Windsor Ridge Apartments

Current Resident 980169

Resident • 2013

I would strongly advise against this place. I have been living here for little over two years and I'm anxiously waiting for my contract to expire in less than two months. The biggest problem I have with them is the absolute disregard of privacy. My unit has been entered on a number of times with little to no notice and I was forced to install a camera to see if this has happened without me being present and what areas of the apartment are being visited when there is a notice. The manager is very rude and inconsiderate. It is not possible to have a healthy conversation with her when you are bringing up a complaint. Otherwise she is very polite but not when she needs to resolve something or follow the law (mostly around entering the units). The dumpsters are always overflowing and there is garbage blown by the wind all over the place. I have also never seen them cleaning the place so certain spots where a dog pees stay stained for long time. (Note that this is a pet friendly community, just not human friendly) :) The place is in constant construction for the past year and yet nothing has improved visibly there is just constant noise and vans with construction gear that frequent the place. Apart from the construction dust there is a lot of dust comping from the two major streets next to the complex. Even if you are on the inside of the complex everything is covered with dust withing a week. Parking is an issue. After 5 pm it is not possible to find a parking spot. I believe the problem is stemming from the fact that they do not enforce how many people can reside in a unit.

betterworld13

Resident • 2010 - 2011

whole apt is falling apart ( don't be a fool by seeing outisde of apartment ) ...after 1 yr when you are renewing your lease they never follow any law...they increase more and more...you never get less than 12 months lease ...month to month will be extra 600 to 750 of your 12 months rent . ALL they do is raise and raise the rents until you move and then they have new tenants. I never seen anybody living here for long time .Very rude office staffs.... cabinets are full of wood powder ( very old and cheap wood)... i m sure 100% it will give health issues.( they simply tell you we can't do anything for this..if you like to move just move ...this was their answer ) mine is not renovated . but rents are always high. Nice looking from the outside, decaying on the inside. The drawers in the apartment were disingrating, shedding wooddust all over our dishes. pg&e electricity bill is very high in this property ( more than $200 in winter ) . After washer and dryer its even more . some residents never pick up their dog's poo.Be prepared for a big move-out bill. You can feel the discrimination if you are an ---------. I would not recommend this place to anyone.

Current Resident 764686

Resident • 2011 - 2013

it a horrible place to live. the staff is plain rude and you get notes on the door on a weekly basis. Construction, cleaning gutters , installing washers and dryers...it constantly a mess in that place. They increase the rent every year with an average of $300 to cover their renovation while you are in the middle of their mess. When you complain they are just rude and blow you off. When you ask why they raise the rent so much they just say its the price in the area. We checked the area and there were beautiful NEW apartments for less rent and less the harrasment. We took the place because it was dog friendly. They complain if your dog pipi on the lawn which is basically destroyed because of their constructions and broken water pipes but if they can charge the resident for something they will. They say they have patrol cars at night so its a safe place. We had to call one night because somebody was breaking in and they told us they dont have any partol cars. So why we were paying high rent for the noise and constant construction !? They have excuses for everything.

davidmunch

Resident • 2012

Don't trust their lies! I got an apartment with them because they told they will install a washer and dryer in the apartment soon but months has gone and they still do not even know when they will do it. Every time I go ask, it is going to be next month. Also need to know noise from other apartments... you can hear snoring,bathroom noise, noise from people walking, a lot of barking.... Also they do not clean garbage area, so you can see some leaked garbage on the parking lot.

Current Resident 985983

Resident • 2008 - 2012

Safe place to live

I have been living here over four years. Yes, there are annoyances, such as having to pay my rent across the street. This makes no sense at all! I was told it was too inconvenient for the WR staff to walk across the street from Bristol Commons, where the new leasing office is located, to pick up checks from the drop box at WR. What ever happened to customer service? And, they made the stupid mistake of closing the leasing office at WR only to reopen it! And they reinstated the rent drop box so I won't have to risk my life walking across the street. Hello!!! Who made these poor decisions anyway? Frankly, my teenager old would have done a better job making choices that benefit the tenants. I'm happy to be getting a washer and dryer, but don't like the way they went about communicating the change to everyone, making the assumption that it's okay to increase rent by $85 without much of a choice. I do, however, like the staff. Truth is, it's not their fault seeing they are only following instructions from poor management. Overall, it's a very safe place to live and neighbors are nice. Truth is I like it here, despite it all.

