Prairie Gardens Apartment

This apartment is not bad… as far as apartments go… The problem is they are extremely unethical.
BEWARE… They will keep your deposit. Even if you return the apartment spotless. Even if you do everything in your power to be the best tenant. Even if there is absolutely no REASON. The ownership can not be trusted. BEWARE!!!
Also, I am not sure how all of a sudden they have no reviews as I checked this one before we moved in… Something definitely not right.
I would have given a negative 1 if possible.

To be completely fair and give credit where it’s due, the on-​site staff at this apartment complex is phenomenal. Melissa always does everything she can to answer questions and resolve issues, and really tries to make the tenants’ lives easier. Maintenance requests are always handled promptly, and issues that are within her power to solve are always fixed quickly and easily.
That being said, the landlord has no perception whatsoever of customer service or even, evidently, the law. After serving me an illegal 30-​day notice to raise my rent over 10%, I sent her a letter telling her that the new rent was way too high for my apartment in its current state and asked if she would approve repairs to the unit that would make it worth it (a bedroom window that closes all the way, securing the dishwasher underneath the counter, re-​doing the drywall in the bathroom after several leaks from the water heater underneath my unit — all pre-​existing issues or issues beyond my control). After ignoring my repeated attempts to contact her (including the official letter) for several days, her eventual reply was to simply say «the owners» think the price is reasonable, and to rescind the illegal 30-​day notice and issue the legally required 60-​day notice. The maintenance beyond the scope of normal wear and tear was not approved.
In short, the landlord treats tenants like a bad car owner treats a car. Gets a new one, tries to get as much money out of it as she can without taking care of it, until it completely quits and she starts over with another. As a financial model, there’s nothing too crazy about running a business like that. But when your business is people’s homes, it becomes a real issue.
If you plan on living here for only a year or two, or understand that it’s likely for your rent to go up 10% a year with no improvements to the unit or complex, I would actually recommend it! The location, grounds, and staff are all fantastic, and all of the neighbors I ever met were wonderful, too! However, if you’re looking for somewhere to live comfortably for a fair price for an extended period of time, I’d keep looking.
P. S. I’ve checked out Prairie Gardens on Unilocal before and there was definitely more than 1 review and they were definitely not 5 stars. I’m not sure what to make of that… I wonder if companies can delete their Unilocal and make a new one with a new name, like «Prairie Gardens Apartment» instead of «Prairie Gardens Apartments.»

I lived here for 5 wonderful years. I don’t think I have a single bad thing to say about Prairie Gardens! Melissa, the manager, is a sweetheart and very attentive to any concern you may have. It’s close to many shopping centers, and very close to El Camino College. Overall, if you’re thinking of renting an apartment here, you will not regret it! :)