Jefferson At Carmel Mountain

I’ve lived here for two years, and recently renewed my lease. The office staff is amazing, the complex is walking distance to everything, the pool and gym area are great. I would highly recommend living here.

So this was one of my top picks to check out when we were considering our move to SD. We’ve been here one month and have just gone ahead and signed a longer lease as well. It’s an excellent location. Right from groceries, gas, coffee, library, playground, school is within walking distance. The apartment are a good size and yes they are on the ‘older’ side but are well maintained and updated as well. We are very happy and excited to continue living here. The grounds are well maintained and the leasing office staff are friendly and very accommodating to the tenants needs. One thing is I guess parking cld be a nightmare if you don’t have a spot for your car it gets pretty full.

Nice and quite community. Groceries and gas very close by! Lots of places to dine out which is walking distance! You get 1 assigned parking space but its hard to get parking for a second car

Well, we were fortunate enough to be able to secure another lease at the Jefferson. We love the updated lobby in the rental office. The added «children’s playroom» is a plus for us when our grandchild stops by. Aerobic equipment in gym is new with personal TV’s and continued wifi service. Heck, one of the office staff even gave out frozen icicle treats to pool goers last week! We needed some maintenance on our apartment this year. Same day, right away service. Thank you Jefferson!

Wow the reviews for this place are across the board, aren’t they? I lived at this apartment complex from December 2013 — October 2014. I know it has been awhile since I’ve lived here but we look back fondly on our time here that I felt it was worth adding my two cents. When we lived here, we had a great move in experience with the office staff from looking at the actual unit we were going to rent to move in day. Danny, who has been mentioned in several reviews, was consistently pleasant and awesome to work with. Unfortunately, I think that Danny left shortly before we moved out as we didn’t see him while completing our move out process and there seemed to be several new staff. There was a small mistake made when processing our move in paperwork but nothing that couldn’t be fixed and clearly wasn’t the end of the world. Sometimes employees make mistakes… but that could happen anywhere. They, including Danny, were quick to rectify the situation and ensure that the rest of the process went smoothly. On the topic of staffing, the maintenance team were always great. So friendly and so efficient. We had to call them for a couple fixes and they were always really nice about it and took care of things as estimated.
But back to the complex, our apartment itself was awesome! The location of our unit was a good one — the entrance had a private feel to it so once we got home it was easy to forget that we lived in a complex with hundreds of units. We had a fairly recently renovated unit and we really liked our «subterranean» 2bd/​2ba layout. The kitchen was a really good size for an apartment and had so much storage space! Our laundry room was exactly that… a small room with full size machines AND room for storage. Our master bedroom had a huge walk in closet adding… you guessed it… much needed storage space. Plus the one car direct access garage had a little room for us to put two shelving units up and still park our car. I believe there are quite a few layouts to choose from so you are bound to find one that fits your needs… we were really pleased with ours and our location.
The complex itself is nicely maintained and it’s important to me to feel safe… which it did. Guest parking can be a bit hard to find depending on the time of day BUT we lived on the side facing the Ralphs/​Trader Joe’s so we often had people park on the street and just walk up the path to our parking lot. Another perk of our apartment’s location. The pool area is really nice with a lot of lounge chairs, a cabana, and lots of grills to BBQ. Great place to have a mini pool party when your friends come over. The location of the Jefferson is so convenient and close to everything. We often walked to Trader Joe’s or to dinner at one of the many restaurants. Yes, it is the suburbs and not really a trendy, happening neighborhood but it’s meant to be that way. If you are looking for a hip, bustling neighborhood then you should stop now and redirect your search to areas like North Park and PB. For me, I like to go to those areas for a night out but I like to come home to my spacious, clean, quiet neighborhood like Carmel Mountain.
Overall, we would and have recommended this place to others. If we hadn’t bought a place we probably would still be living there today. I can understand that other experiences might be completely different and there are a lot of factors involved in that… awful neighbors, poor unit location, etc… but this place is definitely worth a try if you are looking for a comfortable apartment in a convenient location.