Current Resident 988556

Resident • 2012

Not worth it

So I have been in this complex for a while and probably due to complacency I have not moved out. Now however the prices jumped again and is it not clear why. Washer/drier units were installed in all apartments but mine already had it and I had been paying for that already... Parking is an issue, cleanness is an issue. Also they are massively understaffed. It is a gamble if you will find the staff present in the leasing office since they are trying to drive traffic to the alternative location.

Current Resident 995965

Resident •

Disgusting experience

They have kept the gym un operational for over 4 months now and we do pay a portion of the rent towards that non-operational gym. Whenever asked, they lie to us saying "they have ordered a new machine" or "some mechanic was there to take a look at the non operational machine". These characters sitting in the leasing office expect us to use their sister apartment's gym across the road which has just 1 treadmill in an apartment of atleast 200 homes! Moreover, they have increased the rent to a very high amount! They have forcibly placed washer dryers at every aptt. unit, thereby seizing the opportunity to increase the rent to a very high amount! Leave aside the electricity bill increase due to such installation, passed on to the tenant. They sighted that we were already paying "40 dollars" every month for laundry, whereas our laundry expense was close to 20! And they felt that if we could pay 40 dollars, we can pay 85 dollars as well! No one knows from where they arrived at the amount of 40 dollars! In short, do not rent here if there is an alternative or unless you want to get ripped off your hard earned money by these people here in WR.

Current Resident 777568

Resident • 2010 - 2011

PLEASE AVIOD THESE APARTMENTS

THE MANAGEMENT SUCKS they try to rob you out when you exit out of the apartments you can totally forget about your deposit amount the maintenance sucks they end up charging you for the maintenance very pricy for cheap looking apartments the appliances are very old and keep falling apart the drawers keep falling apart management people are very mean A frustrated leasee

Current Resident 559074

Resident • 2011

AVOID THIS PLACE!!

Slimy management and you will lose your deposit!! Here are some examples of my experiences with them: 1. Booked an apt, next day when I called them, they said that prices have gone up by $75. I was in a hurry to move in so I had to accept the new rent even though they quoted the lower rent just a day before. 2. A month before my short-term leases ended, they gave me three choices: renew at a much higher rent for 11 months, pay 25% higher rent for a month-to-month lease, or move out. They were not willing to negotiate at all. I chose to move out. A week before I was going to move out, one of the girls called and tried to sweet-talk with me to stay but I already booked an apt by then. 3. I moved out leaving the apt absolutely clean -- anyone could move in right away. When I received my move-out bill, they deducted "Janitorial services" and "carpet cleaning" and other charges...which were absolutely not needed. I have disputed these with them. Will post my experience in a future update.

meganmisson

Resident • 2009

A Safe and Pleasant Place to Live

I have been living at Windsor Ridge for 2 years and I am sad to leave. Unfortunately the rent is too high. This lease term they are trying to raise my rent by another $300 a month. uh...no. Despite this annoyance, I was planning on moving anyways. I currently live in a 2 bedroom 1 bath apartment and needed to downgrade. I live on the third floor facing a business and there is a low street traffic noise. The ceilings are vaulted, creating the allusion of more space and we have a fireplace. The bedrooms and large and the master has a nice walk in closet. It's clean but the unrenovated units are nothing special. Odd cabinet space, older appliances. I toured a renovated unit and it was really nice but too pricey. The grounds are well kept and the maintenance staff is friendly and timely. Office staff is nice too. Overall it has been a good experience Cons: There have been a lot of major maintenance projects going on including roofing and deck sealing. It is a bit inconvenient but i understand the need. Parking is AWFUL and the staff will admit this when you ask. If you have 2 cars it is a big difficult to find parking in the complex but there is plenty of street parking and it's safe. More recent con is they closed the leasing office at Windsor Ridge and combined it with the apartment complex across the street. They are owned by the same company, Essex. You can now pay rent online but they charge you a $30 "convenience" fee. So you now have to walk across the street to talk to any of the staff or pay rent. STUPID. Overall I enjoyed living here and am sad to leave. Sunnyvale is such a nice area. safe.

Alexvaile420

Resident • 2009 - 2010

I would avoid these apartments like the plague!

