La Privada

Current Resident 841056

Resident • 2008 - 2013

I have lived at this complex since 2008, and overall I love living here. The maintenance staff is still first rate, but since the complex was sold last year it has been a rough transition otherwise. The real corker was when they mistakenly posted eviction notices to a number of people - who had actually paid their rent on time or even early. This was shortly after the property was sold and the management and staff were replaced. Keep in mind the rent checks have the address and unit number on them and the name - so not too hard to match up to a paid/not paid list, and not hard to double check if someone shows not paid. We were forced to bring copies of the cancelled check to prove we had paid them, as they couldn't be bothered going through their records. Usually you get paid for doing someone's accounts receivable for them. I shudder to think what would have happened if someone was out of town when this fiasco occurred - would they have come back to find their locks changed and possessions in storage or worse? You would think a written apology and some compensation, maybe a few bucks off the next month's rent e.g, would have been offered for this affront. But no. Recently they got the brilliant idea to repaint the property. It is okay as is,and only needed at most a minor freshening of the paint. Naturally the new color scheme will bring the look of this beautiful property down a number of pegs. Picture an ugly green with doodoo brown trim. Not attractive, not soothing, not regional, just heartbreaking. I can only imagine who chose and how this was chosen. Perhaps there was a sale on these hideous colors. Certainly they did not bother to ask the 400 tneants what color they might look to look at every day - even if they had given a choice of several under consideration. The money they are wasting on ugly paint could have been used elsewhere to be sure. Gates that work consistently, or additional or better/ newer equipment in the gym, or even new gas grills that actually light, or...you name it. I still like the overall property, andthe design of my unit, not to mention the location, but I am sad to see what has happened to this Scottsdale jewel. The construction is unique, sort of adobe brick, with great sound isolation. There pools, spa, gym, tennis court, and even 9-hole putting green are all a plus. Even the one bedrooms are spacious. Maybe the next company to buy the project will be less clueless. Maybe. A few days ago I stoppe dby the office, thinking of grabbng a cookie - as they have alays had warm, or crecently warm, cookies for residents /guests /prosepctive tenants. Sadly all that was out were a few small cookies out of a bag - not an oven. Minor detail,but symbolic nonethelss. Rule 1: Treat tenant we.. Rule 2. Ask tenants what they want /need. Rule 3. Before making big decisions or taking action, refer to numbers 1 and 2. I will say the maintenance staff is one of the reasons I renew when my lease is up. If only the rest of the management/ownership team can come up to that level.

Current Resident 404421

Resident • 2013

Just moved in . SECRETARIES ARE RUDE AND DO NOT HELP AT ALL THERE IS A LADY NAMED ----- THAT IS UNPROFESSIONAL,------, AND RUDE I think ------------------------- . DON'T KNOW WHY THEY HIRED HER IF THEY ARE TRYING TO SAY THEY ARE A CLASSY PLACE. I PAY SO MUCH BECAUSE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD BUT THERE IS MOLD MY DOG GOT TICKS THE BRICK WALLS ARE PAINTED OVER AND CHIPPED THE SECRETARY ----- ----- WON'T HELP ME PUT IN A WORK ORDER TO GET ANYTHING DONE I AM MOVING WHEN I GET THE CHANCE , especially if they don't get rid of there awful "leasing agents" ... The mantainence people are very helpful and nice . Don't ask the ----- ----- for anything it won't get done

Prospective Resident 832227

Prospect • Visited 2012

Put a deposit on an apartment with Rene with the condition that my roomate would get a job he was interviewing for. He did not get the job and I called Rene to let her know. She said if he got something to come back but she couldn't guarantee the rate. My application stated right on it that it was contingent on getting a job. Assuming Rene would destroy the check I didn't worry about it. Several weeks later the check was cashed. Rene acknowledged that this was a mistake and told me the check would be mailed out 10 days ago. I still don't have it and can't get a return phone call.

mnaussie

Resident • 2012

I lOVE living at La Privada. The staff have been wonderful and helpful given that I am in a wheelchair. They made the apartment suitable by expanding doors and have gone out of their way to help me enjoy living here. It is so convenient to grocery, restaurants, pharmacies, etc. I occasionally hear my upstairs neighbor but that it is. Lovely caring neighbors and dog friendly. My little Yorkie has tons of friends to play with. The pool area is phenomenal. They even put up a special parking sign for me. I do not know where the others were living because this has definitely NOT been my experience.

