Carlmont Heights Apartments

Positive place to work, live, and commute from with good views in some apartments and Quiet!
We rented a 3 bed 2 bath. Constantly having repairs. Workers are great! Fast and do the best they can with the equipment that is installed.
The kitchen was awesome! Wish there was room for a place to sit down besides our couch.
Average to below average bathroom fixtures and workability in small space. WORST PART but youll probably fin it in most placed in Dark green black mold. constant problem.
Property Manager RANGER RICK! FULL OF EXTRA FEE’s Comments, Awkward camera set up, and is put there to bill bill bill.
i.e. In his first week as apartment manager he dug throw my trash, 25 gal bag, to find a name. Mind you the trash is against an overfilled dumpster 5 bags over the top limit on either side. What do you want me to do ranger rick, ask for your help?
Gave me a $ 65 bill «incorrect garbage placing» is that not know as littering? When i approach he about it there nothing you can do to control the amount of garbage there is but im liable for «incorrect garbage placing»
YOU SIR ARE THE ONLY TRASH THAT NEEDS TO BE REMOVED!

Finding a place to live in the Bay Area is quite difficult due to costly rents and limit availability. The last place I was renting in San Mateo is nothing compared to this apartment complex. Granted rent is still on the higher side due to this market but when you have more pros then cons well… what can I say.
Pros:
Pet friendly
Gym with saunas
Common areas to play pool, practice your putt game, hang out with friends grilling some Q
Pool for the hot summer days
Great property manager, Rick (seriously. my last PM was equivalent to a snail)
nice views
Cons:
Sauna does not get hot enough. Thats pretty much it.
Overall, this is a great place to live in. I would highly recommend it to my family and friends. So if you’re currently searching your options, make sure you give Rick a call to set an appointment.

Carlmont Heights was one of our top two contenders when shopping for a rental recently. The 2bedroom 2 bath we saw was beautiful and had lovely vaulted ceilings with exposed beams and granite countertops everywhere. There was plenty of room it was updated and included our must have appliances (dishwasher/​washer/​dryer), had several complex amenities, and was very well priced. We really enjoyed meeting with the property manager Rick who we could tell does his job with passion and care (always thinking of innovative ways to improve the complex for tenants)! Rick and Carlmont created a lasting impression and we will make sure to look this community up/​recommend it in the future if we ever have need!

I believe you’re in the right hands with Rick. He’s very honest, straight forward and communicative about every detail when it comes to any questions you may have. He sets the expectations for you immediately and he’s very reasonable with you, unless you’re being completely ignorant or just plain rude. I don’t believe you can go wrong here, give it a shot and set up an appointment with Rick if you’re hesitant at all.
They’re under great management now.

I have only lived here for 3 weeks but I have to say «So far so good.» Rick the manager is awesome! He is extremely responsive, personable, helpful, full of good information and advice. Never have I felt observed or spied on. Not sure why anyone would say that. I think he is an excellent manager with a great attitude.
I agree with the other reviewers that the worst thing about this place is the exterior. Once inside everything is updated and very livable. I viewed «new» units in the area that were 2/​3rds the size for more money. I have lived in many different places that have had real problems. It seems like a safe quiet place to live that I am happy to come home to. Overall I am quite happy with my choice.
I also want to shout out to the maintenance staff for their good, hard work. Communal living often means that people leave their mess for others to clean up and I have not seen any messes. The common areas are clean and maintained. Good job.

The two best things about living here are the beautiful views and having Rick as a landlord. The views speak for themselves. Rick definitely goes above and beyond.
It seems like he actually cares about the tenants, and greets everyone I’ve seen by name.
When we first moved in, I told him our sink was leaking. He emailed me later that day saying my dog was mad at me (probably for leaving him home alone in a new place) and pooped on the floor — then a few minutes later, I got another email saying he cleaned it up. How many landlords clean up your dog’s poop for you?
I love how easy it is to reach him. When I clogged my tub and broke my toilet paper holder, I just sent a quick email and it was taken care of. I’ve never had to file any papers (knock on wood).
He has done a zillion other things for us that I probably shouldn’t mention without everyone expecting the same treatment. But I’ll just say. I have heard he is a fantastic baker.
People can complain all they want about cameras or having to pick up their own trash, but I am an adult and like having people clean up after themselves and I prefer to feel safe when I go out at night.
Last thing — I see deer on our property every few weeks but I still get excited every time!

