.

Thanks guys. Read More

My experience with ZO Apartments has been great! Nicole is literal sunshine. I also love all the amenities that are available to us. Having BART and a billion bus stops just 2 blocks is such a plus! The place is clean and well-maintained. There are also FREE events that come with FREE food. This Christmas, I didn't even need to buy wrapping paper, tape, or tags because there was a station provided to us for that too.

That said, most of the issues that arose seem to be due to tennants, i.e. the... occassional smell of weed in the hallways despite management's incessant reminders that smoking indoors is prohibited, the recycling and trash chute being clogged due to someone disposing a carpet in the chute, etc.

ZO Apartments is a great place to live. I highly recommend! Read More

This apartment community is great. The residents and staff are nice and attentive. I really enjoy the amenities here and I love the location of the apartment complex because it's near the lake and plenty of restaurants and shops.

It was going so well. Then none of the promises were made. There’s continual change in property managers, nothing can ever get done. None of my issues have been properly addressed. If I could afford to move, I would.