Marlin Cove Apartments

We lived here for almost 5 years and truly cherished our experience. The apartments are so well designed and layed out. It impressed all our friends who came over. Only complaint is the high turnover in managers at the leasing office. But other than that, we would recommend living here.

I lived at Marlin Cove apartments from October 2013 to July 2015. This apartment complex is a lot of «smoke and mirrors». They position themselves as a high end complex but the reality is that they are worse than mediocre. I’ve had a string of issues that I will spell out.
1) Before moving in I was told that the unit I was considering was not available for viewing and I was shown a «comparable» unit that was vacant. The unit I was shown was nice. It had a freshly installed carpet and reasonably recent appliances. I was also told that the unit I was moving to had been a «model» unit and had cathedral ceilings and faced south. The rent at the time was $ 3,295/month. I signed the lease. Upon moving in I saw that the carpet was filthy and really, really old. There were no cathedral ceilings (they mentioned that they had made a mistake and that only the corner units had those) and the unit faced northwest. The appliances were at least 15 years old and barely functional. The bathroom shower stall had been covered by that temporary white-​wash type of material to cover up the disgusting dirt that had permanently stained the walls. This type of stuff washes off after 3 – 4 days. Both the dishwasher and the washing machine, when on, made noise like in a war-​zone. I couldn’t hear the television on full volume when either of these appliances were on. I brought these to the attention of management. On the appliances and the bathroom stall they did nothing. On the carpet, in order to avoid replacing they decided to bring in the cleaners again (and then again) for a total of 3x including the time before I moved in. Problem was that there were large permanent stains everywhere that were just not going to come out regardless of how much cleaning was performed. I was finally told that I wouldn’t be responsible for any carpet cleaning when I moved out. This was their way of addressing my concern. For that kind of rent one expects much more. And to add insult to injury I didn’t get a single apology from them.
2) I am generally quite low maintenance and don’t really like to bother management unless I absolutely need to. I had been given an assigned parking spot on the first floor garage of the building I was in. The garage has visible foam insulation on the ceiling of the building. In early 2015 there were 5 days in-​a-​row when I found bird poop on my car. Not knowing where it came from I thought I had some cursed luck and kept taking my car into the carwash. On the sixth day, after starting to suspect something was not quite right, I decided to constantly check to see what was going on and I discovered that birds had made a nest inside the insulation (was not visible) and were pooping on my car. I brought this to the attention of management. They decided to assign me a separate parking spot and asked me to keep parking there until further notice (btw, again no apology whatsoever). 3 months go by and I hear nothing from them. Then one fine day I get a notice on my car saying that I was parking in someone else’s spot and that I might be towed if I don’t move. What??? I ignore the first one and then get another notice the following day. This time I go over to the management office and express my unhappiness with what was going on. I was told by one of the representatives that the tickets were issued by an outside company and they might just tow my car if I don’t move it. I asked where I should move it? They had not addressed the bird’s nest issue over the past 3 months. I was told that because of the issue they had provided me a «courtesy» by giving me a different spot. What? My rent entitles me to a covered parking spot and they are doing me a «courtesy»…really? Not sure which planet these guys are living on?
3) The quality of life for the type of rent they charge is quite pathetic. I have routinely observed shopping carts in the hallways and the hallways reek of nasty cooking odors (folks leave their front doors open to air out their apartments and all the cooking stench gets trapped in the hallways). All very ghetto!
4) They decided that they were not getting sufficient rent and decided to increase my rent to $ 3,650 and which point I decided to move out. Upon moving out I was charged $ 25 for apartment painting. I had not hung a single picture and the walls were spotless. The bathroom walls were consistently developing mold stains — there’s no way around this even when the exhaust is always turned on during showers. That is what they charged me for. I was charged $ 62.50 for apartment cleaning… I left the apartment in spotless condition… but??? They mentioned that I was getting half price on these items because I’d lived there for almost 2 years. And last but not least, they listed «Carpet Replacement» of $ 1,363.55 as an actual expense on my final bill but didn’t charge me… like they did me a favor!
I’m glad this chapter is over. You have been warned!

