Magnolia Square & Lane

I have been living with my girlfriend in Magnolia Lane for 4 months now and I have enjoyed everything about the complex so far. Joseph was the one who gave us the tour when we arrived. He was super helpful in helping us make our decision to move in. He was courteous, on time and quick to respond to any inquiries we had. He also helped us with some helpful information on how to avoid having to pay unjust fees we were incurring from moving out of our previous complex.
As for the living area, it is quiet and the people are just so nice. We made friends very quickly. The grounds are always clean and plenty of parking for guests.
Another nice perk is when any maintenance is needed, they are quick to respond and have someone over to take care of it immediately, often on the same day. Also, all rent payments and extra costs are handled through their easy to use portal online. Lots of other places I lived still only accept cheques.
I have to say I am surprised to see any negative reviews for this location after seeing the kind of treatment I have received in other complexes. We have it good here. Trust me. Sure, every place has their tiny flaws but Magnolia Lane definitely excels much higher than other residences I have resided or heard from friends in the area. It’s all relative and this place definitely deserves a 5 star, no doubt.
Thank you to both Joseph and Michael.
We intend to stay here.

I originally had booked an apartment in late April but they were able to work with me and follow up on one that opened up in late May, which is when my other lease ended; Joseph Hidalgo saved me almost an entire month’s rent (a couple thousand dollars!) when he found my current place and the rent difference even offset the deposit I had put down. Also I’ve had two apartments here and the apartment complex is fairly cozy and friendly. I love the neighborhood. It feels like a community and there’s a nice vibe. They also have nice cottage style apartments with small yards, are pet friendly, and some of their second floor apartments have a small view of the mountain tops. The only two bad things I’ve noticed is the noise from the Caltrain whistle as it goes by a couple times an hour, and the weights in the gym are not heavy enough to get a good workout. For the whistle, that’s just the cost of being near the Caltrain, which is a big perk. The whistle isn’t that loud through the double paned Windows, and you get used it (almost miss it) after a while because it reminds you there’s a world of adventure out there (25 mins to Stanford, an hour or less to the city from that Caltrain stop nearby!). There’s also three Apple campuses nearby (1 to 1.2 miles), several Apple bus stops about a mile away, and one of LinkedIn’s campuses (where you will find some zipcars). There’s even a nice park and a nice library, as well as the quaint downtown Sunnyvale.

I moved to the bay area, from grad school in the midwest, in May 2014. Of all the places I surveyed/​visited, only 2 – 3 came close to what I was looking for in terms of proximity to work, convenient location for pretty much everything else, in-​unit washer/​dryer, etc… Magnolia square was one of those places, and the reason why I picked it was because Joseph appeared to be the most honest leasing rep that I spoke to. (He didn’t try to tell me what he thought that I wanted to hear.) I ended up living then for nearly two years, and only left because I was moving in with a friend. During my stay, management was always friendly, approachable, professional, and responsive to every issue that I would have, which was usually minor. My moving out was also very smooth and alleviated by a lease-​breaking policy that allowed 30 days to find a replacement tenant.

We looked at several places before renting here and the combination of the attractiveness of the apartments, its location (near Steven’s Creek Trail), and affordability made this the best choice.
With respect to the apartments, they have recently remodeled and they have (1) wood floors (2) gas stove (3) large new washer and dryer (4) a large deck area for your pet that is enclosed (5) large bedroom closets with plenty of storage.
We have also **not** experienced any of the issues mentioned below. In sharp contrast, we have found the staff — both Michael and Joseph — to be very attentive and helpful. We didn’t have many issues here but we did have a few non-​urgent repairs. Both Joseph (twice) and Michael (once) immediately sent someone out to fix the problem. They are showing the apartments frequently given demand so might not be there at all times. This is pretty normal in my experience for a mid-​size apartment community and, as mentioned above, my wife and I have always found them very helpful whenever we come in.

