Vista Amaya Apartments

I have lived here for about two and a half years already and we have gone through three different managers. Honestly, I have not had a problem with either and my rent has never gone up, which I am so thankful for! My favorite part about living here is the location and how green it is here. It’s an old building, so things do tend to break down easily here. We have had problems with roaches, but once we told the (second) manager, the problem was immediately solved. The only complaints I have as of now is the fact that the second manager allowed pets and third manager continued it, so now I see poop everywhere. I even have cats sleeping on my car… and that’s when I began to see scratches on my car! Which is a big NO. I wish they would just go back to no pets allowed.
My current problem I have now is termites… Yuck. I’ve yet to see how fast and reliable our current maintenance is, so I may update on that later when I contact them about my termite issue.
Overall, it’s a beautiful place, but I wish they would upgrade all the appliances, plus the gym. The gym is extremely small and all the machines are old and rusty.
UPDATE* I thought they were termites, but it turned out to be some other bug that looks like them. Anyway, it didn’t take long for them to come check it out and the bug issue was immediately resolved. The manager here is a sweet lady and a lot of time when I walk in, she tends to seem pretty overwhelmed. But even then, she still keeps a smile on her face and tries to help you the best she can. Unfortunately, I will be moving out of here soon, but I will definitely recommend this place to anyone.

For the last 3 years there have been 3 sets of managers. A bit ridiculous. There are good and bad aspects. Normally pretty quiet and peaceful. A few «loud late nights» but those are very rare. Maintenance requests have always been handled quickly– I’ve gone through a new dishwasher, fridge and AC since I’ve been here so they must not have been the best to start with. They desperately need to replace the windows. At one point prior mangers started in one building? They rattle horribly anytime either of my neighbors close front doors– heaven forbid a door slams! Location is by far my favorite part. Close to Harry griffin park and schools, and grossmont. My rent has increased twice since moving in and that’s a bummer. I like the current management the most– hopefully night security patrol is brought back on.

I’ve lived here for 2 yrs. & over all its just a nice place to live. What i like most is the size of the apartment. Most apartments dont have enough closet space, that is not the case at Vista Amaya. There is a walk in closet in the hallway, + linen closet by the bathroom. Both rooms have wall to wall closets. Pool area is nice, but would be better if the pool was heated (its always freezing cold, even in the hottest months). The location is also a plus. Close to schools and surrounding freeways. The area does have a lot of spiders, due to all the trees in the area. Parking sucks. You get 1 assigned spot; if you want you can rent an additional spot for $ 25, but if your a 1 adult home like me, you cant rent another space. Visitor parking is ridiculous, you have to sign in your visitors in the office, during office hours only (9 – 5). Your visitors are at risk of being towed or ticketed if they come after the office closes & some days office is closed. I’ve had maintenance issues but they were resolved quick. Windows are single paned, so they rattle if anyone runs/​walks fast/​closes the door, in your apt or below. It would be nice if the patios were covered.
We’ve had several cars broken into in the parking lots; but owners are now putting in a surrounding fence/​gate to enclose the property. Overall, the complex is good; the best thing about it is the location & layout.
Would give it 5 if they improved parking for visitors.

My husband and I just moved out this past weekend. We lived there since June 2008 and were generally pretty happy there. We’ve never lived at any other apartment complex though so we have nothing to compare it to. Here is what we thought of the experience:
Pros:
1) Pretty quiet area
2) Convenient (very close to Grossmont Center)
3) Pretty good sized apartment for the rent amount; layout was nice and not weird
4) Good storage: Walk-​in closet, storage space in parking area, lots of cabinets
5) Many of the people who live there are quiet families or young couples. Not too many partiers.
6) Complex gets regular gardening and has some nice plants. I liked our hibiscus plant outside our living room, and my mom loved getting some free figs on the tree by the manager’s office.
7) Every unit has a patio or balcony. I really liked ours because we were on the ground floor, but we were over the carports so it was like the balcony was on the 2^nd floor and that made me feel safer
8) Our rent was never increased even when we went from a year lease to a month-​to-​month
9) Rent includes water/​sewer/​trash
Cons:
1) Had 3 different managers and none of them seem super competent. The current one is better than the first two though.
2) Had my laundry stolen last year and nothing was done about it. People kept propping open the laundry room door with a rock so anyone could get in. Though my clothes may have been stolen by someone who lives there, and the manager who was there is gone now.
3) Complex seems to have gone downhill a bit. More noisy/​a bit shady people have moved in, loud kids playing outside (which is fine once in a while, but it’s been more frequent), haven’t seen many building improvements. Though it sounds like the new manager is planning on doing some updates. The parking lot is supposed to be repaved pretty soon.
4) Our unit had pretty old cabinets and the carpet was on it’s last leg. I hope other units are a bit more updated (and they replace some stuff in ours before new people move in)
5) Popcorn ceilings — ugh
6) Needs better window sealings and around the air conditioner unit.
7) Windows are single pane and rattle when the people above us stomped around.
8) They don’t allow pets anymore. We had a cat but we just barely got approved right when they were starting the no pets rule.

I’ve lived at Amaya Apartments for about 8 months now…
Generally, the outdoor areas are well-​kept and clean.
I haven’t had a maintenance issue, so I can’t vouch for that feature.
A good portion of the tenants are families with children who play around the apartments from time to time.
My only complaint, is the large population of lizards! I am afraid to keep my front door open for fear of having lizards enter my apartment again!
Yes, it happened before…
The rent is overpriced, but I don’t think this isn’t the case anywhere in California!
Overall, I’ve been a happy camper…