Lets be honest: The buildings are dated, some of the units have been remodeled, others have been updated half-​ass so that management could quickly fill vacant units. This place is all about making money and not about making happy tenants. I do not know where to start, because not all of my experience was terrible, I mean its hard to find a complex in the Bay Area which takes Dogs, allows people to have 3 vehicles, access to community parking, pool, workout closet (literally), and some nice greenery for under 2000 a month in a good quiet neighborhood. We lived there for a year.
The people who occupied the apartments on either side of me, were polite, quite, genuinely nice people. The people above us however, were truly insane. They would play music on blast at all hours of the day and night, they would rearrange their furniture at 1am. They would have screaming yelling matches, that would end in some scary noises. My fiancé and I sat there in fear every night in anticipation of what the nights events would be. Management told us that unless others complained there was nothing they could do about it. This was an everyday battle.
Rick, the Manager was a fucking Joke! And a lurker! He would lurk around the complex looking to harass us about anything he could think of. Whether it was fishing poles in your carport, or making you go back to the recycling to pull of the pieces of styophome that accidently ended up in there. And when it came to maintaince requests, you would email him asking for him to come replace a light bulb (why pay when it comes with the complex!) and he would say to go fill out a hard copy in the office, but he removed all of the hard copies!
Then as we prepare for move out, we ask about what it is we need to get our deposit back and he tells us we need to get the vinyl floor professional cleaned as well as the carpet and present him an invoice from the company. We did so, and according to Carlmont heights the floors were «water-​damaged». I contacted the company who cleaned them furious and the company said it was due to inadequate installation, and it would not have to stood up to any cleaning. So either way, we were going to have to pay for a new floor because if we didn’t submit the invoice we would pay $ 600 or we would pay for the replacement because of the damage… it was a nightmare. Not to mention that the place was suppose to be carpeted but 2 days before move in Carlmont heights said they are replacing the floor and upping the rent AFTER we already signed the lease.
These are all just frustrating technical details that take away from the tranquility a home is suppose to have. Other then all of these things which are little in my world. I enjoyed living «in the city». It was quite, yet mins from groceries, shopping, hiking, and yet minimal crime, and ample guest parking.
Rent at your own risk

I’ve been here over 10 years.
My recent maintenance request was taken care of the next day. I had several request over the last few months and they were all addressed the next day.
Great location, with beautiful views, a pool, workout room, and it’s pretty quiet.
Highly recommended.

We have been renting at Carlmont Heights for close to a year now and are delighted with our choice in apartment homes! I will admit that it’s not an impressive complex from the outside. We turned up our noses when we first arrived and had no positive expectations as we went to view our unit. The buildings are dated and are somewhat reminiscent of mobile homes on stilts and the hallways are exceedingly plain and far from impressive BUT our views are to die for (and we enjoy them daily from the LARGEST deck on the planet!!) AND the interior of our two-​bedroom, two-​bath unit is totally renovated. The exterior the only bad news there is!
We enjoy new laminate and ceramic tile flooring and granite counter-​tops. The tub/​shower surrounds are tiled and the bathroom counters are granite as well. While there are laundry rooms in the complex, we have an in-​unit washer/​dryer in our apartment which was a must have for us! The carpeted bedrooms are good-​sized with huge closets and the living room, dining room and kitchen all feature lovely open-​beamed, vaulted wood ceilings. We have two assigned parking spaces and, unlike MANY apartment complexes, there is ample visitor parking! We back onto a gorgeous Belmont hillside and enjoy summer shade from a beautiful old oak tree as well a constant parade of deer, raccoons, squirrels, possums and birds ranging from woodpeckers to quail outside our bedroom windows.
The grounds are very well-​kept and the common interior hallways are regularly mopped and are always immaculate. Windows in the common area doors are absolutely spotless all of the time as well. I only wish the janitorial staff would come clean MY apartment! Kudos to all of workers who perform repairs, maintenance and do the renovations! The complex features a pool, barbeques, a putting green, and a an rather neglected tennis court which is a total blast for those who just want to volley a bit and have some fun. The community center has small gym, fireplace, pool table, kid’s play area, sofas and Roku. Perfect!
I have lived in several apartment homes over the years and have to say that the on-​site management here is the best I’ve ever experienced. Rick is super-​fast to respond to work requests or answer questions. The few things that we have requested to be fixed have been addressed the same day or, if the request was made in the evening, the next day. He is friendly, approachable and always available. Rick knows everyone by name which makes for a great community feel. The quality of neighbors we have is directly attributable to the interview and screening process standards he employs. This is an über-​quiet, clean, SAFE, pet-​friendly, beautifully-​managed community!
I would love to be a little closer to work and perhaps pay a little less for rent (we’re new to NorCal and find the apartment rents here are through the roof but even for Belmont the rent here is a bit pricy!) but we thoroughly love living here and have no plans to move… EVER!

