Park Genesee

My boyfriend and I lived here for a year and we were happy to be moving out after paying a ridiculous amount for a single bedroom with only one parking spot for the both of us. We were able to find a much better/​affordable location less than 2 miles away and were happy as clams to be able to finally move out when the lease was over.
Initially, it doesn’t look too bad because they spend a lot of time/​$ it seems on having greens around and making the place look pretty because they don’t have much to offer. They don’t have much amenities and the «gym» they offer only has like 2 equipments in a small room where people hang out to watch TV on a couch. They could definitely use some more washers/​dryers as well, so don’t bother going on a busy day/​time. The parking is HORRIBLE and you have to pay for it too. They only give one spot per household, so that left me with parking a whole block away in front of another condo and having my bf pick me up because it’s not safe enough to walk that block back in the dark by yourself, so if any girls are planning on sharing a room in this apartment, I highly discourage it if you guys have multiple cars. Or at least invest in a pepper spray because you definitely will be walking home in the dark more often than not.
The apartment itself looks nice because they paint everything all white before you move in, but the carpets aren’t brand new yet they charge you for it when you move out. You have to take pictures of everything on the day you move in and send it to them so you have proof of anything broken in case they try to charge it to your security deposit when you move out. The appliances the apartment like the bathroom fan/​heater, stove, and heater kept constantly giving us issues. The heater smelled terrible everytime we turned it on, so it was a big disincentive to use. The airflow is pretty much non-​existent in the house, so you need to get an AC especiialy during summer, but only certain types of AC work with the stupid window types that Park Genesee has, so good luck finding an affordable one. Eventually, we had termites by the time we moved out and it was pretty horrifying waking up to those suckers flying everywhere in the house. Thankfully we didn’t have to stay there any longer, but if we did, we probably would’ve had to get it fumigated.
When we moved out, we didn’t get much of our security deposit back just like I expected. I scrubbed the heck out of everything and tried to get it as clean as possible, but still got slapped with the cleaning fee. It’s safe to safe that if you plan on living here, you shouldn’t expect to get your security deposit back from them. I can say that we’re much happier and saving a lot more money now that we’ve moved. We shouldn’t have to be paying that much for so little. The only good thing I can think of was the location, because it’s literally a walking distance from 4 different plazas because it’s near a busy intersection.

I lived in there for a year. I wish I can give zero for this review. It’s the worst apartment management company ever. I am sure you won’t get your security deposit back even there is nothing wrong with the apartment. The management team is a joke. They don’t have the visitor parking. The dumpster went full in two days, and they clean it up once a week.

I wish I could put no stars !!! Beware unless you want to give your money away or have to fight with this people stay away !!! I moved out in February cleaned carpets and the whole apartment for them to take my deposit and charge me for whatever they feel like charging you for. They will try to ruin your rental credit if they don’t like you they will use their right to give you a 24hour notice to come in to your apartment knowing you are at work. Thank god my daughter could be there because there was never a good explanation of why they needed to come in to my apartment (I also asked my neighbors if they did that to them that’s how I know they abuse the law) also if for some reason you do move to this horrible place you need to find everything wrong the same day you move in or you will be responsible for anything that is wrong with the apartment. Read all the papers you sign do not skip anything. You do not get any time to report anything after they do the walk-​through, but they will
Try to rush you as when you move the guy takes about 45 minutes to an hour. They don’t like anyone they act like they do to get you in here, but once your in no matter what they will try to ruin you !!! Not worth it !!! Its sad that people make it a career to take advantage of others specially when they see you need a place to live. Don’t buy into any good reviews on here this people need to be stopped from abusing people!!! So be careful dealing with this place and this people !!!

I lived here for four years and only moved bc I was making a bigger move in my life. Sandra and the maintenance team were amazing! They helped me out as soon as I needed a repair. I never once had a problem with the management, people or my apartment. It was clean, free of pests and safe! I couldn’t have asked for more. I was sad to leave but the previous four years were more than I could have asked for. And, I’ve lived all around San Diego & every other area, so I’ve had many experiences to compare Park Genesee & the management with!