I moved from San Diego for a new job in MountainView in Fall 2014. After a lot of apartment hunting in the area, I found only a few apartment complexes with in-​unit laundry. Magnolia Square was one of them, and probably the most beautiful out of all.
I started my lease around Aug 2014 and lived until beginning of Jan 2016. Joseph and Mike, who work in the leasing office were exceptionally helpful throughout my stay. They responded promptly to work orders. All I had to do was send an email in the morning, and by the time I come back home from work, the issue would be fixed.
Throughout my 1.5 years, there were no inconveniences. The community gates operate perfectly, swimming pool is always clean, gym is always shiny, and the open area for barbecue is always green and groomed. You will see the handyman and other cleaning staff hard at work throughout the day.
Parking is plenty. Neighbours are nice and quiet. My unit specifically had a great view of the mountains. It was nice and sunny. The interiors are great too. It was a very convenient apartment to live in. Stainless steel appliances.
Initially there were a couple potholes on the driveway, which the management got fixed, very efficiently. They keep updating/​fixing any broken stuff.
Joseph and Mike care about their residents. My roommate once needed jump for his car in the morning, and Mike lent us the jump cable from his car. haha
After 1.5 years, I switched jobs to a company in San Francisco and had to move. We needed to break the lease, but Joseph and Mike worked with us to make sure we have to pay as little penalty as possible. Eventually, they helped us find new renters who took over the apartment, and we did not have to pay anything extra, for breaking the lease. You don’t see such things often when dealing with leasing offices.
I have already recommended this place to my co-​workers and a college friend. Highly recommend it to anyone else too, who wants to live in MountainView/​Sunnyvale area.

So if you hate dogs, this is not the place for you. Good thing that I love them and have a big one. ;)
Pros:
–Dog friendly with no weight limit
–Reasonable deposit (way less than 1 month which is what other places ask for)
–Fully renovated apartment
–All appliances included
–Pool is clean
–Bocce is fun with the neighbors in the evening
–Storage at a good price
–Included parking spot
–Friendly management
Cons:
–I almost walked away from my scheduled visiting appointment. I arrived on time. Nobody was there. Then when he finally arrived he ignored us and left us sitting outside despite me knocking repeatedly. He just continued to serve the clients he was with. I totally understand he wasn’t done with them but open the door and let me sit in the waiting room rather than on the ground outside. It was pretty unprofessional. Fortunately, the awesome apartment made up for fort impressions.
–Asking rent varies depending on when you sign your lease. I signed in May and then saw an equivalent apartment in September in the same complex for $ 200 less per month. That kinda sucks.
–All the dogs can sometimes be a bit noisy but I guess it’s a small compromise for a pet friendly complex.
–The train is annoying for the first 2 – 4 weeks but… You eventually stop hearing them.
Summary:
I’ve already referred a friend who loved the place and moved in. He’s super pleased so I guess that’s another good testimonial.

Super unprofessional. I had an appointment to see an apartment and when we got there, there was nobody there. We called the leasing center through whom we booked the appointment and they said they could only help with appointments in Emeryville, California.

Very nice neighbors. Nice apartments and pet friendly,
but…
Management appears to change not for a better. I remember a very friendly management team when I moved here but since then a lot has changed.
The current manager Michael seems to have as only goal to get rid of current tenants. It seems to be simple math. If the current tenant would only bring in 10% rent increase after 1 year of a lease but a new tenant possibly has to pay a much higher value.
Furthermore I have to say that the overall staff is very friendly with this one exception, what makes it really hard to live here in harmony.
I advise to work on your manager’s communication skills. We are no robots and people care about their homes. If a manager says, it is not personal, this is wrong… it is personal and we will not live with that unprofessional behavior.

