Wellington Property Company

At first Wellington seemed very professional, but over time it quickly got frustrating working with them. They managed our home for almost two years and their communication with each other and with me, as the property owner, was quite poor. Several times I ended up having to ask my neighbors and friends for help. When I tried to give feedback to Wellington I was totally ignored (no return phone calls, etc.). When I finally got ahold of Paul I felt dismissed.

Nothing is worse than receiving an utterly insulting «List» for Security Deposit Deductions. It should have came as no surprise when Wellington Properties included illegal charges, such as cleaning and management fees, on top of overpriced bids without any receipts. In fact the one receipt I was given contained a $ 350 «cleaning fee» to mop dust in a totally vacant roughly 800 sqft apt. I am not surprised because throughout my time with Wellington Properties I must have switched «point of contacts» four times. Keep in mind, besides a few cracks in the baseboard and normal wear-​and-​tear, nothing was messed up. That came at the end of a twelve month stay that included zero late rent payments.
Rents in the Bay Area are tremendously high. It is sad and rather unfortunate that a «respected» management company such as Wellington would add to that cost with rather arrogant, shocking and foolish deductions.
PS, please see the link for what a pair of CHEAP AND FLIMSY blinds really cost.

Wellington Property Co. is by far THE BEST property management company my wife and I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with! Jen and Kami are always a pleasure to talk to, and handle any property issues ASAP. We have been renting an apartment from them for over a couple years, and they barely raise the rent each year (even though they could raise it more), and never hesitate to send out a repairman for any issue. So many property management companies fall short in this area, but not Wellington. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a rental unit in Oakland!

Wellington Property Company really stands out from other Oakland property management companies. With housing supplies so tight in the East Bay, they could have been a total pain to their tenants, but they have been the complete opposite! I loved living in my little studio until I had to move because I got married and moved into my husband’s apartment. Although the building was over 90 years old, it was updated and very well-​maintained. If I ever had any issues, someone on their team was always responsive and polite. I would highly recommend them!

As property owners we employed Wellington for a period of 6 years or so. Things were relatively smooth for the period our property was rented but it became clear towards the end of our arrangement, as we prepared to sell the property, that it was not going to go smoothly and we expressed our concerns directly with Wellington. We got involved as the tenant over stayed and watched as the entire move out process collapsed. From not collecting the last month’s rent, or even noticing this until we pointed it out, to not keeping clear lines of communication open to us, it was completely bobbled. We are still owed rent 3.5 months later, without any clear communication of our rights for collection, or a realistic expectation of when we can even expect a resolution. Not a stitch of the significant damage to our property was collected on our behalf by Wellington and even the basic terms of the rental agreement were not enforced — tenants painted when the lease said to seek permission (which they didn’t even realize), the gardens were not returned to the state at the lease inception, fittings and fixtures were not replaced to original condition at the renters expense, even down to the fact that they didn’t seem to know, or even advise us that we were not allowed to legally remove the tenants belongings post the move out.
We are walking away from the entire situation now, out of pocket and worse off than when the relationship stated, and not having received a level of service that I believe is commensurate with the fees we paid over the years. They remained friendly through the process, but unfortunately it appears that when the situation calls for more than just collecting and processing rent checks (with the exception of the final check), they lack the experience to protect an owner’s property and enforce their rights under the lease agreement.

I’ve had the pleasure of renting a studio apartment from Wellington Property for 6 years during my time around Lake Merritt, Oakland. During that period Jessica McMahon has been nothing but exceptional since day one, addressing all of my needs quickly and efficiently. Privacy was well respected as they had only required to enter the apartment once to replace the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Otherwise only the occasional communication by mail usually regarding notice of building maintenance (ie. water main shutoff, etc) with plenty of advanced notice. Service calls are usually always handled within a day or two and they do an excellent job of keeping up on the building maintenance. At the conclusion of my stay and a pending job opportunity in Southern California, I had cleaned the apartment and being semi-​nit-​picky myself; noted some wear and tear in some areas of the apartment. I had expected some charges would be deducted. However I was more than surprised when I had received my entire deposit back. This final gesture concluded an otherwise exceptional experience renting from this property management company.

Jennifer and Jillian provided knowledgeable support and a superb can-​do spirit in helping us rent our house so we could work and travel in Australia for a year. They are on top of all details with a smile and patience. Big thanks to them both.

We rented with them from March 2014 to June 2015 and Jennifer and Jessica were fantastic to deal with. Phone calls and emails were always answered promptly and always courteous. It’s just a shame we had to move out of the state as we would have rented with them again in a heartbeat!

Easily the best property company I’ve ever worked with! I have been working with Jennifer at Wellington Properties since November 2013, and she has always been polite, flexible, efficient, and kind. The move-​in and paperwork process was seamless, and I’ve had two maintenance requests that she has coordinated for me. For some reason, it doesn’t seem like the MR requests on their website go through, but every time I’ve emailed Jennifer (no matter how late), she’s responded almost immediately. Very impressive, Jennifer! Thanks for everything!

Its been a very GREAT experience working with Jennifer at Wellington Properties. She recently contacted our office for some fence work to be done. Great communication and fast response. She makes her customers a high priority. I would recommend anyone to use this property management company.