Current Resident 846427

Resident • 2010 - 2012

Run.....don't walk.....AWAY from La Privada Apartments at Scottsdale Ranch. Save yourself! The complex is in serious decline and we are being overcharged on out lease at least $250/month. Management is tone deaf and impervious to renters' pain. We have been here two years and are stuck for another year or so. If for some reason you must rent here, do not accept their "market rate" nubers and negotiate the hell out of them! BTW...they say they do background check on all potential tenants but the cops are here an awful lot.

Current Resident 558284

Resident • 2011 - 2012

Do Not Live Here

Management is the worst management I have ever seen. They will take you for every dime and make many mistakes in their accounting and not make corrections. I moved in at the first week of the month. When I moved out they charged me for the first week eventhough my rental agreement was from the 8th to the 8th. They have inexperienced staff and will come into your apartment when they have been clearly told not to without your consent. My roof leaked and was never fixed, every time it rained we had to put buckets down.

Current Resident 948175

Resident • 2010 - 2012

Poorly managed and maintained property

I have lived in La Privada for almost two years and the only reason I stayed on in the second year was that I wanted to stay in North Scottsdale but wasn't in a position to rent a house. The community is beautiful, laid out well and situated perfectly in the heart of Scottsdale Ranch. Unfortunately, here are a few issues that my family ran into with the complex: 1. Incredibly high heating and cooling bills - our winter electric bill is between $180-$200/month and our summer bill is around $400. This has nothing to do with our particular usage habits and everything to do with the lack of insulation in the apartment. The exterior walls are all brick. In the summer, they radiate heat and the temperature does not drop below 85 degrees, which keeps the air conditioner running all day long! The reverse is true in the winter - so cold that the heat keeps running... 2. MOLD! The walls look like they get a coat of paint on them before new tenants move in. I am not sure that they clean them at all and just slap the paint on - it looks like there are layers of paint on the walls. 3. Cleanliness - the bathrooms were filthy when we moved in. The company they hired to clean the unit did not do a good job. Also, the carpeting was not cleaned well either. 4. Cabinetry was also old - the bottom of kitchen drawers fall out and we had a cabinet door that kept coming off its hinges. 5. Fixtures - door handles for the rooms would not lock. Handles on pantry and closet doors actually kept falling off. The bathroom sink handles were also old and corroded. 6. Inflexible management - the front office staff are quite pleasant but the community manager needs to be replaced. Not a nice person and unwilling to work with tenants to find solutions to serious problems raised. I would stay away from this community - it's frustration you don't need!

Current Resident 136626

Resident • 2010 - 2011

What a mis-managed mess

The management at this complex left the key in the door after an inspection. They entered our premises without any warning. Do not live here period. The are not accommodating on any level. They are slow to respond to maintenance request, they did construction in the unit above us and our place smelled awful for weeks, a glue smell I believe. The walls are paper thin, the electricity bill is out of control, the first floor tenants can hear everything from every tenant around you.

Current Resident 515727

Resident • 2010 - 2011

Nice but hot in summer and freezing in winter

My biggest complaint about living here is the poor insulation -- in the summer you can expect to rack up a crazy energy bill just trying to keep the apartment somewhat cool. Even then, the bedrooms are HOT! We had 2 fans and the ceiling fan going every night. Then...its freezing in the winter. Another thing is that, while I appreciate the well-kept grounds, they are ALWAYS blowing leaves or some ---- around and it is very loud. Either that, or doing something with the trees, shrubs, whatever. So if you stay at home or work at home, it's not always the quietest. Luckily we can't really hear our neighbors unless they are being quite loud, which is rare. Pros: nicely kept, good appliances, very safe, good location, great pool, and nice staff.

Current Resident 266084

Resident • 2011

High Electric bills...moving on....