This has been the worst renting experience I've had in nearly 8 years as a renter. First of all everyday is a new construction project. Im not talking about constant leaf blowing or annoying loud clean up at just before 8 every morning because that would be an understatement that's just maintenance. I'm talking about chainsaws, nail guns, hammers, leaf blowers, concrete cutting, fence welding, tree stump removal, reroofing the entire complex, resealing the balcony decks with toxic chemicals just to name a few. Before we moved in the first question we asked was about any upcoming construction. They said that nothing was scheduled. Wow what a shock! Each time they present a piece of paper notifying u of the major inconvenience like that is supposed to make it better. Just the most recent project the roofing has been going on for over a month now. Everyday with noise, nails, flying shingles, sawdust and garbage from the workers from 8 to 6 everyday. I have 2 children, and it has been nearly impossible to get their naps in each day without them getting rudely awakened by heavy machinery. Just very disappointing as we would not have moved here if the staff had been honest with us. The walls are extremely thin and can hear everything your neighbors are doing and I mean everything. I will say that the maintenance guy is great. He has fixed several things in the apartment, all in a timely manner. The apartment staff seem nice, but rarely act on anything or even call back most times. There is a small playground designed for 2 to 5 year old kids which is nice however they just put in 2 big kid swings and took out the toddler swing which makes my girls not very happy. Been trying to get it changes back but no luck yet, been over a month and they're still "working on it." Just an extremely frustrating place to live. The sad part is the renovated apartment is pretty nice. But! All the other daily distractions, extreme noise, mess, and just unsafe grounds has left me with an very unsatisfactory feeling. I didn't even mention the nice grass which is great except it's covered in dog poop most times and has a an unpleasant aroma of dog poop. And i love dogs, just not pooping all over grass people could be using.

Current Resident 518475

Resident • 2007 - 2010

Windsor Ridge

I have lived at this place for a few years now and am very happy here in general. I recently transferred from a one bedroom to a remodeled loft when my last lease was over. The office staff was very helpful and made the transfer easy on me. I love that my new apartment has washer and dryer inside, although I wish the machines were a bit bigger. The maintenance is very quick in responding to any problems- I had a clogged up kitchen sink and they came the same day to take care of it. I give this place two thumbs up.

Current Resident 213055

Resident • 2010

Good, safe, clean, but a little cramped

Everything in our apartment works fine. I have one of the older (not renovated) apartments with older cabinets. I have not tried the dishwasher. Sometimes I hear our neighbors above, but all the noises that I hear inside my apartment aren't loud. I'm not a person who tolerates things easily. My dogs are definitely happy. 1bd, 1bath was pretty tiny, but we managed OK. By the way, if you have kids, make sure they don't go near the lawns. The lawns are dog toilets. There are many dogs here. Nearly all dog owners are picking up after their dogs. Occasionally, I do see dog poo in the grass, but its not often. There are only 2 dog poo bag stations, but it would be nice if there were more. I would definitely donate more money for those. Cleaner grass, cleaner dog feet! Parking was a PAIN. Around dinnertime, I can usually find a space near the front entrance of the apartment complex. At 10pm, I'm sweating bullets and contemplating parking across the street at Bristol Commons. Since our apartment was right next to the parking lot, we were regularly peeking outside to see if anyone moved their cars! If you leave your windows and doors open, you will definitely hear children running around and playing. Sometimes, you'll hear people talking on their cell phones outside. I live on the ground floor, so I hear this alot. When all the windows and doors are closed, most things occurring outside don't bother me. One thing that really bugs (near the parking lot) is a fixed up orange Camaro. Very irritating because this driver will occasionally rev his engine for a few minutes. After a talk with the leasing office, less revving incidents have occurred. Laundry room is good. All the machines are working for the past few months. No problems. Watch out for other residents though. They will voluntarily handle your clothes if you don't return for them within 5 minutes of your load being finished. Also, I found other people's laundry in my laundry! It appears that they would throw in their clothes before the washer door locks, in order to get a free wash! Ew! So, put your laundry in and WAIT for the machine to lock the door before leaving the laundry room!!! Leasing office staff has been fairly nice and attentive. No problems with turning in monthly rent or utilities. I am not fond of some of the residents. Both my dogs love people and it shows. Some of the non-dog-owning residents here treat my dogs like rabid pit bulls. Just to let you know, most people describe my 10lbs cheerful dogs as looking like stuffed animals - cute and fluffy. So, you can imagine me being appalled when a female resident said "Please.. NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" with arms flailing in the air like they were going to attack her. Honestly, don't live here if you have not been exposed to dogs in your past. There's alot of dogs here- most are very nice. So, you better own a dog or be a dog lover if you want to live here.