I’ve been living here for about 5 years now and am happy here. Overall, it’s a quiet, mellow place. I totally disagree with Joe T. about our current manager. Rick is a great guy — definitely the best manager we’ve had since I’ve lived here. I’ve always found him to be very friendly and helpful. He is responsive to my requests and gets things taken care of right away.
The rec and pool areas are in much better shape now than they’ve ever been. We have Roku in the main rec room and the weight room now, which is awesome. To say that Rick uses these areas as his own play space is just crazy. I’ve seen him in these areas maybe 3 times in the past 6 months. I’ve seen his kids there once. These areas are nearly always empty and available for anyone to use.
Apartments get renovated during the day. Noise levels during the day are pretty average. If you’re looking for a place where there is literally no noise from 8am-​5pm Monday-​Friday, this probably isn’t the place for you. Nights and weekends are extremely quiet. People move in and out at about the same frequency as at any other apartments I’ve ever lived in. Usually what you see around here are a few people walking their dogs.
There are lots of amenities, including propane grills, a rec room with a small kitchen (which no one ever uses), a weight room, a sauna, etc. The apartments are pricey (like everything on the Peninsula) and not an especially good value, but Rick is a great manager and this is a very nice place to live.

I am not sure what is wrong with Joe T., but his comments against the current apartment manager Rick and the staff are unfounded and compels me to write this review.
After living here for ~6 months, I am pretty happy. I have had a few issues, but all were resolved within 24 hours of making the request. As an example:
I had a leak in both of my windows, one was leaking water like a faucet. I texted Rick to see if he could take a look and he was over in five minutes. He assured me it wouldn’t cost me a dime and he would bring someone over in the morning to take a look at it. Sure enough, 10 am the next day guys came and fixed it within an hour.
The reason I am not giving this place a 5 star is two fold: The price is a bit high, as expected in CA, and the apartment I am in was newly renovated and it was rushed, but that shouldn’t dismay anyone. If you have any issues, they will be promptly resolved.
If you are looking for a calm, quiet apartment where the only noise you hear is the occasional tiny dog barking or a car starting up for the morning commute, look no further.

I would like to warn anybody who is considering to live in any of these units BEWARE! This is a fairly quiet area outside but inside your apt is were that stops. I can litereally hear a pen cap fall and hit the ground not to mention any conversation and any private personal interactions my neighbors may be having. I am living in one of the newly remodeled apt and looks very nice yet the quality of the material is the absolute cheapest. If you don’t mind loud noises through out the day and night… every cabinet… every dish… every person talking slamming dropping things then this is the place to be. But if you dont have an unlimited supply of earplugs then i suggest you look somewhere else. I am not one to write reviews and complain but this is only a certian amount a person can take. I hope I can help someone else avoid the missery. Like i said it looks nice but when the neighbors come home it all goes to shit and not that its the peoples fault but the owners who built these units cheap as possible without concern of their tenants!