BE AWARE WHEN RENTING FROM THIS PLACE! IF YOU DO RENT FROM THEM, ANY DAMAGE YOU SEE THAT YOU DID NOT DO MAKE SURE TO REPORT IT!
Hey guys so I just recently moved out of this complex. I don’t even know where to start. They will try and take as much of the deposit as they can when you leave and they are actually charging me 300 $+ because I «Broke my contract early.»
I paid for the full month of december and was moving back to northern california and wanted to be home before christmas. The property manager said you will still have to pay for the full month since you are in contract until december 31^st. That was fine so I paid the whole month and we left on december 22^nd i dropped the keys off and moved out. They sent us a bill charging us 300 $+ for breaking contract (that we paid the whole month), (Yes they Charge for what should be normal wear and tear) charged us to paint the place (The paint is a satin finish so any touching of the wall will scuff the paint), replace the carpet and fumigation because of the pet we had which is understandable. Which we also paid a pent rent of 50 $ a month. Lived there for a year and a half so normal wear and tear is expected.
So they took our whole deposit which was 750 $ and want the extra 300 $+ and will send us to collections if we don’t pay it. They will not give you a supervisior/​Owners number which they should provide. they tell you that you have to write a letter, email it to the property manager and she will forward it to the supervisior. Well I did my own research and found the HR’s number to call and get things worked out. They didn’t fix anything and told us we should dispute the repair charges.
They also send you a list of things to clean (18 different things) and if one thing has a piece of dust on it they still charge you a cleaning fee of around 140 $. So I denied cleaning the place when talking to other tenants who told me that have been charged even when everything was spotless.
There was vinyl damage in the kitchen and a perfect square cut out and the maintenance guy told me that they repair vinyl and he did not do that work. Well the property manager said she does not know why he told me that and the vinyl cannot be repaired. Which is a total lie. They are charging me for that and I am in the process of disputing it.
The maintenance guy replaced our fridge and I am assuming him sliding the fridges around caused damage (yes he did it all by himself (Small framed gentlemen in his mid-​late 50s) my girlfriend saw him struggling. Or previous tenants damage that was repaired and the sealant finally gave out and the damages are visible again which is most likely the cause.
The property manager will try and have the least communication possible with you to shut down your complaints/​side of the story.
They charge you for parking which is 25 $ a month (that has no security or gated, someone broke into my girlfriends car and they said sorry we cant do anything) and street parking is hectic. My biggest worry living in San Diego was not being able to find parking and having to park at the next light down everyday.

I’ve been driving around SD looking for an apartment. I came across this place and thought it was a good location being that I go to Mesa College. I called the number on the sign for the apartment DURING open office hours and I got an office but not the one for the actual apartment. Which is fine because they usually have different locations. She asked for my name and number but gave no actual information on the complex. Then she told me to call back later. –_​_​– which was pointless because she had my number and I was calling in the first place. I tried using the intercom system to talk to management. I couldn’t understand anything she said but it was something along the lines of being out for lunch. Their sign says lunch is over at 2 but I rang in at 2:30? I don’t get it. So I called again to their office and all I got was a «they’re probably at lunch so they’ll call you back later.» Again, no help what so ever. It’s been 2 hours and still, no call. But after reading these reviews, I’m glad they didn’t call. :)

Whoever hired Sandra to Manage this place should be fired. Her customer service skills are just horrible. Her attitude is horrible. I started the application process and was totally dismayed by how Sandra treated me. Don’t waste your time. DO NOT RENT HERE!

this place receives 0 stars! worst regret and experience of my life! i hate to feel robbed and scammed! management sandra rivera worst person to be alive! do not rent here unless you want to feel robbed or scammed! i stayed and had the worst experience ever. i can go on and on but its so overwhelming. im coming with a lawsuit for you park genesee! wait for it, you deserve what your about to go through! this will be a fun battle! you will loose! rude ass sandra rivera hangs up like a little cunt after i asked her where all these unexpected fees are coming from? yeah, nothing to say right?! better have an explanation for the judge!

My boyfriend and I went to see a unit on Sat. The grounds were nice. only a few washers for what, 170 residents? hm.
the ‘gym’ is actually a few machines in a room with a big couch and tv. so while someone is watching tv in there, someone right behind you is sweating. oh. and it’s not open on the weekends, because ‘someone might rent it out’. so the ‘gym’ is not open sat. or sunday. even if it is Not rented out.
the unit we saw had a kitchen that was so tiny, my boyfriend could hardly turn around it it, literally. he had to open the oven door from the side bec there was no room for him to stand in front of it to open it!
oh, and you pay to park $ 25, and an additional $ 45 for utilities. so your rent has just gone up. NO guest parking at all.
they told us no pool because they were ‘so close to the beach’. seriously??? do they even have a map?
i wouldn’t waste my time looking here.