Current Resident 886662

Resident • 2010

Hey. there are worse places to live than here

I have lived here for most of the year and have found the management to be extremely kind, friendly and attentive. I have a small, but updated and beautifully redone apartment which I enjoy.I feel safe living alone here as well. The downsides here are I am sure common in apartment living. These are 1.)lack of parking 2.) noise (lots of screaming kids and barking dogs), and 3.) poorly constructed/poor quality accomodations such as plastic drain pipes in the sinks which continuously clog.I have an old stackable washer/dryer that keeps breaking down. I am counting 4 times in the past 4 months maintenence has had to come try to fix it. I have asked for it to be replaced repeatedly.4.) Thin walls so I hear everything going on upstairs and next door. and yes, the rent is expensive here. I am fairly sure once my lease is up, they will increase the price even more so I will go ahead and plan on moving then.

Current Resident 369332

Resident • 2010

Love this place

I just moved in.but loving it so far. the maintenance is great.All my requests are taken care of that day only.The apartment is beautiful.It opens to a nice balcony with a beautiful landscape.The office staff is friendly.I would recommend it. Although the rent High I love my new home.

corrie59

Resident • 2009 - 2010

Renewed my lease and happy I did!

I just renewed my lease! Everything is close by and so convenient. Elena the assistant manager met with me to go over a few repairs that require attention. She was not only highly professional, but very attentive to my needs.

Current Resident 110542

Resident • 2009 - 2010

Beware when the lease is due for renewal.

I have been living here for more than a year now. I am just amazed at the rude attitude the managers have displayed when my lease is up for renewal. My rent has gone up more than 100 dollars and I was asking about a minor discount. The assistant manager kept me hanging for 3 days saying she will work out a discount and then comes back and says she won't reduce a dime. She should have told me this in the first place. I found this very unprofessional and rude.

Current Resident 96526

Resident • 2007 - 2010

Highly recommended

The apartments are close to my job which is why I initially moved in. The parking spaces are small but that is not a major issue with me. I do hear some noise from my neighbors but in my experience that is consistent with all of my past apartments too. The few work orders that I have had over the years were taken care of very quickly and correctly by Arnel, the maintenance man. The staff have always been very courteous and interested in whether I needed help with any other issues. The staff stopped by while I was on vacation and watered my plants and fed my cat-they even scooped the litter.That was above and beyond the call for me. I would highly recommend Windsor Ridge and the staff. I feel that they place customer service as a priority and that is why I have no plans to move. I could find something cheaper with more ammenities in this market but could I find the level of customer service that I have found here. Maybe but I don't like to chance that. I am very happy living here.

Current Resident 309000

Resident • 2010

Good management, good appartment but need a lot improvements

First I want to start with how great the management is. Whenever I had problems they were promptly addressed as well as the staff is very courteous. However the apartment complex is fairly old and in some regards has not stepped in the 21st century. The windows are single pane and as a result they are very inefficient in stopping noise and heat. My unit is facing on of the streets and starting around 5:30-6 the noise is not acceptable so I need to use ear plugs. If they retrofit the bedroom windows at least it would be good. Similar with heat. During the winter the small "old time" heater is not able to catch up. Also the unit looses heat really fast so even if you get an additional heater this will cost you in terms of electricity. During the summer the second floor of my loft is not inhabitable. Since the heat rises and there is no way to open the top window it creates a heat chamber which around 4-5 is as hot as sauna... again this could be fixed but they haven't been willing to retrofit the way the top window opens. Sometimes it's difficult to find a spot to park when I have guests visiting but normally this is not a problem. On a couple of occasions I had people park in my reserved spot and the first time I called the security company to have the vehicle removed and they not only did not bother to call the tow truck but had the odacity to call me around 1 am at night after the vehicle left on its own. Fortunately I was awake but I'm sure most people would not appreciate this. On the other hand the complex is fairly well situated and offers relatively fast access to 101, 280 and Central. It is also pet friendly and it's nice to see animals around.