I give this place 1 star because it is a solid roof over my head. That’s about it.
First off, we have been through 3 apt. managers and they have become steadily worse. The current one is a guy named Rick who is obnoxious. I would really love to not write this review but feel compelled. If I just wanted to talk about Rick in this rant I could, but I wont. I will just say this. He is exactly what you dont want as an apt manager. He lingers around all day, comes out of his apt and runs towards you to inform you of various things, and he lies about everything involving the building. As an apt manager goes, I would give rick 0 stars. I dont want to write this, but I feel its good for people to know.
Besides the apt manager, there are other things that make it a less than good place to live. The turnover rate is incredible. There are people moving out left and right. You never know who you are going to get. Let alone every weekend there are moving trucks blocking your parking spaces and making a bunch of noise. Oh, and speaking of noise. the full time staff of only Hispanic men just linger around the property and seem to move garbage from one spot to another. You can more than guarantee that the trash cans located closest to you will be filled with all the stuff they pack in there from renovating yet another apt. Thats what the workers here do. When people move out, which is frequent, they go in and work on the apartment. They are here Monday thru Saturday. I can go on, believe me. The common theme, though, is construction noise, the banging of trash, and loud spanish speaking men who seem to be having a fun time.
The pool is ok exept for, again, Rick. He uses the pool and REC area as if its his own play space for him and his 2 kids. Thats where his office is, as well. So, if you want to have people over one day, expect Rick to be up your ass asking what you are doing, how many people you have over, and constantly asking you to have them «check in.» The other property managers were saints compared to him. He is the most annoying person you could ever encounter. Most people here really hate him and from what I hear, most people go above his head to get things done, or complain about him.
There is trash on every corner of the complex, your guests cannot park, let alone come over without the property manager running out and greeting you, the WHOLE complex is always under some type of construction, the washer and driers are always either not working or ruining your clothes… Oh, did I mention that the apartment manager put up cameras everywhere? No, seriously, there are cameras everywhere. Yea, I here ya. Cameras are a good thing, right? Yea, they are… except for when they are tied to trees like he is watching your every move.
This place is a nightmare i just want to forget. Like, I said before… its a place to live. The renovated apartments are pretty but with a price. They make it seem like you are getting some great value but your not. The water and garbage are tied together with everyone else and with the Laborers stuffing the cans every day expect to pay around $ 150 a month for that. If you use the heaters in the winter expect to pay around $ 300, no joke. All the reviews that are posted here are dead on. The 5 star reviews here are probably fake, this place sucks.
If you have any questions feel free to ask, but I would rent elsewhere.

Rick is the new apartment manager and he is GREAT! He has totally worked with me through my whole journey of trying to find the right unit and has been a tremendous help. He is really nice and extremely responsive and def recommend the apartments here. They are all gorgeous and new inside.

I’m torn really torn about whether to give this place a zero star or more than 1. Only reason & the only reason I give it more than zero is because it’s in a beautiful location. Great views (least you can ask for when you pay mega $$$$).
I read and ignored the reviews when we rented. I regret that now :-(
Where do I start with my experience with these guys. I’ll try to be honest & not get emotional here (although I’m upset with the way the outgoing tenants are treated)
We rented a 3-​bed here from July 2013-​July 2014. At our first year anniversary the rent was hiked by $ 300! Ridiculous.
When we moved in the property had a fantastically knowledgable manager, Fiona. She was professional, patient & polite. She even assured us that the rent will not go up more than a $ 100 a year.
After she left early this year we knew something was fishy.
For a while we had a now-you-see-him-now-you-don’t fill-​in manager, then came in the new manager who to say least was nothing like the old manager in any respect.
He’s borderline rude & like another Unilocaler mentioned loves to interrupt mid-​sentence.
Now the move-​out issues that are prompting me to write this.
1. Our move-​out inspection was done in the most unpleasant & intimidating fashion by the «fill-​in manager» Bill who is now seen around the property more than the actual manager.
2. During the inspection extremely minuscule things were pointed out, for example, I was told the charges to fix a drawing pin hole is one dollar, for a nail hole it’s $ 2 & for a drilled hole it’s $ 3. And he said all this in a very sweet voice, with a big grin. Yup, like it’s obvious & that I’m a fool!
3. During the inspection I repeatedly asked him about the charges for cleaning, painting, carpet cleaning & all I got from him was I don’t know. I called the office, sent emails to the management trying to get an idea as I knew they will overcharge. No response.
I received the security deposit settlement & yes, we are grossly overcharged for EVERYTHING!!! Thank god I had the sense to get carpets cleaned ourselves.
It hurts more & makes no sense to show $ 850 charge for paint when they have an in-​house handyman team to do everything!
4. The top-​management is some elusive set of people who do not respond to emails & requests.
I had asked them to attach the invoice from outside agency if they paid anything & I am yet to receive any such thing for charges.
I hope to do something about the unreasonable behavior, action & charges Carlmont Heights Apartments, Belmont demonstrated.
If you love your money stay away from this place. I wish future tenants good luck and please ask questions, if you get sucked in like we did (thanks to the views).
Send me a message here if you have questions about this place.