A great property with efficient management when I moved in late 2013 has fallen terribly in less than two years! Here is why:
The office was handled by two women who had a solution to all problems you go to them with, and that too super quick. The new guys Mike and Joseph are exceptionally slow to handle all concerns. Go to the leasing office with your concern and most of the times Joseph is never there, and worse there is no sign as to when he will be back. Worst is if you have a request on Saturday, as you will never find these guys there. Even if you manage to find Joseph, he will generally have no answers to your questions. He will either ask you to speak to Mike or ask for an email. And Mike just believes in dropping random notices on your doors as a means of communication!
The insulation between the floors is very poor and the apartments on the first floor can hear people or pets walking up and down all day and sometimes night. The upper patios are smaller than the lower ones, and you will have a continuous stream of water pouring on you in case the neighbors above decide to use their AC. I have had multiple things fall into my patio from above by the neighbor’s kid.
They have tall claims of being a GATED community, but beware. The gates do not function for atleast a week every month. Only when the residents submit numerous complaints, are the gates fixed. Also, the pedestrian gate had a code that was probably leaked, and Mike took close to 3 months to get it fixed, after residents complained they saw random people walk in and out in the middle of the night.
The gym is nothing more than a formality with barely any equipment. The pool is not maintained and spotting residents dogs dip their paws in there is a common sight.
Rents that the community demands is very very high for the service they provide. About $ 200 rise every year is strange. To make things worse, they conveniently changed my term from 12 months to 11 last year and now I have a renewal coming up in peak season! This place needs some serious rent control. No wonder we always see some moving agency trucks around us all the time!

Summary: no internet access available for two weeks.
Our lease commenced more than two weeks ago, but our apartment, which was advertised as cable ready, does not yet support internet access. An expensive visit from the Comcast technician revealed only that no external coax cable in the cable box maps to our apartment; a second visit for another new neighbor revealed the same problem and, during that visit, the sloppily installed cable patch panel actually fell from the wall under the technician’s manipulation. After three days of phone calls and correspondence, we were promised by the manager that this would be repaired today, in advance of another ($ 150) Comcast visit tomorrow. However, it’s been repaired only in a cosmetic sense: the box has been nailed up again.
It seems very unusual to lease apartments in the heart of Silicon Valley that are incapable at signing of supporting the only high speed internet access available. Worse, the repair manager actually suggested that I try to pay the Comcast technician to fix problem (admittedly, he didn’t seem to understand the mechanics).
If you need Internet access, I suggest that you verify with Comcast/​Xfinity that there has been an active recent installation before leasing premises here.

I have been living at Magnolia Square for almost 9 months. The property, is beautiful, clean, and well kept. The management and maintenance staff are friendly, professional, and responsive to any issues that arrive. I am continually impressed by all the hard work that is put into the property, including keeping the trash areas clean and without any yucky trash smells. It is clear that the staff takes pride in their work, which makes living at Magnolia Square a pleasure.
Overall Magnolia Square is quiet and peaceful with neighbors who will smile and say hello. Also, very dog friendly property with plenty of space to walk my dogs and dog waste bag stations throughout the property. Overall, it has been a positive experience with minimal issues and enjoyable place to live.

I loved living here. It’s a great location– perfect for me. It’s beautifully maintained, a gated community with large pretty trees, lavender and rosemary lined walkways, heated pool, adequate fitness center, nice BBQ party area with a bocce ball court. Our apartment was small 1×1 approx 735 sqft. It was newly remodeled and I was impressed with the upgraded appliances. It had a gas stove which I prefer. It was convenient to have a high efficiency washer and dryer in the unit. It was everything I needed. Everyone in management was always kind and helpful. Joe was the best!
I stayed here for a year and would have liked to stay longer but they increased the rent almost $ 400/​month for a 1×1. This is the only reason I docked them a star. I really wish I could’ve stayed longer but couldn’t afford the rent hike. Although moving is a hassle, I’m not bitter about leaving. I know that the market value continues to go up in this area. It’s not their fault they had to raise rent. This is a highly desirable area and they have to stay competitive. IF you can afford to stay here, I highly recommend it. It’s safe and clean and worth the money.