Very nice community....quiet neigbors....moving in the New Year due to high electric bills from 285.00 dollars a month to 315.00 a month to run air conditioning set at 80 degrees in the summmer hot months.....for a one bedroom...apartment.... I am going broke....i have lived in other apartment complexes and my heat or air conditioning bill was never over 140.00 a month for a one bedroom.... The walls dont keep the heat in...bad insulation,and old air conditioning units, and they dont clean the air ducts in years... i spoke to other neigbors and they all said there bills are just as high or even higher....for a one bedroom... one lady told me her air conditioning bill was 400 dollars for the month because she ran at it...75 degrees.... moving on in the new year....

Current Resident 936306

Resident • 2010 - 2011

Terrible experience!

Had several problems while living at this complex. The hot water heater broke causing the apartment to flood causing them to have to rip up all the carpet and let it dry over several days. Always smelled weird after that and then they tried to charge us for the carpet when we moved out. Walls have no insulation and air conditioner units are several decades old causing our electric bill to be above 350 dollars in the summer even though the apartment never cooled below 80 degrees. Nice neighborhood but I would recommend one of the surrounding apartments.

Current Resident 450443

Resident • 2011

Management sock puppets

Notice how when you write a BAD review about LaPrivada as I did several months ago, the management "sock puppets" come on the same day or same week, with fake "I love La Privada" comments. How foolish. Just get your act together La Privada, and you won't have to keep playing this sock puppet game! Each time you do a sock puppet game, I will personally come back here to put a negative review. You screwed me over quite well, thank you.

Current Resident 585233

Resident • 2008 - 2011

Pleasant Experience

I have lived at this apartment complex for 3 years and will be moving out next month to take a job out of state. I am a male in my 30's and have bachelor and master's degrees from UA and ASU and I work for a large defense contractor so I consider myself to be a professional and overall normal person. This is the third complex that I have lived in since moving to Phoenix and it is by far the nicest community that I have been at. In some of the other reviews, I am seeing a lot of complaints about a lot of elderly residents but let me tell you - they are quiet, they go to bed early, they won't steal your stuff, they are not covered in tatoos, and they are completely unthreatening. I am also glad to know that while I am out for the day, there are all these retired people out and about keeping an eye on things. I have never once worried about my car being broken into or having my apartment burglarized which is not something that I can say about the other places I have lived with younger crowds. I believe that the complex does a credit and criminal background check on tenants so you at least have a fighting chance at living around people who are for the most part normal. For me, the best thing about this complex is the location. The shopping center right next to the complex is walking distance. You can walk to Goldies Sports Bar, AJ's Fine Foods, Walgreens, Circle K, etc and there is even a barber shop, and a Bank of America. The neighborhood is also very nice and safe. I have never had any problems with the management or front office. A previous review said something about having to go get copies of cashed checks to prove they paid their rent?? I have never had a problem like that in the 3 years that I lived here. Another review mentioned something about being slapped with fees, etc. In my experience, they give you up until the 3rd of each month to get your rent check in before they start assessing fees. I have regularly dropped my check off on the 3rd of the month and have never been assessed any type of late fee. There has always been plenty of parking available. The maintenance staff are adequate and they respond within a day or two of calling the front office and requesting help. I had a dishwasher fail and it was replaced in about a week and a half because they had to order a new one. Yes, I had to wash my dishes by hand for that week and a half but I survived. There is an occassional jerk that drives up Mountain View road with music blasting. It's a fairly infrequent occurrence but I did find it incredibly rude and low-class for this kind of neighborhood. Obviously not the fault of the apartment complex, but if one is sensitive about that kind of thing you might want to make sure that you get one of the interior units that doesn't overlook Mountain View. The complaints about the heat are correct. My unit gets very hot in the summer so I run my air conditioner at about 76 degrees. My electric bill is about 250.00$ in the hottest month of the summer. However, this is only an issue for a couple of months out of the year. In the winter, my electric bill drops back down to about 70.00$. The appliances in my unit are fairly old. However, I believe that my rent was lower as well so I was OK that. I don't need the latest and greatest HGTV kitchen with the granite counters, etc, etc. You can sometimes hear activity in your neighboring units but I never found it overly obnoxious or regular enough to complain to the management about. Usually it would be a television in the bedroom area below me. I think I heard a snore once or twice when I was up in the middle of the night but usually my fan drowned out any ambient noise. Overall, it worked for me. I would have renewed again if I were not leaving the state. It's hard to get a real feel for an apartment complex on these ratings sites because most people do not take the time to write a review unless they already agitated with their own state of affairs. Most of the negative reviews that I just read about La Privada struck me as whining, overly dramatic, or just plain idiotic. I would say that the pros BY FAR outweigh the cons. If you are a reasonable and responsible person who does not expect the world on a silver platter, you should not have any problems here. Good luck.