Let me start off by thanking myself for not renting at the this horrible managed complex. Didn’t even sign a lease and I can say this management team are liars and thieves. I placed in the application provided them with all information needed as well as their requested application fee and DEPOSIT check until the application was processed… I rushed from work to be there before closing at 6. Lisa said everything was good to go, she will put application in to save the apartment I had decided on. She stated she would not be in for the remainder of the week but someone from the complex would get back to me regarding my application. Day 2 cruises on by and no response yet. Day 3 no response. Oh wait Ellis decided to call a quarter to 3 and leave a message regarding my application. No mention of you have been approve please give me a call back to discuss terms as you are reaching the END of your 72 hour for your deposit to be returned. Now mind you I provided a cashier check with my name printed as it came from my account. They decided to call my partner to speak with her first one hour before Ellis thought it be a good idea to call me too. Needless to say when I got home after 7 (apartment complex already closed) my partner discussed the terms. Which I would say we’re fees able considering the situation. I decided to decline due to the quickness of having to relocate a 8 year old from are and school to another and finding proper daycare for her as I and her mother work long hours. I proceeded to call the next morning to advise the management team that I would not be proceeding. I do get to work at about 7am but decided to give some time to see if the would be open so I called about 8 and office was still closed so I decided to leave a message with my name and contact information to return the deposit by mail. You figured that if you leave a message for a business the courtesy would to receive a return call… That is not what happened. Waited about a week and still have not received my return check in the mail. So yes I too the time to drive from the South Bay Area to the complex for Lisa to tell me that they can’t find my application and when did I put in the application. I advised of the time and proceeding information of when Ellis called me. She went to the back office and came back with a ridiculous answer. Ellis said you called on the 3^rd day. HELLO I called on the 3^rd day because he called on the 3^rd day. I was given the excuse on we will look into it and see what I can do… Sure. Gave them about a day and no call or nothing. So of course I called again having to leave a message to call me back with information… So it’s been about a week and still have not received a call from this management team. It is very poor customer service if your having to have your customers continuously follow up on any process whether it be the application or an issue.
So case in point. When you go for a visit they will blow smoke up your ass and degrade everyone other managed complex in the area including their sister complex to get you to live there. So living or applying at the Jefferson at Carmel mountain will get you one of 2 things…1. Get you place a application and when you don’t proceed still your money for any deposit left 2. Proceed and hope that your not looking into ridiculous fines as stated in previous reviews of residents that have lived there.

I moved into the Jefferson at Carmel Mountain Ranch Apartments from Chicago in August 2013 and can’t imagine living anywhere else in San Diego. I live in a small 3^rd floor walk up, one bedroom that has the feel of a cottage in the woods. The storage space sold me over other complexes, which included a pantry and a linen closet in the bathroom. The appliances are modern and stainless. The fireplace is a nice touch. I chose the 3^rd floor for the exercise although I could walk to grocery stores, bakery, pharmacy, restaurants, movie theater, tanning/​nail/​hair salons and anything I need. What really sold me and have kept me here are the incredible, friendly, caring and cooperative staff. OMG! I can’t say enough about how outstanding they are. Danny brought me in the door, and Lisa, Kelsey, Debbie (sp?), Pedro, Maria, and most recently Ellis always go out of their way to help! And there are others that always say hi and smile and help and I apologize for not remembering them by name. I hope everyone here recognizes the treasures we have taking care of us and treats them with the respect they deserve. Keep up your high stardards and pride!

The management staff at this complex is excellent. Professional. Friendly. Courteous. Got things done. We didn’t stay here long as our lease was a short term one. However, during the time, my wife and I were very impressed by the staff, specifically Lisa and Ellis.
The apartment itself was in excellent condition — upgraded, clean, great layout. Generally very quiet except that our upstairs neighbor would stomp around until 3am every night. After a month of trying to adjust, we spoke with Lisa, who promptly took care of it. We didn’t here any more late night stomping. One can’t expect apartment living to be free of these issues. The important thing is management took care of the issues promptly and professionally.
The pool & gym were excellent. My wife and I used it almost daily. The pool area was also great for having friends over.
Generally, as far as apartment living goes, this is the best experience we’ve had. I didn’t give 5 stars because of the stomping issue, but again, to put it in context, it’s quite improbable to find any apartment that’s free of such issues. Other than that, I would have given 5 stars.

Great staff, lovely apartments, and dog friendly! Tops of our list, not to mention, fits within our budget. I would highly recommend Jeffersons.