Its been a pleasure to be staying at Magnolia Square. We just renewed our second year lease with only 6% increment! We live in a cottage Unit, and the homes are spacious, with a huge patio and a spacious living room and a decent bedroom size. Kitchen is slightly small. A little space from the living room could have been taken to make the kitchen better and bigger, with more storage and pantry space. 80% of the house has wooden floors, and bedrooms are carpeted, comes with central heater. We do have an A/​C unit in the living room area. However a central air conditioning could have been better. In summers, the heat can be felt in the bedrooms since the A/​C unit takes time to cool down the home. The kitchen has microwave, dishwasher, stove and refrigerator. The houses have attached Washer and Dryer unit (which can take heavy loads and are pretty good). Our home has been spacious, well lit and comfortable. The community is pet friendly, well maintained, has nice people, is gated and is more safe than others in general. Parking for us or our guests have never been a problem. The maintenance requests are responded to promptly and people at the office are always friendly, helpful and courteous. You can hear the Caltrain passing by, and leading to slight noise and vibrations being heard and felt in the house. However I have never found it as a nuisance or a problem. I have used the community gym and swimming pool. Both are small but it works fine and are well maintained. They work well if you are not looking for body building but just maintaining fitness. Location is good. You have Sunnyvale downtown (Target, Macy’s and other good coffee shops and restaurants) in 5 min drive distance. So is El Camino is 5 min drive distance. If you work at Google/​Symantec/​Juniper/​Yahoo and other nearby Mountain view area, its pretty close by with about 10 min traffic free drive. I would highly recommend staying here. Rents are a little high from average. But its worth the comfort and the gentry!

It’s been almost 3 months since I moved out and I still have not received the deposit refund check. I’ve given Magnolia Square my mailing address many times via email & phone, and offered to pick up the check at the leasing office (for some reason they claim this is not possible). Then yesterday, Magnolia Square informed me that the refund check was somehow stolen! Why is it so difficult to get back my security deposit?

This place is overpriced. Also they’ve increased the rent for ~$ 200 after leasing period is over with almost 50% raise in price if you’re going month to month. AUM that is used for trash/​water/​sewer is not the best company ever to deal with: setting up account takes a lot of time and couple of letters need to be sent to set up automatic payments. No utility is included in rent which you should add about $ 70 for one person. Pool is small and full all summer. And the worst nightmare of them all — CalTrain. Due to crossing near the apartment you can hear it horns very clearly and loudly. Even this is gated community gates are open most of the time. You can not use backdoor gate to enter the territory — it’s only to drive out. When I was about to leave the community my gate remote was disabled 20 days before the lease term is over.

Like many other reviewers have mentioned, the rent has gone up by ~$ 200 and renewal for monthly lease is $ 5500! What a rip off… This place needs rental control. Changing my rating to zero stars.

We have lived in Magnolia square for almost a year and will be moving out as soon as lease is up. It is too expensive and it is not luxury living. They are increasing the rent another $ 200 a month for the next 12 months. They are forcing us to sign another 12 month lease by giving a month to month lease price of $ 6000 per month. I share the view of others that the office staff are nice and responsive but prices are crazy. They already have utility fees as a hidden extra, they force you to add renters insurance. New residents get attracted by the nice interiors of the appartment but residents are not staying here for long.
I see a uHaul truck in the grounds every week so it seems that the turn over in this place is quite high. Since we moved in one year ago, we have new neighbors on both sides and above us. I would not recommend this place to future tenents