Current Resident 423132

Resident • 2008 - 2011

The worst management company I have ever seen

Please stay away from this apartment complex, it might be nice but God forbid you have smoking neighbors. The smell and smoke will come into your place and this good for nothing management will do nothing. You can hear everything in the apartments above you or below, there is no insulation. If you live on the second floor, you'll be paying 300-400 a month in electric bills. This ConAm company is the most arrogant, unhelpful, unaccommodating and evil management company I have ever dealt with. Stay away from it, you'll be better off in the long run.

Steve_C_2011

Resident • 2011

Content and happy.

I moved in about a week ago to La Privada. I love it. The last place I was at was so noisy I couldn't think straight. Yes, this is a more senior population and that's what I was looking for. I am in my early 40's and have raised my daughter and watched her move from the nest. I purposely chose a place that doesn't have many children. I can say that the tenants here are very warm and friendly and I can't believe that any of them would yell at children for walking across some grass. I have one of the upgraded apartments so I can't comment on the other units but it was gorgeous and very clean. Marble counter tops, really top notch kitchen. Love the carpet. The office staff is awesome. Candace is a sweetheart, Sue is great and gets things done very efficiently. Barb is a jewel. Don't believe anything that others have posted about her (from what I heard its 1 individual in particular that moved and is still grinding an ax - get a life). If you want a really quiet place that feels like a resort check it out. You can ask Barb to talk to me personally if you have any questions. She will know who this is... Happy and content and finally "home".

Current Resident 688558

Resident • 2011

Not a good experience, with kids

Don't stay here if you have kids (any kids). Old grumpy people are not afraid to yell at your kids for walking on "their" grass (the apartment's common-area). Also our apartment smelled like mold. My son has been sick for over three months. He coughs all night. He was very healthy prior to living here. Took my son to the ER twice and now he's going to see an allergist. Whatever was in this place really made him sick. The apartment had leaks, outdated appliances, etc. But not all of their apartments are like this - some are updated. The maintenance guy is cool and dependable and some of the staff is nice but the rest of the staff seems to be burnt out. If you don't have kids then it's a quiet place to stay in all honesty. Parking garages are tiny. People like to STORE their cars in front of your apartment, making it impossible to find a good spot. One guy has a hound dog that likes to yodel to the top of its stupid lungs every night at 9:30pm. To that guy: MAY I RECOMMEND THAT YOU GET A DIFFERENT KIND OF DOG. Overall: 2 out of 5 stars. YMMV.

Current Resident 540378

Resident • 2009 - 2011

This IS your Grand Parents complex

This is a perfect complex for anyone over the age of 50 and pure Nirvana as you push the age limit upwards. There are little or no single adults in their 20's or even 30's, but if you have Parents or Grand Parents looking for a large, safe, friendly complex this fits the bill. I lived here for 2 years and had no real negative issues. Yes the complex is old and tired-but the grounds are large, nicely landscaped, and the apartments are very big albeit spartan. (single paned glass-no insulation) I left only because I wanted to mingle with my own age group. The staff is at the mercy of the HQ in San Diego but are friendly and as accommodating as they are allowed. My parents loved La Privada during their winter break and it will be their bridge nest after they leave the Chicago winter next year. PROS: Safe,(SCD Police make routine patrols thru complex)Largest apartments in Scottsdale, Attentive Maintenance, Many parking spaces, Senior Center across the street, Close to Mayo and Scottsdale Healthcare, Close to Frys, AJ's and Sprouts grocers, Large heated pool and smaller lap pool, 9 hole putting course. CONS: High utilities because of no insulation, Water bill fluctuates not on use but on resident occupancy, some "critter" issues on ground floor units-although the complex changed pest control firms, Audible noise on upper and lower units ie-toilets flushing, music and TV at higher levels, domestic debates, --just don't live above a smoking household and it is tolerable. Hope this is useful- Jan /2 year resident

