AVR Properties

I rented from AVR Properties for 4 years, and always had positive experiences with them. They are very knowledgeable about the rental process and laws. When issues arose, they were extremely quick to respond and take action. If I ever decide to rent out my home, I will definitely have them manage the property. Highly recommended!

I am a current tenant of AVR, for the second time. Overall I recommend AVR to anyone who asks who they should contact if they’re looking to move to Livermore. Ken, Keith and Terri are the only whom I have ever interacted with there and feel as though they all run a very tight ship!!!
if you’d like to read my full (lengthy) experience please feel free to continue reading.
We rented our first home which was a cute 3 bedroom off of Holmes street. At the time it was myself, my cousin, my sister her daughter, and our cat. When we started the entire process Keith & Terry were very straight forward as to what THEIR companies policies are for all of the tenants (over 18); fill out the applications, pay the fees, credit check ect. My cousin (at the time) had just moved back from out of state so had only been working for a few months. They informed us that due to this the DEPOSIT would be raised (all deposits are fully refundable and the end of lease depending on condition of the property). We understood because I mean, lets be real, would you want to rent to someone if they don’t have credit and seems to not be financially stable? The entire time we lived there if anything broke or needed to be repaired (that wasn’t our fault), we’d call and within a day or two AVR had the repair man out to fix it.
When it came time for us to move out, summer of 2014, they asked if we wanted a pre-​move out inspection so of course we said yes. Terri came out with a checklist and we walked through the house just like we did when we moved in. I remember we had a stain on the tile by the backdoor from our cheap mat we had that bled. Terri gave us some cheap ideas as to how to possibly get the stain up, which if I remember correctly it was just leave the blinds open so the sun «bleaches» it. We were also told that since our lawn was browning we would have to have it all green since that’s «move in condition». Yet again, we were given another cheap idea/​quick fix to get it green by the time we moved out. Terri was so helpful and explained EVERYWHERE that they check for the condition of the property, places we probably had never cleaned before. Mind you, this was our first rental home, a lot more space to cover.
Overall when we moved out, I think we got our entire deposit back besides maybe a charge for leaving some garbage outside.
A few months after we moved out (to save money) we reached out to AVR to see what they may have coming up. I explained to Terri they specs we needed, 2 bd accepts cats under $ 1700. In January a cute little condo came available so my cousin and I decided to check it out. At the time we just didn’t have enough saved to move out so we had to pass. The tenant who rented it had to move out for whatever reason just 2 months later so Terri called us before they even posted it online. We weren’t able to move in just yet because they had to do their property inspection/​walk thru to make sure it was up to their standards. Even though the previous renter was there MAYBE 2 months she had to get the carpets cleaned because it’s in the lease agreement.
A few Unilocalers said that Keith was rude and you know what our first interaction with him was just that. however, very shortly after our first interaction and going into the office and talking with him and him showing us properties, we realized he’s just straight forward and to the point. Keith is very informative about how they run things and it’s pretty straightforward information, why add unnecessary fluff?

I look back on my interactions with AVR and can’t help but shake my head and laugh. The AVR staff member that went on the walkthrough when we moved in and performed the pre-​inspection later when we moved out, did it with such Kafkaesque pedantry, it was ultimately hilarious! For one example, he told us they would charge for the burnt out log that was in the fireplace if we didn’t remove it before we left, even though it was there when we moved in! We were able to show him a picture of the living room taken on the move in walkthrough that shows the log in the fireplace, so they didn’t deduct for it, but really?! Hahahaha!
(They still deducted a sum from our security deposit for pre-​existing damage they didn’t note on the pre move-​out inspection.) And though it is true that property management companies fundamentally don’t work for the tenants, but the property owners, AVR’s attitude relative to others we have had was one of pretty disdainful skepticism.
There is one anecdote in particular that’s an apt metaphor for our entire time renting with them: when we moved in, there was no refrigerator. It was present when my husband did the first walk through when the previous tenants’ possessions were there (and he didn’t think to clarify, but the refrigerator he saw was theirs). When we asked why there wasn’t a refrigerator the day we moved in, their representative curtly replied that no refrigerator was mentioned in the rental listing (even though we viewed the property via an agent and the property was never officially listed) and don’t we know that it’s standard in California for tenants to own their own refrigerators and move around with them when they relocate?

