The Pines at Montclair Apartments

I was driving around to find a new place to move and I drove past these so many times. So I eventually said I will get out and look around. (When you drive past it, theres not much to the eye) then when you get out and start to walk around you become amazed about the grounds, the area is clean and the «patios» are amazing. You don’t get the apartment feeling here. Just by luck there was an apartment becoming available at the end of the month so I jumped right on it. Heather in the front office was great — despite all the «bad» reviews about here I think people forget everyone has a job to do and people aren’t very bright sometimes. She was amazing even after a long 4 day weekend she remembered exactly who I was. She had everything ready for me and had copied my ID when I first stopped by so when I returned it went fast and smooth. Now I wait to hear about my approval! I don’t live here YET, but the bad reviews I haven’t seen the need to post those for now.

Basic customer service skills is apparently not known to the management at the pines. My fiancé and I were very interested in these apartments and had put in an application. We are a young couple and are still building our credit rating. At the time of application we were advised to apply by ourselves and if that was declined then we were to apply with a co-​signer. It is worth mentioning we have a years rent put aside specifically because we have limited credit history.
Our application was declined and we visited the front office to talk about the
co-​signing process. The manager, Heather was not there but another employee was there to make a note about our visit and to ask Heather to call us.
The following day Heather contacted us. I began to explain how we wanted to move forward with a co-​signed application but she cut me off saying, «Your application was declined you can’t live here.» Her wording and tone of voice caught me off guard with its rudeness. In response to this I mentioned we had viewed other apartments so we can wait before applying again and she quickly interjected by saying, «Oh, I guess I can just throw away your application in the trash.» And which point I quickly said goodbye and hung up.
These are direct quotes from the phone conversation; I did not paraphrase anything. It’s a shame because the apartments themselves are fantastic; if you can get past the two faced management you would love it here!
Edit: I would like to say that the rest of the staff were nothing but friendly and helpful, Sabrina was very nice and seemed genuinely interested in helping with our situation. I never got the name of the woman at the front desk when we visited but she was also very optimistic, and pleasant to talk to.

I lived at the pines from 2013 to late 2014, Heather and her great staff were always out improving and maintaining the campus. Summers were always nice with the central ac and walking through the campus was pleasant with clean walkways and beautiful floral décor. The pools were always Clean and we’ll kept, and the basketball court was plenty bright for night pick up games.

I started living at the Pines in July 2015. I love the grounds, they are beautiful. They have a dog park which is amazing. Residents here are friendly. Staff has always been friendly and accommodating. We had our microwave go out on us and that was fixed pretty quickly. You get one parking spot in a 2 car garage and then street parking (for the most part although there are some spots in the complex as well) for extra cars. The complex is very quiet. Definitely the quietest apartment complex I have ever lived in. The neighborhood feels very safe. Overall, I must say this is probably the best renting experience I have had to date!

Update: 18 Feb, 2016; This place is still amazing. Basically little home cottages. Everyone is either friendly or just keep to themselves. Still incredibly quiet. Great place for a couple or small family (1−4ppl). Parking isn’t horrible, the only problem is the Nissan dealership across the street or homes that have too many cars. They tend to take our parking spots, which frustrating since its a dealership; you’d think they would have their own parking. Parking does open up later once they go home though. Amazing place to live, and I feel very blessed to have found this place.
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I’ll try to keep this post updated as time goes on. If this post doesn’t get updated, then there wasn’t anything bad to report. Also, it’s a long post b/​c moving into a new home was very important to me, and I feel this review deserves the time and consideration I took in discovering this place. TLDR is at the bottom though.
Let me start off by saying this, if you’re in search of a new apartment, then you’re in search for a new home. Duh right? Well, from my perspective of not being a native Californian, I often notice people apartment hop. Whether it’s due to finances or annoyance at the place you’re at. Either way, moving into a new place is always a big deal. So, please, let me save you weeks of searching, because I’ve already done it. Let me save you headaches of walkthroughs — Come to the Pines, and make this place your new home.
Noise:
First of all, the price is slightly more expensive than other apartments, but what you’re paying for makes it worth it. The apartments are so silent. Even walking around knowing this is a dog friendly community (and having 2 dogs myself), you’re more likely to hear the low rumble of your fridge turning on and off in your home than you are a living soul. Double pane windows, a brick wall, and carpet (for most of the units) means you won’t hear much of anything.
Units:
Even though the size is pretty standard 750sq ft, it is SO roomy. The living room is pretty large. The dining room is sufficient for just about any size table. The kitchen is absolutely reasonable. The bedroom is also super roomy for the one bedroom, and the bathroom is also really comfortable. The units are generally cooler than hot due to the brick wall, and they have CENTRAL AC /​HEATING! One of the biggest issues for me was central AC and this unit has an amazing one! Water and garbage is taken care of by the Apartment complex. There are no rooms above you, everything is one floor — so no thumping feet to worry about. Generally, this is a smaller apartment complex, which is great for you; that means, faster maintenance, personalized care, and just in general really well managed overall.
Grounds /​Staff:
Heather and Sabrina are amazing. Seriously, they’re so patient, kind, and helpful. Arnolf, our maintenance man is also very efficient with his work. If you need anything, generally expect it to be taken care of within a matter of a couple days. If it takes any longer than that, then there’s probably another issue going on and just be patient. The grounds are always kept well, the area is so quiet. 2 pools, a beautiful doggy park, and EXTREMELY well lit at night. The parking isn’t anything crazy compared to other apartment complexes. Yes, there’s street parking, but you get 1 garage assigned parking spot and you can generally nab street parking during the day. Past 5pm it does get a little difficult, but that’s any apartment complex really. From what I’ve seen from shopping around (and trust me, I went to dozens upon dozens of apartment complexes), the parking here is fine and absolutely manageable.
Conclusion /​TLDR:
If you’re looking for a quiet, private, well-​maintained home — come here. Just one major thing, if you come here, leave that cynicism at the door. This community, so far as I have seen, is very respectful of everyone’s privacy. Kids are well behaved, adults aren’t nosey, everyone keeps to themselves. So if you come here, be ready to kick your feet up and enjoy a home, not just a temporary in-​between along that long series of apartment hops!
Sidenotes:
I have never met a Dee. When I was looking into moving here, I kept reading these horrible reports about Dee. She sounded pretty scary, but thankfully there’s just Heather and Sabrina and they’re both amazing.