My experience with management here was only via telephone. I’d avoid any transactions in light of my experience.
Closing up details on a loved ones’ behalf, the actual ineptness and overall lack of service here can not be over stated

We had the worst experience here. Don’t think we ever got a decent night’s sleep. Walls are so thin that you can hear your next door use the toilet. Terrible management too. They do try to take as much out of you as possible in terms of fees and security deposits. I would never recommend this place to anyone.

they won’t give you a warning about the ASBESTOS that are in some parts of the walls until you’ve already signed and are living in the apartment. When we were doing the tour, that was not mentioned. a couple of months of living there and they give you a piece of paper warning you about it. hmph! we would not have signed at all if they told us in the first place. glad we’re out of there.

So, after dealing with management for about 4 months regarding an overpayment, I’ll have to demote this place to one star.
Actually living there was fine as far as I’m concerned (see previous reviews).
They do scam with the deposit, there’s no point in cleaning because they have to by law and they will charge you the absolute maximum.
But the management is possibly the worse that I have seen ever. Sandra Rivera accepted a check that I accidentally overpaid (I threw the bill out so I estimated up… yes, dumb on my part), and told me that if I write to the corporate office, I will get my money back. What Sandra could have told me was that they would take the last month’s utilities out of my security deposit, so I didn’t have to submit another check and be put through the ringer trying to get it back. And of course, she conveniently forgot that she encouraged me to overpay when I called her back about it.
So I wrote to corporate, explaining how I was basically charged for over two times my last bill, with proof. They write me back saying that I submitted that check for the month before (which is wrong, I have scanned copies of all of my checks that prove I paid every bill on time). I’m 100% sure that they sent me that response hoping that I don’t keep records of these things, and hoping that I would just give up. They’re crooks, don’t rent from them unless you want to get scammed or end up in a civil court.

This is truly the most poorly managed place I have ever rented. That management is rude and not helpful. They go into your apartment without permission and take all of your security deposit. During the walk-​through, I was told that all I would need was a paint job (they said that was standard).
When I got my final statement, they are actually charging me on top of taking all of my security deposit! They are charging for a vinal replacement of my bathroom countertops, carpet change and carpet shampoo (why would you need to shampoo a carpet if you are changing it?).
I would recommend taking as many pictures as possible and documenting everything. If possible, do not rent here!

The apartment complex is called Park Genesee and it is located at 5552 Genesee Court East.
The only reason I chose this apartment was because of the LOCATION. Other than that… it really sucked =/​
Pros
–convient location. located a few minutes from target, 163 and 805 freeways, and near many places to eat.
–bus stops right in front of the apartment if you dont have a car
–They pay SDGE.
–Nice walk in closet
–Many mirrors in the apartment
–A lot of storage space
Cons
–The main manager (her name is Sandra) is very RUDE and NOSY. There is another manager, her name is Melanie. She is very nice! go to her! Maintenance guys are unexperienced and also very rude. They complained about me being in the apartment when they were fixing something! This makes me think they may be stealing things! They also are perverts.
–Small apartment at a high price! They just raised rent which is ridiculous for the size of the apartment. In particular the kitchen is a horrible size! I cant even open my fridge all the way.
–Gym has outdated equipment.
–Parking… you have to pay an extra fee for one small parking space! You have to get one if you have a car because street parking near the complex is very unsafe. No visitor parking. I guess they dont want anyone to come visit you!
–BUGS. Even though we lived on the 2^nd floor, we couldn’t open our windows because spiders and other insects would come in. This is horrible during the summer.
–If you live here you HAVE to have a fan. It gets really hot in the apartment.
–Water pressure and temperature will randomly change from hot to cold making showers very uncomfortable.
–Laundry is very expensive!
–NO pool =/​.
Utilities will be about $ 50 a month for two people. Parking is $ 25 separate from the rent! You have to «apply» for parking and be put on a waiting list!
I would not recommend this apartment complex to anyone. So happy we moved out.

Do not lease here if you have a pet! They require a $ 300 pet deposit as well as a rent increase of $ 600 a year! Its absolutely ridiculous and its all for profit. Facility is ok but staff is always on your case. Ive only been here a few months and I’m already looking to get out. May I suggest the complex just down the road?

Unfortunately there is not an option to leave a ZERO star rating, or I would have. As mentioned in other reviews, the location of this complex is great, very central to almost everything in SD. The apartments themselves are decent, pretty small but not bad for one person. That’s where the good stuff ends though.
My biggest issue is with the management of this complex. Their standard response to just about any issue I had was ‘that’s not our job, we don’t handle that.’ So much so in fact that I stopped going to them with anything. They are very uncooperative and rude unless of course they run into you while they are showing a potential renter.
Parking is awful-​1 spot per apartment and NO guest parking. The lot is full of signs that say you will be towed if you park there ‘illegally’ but this isn’t true either. I had the same car parked in my spot about 5 times in one month and they never towed them. They ‘ticketed’ them and said the car had 24 hours to be there until they could possibly take some type of action against it.
Moving out was another joke. I put down $ 650 for a deposit and ended up getting $ 127 back. I left the apartment about as clean as when I moved in seeing as they claimed to have cleaned the carpet, pretty sure they didn’t I expected a few of the charges but $ 190 for painting ?? I lived there for 1 year and had literally 3 things hung on the wall and left NO marks on the walls. It was completely ridiculous. Also, another poster mentioned them not spraying for fleas; well that was something they charged me for when I moved out. They claimed they were spraying for them since I had a dog in the apartment. My guess is they didn’t.
Stay clear of this complex at all cost!!!