I had been having horrible anxiety regarding the hopeful return of our security deposit. We hired Gabby’s House Cleaning and AVR made them come back out and do a re-​clean, we hired COIT Carpet Cleaners, and AVR said it was no where near clean enough to «their standards», so they made them come out again to and DIDN’T leave their contact info for a confirmation call regarding the appt THEY requested. Even the girl at COIT said they were very rude when they called. I have no idea what they expect, this particular property on 1361 Cameo Court in Livermore is a much much older home, still with aluminum door frames and severe water damage in the master bath. All I can say is that we left that prestine condition. From what I heard the people before us literally trashed the place. AVR will find the biggest grey area and get everything they can out of it. DO NOT RENT FROM THEM AND DO NOT RENT 1361 CAMEO COURT.

By far the most unprofessional property agency I have used or even heard of. My mistake of being in such a hurry to find a place at a reasonable price, I should have went to Unilocal first. Seeing all the horrible reviews would have made me go a different direction. The first call was okay with the lady being new she was nice. I turned in an application and then waited. This place did not have their ducks in ANY rows! Terry (very rude) calls me 2 days later asking if I am still interested in the property. Like I never even turned in an application. I informed her HELLO my information is already turned in (this is scary)??? She then put me on hold asked around and then said «oh yeah, we will call you back». I asked «well what’s the status» She said she will have to call me back. I’m terrified this place handles business in this way. She had NO IDEA ALL my information was already there. I then call back a day later and spoke with Keith, super rude arguing with me, no customer service skills sounds like he’s either just woke up or drunk! I asked him the status and he says he «sent me a letter». Ok was anyone going to call? I asked for my information back and he just decides to argue with me. This place by far does not have their stuff together. While having ALL my personal information there I would never recommend this unprofessional place. We have made a report to the BBB and they already have investigations pending. Please learn from my mistake and DO your research!

Communication skills are not very good. Said my pet made the carpet stink, but there was a leak in the garage after I moved out that made the house smell. I explained this to them, but they still took carpet cleaning out of my deposit. They are always eager to tell you what you did wrong, but not take responsibility themselves.

Horrible experience. No explanations. Very disorganized. I would recommend other avinews to obtain a rental property. And if you are a home owner seeking a management company I do not recommend AVR there are a lot of others out there that will do a much better job.

Ken Bradley in Livermore was the most rudest person I have ever come across in Livermore. and I have lived here over 25 years. He alters the truth to avoid work and is mean to the elderly. He brought me to tears in my own front yard. The man has no heart. Please save your money and don’t use him.

It’s surprising there aren’t more negative reviews for this place! My review is for the application process.
What some describe as straight forward, I would call condescending and plain rude. I only dealt with the younger one, maybe that was my issue?
I was fine with the condescending answers I received during phone calls and when dropping off my application check. I felt they were just trying to stress the importance of timing and level set us that there’s a lot of competition for rentals.
My biggest issue with the attitude was when I brought my mom along to see the rental. She asked some simple questions regarding when we’d find out more information and how the application process works. I couldn’t believe the rudeness she received back with what I thought was a fair question. They make you feel like you don’t deserve to understand their process, you don’t deserve to rent from them, and no matter what you do, how much you make, or how much savings you have, it’s not good enough. Well, we were definitely good enough, and got approved.
We decided to pay $ 500 extra a month at another rental to not have to deal with them (which I think says enough about this place).

I rented with AVR properties for 2 years. The first headache starts with their renting process. It is like getting a government job. They ask for tons of documents, references, pay stubs. It is way more than the normal renting process. I have an excellent credit history but this was the hardest place I got. After getting the place, their maintenance policy became an issue. They blame tenants for normal problems. There was always a maintenance person in my previous places and helping me anytime I wanted. Here the guy sitting at office comes and blames the tenants for everything and ridiculously overcharge for simple things. They don’t offer anything free such as annual carpet cleaning or free shades. The people are not friendly at all. They just get the rent and don’t help at all. This was the worst management in my life. I prefer more professional and structured management.