My bottom line would be — if you have another option, take it.
1) The pleasantness and helpfulness of their employees really varies. I had great experiences with Kevin and Jennifer. I had a terrible experience with Jessica. My experience was long delays in responses (due to a new computer system/​training you couldn’t call me back for 3 days? I’m assuming your phone worked) and a general sense she could care less. When your toilet isn’t working and/​or you need to coordinate moving out, that is NOT what you want!
2) I’d suggest people read the reviews careful re moving in/​living in a Wellington place versus moving out. I saw one other review about the nit-​pickiness and large deduction from the security deposit. This was my experience too. This was after we went out of our way to ask Wellington for a cleaner recommendation (they did not have one off the top of their head) and a move-​out/​inspection checklist (they gave us no information, just vague answers). So at the very least I’d suggest you count on losing ~¼−1/3 of your security deposit. This, for us, was AFTER hiring a cleaner!
Just as a note — I’ve lived in and moved out from 5 other rentals. This was definitely my worse experience with management and largest loss of the security deposit.

I’ve been renting from Wellington for a few years now, and I’ve never had a problem with their service as landlords. They communicate regularly with tenants regarding building issues; they respond to problems and repair requests promptly, professionally and politely; and they always follow through. Highly recommended.

We rent a home in Piedmont and have had the most wonderful experience working with Wellington Property. Not only are they friendly, but they act with a sense of urgency on every repair, question, reference… you name it. Very impressive!

Wellington is a very professional property management company. When we first moved in a little less than a year go, there were a few things we had to argue with them to fix or change — but once they agreed to do it, they made the fixes immediately. And as soon as anything breaks or goes wrong, Jennifer deals with it ASAP — she is truly fantastic. We do have limited control over our heat, but Wellington has been very cooperative in adjusting it to meet our needs.

Living with Wellington Properties has been great. If anything goes wrong (broken fridge, broken washer, etc), Jennifer comes in action right away to make sure it is fixed asap.
Most impressive was probably when I moved into the apartment. There were a few things that needed fixing, which were done very nicely, taking into account my schedule, preferences, etc. Thank you!

We just finished up a four-​year residence at a Wellington-​managed property. From the beginning I was really impressed with how straightforward, consistent and professional they were. Our apartment had insufficient heating when we moved in, and they worked with the landlord to get two additional heaters installed. They have also responded quickly to any maintenance requests, and when our cat sitter couldn’t find our key while we were out of town, they were happy to provide her with a spare key at our request.
There are a lot of bad management companies and property owners out there, but if you’re looking at listings on CL and want to know what you’re in for, this is one of the good ones.

The people and service at Wellington are great. I’ve rented with them for a little over a year. They have always been friendly and responsive, tending to any of my requests in a timely manner. I’ve seen their other properties in the Oakland area and they are all well maintained, which is what made me call them in the first place.

A special Thank You to Nevine! She’s one of the nicest people there. She is extremely helpful, very professional and will go out of her way to make sure you are okay and that any repairs done went well. I have to say that Wellington always made an effort to get things replaced or repaired in a timely manner.
Overall my experience with Wellington has been great. I’m moving soon and really wanted to stay in another one of their properties but couldn’t find a Wellington managed property in the city I am moving to at the time I was looking, but I will definitely deal with them again whenever I move again.
Maurice

Speaking from the perspective of a vendor, I can say that Wellington Properties is a joy to work with — They truly take care of their own customers, taking into consideration all of their needs. It makes it a breeze to work with the team at Wellington when we know they are taking care of their residents as well. This is a professional, knowledgeable and helpful staff like no other! Use Wellington and you will not be disappointed! –Jamie, Dispatcher at Gill’s Electric

Old Buildings that need repair = Cars that need repair
Preface: In California tenants pay too much rent for owners to lack such judgment. This is in regards to the owners this company chooses to conduct business with. Two stars for some of the helpful management there.
Story: I wake up to discover the concrete is cracking on the floors above the parking garage — and of course my car is the unlucky one to receive the first hit. (See photos)
According to my insurance company they were being uncooperative in paying for the damages based on estimate. They acknowledged the inconvenience, yet told me to me to pay for it upfront! (some apology).
There was a time when business owners had integrity, where tenants were respected beyond cash cows, apparently this isn’t the case. Yes, I do believe if I were in their shoes, a company with good character in this situation, should simply pay directly out of their pocket! As for Wellington their behavior with this matter completely outweighs the few pro’s in this moderately-​maintained property.
UPDATE: Two days later, after some back and forth discussion the property owners have agreed to pay for the bill upfront, without any inconvenience to me. Currently, awaiting the payment.
No set date on repairing the concrete. Parking on street in the meantime.

Let me provide a review from an owner’s perspective. I contracted with Wellington to manage my single family home in Lafayette after the original manager totally flaked out on me. The staff at Wellington stepped in and were totally professional. Photo inventories of appliances, etc, were done, a new gardening service was engaged, and the tenant was provided with someone who would actually respond to a problem.
I live overseas and return at least once a year to reoccupy the home. I hadn’t realized until Wellington took over, how much effort I was expending on managing the property that the property manager should have been doing. So if you are looking for someone to manage a rental, or series of rentals, you should definitely have Wellington on your list.