Current Resident 354198

Resident • 2007 - 2010

My experience

Hi, I have been living in Windsor Ridge for about three or four years now. Ever since my first day here I did not want to move to any other apartment. About a 1 1/2 year ago I became disable. At that time I had a one bedroom apartment which involved going up and down the stairs. One day I lost my balance and almost fell. A young couple was walking around, they heard my screaming and rushed to help me. After this incident I felt I needed to be on the ground floor. When I went to see Barbara she could not have been nicer. Just so happens there was one bedroom apartment available that fit my situation so I moved. Now I find myself having to move again due to the high cost of my rent. I am on disability and will never be well again. You see, I have to walk with a cain. I really don't want to move from here. I am 65 years old and this is the first time I live in an apartment. I love it here. Even though I live alone, I feel quite safe. When there is a need to fix something in the apartment, the staff takes care of it in a timely manner. We are too often quick to voice the negetive interactions we have with others, but when people do the right thing we tend to take it for granted. I did not want to do this. Barbara and her crew are always kind and do the best they can to make sure that the tenants are happy. I hope I never move from here but I don't know for certain. Best regards

Current Resident 380858

Resident • 2009 - 2010

Great experience!

I've had great experiences here. I had looked at other apartments in the area and even though this place had low ratings, from the first day I started doing my research, they were always on top of it. I receive phone call after phone call as follow ups (in a good way) Staff is very professional and prompt. At times, there are limit staff members, but it never had caused a nuisance. When I have questions or concerns, management had been very on top of it via e-mail or in person. Complex itself is mediocre. Quality is average. Safety is up there, but safety is a matter of perception. I came from a bad area originally so the entire silicon valley area is a delight in comparison. I have one car, so parking is not bad. When I visited this place originally I came by during work hours, late nights, and evenings just to see what the community was like. I definitely would recommend this place as a budget deal. Appliances are older, but all functional. The key is to communicate and things will be done propertly. Ironically, I do not feel that the ratings on this place speak for what it actually is. I went to a few complexes with very high ratings and hated the service and what they had to offer. Check it out yourself, sometimes, I feel this place can be a bit too quiet to the point I feel as if I'm the only one living there..

Current Resident 803853

Resident • 2007 - 2009

Convenient community

I have been living at Windsor Ridge for two years. I find it very convenient for my needs being close to not only my office but to most freeways, grocery store, restaurants and shopping.From the prior reviews that I have read, I would like to leave a few responses. 1. I live on a top floor apartment so noise is not the issue for me that it seems to be for other reviewer. 2. I have found the staff and maintenance team to be very friendly and prompt on any issues that have arisen over the years. 3.Parking is tight for my guests but I use my assigned space so parking has not been a major problem for me either. 4.I had some concerns about my job recently so I spoke to the staff and they informed me of the lease layoff program that they offer. It is nice to know that if I lose my job I will be let out of my lease with no penalties. 5.I lived in a nice home before my divorce so I know apartment living is not ideal for most people but I feel that Windsor Ridge, as far as apartments go, has met most of my needs and exceeded some of them.I would recommend them.

Current Resident 181247

Resident • 2007 - 2009

Looks nice outside, but not much more

Inside material is cheap and barely working. The parking lot is always full, so if you have a second car, it's a nightmare to find a spot. Occasionally, there is loud party noise at 3am with some unsavory people. I know someone whose car was hit while parked in the apartment (probably by a drunk party goer). Laundry room is full on weekends, so you need to do laundry at odd hours. Once you move out, don't expect to get any refund back. Overall, this apartment is not worth the money.

Current Resident 904444

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Happy at Windsor Ridge

I have a big dog and I love it here! The staff is responsive and extremely helpful. The property manager, Barbara Valenica and her assistant, Elena, were especially kind to me when my dog passed away last year. Barbara and Elena always make me feel welcome and the staff is very friendy. I live in a large 2 bed/2bath with loft. I have nothing but good things to say and I will renew my lease when it expires.

Current Resident 286271

Resident • 2007 - 2009

doggy poop everywhere

the apartments are okay. it is old but looks okay, closets are good. Mostly people are good, a sense of community there. people talk to each other. apartments are not that well made. U can hear your neighbour living upstairs walking; loud noise is unbearable; good news is we got used to it. appliances are old, when we rented most of them were not working. Doggy poop is everywhere, complex smells of that poop all the time, many times kids step on them and then it is everywhere. leaf blower will not even leave your newspaper in morning, they clean everything. be ready to get a complaint notice from leasing office everyday about this and that. some office staff are good, some are not, particularly ------- sucks...