Chelsea Santa Monica

I’ve been a tenant here for 4 years on the 4th floor penthouse, paying $4,500 per month, and I can tell you the truth about this place:
• Homeless issues — There’s a homeless shelter/soup kitchen directly next door. Transients are lying on the sidewalk 24/7; at night, there’s yelling and screaming (“whyyyyyy, whyyyyy”) and even suicides jumping off the parking garage while under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
• Management turnover — 4 new managers in just the last two years. Our emails… never get answered, our voicemails go unreturned. Mayra was a complete nightmare to work with—she just left. They never last.
• 2-3 months for repairs — Maintenance seemed to only work 1-2 days per week. They always prioritize move-outs first. Getting a working fridge took 3 months, and the replacement was the wrong size. Trees were encroaching deep into my balcony—they said “contact the city.” Air filters were replaced with the cheapest $1 green fiberglass filters they could find. The dryer stopped drying well and needed service; they never bothered, said it’s “still working.” The list goes on, guys.
• Neglected common areas — The parking garage is completely filthy. The rooftop couches are filthy and dusty. The cleaning guy seems to only do the minimum required. The hallways’ baseboards are scratched up. The lobby has broken LED lights and missing artwork. The coffeemaker in the lobby—don’t expect it to work more than 1 day per week. Yes, there’s a nice rooftop view, but the vents give off a sour odor, and my guests always asked, “What’s that smell?” The garage has a septic system that breaks every 3 months and smells like sewage. The list goes on here too…

Conclusion: The property is currently for sale—I know this because they barged into my apartment with only 1 hour notice this morning, allowing investors to take photos (thank you for that). If the property changes hands, expect some minor lipstick, but overall it’s just not worth it. Cross-shop the new construction properties off Broadway. I regret living here, and I just put in my notice to vacate Read More