Current Resident 789216

Resident • 2010 - 2011

Don't even think about moving here

I was so excited to move here. The staff were so kind, but that ended as soon as I signed the lease. It takes a very long time for repairs to be completed, and then when they are the repairs are not correct. When you go back to the office to ask for the repairs to be fixed correctly, the office staff are extremely rude and dismissive of you or they act like they don't know what you're talking about and that it was already reported 'fixed'. Don't bother leaving a voice message about needing something fixed. They don't check those message. Thinking about leaving an online request for a repair? Don't... the office staff doesn't know how to get them off the computer 'yet'. It takes multiple trips to get the basics fixed. Plumbing is horrid. There is absolutely NO insulation in this complex, which means since the majority of the rooms are brick, you are absolutely in a brick oven in the summer. I couldn't even sleep in the master bedroom in the summer. Three of the four walls are exterior brick walls which radiate heat long after the sun goes down. Electric bills are through the roof. I mean, $300 - $400 a month for a two bedroom apartment? And that's not even keeping it 'cool'... just 'liveable'. Since there is *no insulation*, you can hear everything that happens above and below you and next door. While living here, I found out my neighbor snores, the other yells obsenities and another likes watching Crime Dramas at night. People are moving out by the truck loads because the rent goes up... daily. It's all market rate, so it is always changing. Sure, you can break your lease for $800 and you'll have to give a 60 day notice (and rent), but it's so well worth it. I don't know how the massive amounts of elderly people can afford it. The little extra rent 'fees' are slapped on you without a blink of an eye. Just don't even stop here. Go on to another place. They expect the rent on time, yet they take up to a month to fix something? With so many empty buildings you'd think they would be able to fix something in a timely manner. I guess they could if the staff would stay off the phone. They're always on a personal call and ignore you when you walk in unless you're dripping with Scottsdale money. Then they might "help" you. Ignore the review left on 2/22/11. That was left by the lady who works in the office. Of course she'd say that. If you define 'making breakfast' by cutting muffins in half and having a few pieces of chopped fruit, then yes, they make breakfast. But unless you're the first in line with your walker, you don't have a chance. The older residents race there and eat everything before anyone else can have a go at it.

Current Resident 687942

Resident • 2011

love it here

i have made my home at la privada for several years and find the staff here to be very accomodating. i have a beautiful townhome that has granite and new appliances and over 1600 sq ft. of living space. when looking for a home in the area there was nothing that even came close in comparison. the staff here makes us breakfast every saturday and in fact i am going to a pizza and game night tonight. this is not apartment living by any definition, my friends love to come visit me and say they think i am living in a resort!

tellinglikeitis

Resident • 2010 - 2011

50 empty units and climbing every day

I don't even know where to begin but stay away from this complex. The staff in the front office may come across as friendly and congenial, but don't expect much of anything from them when you have a problem. My neighbor has mice running around her apartment and told the front office about it...They told her its her problem and she needs to address it. Classy move La Privada. The noise between next door neighbors is fine as it has slump block in between units. However, above or below you and you are truly sharing their world and conversation. Extremely cheap and low cost appliances. Rent continues to rise yet they have 20,35,40, now 50 vacancies. I wonder why people are fleeing this place? They like to put tenants on the outskirts of the grounds so people driving by look at this place as being a popular complex. Get on the inside and some buildings are completely empty. With that being said, the noise from traffic any time of day is terrible. All windows are single pane so your living room is basically in traffic. The only positive about this place is the location in general. 2 months left on the lease and it can't go by soon enough.