I lived in Park Genesee for a year when I first moved to San Diego. For the most part I enjoyed living there, the rent was reasonable, the location allowed for easy access to the stuff at the corner of Genesee & Balboa. My two biggest complaints before I moved out were that the apartment was primarily inhabited by older people who always gave me dirty looks when I smiled and said hello. And 2 I once had a friend park in my spot for about 2 hours on a Sunday afternoon and his car wound up getting towed.
However, my true beef came when I went to move out. Upon move in my income did not meet there required 3x the rent so they had my mother cosign, however, since she was an out of state cosigner they insisted on taking the max security deposit allowed — 2 months rent. Upon move out they kept a huuuuuuuuuge amount of that deposit for an apartment that had only been lived in for a year and sustained no actual damge. Like the other poster I wound up taking them to small claims court and got a big chunk of it back, but it was really a hassle.

If they have kept your security deposit call Ron Penrod at 310−204−2050!!!
I would not recommend this place to anyone. Complex is noisy, they allow section 8 (so there are a lot of people living in poverty and many with mental disabilities and illnesses — it was like living in a mental institution unfortunately), and the units are very small. They charge you water and the bill isn’t cheap as they divide it evenly among all tenants (even those that have 2 – 3 people living in 1 unit).
They make their money by keeping your security deposit, no matter how much you clean. I tried to get my money back by calling their corporate office and got nowhere. I then filed a small claims case at the courthouse off of 163 and Clairemont Mesa. Because they do not list the owner’s info in the lease, you can sue them for triple the amount of your deposit (this makes for a great way to get their attention now)!!! Another tricky thing that they do is their apartment is called Park Genesee, however, the legal name that they do business as is Genesee Park Apartments AKA Park Genesee Apartments. Tricky because there is a complex a block away called Genesee Park. Park Genesee knows that if you do not put the proper legal name to sue, you cannot collect! So, that is very important as to who the name of the defendant is: Genesee Park Apartments AKA Park Genesee Apartments! I have referred many other people to do the same, and they have. So many in fact that the legal advisors (it is free at that court house, 858−634−1777) know the specifics and could walk you thru the paperwork in 5 minutes.
I would tell you to call Ron Penrod who is the one who settled with me out of court, but he won’t do anything until you file in a claim. His number is 310−204−2050. However, you have to make an attempt to get your money back. I would document it so it is in writing of the days and times you attempted to get your money back. When he got my claim he called me and asked to settle immediately. He asked me what I wanted (My deposit was $ 400 but I put my claim in for triple — $ 1,200) and I told him I would settle out of court for $ 600. I had a check within 2 days!!!
Remember real estate law states that you must receive your deposit back within 21 days and that they cannot charge you for anything above normal wear and tear. These people try to tell you «We will clean for you for $ 135». This is a tactic they use so they can take pictures of the condition and then say that it was in worse condition then the $ 135 and therefore they have to keep your entire deposit. Do not fall for this! They charged me the full $ 135 even though I entirely cleaned my place and had photo proof. They then told me that I didn’t clean behind the refrigerator and since I missed an item on their cleaning list that was the reason for the charge. Again, this does not constitute normal wear and tear. This is price gouging and fraud! Don’t let these scammers scam you. Take my advice and get your money back! It is your money after all. File a claim.

I have some close relatives that have lived here. At first they really dug the place. The complex is located on busy Genesee Blvd., but is situated in such a way that all you can see out your windows and balcony are the rolling hills of Tecolote Canyon. Green verdant grassy fields and soaring hawks gliding on the wind from the front and from the back! But the place is like a Senior Center! Old fogey’s everywhere. The management is uptight as well.
Still it is an excellent location very close to the freeway and the best shopping just up the street at Balboa Avenue. NO PETS-​lucky them! Within WALKING DISTANCE to Mesa College! Gated garages and a nice pool and jacuzzi. Too bad young people feel like the oldster’s are running the show and calling the shots! If you are not into living at a retirement village, then you should look elsewhere, I say!