I was interested in this place, emailed and called the manger Heather. Heather seems nice enough on the initial call but ultimately unable or unwilling to accommodate me.
I took a self guided tour of the locations exterior from the road, observing the locals to determine how safe this place is. The apartments are small, and parking is on street AFAIK. It seemed safe enough although the area is busy by Highway 210 and the Nissan dealership.
I called the manager Heather. I told her I was interested in leasing but had some questions. I asked how she screened tennants and offered to pay for alternatives to giving out my Social Security number. I informed her I have no criminal history, no debt, no evictions, excellent credit and the availability of alternatives such as TransUnion SmartMove or a 3-​Bureau Credit Report and FICO.
«The reports include a tenant risk score, national criminal background, and a customized leasing recommendation. Evictions Report and Credit Reports are optional. It takes only a few minutes – and it’s all online.» —
3-​Bureau Credit Report and FICO —
They still screen tenants the old fashioned way by nakedly asking for your Social Security number. I offered them the opportunity to earn my business should they update the application process and she declined sticking to the existing practice of requiring your Social Security number on the rental application. So I thanked her for her time and hung up.
Trust is a two way street, how do I know my Social Security number is safe with them? Perhaps they don’t care about identity theft. «Many companies keep sensitive information about customers or employees in their files or on their network.» —
It is troubling how stuck in their ways some outfits can be. If you want my business you need to update your practices. The very least is to inquire from the property owner if an alternative can be added to the process, no such attempt AFAIK.

The apartment grounds are well kept, but too bad we left after 1 year of lease
The reason that we moved out was because of dee, she may seem nice upfront but she can change her demeanor drastically.
one time we were a few minutes late paying our rent she had the most persecuting personality towards us. ever since then, she became very unfriendly and unresponsive to any apt requests made
we’re glad to be out of there at the end of our lease, dee shoudl really be let go. I’ve also heard a lot of horrible interactions between her and my neighbor
a bad manager can certainly drive away the tenants, no matter how nice the facility or the neighborhood is

Beautiful grounds, friendly staff. Our apartment was newly renovated and super clean! Love the pools & am excited for a dog park to be installed this year. Quiet and cute place to live!

I have lived in many apartments and this is by far the best. I love the management! Dee is great. The property is well maintained and they are constantly finding ways to update and improve the units. I’ve only been here a year and I already have brand new windows. I know many may complain that there is a no smoking rule here, but no complaints here! I love that I don’t have someone’s gross smoke blowing into my window like many other places I have lived. And Dee was very honest and informed me of the property rules when I applied for this apartment. Every time I have had a maintenance issue it was fixed right away. I feel safe here, no shady characters. Everyone is very friendly. Also everyone seems to pick up after their dogs which is a plus. Every month when I go to pay my rent Dee has treats set up for all of the residents. My 5 yr old son loves this and Dee often has special items for the kids. This September she had a bag of school supplies for all the children who live on the property. It’s things like this that I feel makes residents feel appreciated. I love living here and have no plans of moving anytime soon!