Update: MS offered us a great lease renewal rate in 2013, tempting us to stay. The new rent offered to us in October 2013 was just 3% higher than our rent at that time. We felt valued as MS residents and in the end moment, renewed our lease (thus losing the deposit at another property which we had selected to move in to last year.)
This year, we are very likely to DISCONTINUE our lease at Magnolia Square because the offered renewal rate is about 13% higher than our current rent, and this increase has happened in the month of November — when the market is low!
We are very unhappy that the current management does not value its residents enough, to give competitive, justifiable rates.
Also, in the last year, we have faced innumerable issues due to our super annoying neighbor who has knocked on our front door at odd hours, on at least 5 occasions. We spoke to the management about it a few times and they probably spoke to her and got it fixed. But she still continues banging on the shared wall, at the drop of a pin. We do not have a good reason to want to stay in our current unit because of her. We are very sure that future tenants will also have to put up with her nonsense, just like us and other neighbors who have voluntarily told us that they are facing problems with her.
Apart from lease renewal rates (and in our unfortunate situation, sharing the wall with a mean neighbor,) Magnolia Square is a safe, well-​maintained place to live in. For anyone who wants to live here short-​term, it’s a good choice. But if you plan to live here for longer, look for a more reasonable community. The renewal rates and inconsideration for current tenants at Magnolia Square is a let down.
I’ll retain the 3 star rating because the issues remain the same — high price and low community amenities.
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We lived in Magnolia square for a year and had a good experience living in this community.
PROS:
The maintenance guys are great and promptly take care of any issue that’s brought to their notice.
We love the huge patio, in-​unit washer/​dryers, hardwood flooring and spacious closets.
It’s gated and even though neighboring kids jump in over the gates at times, the apartment feels very safe. We sometimes take a stroll at 2am and have never felt worried about our security.
We threw a party at our place and expected friends to come in about 5 – 7 cars. Ample street parking made things very easy as far as parking space was concerned.
Not so CONS:
The kitchen is not really huge but good enough if you are not crazy about making too many dishes that force you to store different ingredients. Wish they had a pantry, it would be perfect!
The only issue we have is with the neighbor’s dogs that goes crazy at odd hours and Unilocal/​barks incessantly.
TWICE in our experience of 1 year, garbage was overflowing but just before we decided to complain, it was cleared in the morning. Which means that someone did complain and the office took fast action.
The gym is insufficient, they have 2 treadmills and its almost always taken. The swimming pool has never tempted me — especially after I saw a resident walk her pet by it and dip her feet in the water to clean it — I don’t know what she was trying to get off her feet, but with the way my imagination works, I don’t wanna think about it.
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Magnolia Square is a great place to live in. It is, however, overpriced. If you can afford it, it’s worth the peace of mind it brings with it. We’re moving out because MS seems to have become way more expensive than it was last year.
3Star given for security, unit amenities and maintenance. 2 stars lost due to high price and low community amenities.

If you are looking at a unit with neighbors above or below, DO NOT MOVE HERE. Perhaps the cottage-​style units are worth looking at, however, but this IS NOT «Luxury» living that is claimed.
The floors/​ceilings offer almost no sound isolation, and you can not only hear the conversations of the people above/​below you (and they can hear yours), but you can also SMELL what is going on above/​below you.
Also, if you have a problematic neighbor, there is absolutely nothing that Magnolia Square can or will do to remedy the situation.
Parties well into the wee-​morning hours during the week will keep you awake, even if they are in buildings across the drive. Poorly trained dogs will bark incessantly through the day at the stray cats that dominate the complex. Caltrain and construction vehicles will impede your path any time you come/​go.
Magnolia Square WILL NOT return your deposit at the end of your lease, even if you don’t put any holes in the walls or wear the carpet despite claims to the contrary.
The neighborhood is a bit shady, even with the newly installed gate system, although I had no troubles.
I was going to give 2 stars because the office managers are super nice and very responsive to emails, but ultimately are ineffective at remedying basic concerns.
There are much better apartments elsewhere for the same/​less $ cost, and the stress caused by others isn’t worth the price of being conveniently located.

I have lived in Magnolia Square apartments for a little under a year now (they renamed it from Thomas Jefferson to Magnolia Square) and I have absolutely loved my experience. These apartments are definitely on the pricier side since they have worked very hard to renovate the community, but I have liked having a more luxurious experience living here. The renovated units have gas range stoves, washer/​dryer in unit, etc. I also love that they are pet friendly! Overall, living here has been a great experience, and I would recommend it to others.