After almost 2 years living here, I can safely attest the issues in prior reviews are rare if they even exist today. The complex is safe, well-​maintained and the units are awesome. I am spoiled with the laundry machine in the apt, it’s my most favorite selling point, along w personal indoor parking spot. Rent went up high and I hope I can stay for at least another 6 – 12 months.
Above all, I’m very pleased at how responsive the management is to feedback and complaints. They’ve sent out informative notices and very good at communicating with the tenants:
1. Courteous notes of mtce work such as construction, fire alarm inspection, new guidelines such as not smoking on premises
2. Posting visible signs and notices along w ensuring information is slipped on or under every door
3. Safely held packages and even call/​email you to let you know when you’re not home
4. Handled the shopping cart craziness without calling people out; seen a lot less of it
5. Religiously patrol the gazebo area and fitness center area after I commented a few times of the loud kids and vandalism. Kids will be kids but not acceptable when they are obnoxious with loud profanity, and leave trash everywhere to where it gets blown into our nice lagoon. The trash RIGHT THERE would be nowhere near full but I would find Starbucks cups and Arizona tea cans (they’re huge) on the sidewalk and by the gazebo. I don’t know who likes to read papers inside the gazebo, which is ok. But kick their ass for leaving the papers stuck in the cracks every time. I carry extra napkins and little bag to pickup the trash.
Last thing is that the Management took the extra steps and that’s what counts. As soon as I mentioned the graffiti, they went and cleaned it off. The staff is very friendly and when they have to show an apt, they at least let you know on the door when to expect their return.

I lived here for year now

2012: Management at this location changes with the weather and not friendly at all!!! Anytime you try to go by the office to pay your rent or report a problem no one is ever in there (during working hours) calling is even harder because even if you leave a message no one calls you back. We lived here a year and in that year the staff in the front office changed every couple of months. Tabitha was the only person (aside from the maintenance staff) in that office that was helpful and they got rid of her a month after we moved in. They are highly unprofessional and do not meet commitments. On several occasions we called in to report problems they were never documented and or never informed maintenance so that it could be fixed. We should have realized this when we moved in and Marevie couldn’t do the scheduled walk thru with us and told us to write down what we found wrong and call her and let her know which we did, come to find out now that we are moving out none of it was ever documented and now they are trying to charge us for it! If you have any complaints or grievances they will be ignored we called the front office several times about gate to garage being left open for days at a time, other residents without designated parking stalls parking in any open space, also about baskets left in the lobby right in front of the elevator so when you walk out you run right into them. Our breaking point was report something as we are heading out of town for 4 days giving them permission to access our apartment only to come back to it not fixed as well as getting home at 1230am to a «hot boxed» elevator. Embarrassing when we have out of town guest and the lobby and elevator smell of marijuana. Staff has gotten even more unprofessional since we decided to move out we were recently told by the manager that we are financially responsible for the apartment till our lease is up which is fine we knew that only to be told by someone else that if we didn’t turn our keys in (5 days before date on lease) we would be charged. You mean double charged because we are paid up till the end of the month… Before this we lived across the street at Avalon for 7 years and didn’t have quite as many problems as we did here in 11 months. We wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone. One star only because you have to give it something or it doesn’t post

I have lived at Marlin Cove for a year now with my fiancé and our small dog. We were living on the first floor and it was pleasant. HOWEVER, there are a few pro’s & con’s.
Pro’s:
1. Staff and Management were friendly and very helpful. Myron & Robin definitely are the ones you want to go for if you should need any assistance. They are so wonderful!
2. Maintenance was available if needed however they would never give you a time frame on when they can come by to fix whatever you needed to be fixed.
3. Parking — The inside lot is always full by 6 pm, but there’s plenty of parking outside the complex.
4. Dog park is walking distance which is great for pet owners.
5. After we moved out, we were able to receive our security deposit back within 10 days. They cleaning charge was very reasonable and they do provide a full breakdown of what was deducted. Very pleased that they made it so easy.
Con’s:
1. The walls between the floors ARE VERY THIN. You can hear your upstairs neighbor’s conversations, heavy footsteps, baby crying, people with heavy footsteps. I don’t mind as long as it STOPS by 10:00 pm. But we’ve had to complain a few times to the leasing office that the neighbors would vacuum at 1 am or do their laundry or run their dishwasher late night. THIS GETS LOUD AT NIGHT!
2. I for one always pick up after my dogs, however there are a lot of dog owners in the complex that don’t, so beware of the grass if you plan on having your kids run around on it.
3. People leaving a lot of shopping carts from Ranch 99 all over the complex. They love to shop there and bring the cart back to the complex and then just abandon the cart. So watch out for those.
4. The bedrooms are not well insulated at all. The door that leads to the patio is not sealed properly so you’ll feel a huge draft throughout the unit.
5. The security to this complex is NOT safe at all. The doors to the buildings are never locked as they should be, so you don’t even need a key or transponder to get into the buildings.
6. The gym is very small and is always being broken into. You will always see a runaway or a homeless inside the gym hiding out in the early hours of the day. If they can get in through a door that’s been left open, they’ll spend the night in the sauna. THIS IS UNSAFE FOR PEOPLE WHO WORK OUT IN THE EARLY MORNING!!! There are cases of drunk people that have crashed there and left food there in the middle of the gym. There is a security camera installed in there however I don’t think it does any good if this is constantly happening.
7. The smoke alarm is located in the kitchen in all the units and is set to VERY SENSITIVE. It consistently goes off.
8. If you’re fortunate you’ll live in the building with no kids… My building had kids running up and down the stairs. which sounds like a stampede inside our apartment all the time.
Overall, my experience at Marlin Cove is good. The staff are friendly and very helpful in all occasions. But if you decide to live here, good luck!

