I really had trouble writing this negative review after everything I have experienced while living here. My hope is that less people make regrettable decisions with their money, especially during such difficult times.
The administration and landlady at Orchard Plaza Apartments do not communicate well with any of the tenants. I have seen neighbors move in and out of these apartments frequently. There has always been a ""For Rent"" sign on the front.
Maintenance problems take a long time to get fixed. A family we knew told us they moved in to an apartment that needed new carpeting. They lived in that apartment for seven years, and the carpet was never replaced. A few months before they moved out, they started having plumbing problems, where water leaked from the third floor onto the second floor. They had buckets of water all over the apartment. When they moved out, they did not get their deposit back because the carpet was in such a terrible condition and the plumbing problems needed fixing. I am telling their story here because like many hard-working immigrant families, they do not speak English, so they cannot defend their rights as tenants.
We also experienced similar problems upon moving here. We moved into an apartment that did not have any hot water, and this went on for two months until maintenance finally changed the water-heater. Read the ad for this apartment listing carefully. If the listing says ""one-car garage,"" you will share a garage with another tenant. You may store your belongings on your shared side at your own risk. You have to pay an additional $50.00 deposit for a remote to get inside the parking. (I think it's 50.00 each.) A parking space costs $50.00. A banner hanging from the side of the apartments reads 1/2 rent free, which is a partially true statement. You pay half month's rent and the other half is the deposit. Once you move out, you will not receive your deposit back.
And this is what I do not understand. Some of the neighbors are friendly, while others mind their business. Yes, in some ways it is a somewhat disconnected community since people move in and out every few months. This place is a gated community near a shopping center (with stores including CVS and Maki Yaki--to name a few), a grocery store (Superior Market), and major streets and transit routes (Olympic and Whittier Blvd are nearby). It does have the makings of a great apartment complex, but the administration and the living conditions are so terrible, it's best to find a living arrangement elsewhere.
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