Santa Clara Square Apartment Homes

Before choosing to reside in Santa Clara Square Apartments or any other property managed by Irvine Company Apartment Communities, prospective tenants should carefully consider the following points based on our personal experiences. Note that individual experiences may vary.

Throughout our tenancy, we encountered several challenges. We, like other residents, struggled with inadequate sound insulation, constantly disturbed by noise from our upstairs neighbors. Early morning pickups by garbage and... recycling trucks near the Commons East Cafe on Augustine Drive were a recurring nuisance, even with all our windows shut. Additionally, the peace of Augustine Drive was frequently disrupted by cars and motorcycles with loud exhausts racing through the area multiple times a week.

We also observed miscellaneous items left in common areas, unauthorized parking in loading zones, and occasional instances of unattended dog waste. These issues occurred regularly, suggesting a lack of management action. We dealt with a malfunctioning elevator, broken elevator buttons, and mail room doors, all of which remained unfixed for weeks. Moreover, most EV charging stations are designated as "reserved spots," and the few available for use are consistently occupied.

During our move-out process, the scheduled final inspection didn't happen as planned because the appointed individual failed to show up, and there was no communication about their absence. This resulted in wasted time away from work, particularly frustrating since final inspections weren't scheduled on weekends. We had to reschedule the appointment without our presence, causing further inconvenience.

Our frustrations grew as we encountered exorbitant move-out fees, echoing complaints from former residents. Our final bill included charges amounting to $239 for apartment cleaning, $101 for carpet cleaning, and $79 for paint. It took numerous phone calls and emails, reminding them of our move-in inspection log and submitting photographs, to eventually have the cleaning and paint charges retracted. This ordeal raises serious concerns about the professionalism of resident services personnel or potentially the integrity of the establishment's operations, suggesting a reliance on residents not challenging erroneous charges.

Although we successfully contested the erroneous charges, we can't regain the time we spent dealing with Santa Clara Square Apartments over issues that shouldn't have arisen in the first place. Lee mas

We had our license plate stolen from our garage spot and it driven up to North Bay to commit other crimes. The leasing office will try to dilute this through observation that crime is a problem *everywhere* in the Bay, not just here. Many of the doors leading to the garage into the building remain ajar. Given that criminals are proven to be wandering the garages at night, does this paint a picture of safety and security? The units themselves are not impervious to noise. The units above and below... us have generally been tenant turnstiles, but we can always hear our neighbors when we have them! The walls and ceilings of the units generally allow sound to pass through. And apparently water... Somehow, the shower in the unit above us "flooded" causing dirty/used water to gush through the ceiling vent of our bathroom. For the amount this place costs to live in, that shouldn't be possible? Lee mas

The resident management is extremely ineffective in handling actual issues within the apartments. For example, there are no penalties for flooding the apartment or noise way outside of quiet hours especially on work nights (1-5am), or having more pets than the maximum. All these are within the resident lease and handbook. Thankfully the maintenance staff is great at their jobs and always friendly. Leasing was also good when we toured and signed. Amenities are also nice overall. Definitely feels... like they focus more on future residents than current ones though. Lee mas

I have been living in Santa Clara Square Apartment Building #7, the new building, for almost a month now. It has been a BAD BAD experience since day one
- When we were touring the apartment the leasing agent did not mention anything about construction work, so the building is not ready and not even close to being ready; you will hear constant construction work everywhere inside and in the parking lot.
- If you care about the gym, pool, jacuzzi. then, this place is not for you for sure. They told... us when you move in the amenities will be ready, it has been a month since I moved it and it is not ready. Actually, they told us 3 stories and all of them are lies. 
- When we were touring there was fire alarm testing, the leasing agent told us this is only a test. However, when we moved in, the fire alarm lasted 2 weeks. Also, they told us they will keep testing it for the next few months since as mentioned the building is not ready. 
- your mail will not be delivered, USPS does not deliver to this building since it is new, looks like it is a USPS policy that the building should be 25% occupied. This should have been communicated before signing the contract. They told us, you should have been aware of this.
- The price of the apartment dropped significantly, which is not fair for us. Leasing told us the apartments are going away so fast so we acted fast. DO NOT listen to the leasing agents.

I highly recommended staying away from the new building, so you don't have to go through what I am going through right now; noise, mail, no amenities, and expensive.  Lee mas

I like this place which is convenient, with good amenities. Staff are nice too. The only issue I have is the quality of the building. You can hear your neighbour from across and above. For the first month or so, it was fine.it is not the same as more ppl have moved in. Now I cant sleep well daily as I can hear people talking even at 3am! There is a problem with ppl slamming doors too. It feels like you are at a gym with lots of heavy weight equip,met. You can feel the shake too. Another issue is... the drainage. Be prepared to clean your bathtub everyday. Lee mas