Great place to live. Quiet and safe neighborhood. Close to everything. The only complaint is sometimes dog owners do not pick up after themselves even though there are baggy stations every where. There are some areas (near stairs/​bushes) where you can smell it very strongly. Other than that, property is always managed and clean. Lisa helped us move in/​sign a lease. She was amazing and very funny! We only had one maintenance issue and the guy was very friendly, quick, and cleaned up without asking. Would definitely recommend to friends and family!

Lisa was very helpful with my move-​out! She even helped me carry some furniture that I had purchased from the office out to my car! What great service!

I love living here!!! Alliance property management definitely knows what their doing and go above and beyond to make the move in process easy and hospitable. The ladies in the office were super friendly and informative since we were new to the area. Access to TONS of shops and close to the 15 but not so close you can hear it. Our apartment felt brand new when we moved in and is absolutely gorgeous. Literally a dream with the amazing view we have. My favorite complex I have lived in so far. The only small complaint I have is the parking isn’t the best. You have one assigned spot but if you’re looking to have anyone over expect them to have to do some walking unless it’s a Monday at 2pm. Beautiful property and on top of maintenance. I don’t want to move (:

We love living here! We simply moved from down the street at Landing Carmel… And what a difference!
Not only are the apartments lovely, but the staff is wonderful and very attentive.
Maintenance responds immediately and efficiently.
In the office, Lisa Lucero is wonderful. She has true customer service skills that are refreshing.

Well, it’s official, I’ve signed my third lease and so I’m reviewing the place now that I’ve «settled in». I make it a policy to not review for a long, long time so that the honeymoon period can end and some problems can happen, that way I can get a real idea of how stuff is handled after management has my money. I’ll talk about specifics to my apartment first and then onto more general items.
I love my apartment. The layout is open and allows for air flow and sunshine, and the amenities like washer, dryer, and refrigerator are a plus. I can’t hear my neighbors next door from inside my apartment and that’s really nice. I also can’t hear people walking by down the hall unless they walk heavily and that’s nice, too. The maintenance staff is phenomenal. My washing machine punked on me and lickety-​split there was a replacement. The window in the bedroom stuck and it was immediately fixed. Hell, I even hurt myself at an exercise class and one of the guys saw me trying to bring my groceries in and ran over to give me a hand.
The grounds are consistently cleaned and maintained, you can almost set your clock by when the leaf blowers will be turned on. (Actually, I have so that it wouldn’t mess up my nap.) The garbage area can get a little messy on the weekends when people usually move in and out, but maintenance stays on top of it pretty well. The dog owners keep up with their waste and the waste deposit areas are frequently changed. It’s not stinky or gross. I’ve only been in the gym a couple of times but both times it’s been clean.
I really like the office staff. If anything they’re a large part of why I renewed my lease again. It’s not just that they’re polite, but it’s more that they’re trustable. They say“x” will happen and «x» happens. I have a problem, they have a solution. And they’re nice about it. Even if their solution is to say no to me, which they have, they’ve always explained why and haven’t ever become confrontational. And that’s how I feel about everyone there. From Debbie down through the office hierarchy they work hard to keep my satisfaction level up, and while waiting for a package, etc., I’ve witnessed them show other renters the same treatment. It’s nice to be taken seriously and not just treated like a monthly check.
As for the location, I’ll echo everyone else. It’s nearby most everything you need to run a household… including Dairy Queen. :)
Before moving to San Diego I traveled a lot for work and I’ve lived in a lot of apartments over the past 20+ years. This one made the top of the list. I’d definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a nice apartment.

I truly loved Jefferson! It had everything from a trader joes, costco, to a nordstrom rack all within walking distance of the apartment. I received a job transfer out of the country, so I moved out, but I enjoyed my time in my apartment. The staff was courteous, helpful, and organized when it came to fixing any problems or concerns. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone!

My boyfriend and I just moved in 2 months ago and so far we love it here! Our apartment interiors are very nice with crown molding, new stainless steel appliances, wood flooring in the kitchen and dining area and tons of closet space! The staff at the office are all very nice and personable and the maintenance staff are very quick and responsive as well as do a great job of keeping the property clean!