I’d like to thank Evita, the leasing agent, who had given us a tour at Marlin Cove. We have been amazed at all the information she had given us. I found her to be very sociable and friendly. This complex was so amazing, we decided to become new tenants! I am very pleased to say I’ll be moving in next month! I can’t wait to look out my new windows at the amazing view I will have! Thank you Evita for your time with us!

bike stolen.
bike stolen
bike stolen
bike stolen
bike stolen
from parking garage
from parking garage
bike stolen

Our move out experience went well. they were very honest with the move out charges. By law the landlord has to attach invoices of all expenses the tenant is being charged for and the landlord cannot make money from turning an apartment. And they were pretty good with that. I have always lived in apartments so I am very familiar with all the move out charges. Overall no surprises and we received half of our deposit back. Robin and Myron are superstars and we will miss their great service. Definitely recommend these apartments! I think that once a semester they offer a party for residents, it is nice to meet neighbors and the parties are really nice, luxury apartments style: not burgers and hot dogs.

I was contacted by Tiffany from the corporate office regards to the items listed in my original review as I also sent the same info to the corporate office.
I was then contacted by the leasing office managers to address the items below and took about 6 weeks to finally able to get most of the items repaired/​replaced and get our inspection sheet updated for the items that weren’t able to be repaired/​replaced.

I love Marlin Cove apartments! I stayed here 2 years ago and now I am back to the bay area and I didn’t have to think otherwise I am renting this place again! It’s different from other apartments in the same area. It’s very pleasant! You would love to go home staying here! The staffs are friendly as usual and the maintenance technicians are very efficient and helpful.

woohoo is right. its like i have my own super hero. Robin to the rescue, we love this place, and when ever we have an issue its solved in no time! thx to everyone here its really a nice family place! been here for 4 years now and can’t wait for another 4!

I lived here for 2 years! I can’t believe everyone here had the same exact experience! They kept almost all my deposit! I own a carpet cleaning company and they wouldn’t let me clean my own carpets, I have a legitimate business! Management were nice at first but so rude after! Plus there is a high turn around within the office management, I guess it really sucks to work there too! The maintenance guys are nice! If you are ready to move within a year or two and don’t want your deposit this is the place for you!

DO NOT MOVE HERE if you have pets or children. This is NOT a pet or child friendly location. Every couple of months they send out notices to pet owners to NOT ALLOW pets to urinate on the premises.
DO NOT be FOOLED by local management friendly talk before you sign the contract. They shuffle management around from 1 place to the next and
They WILL take most or all of your deposit. I know at least 3 people that have moved out, not including myself, and they all said their deposits were mostly gone.
The place is beautiful but you WILL be asked to pay at least $ 200 more for the 2^nd year. Large companies like this can claim that «market rates» have gone up after they have raised the rents on 2 – 3 complexes.
If you chose this management company (Nicholas Stevens), be prepared to LOSE your deposit. Keep in mind the management run Marlin Cove in Foster City, The Presidio in Fremont, Pescadero in Redwood Shores, Indian Creek in Redwood Shores, and others in south bay.

DO NOT MOVE HERE. The property management is highly unprofessional, threatens to enter your apartment without permission, and does not meet commitments. Beware that they are only customer service oriented until you sign the lease. I sincerely regret my decision to move into Marlin Cove and do not feel safe here.
MY PICTURE SHOWS THE DIRTY WATER. I came home from work and the faucets were running with greenish-​brown, smelly water. The property rental office did not notify us of this disgusting problem and offered no help so we can shower/​cook. If you want to live in poor conditions, than Marlin Cove is your place!