Best rental experience we have ever had. We rented a home in Livermore through AVR for almost 3 years. They made everything a great experience for us and are excellent communicators. When the owner of the home we rented wanted to move back into the house, they gave us over 6 months notice that our lease would be terminated the end of it’s run and also allowed us to terminate the lease early in the event that we found a new home sooner than when our lease was up. They were very helpful during our pre-​move out inspection and gave me a list of exactly what I needed to do to get our deposit back. We got most of our deposit back and we are very pleased to have done business with them. We would definitely rent from them again!

Thinking of moving back to Livermore and decided to read the reviews on Unilocal about my previous landlords. They seem to run the gamut.
My experience with AVR was from 2008 – 2010. I found an ad on Craigslist and it was just the rental property I was looking for. Called up it was being managed by AVR.
I came in to fill out the paperwork, but was told that the property was going to another client. I was disappointed, and went back to my search. They called me back about 3 – 5 months later (without prompting on my part) and asked was I still interested? I was. Took the rental and things started breaking right and left. Each time I called, they came out the same day or the next day. Always got clear communication.
Got 100% of the deposit back.
Think I will browse their properties before firing up Craigslist.

I wanted to rent a house they had listed for weeks. I went to the office and spoke to the older out of shape guy. He was quite cold and unfriendly. Soon his younger partner came in and glared at me for the whole interview. My daughter, a health care professional with a 17 yr tenure and homeowner had to short sale her underwater house and had been laid off because of cutbacks in the last few years. Naturally her credit isn’t good. I offered to sign the lease in my name and be responsible. I have considerable assets. They acted as if I had brought a poisonous snake into their office.
They wanted us both to submit to the screening for $ 30. Per person. After reading these reviews I suspect they would turn us down. Why bother? I felt judged as criminal. I wouldn’t call that direct. They turned off this completely reasonable client. Maybe that why they haven’t rented the house yet?

I rented with AVR Properties for 3.5 years. I was 20 years old when I moved in. I had decent credit and a decent job so they gave me a shot. They are very particular about the information you put on the application because it is ILLEGAL not to.
The house I lived in was old and had every issue in the book but I got what I paid for and I realized that. Any time I had an issue, I called them and they promptly tended to it whether it was themselves or someone they hired. They did often take the cheap way out, but it was fixed and that is all that mattered to me.
Ken and Keith are straight forward and if you do not like what they have to say, may come off as rude, but business is business. You need them as much as they need you. At one point, we had 4 dogs living in the house so there was quite a bit of damage to the carpet and some to the yard as well. AVR still gave me 100% of my deposit back. They were fair and good communicators. I am moving back to Livermore and plan to use them again.

AVR Properties is definitely the best property management company that I have had experience with. They run a very professional and honest operation.
When we had trouble at the property, there were service professionals out there right away. When we had any sort of questions, they were always happy to help.
Moving out was also much easier than I’ve experienced in the past. They were very considerate when scheduling time to show the property. I also appreciated the fact that they will do a pre-​move inspection, and let you know of any details that you can take care of to make sure you get your deposit back. Every rental I’ve had in the past involved unexpected deductions from our deposit, so this was a nice change!
I would definitely rent from them again.

Very professional operation: Ken is very honest and straightforward, and his team knows how to take care of the property.
Highly recommend.

It is true that the staff members of this place are a bit too straight forward, but they are also straight forward in the positive aspect of things. We have rented 2 places from them so far and they have been nothing but honest with us.
Place #1: The owner decided to sell the place, after we were already on a month to month basis. Ken called us early enough, even before the owner gave us a notice and told us that she had told him that she plans to sell. He said that he felt it would be fair to let us know in advance so we can look for another place. I find this honorable behavior.
Then we looked for the next place and somehow ended finding a place run by them, which agreed to our liking.
Place#2:
We received a call a few days ago giving us 2 months notice, before the owner would return (we are already on a month to month basis). He even suggested to help us find another place if we wanted to. He is only entitled to give us 30 day notice. He is just that kind of a person, that lets people know as soon as he does.
As for the office being low key, well it is not something bad. Small businesses are also good for the economy and they never claimed to be a large scale or big company. They are a family owned business.