First star for having a great view
Second star for being in a serene environment
Third star for residents who are relatively quiet.
Removing one star for not having storage and yet barring residents for storing items on our balconies. The rules are pretty intrusive as well.
HOWEVER…removing one star for a foul up that has cost me money. This is my main beef:
I just moved here less than a month ago. I have a service animal. Based on our income and high credit score, we qualified for the lowest security deposit of $ 700 as quoted by the on-​site property manager. However, we had to pay an additional $ 500 for a pet deposit.
I had to remind the property manager that my dog is not subject to a monthly pet rent when we first signed our lease agreement. Last week, I learned that service animals are also exempt from pet deposits. So I addressed it with the on-​site manager and he forwarded my message to the property company. Here’s the problem. The manager had made a corrected pet addendum putting $ 0 for pet rent. BUT he also put $ 0 on the pet deposit.
So now the property company is saying that our initial deposit is $ 1200. THANK YOU FOR THE FOUL UP! We’re now out $ 500 because it seems as though the company is refusing to remit our money. I am really peeved because I feel like I just got scammed, and I know I won’t be seeing that money again. So people with service animals… be forewarned.

Wanted to call and ask about their pricing and service, the men on the phone Mike I think. (Manager) was very rude and disgusting. Talked a lot and did not let me ask questions, interrupted me all the way. How not professional he was and rude guy.
Horrible situation let me call other places.

I have been here now 18 months and I still LOVE living at Carlmont Heights. Don’t pay attention to the old reviews. Cameron is gone and the issues raised in those old reviews are no longer issues, other than the windows. BUT the complex was built in 1970, so it is old and for that reason, the windows rattle. Lay a pillow against them when you go to bed at night and voila no rattling windows.

My boyfriend and I have lived in the Carlmont Heights Apartments for 1 year and 8 months and we love it here! We always tell each other that our Carlmont Heights apartment is our favorite apartment ever. The location is perfect, right in the middle of the peninsula with straight shots to 92, 101 and 280. Walkable distance to grocery stores, coffee shops, public library and cute local restaurants! The grounds themselves are well-​maintained and I’ve seen many improvements made since we moved in. These apartments are pet firendly, quiet, private and the Management/​Maintenence are excellent as well. The current Manager, Fiona, is very experienced and has no hesitation with any question or concern I may have, while also addressing maintenence requests as quickly as possible. In additon to being very knowledgeable and helpful, Fiona is genuinely interested in the concerns and well-​being of her tenants. I would highly recommend Carlmont Heights Apartments if you are looking to live in the Peninsula!

A warning to anyone deciding to rent at Carlmont Heights Apts.- they will promise all kinds of improvements to get you hooked into a lease. One of the worst run apartment complexes I have ever seen. This complex (around 80 units) continues to fall into disrepair. The manager is secretive of who the owner is (no wonder) and the «maintenance staff» is poorly trained and likely underpaid. The game that they play with tenants is that they will try and use a big chunk of your deposit to charge for things that they do not or will not fix in the first place. My advice, don’t rent here and if you have to, stay on them to fix every little thing there is until it gets fixed correctly. The maintenance people typically have to return to get things fixed correctly. This is an ethically and professionally challenged operation. Look elsewhere to save yourself personal grief!