Current Resident 22906

Resident • 2010 - 2011

Amazingly poor quality apartment complex

As I drove through this complex before renting I was amazed at how beautiful it was. Now, I cannot wait to get out and here is why. To start with, When I rented this apartment, I was bait and switched on the look and lease special. I was not allowed to see the apartment until after I signed the lease. When we walked through, the manager wrote on the inspection form looks great. This apartment was a terrible mess. It had not been painted or cleaned from the last tenant. There was paint and grime on every door handle, light switch, window and electrical outlet. I even paid out of my pocket to have all doorknobs and electrical faceplates replaced. The bottoms of the blinds had been chewed on by an animal. Both bathrooms were horribly dirty covered in black and green mold. The cabinetry throughout the apartment is very old, faded, peeling and even rotting in places. The drywall seams are visible in multiple spots throughout the apartment. The metal frames on the windows and doors are rusting. The smoke detectors look like they had been burned. The bathrooms have a horrible stink and the water pressure has been down to a slow drizzle at times. I spent over 30 days requesting things be fixed before I could even move in here. Beyond all that the things that drive me nuts are the constant slamming doors, thumping car stereos, very slow maintenance response, and neighbors who sit out on their patios, drinking and yakkin all day while their dogs bark viciously as I walk to my apartment.

Current Resident 335968

Resident • 2011

I miss it

I completely agree with this reviewer - I lOVED living here and wish I could move back. I myself never had a problem with any of the appliances and really had no noise problems whatsoever, from tenants nearby. The back of my apt. also faced Mountainview but I rarely heard car radio noise - I am glad to see someone else liked it there as much as I did. I have lived in quite a few apt. complexes and really, I LOVED my apt and the complex and location.

disrespectedrenter

Resident • 2010 - 2011

Very sad to have to say this....

Please read this review. I am not a difficult customer and have been very respectful and positive through this process but I would truly NEVER recommend this apartment complex to anyone. They have very nice interiors with large floor plans but that is as far as the benefits go. The staff is extremely disrespectful and arrogant. Every tenant we spoke with has been accused of not turning in a rent check on time and pinged with late fees. In each case the tenants went to the bank to get a front and back copy of the cleared check proving the payment went through on time. Again, in each circumstance the office manager claimed she "didn't know what happened". It is a scheme to get more money out of their tenants because they are hurting for business. My fear is that many of the elderly tenants are not aware and may be paying these fees. This exact circumstance has happened to us and three additional neighbors on more than one occasion. It shows the ability and competency of the staff is severely lacking integrity and attention to detail. The integrity issue has gone even deeper. I would truly encourage you to look elsewhere as many tenants have had to get ConAm (the corporate owners) involved to solve simple problems with the on site staff. It is really not worth the head ache.

schrammeramer

Resident • 2009 - 2010

HORRIBLE

La Privada is horrible. I moved in last year and even since have had nothing but problems. If you like neighbors going through your trash and management giving out your personal information like your credit score and your previous address and where you work and how much you make then this is the place for you. I pay $900 a month for a 2 bedroom 2 bath and the place is beautiful but the staff is horrible.... In the middle of July I called them to tell them there was a wasp problem outside my back door i called everyday for a week straight went down to the office almost everyday to have someone take care of it and they kept saying tomorrow after 3 weeks and the wasps getting into my apartment they finally took care of it due to me being allergic to wasps i couldnt stay in my apartment for 3 weeks. When I did come back my AC was broken same thing called for a week never got a response. Finally I called the emergancy line and they came out to fix it. I was not able to live there for over a month yet still had to pay rent. The staff is rude, they just dont seem to care. The maintnance men are horrible and disrespectful to you and your home I had a 47" Flat screen TV taken from my apartment and informed the office and they did nothing.. In the first 2 months of living there our dishwasher broke, washer broke, dryer broke, garbage disposal broke and they replaced them all within a week with older ones that also didnt work. they also tell you all units have new carpet new fixtures granite countertops but its all a lie. I would not recommend this place to anyone... DONT DO IT DONT DO IT DONT DO IT.

stefunky88

Resident • 2010

I really liked it here.

I was here only for 6 months, unfortunately I did not expect to like it as much and once my lease was up for renewal I could not afford the higher rent. But the staff has always been very helpful and friendly, the landscaping is always upkept, the only complaint about this though is that they focus sooo much on landscaping that you hear the leaf blowers and lawnmowers very early in the morning, even on saturdays, so sleeping in is not an option. Complimentary breakfast every saturday ( muffins, doughnuts and orange juice, sometimes fruit ) and several activities every month. Maintenance issues are normally handled quickly. Brick walls are nice because you dont hear your neighbors. Never had a problem with noise or people partying. I do recommend this place.