Ghetto! Fire doors are propped open with rocks!
After 4 months of dealing with broken fire doors, I reported the Jefferson at Carmel Mountain Ranch to the SDFD…
First they lose our mail, then we prove to them it was delivered with a USPS receipt and they suddenly find it.
Then we received a notice that our pet wasn’t included in the lease. We have proof! Kelsey even threatened us with a 3-​day notice ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON that if we didn’t bring her our pet records BEFORE Monday morning we would evicted. We called our vet and they had a note in their system that the documents had ALREADY been sent. Obviously this lady hates dogs.
I threatened to sue them for breach of contract and when they «reviewed our lease» Debbie the office manager called to tell us that the dog is included in the lease.
Now today I come home to a notice that my water bill wasn’t paid. So I attached pictures of receipts and bill and emailed it to them. I also decided to hire an attorney that I had previously consulted with. I’ll update my review as this progresses.
BOTTOM LINE:
Don’t move here, and don’t trust the reviews. The last time our air conditioning was broke for over 2 weeks. Debbie the manager bribed us with a free dinner to keep quiet. This is not a 5 start apartment complex. Don’t be fooled. Also, the walls are very thin. YOU CAN HEAR EVERYTHING! I can even hear my neighbors using the restroom. GROSS!

Will update after move out inspections. Rating is not the final rating, but the current average.
The story thus far,
I lived here the last year. It’s a nice apartment. A bit over priced, but that’s because you have so many engineers coming in the area for temporary work. I advise a small drive.
Danny is a great person to work with. I don’t have strong opinions about everyone else as I always tried to work with Danny.
I had a few issues with neighbors which were taken care of.
The complex parking in pretty nuts, too many 2 families using the guest parking. Which is only an issue as there are a great many with over sized trucks with hitches.
There is a cop that hangs out on the street. Easy to avoid, and nothing to do with the complex.
I got charged way too much for electricity. I half suspect foul play, but their technician looked at my 350 dollar power bill and said no idea. No prodding, nothing.
My rent went up $ 100. Now the big red flag. The month to month? 500, FIVE HUNDRED. again, FIVE FLIPPING WHAT THE HECK HUNDRED dollars extra per month. That in addition to moving costs hurt and was petty and greedy.
I was charged extra for water, they divide it per floor, so me a single guy on the 2 bedroom floor got the shaft. That and trash ran about 40 a month.
The apartment got to be 90 degrees on the 3^rd floor in summer. Endless noise from world trade drive. Power washers at night, Semis, *hole motorcyclists, all late in the night. Note not all apartments face that road.
I personally hate the area. It’s nice if you are married, have kids or are in your golden years and want to hang out at the golf course. If you are young, in your 20s, and single, welcome to purgatory. There are a few brew pubs, a small drive away, but it’s the sort of places you would take your team out to lunch. Not hit for happy hour. There is a bar about a mile away. I found it too sketchy /​towny for me.
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Move out inspection
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It more or less went as I expected. Though I did get a bit annoyed when the person tried to use the shower that I had never used as an example of spots needing more cleaning. (I also cleaned it twice just in case). In the end, I was charged 75 in cleaning, which is a bit steep, but hey they do need to make it perfect for the next person. At this point they have not charged me for anything else.
I’ve been given a day to find the gym access card, else I’ll be hit for 50 dollars. Yes 50 dollars for a plastic card. They do tell you the first day about the cost, but again 50 dollars for a 10 cent card. Same for the pool key, not sure how making it kinda bigger makes it cost 50. Thankfully I had that key.
The really shocking thing, I swore that Danny must have been kidding, they actually pulled up the carpet. I have no idea why «Oh theres a spot there, and there» matters. No stains on top, who cares if I spilt a drink? The spots passed my backlight test meaning it’s not pet related. I’ll update on what happens with the carpet.
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Wrapup
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I haven’t seen the final report, but my move out is 480. That includes 300+ of carpet cleaning and «spot removing.» I feel that’s excessive… but don’t we all feel that way when someones trying to charge us money? Simply I could have hired my own pros, and saved, but I didn’t.
Rating remarks.
Area –1 star (cop traps, loud road, MANY over sized aggressive dogs that shouldn’t be allowed in according to the rules, you *might get stabbed at the local bars* Just my opinion…)
Price –1 star, I have no idea how this apartment is more than my new apartment by the beach. Seriously.
Greedy behavior –1 star. 50 dollar keys, +$ 500 a month for month to month. This company wants your money, and they don’t care. Oh you can pay your rent online, enjoy heavy fees though. That sort of thing.
Some of the employees very nice to work with +1 star (not their fault the company is greedy)
Nice grounds +1 star. Well kept, quite. My neighbors didn’t care how loud they played music, but really good walls kept it out.
PS watch out on your move out inspection. Their checklist with costs included items I’ve been told are illegal to charge for replacements in California, such as drip pans for your stove. Likely the form is a national cooky cutter form, but sloppy /​greedy oversite.