My wife and I personally loved this place. This is our first apartment as a married couple so it holds a special memory for us.
We find this apartment very nice compare to other apartments in the area. We rented their 1 bedroom /​1 bathroom unit. It isn’t big in space but the layout of the unit made it work really well for 2 people. We often host family/​friends party and it accomodated everyone well and comfortably. Bedroom is spacious with walk-​in closet. We chose the unit where the sun provides the most natural light and we enjoyed it very much!
We lived in the fourth floor. So it can get really hot during summer months. But comfortable during winter with a fireplace warming up the living room area; keeping us cozy. The kitchen had plently of storage space but it did not have a pantry. That was something we wished it had.
There are few vague noises coming from the neighbors or from people walking down the hallway every now and then. But this is probably a common thing for apartment complex. Parking is plently and spaced well between cars next to you. Guest parking is not a problem, at all. Maintenance is prompt and quick to resolve burned out lights, etc. Office staff is friendly but that will most probably make a difference with your type of personality.
It is located near the lagoon so it was quite nice to walk down the gazeebo sitting on the water and enjoy sunsets. It’s near the dog park so it was perfect for our little pomeranian to bring to and enjoy the afternoon away with other dogs/​owners. We took full advantage of the community room which is next to the water. It accomodated our guest well during our wedding rehearsal dinner. And this complex is located very conviniently to nearby establishments which is great!
This place is definitely not perfect and that’s for renters to decide which is and not. But we personally loved this place as our first place to call our ‘own’. We felt that we’ve made it our own, as much as we possibly could, to fully enjoy what Marlin Cove Apartments can offer.

I worked with Marevie Tepora, who made my apartment search extremely easy and smooth. I ended up calling about an apartment 1bed/​1bath and spoke with Marevie. We set up a time to see the apartment and spent time understanding what I was looking for. She explained the availability, step by step process and assured me a smooth process. After viewing the place I loved it, it was perfect for me and she made the process smooth. I’ve been here with Marlin Cove for about 4 months and have not been disappointed.
Marevie Tepora was efficient, friendly, knowledgeable and very professional.

3 Stars for this place is all it deserves. But I am giving it 1 because of my personal experience. If this company (Nicholas A Stevens) treated its tenants like human beings and if the management acted with little more compassion than a robot, (especially for good tenants) I would have considered giving this place 2 – 3 stars.
Pros :
— Conveniently located near ranch 99, starbucks, chipotle, chinese, vietnamese restaurants, and round table pizza
— Covered swimming pool, nice clubhouse next to the water, ok gym
— Repair guys are very responsive and helpful
Cons :
— Paper thin floors. I can hear everything, and same goes for the people living below us.
— Management talk to tenants with their ears closed. No matter what you say, they will never consider your point of view, ever. They cannot make decisions because they have to abide by what the company tells them. The complex, owned by Nicholas A Stevens and this company has no interest in helping its existing tenants.

I rented a two bedroom apartment here and I was very disappointed the first week. When I moved in they told me they would not be replacing my rugs, but when I walked through they had them cleaned and they looked decent. However, within 2 days of walking on them, they went back to their normal state and were very matted down. I complained to management and said that these carpets should have been replaced. The apartment employee then sympathized with me and even agreed but stated since they have to do a lot of cut backs that they were not able to replace the rug. However, when I spoke to the manager about it she went on to say she was not aware and would have never rented the apt like that.
These are nice apartments and when you pay approx $ 2500 a month for rent you do expect a little more for your apartment.
The lay out of the apartments were great. I loved the granite countertops however, the bathroom ceiling had mold coming through the paint. Looks like they painted over the mold and then rented it out. Within a month of living there I could see the mold coming through the paint.
Also, there was a leaky ceiling in one of the hallways, which I called and told them about, but they did nothing.
This place is a really nice place because of the location and the granite countertops. I am not sure if it is worth the premium rent.

Neighbors are quiet and the place is relatively clean. They allow pets and the pet owners seem to take good care of their pets. I did not walk into anyone’s doggie accidents outside so that was good.

Have you ever gone out with a beautiful girl? Then after a month and a half find out she’s a wrist slashing lunatic with crotch rot that cares nothing for your happiness because she thinks she’s too good looking for you anyway and can get some other sucker to date her? That’s Marlin Cove.
I’ve been living here for 8 months.
PROS
* 2 master bedroom layout great for roommates
* Foster City has no crime
* hot tub and covered pool are the reasons we moved in
* good jogging area nearby
CONS
* 7% annual rent increase — In this economy? GTFO
* Rats seen in garage
* The Fire alarm in our building has gone off 6 times within a 2 month period, including in the middle of the night (Is this a college dorm?!?)
* Moldy, leaking hallway ceiling took weeks to get fixed. I had to contact their parent company Nasta Stevens for it to get fixed.
* Leasing office is unresponsive and rarely open
*“Hot” tub was a «Cold» tub for 6 weeks.
And the Piece de resistance
* After living here for 6 months, paying rent on time, and being an all around good tenant… they gave MY covered parking spot away to someone living in a corporate apartment and TOLD ME TO WAIT FOR HIM TO LEAVE IN 2 WEEKS!!!
I should have bought a house.