Danny at Jefferson at Carmel Mountain Ranch was extremely helpful with my situation. I had been offered a job in San Diego and had been looking for apartments in the area. I had already settled on another apartment complex down the 15 freeway, however before signing any papers, I decided to look at one other place that I previously didn’t have the time to visit. That of course was Jefferson at Carmel Mountain Ranch (JCMR).
The apartment complex is beautiful; the landscaping and the buildings themselves are very well maintained. I’ve noticed that a lot of the apartment communities in the surrounding neighborhoods seem like they haven’t been cleaned in a while (water staining isn’t a big deal, but it definitely detracts from the appearance). JCMR definitely keeps their buildings well maintained. Their pool area is kept very neat and clean. Their club house is very nice with very good amenities; they offer you the ability to rent it out for private events which is always a nice option.
The apartment I had looked at myself was the one bedroom with the attached garage (a garage was a must have for me). The apartments are very well maintained. The carpets are very well cleaned, the laminate/​tile are also impeccable. Some other apartment complexes claimed that they had new floors installed when there were already signs of damage to the floors. The apartment did have standard appliances. No side-​by-​side fridge here, electric stove; nothing really high end in terms of the appliances. However the appliances are newer and are in excellent condition — as if they have never been used. You will find at other apartment complexes that the appliances are very outdated and old and not very well maintained. One other thing is that the cabinets are new and clean. You will find other apartments may have just slathered on another coat of paint onto the cabinets to make them look new. The same applies if you were to look inside the cabinets. At JCMR, the cabinets seem to be brand new. There were no signs of water damage, either.
The bathroom was very clean, large and had plenty of counter space. Even though I’m a guy, I do need room for all my electronic gadgets (toothbrush, electric shaver, etc.). Some other communities only offer pedestal sinks which will not do for me. The bathtub had no rings or stains, which is also good.
The garage was also clean, just some tire marks.
You are able to customize the apartment however you like. You can paint the walls, drill holes in the wall to mount TVs or pictures, just repaint the walls when you’re ready to move out. No need to patch the holes as they will do it themselves (which is better than having the tenant do a sloppy job, which I’ve found happen at other places).
The rent is a little bit on the more expensive side, but these are very nice apartments and definitely not for those that are on an extremely tight budget. A garage of course will run your rent up just a little bit, but if you want a detached garage and an apartment on a higher floor, your rent will go up quite noticeably.
Danny was extremely helpful when I needed an apartment. Unlike other places, he was upfront with me and told me that I wouldn’t be able to move in same day. He did try his best to get all the paperwork done in a timely manner (the same day we applied in fact), and we had our pre-​approval before we left. The only hold up was the background check, which he had told me would be the reason for the hold up. He was very good at keeping in touch with me about everything that was going on. Although it did take longer than I would have liked, it really was nothing they could have controlled on their part. He was very nice and was quick to answer any questions that I had. He also told me some stats and details about the surrounding area which calmed my nerves about moving to the area.
If you do happen to find yourself in the San Diego area in need of an apartment, do stop by Jefferson at Carmel Mountain Ranch. You won’t regret it.

I lived here a while back and I had an apartment that overlooked the pool area. The pool was nice, and the apartment was okay. But the pool became a hangout late at night for loud people, including non-​residents. People would regularly come and make a lot of noise and keep me awake past midnight, even during the week.
There was no on-​site security enforcing the pool hours. There was no way to reach the management off hours, they had an answering service that would call a security company that would dispatch someone from 45 minutes away. Some nights security would take over an hour and a half to come, sometimes they wouldn’t come at all. At a minimum, I would be kept awake after midnight for about an hour waiting for security to come and kick people out of the pool area.
The management did nothing meaningful to address this problem and acted like they didn’t care at all so I moved out when my lease was up. I was losing too much sleep, literally.