This apartment is located in Midtown, but safety is an issue since it is located near the freeway. I was approached by strange men more than once in this area. Additionally, I once caught a homeless man urinating in the bushes at the Calais. The reason I bring this up is because safety is an issue at this complex. I had two neighbors get their cars broken into because the gates of the complex are almost always broken.
However, the major reason I am telling you to avoid this complex is because of the poor management. I lived here for over a year (and yes, I am talking about the NEW management company). My requests were never taken seriously. I called to complain about the gate many times, my messages were never returned, and it continued to be broken for up to two weeks. The entire time I was living at the Calais, I never had a single phone call returned to me.
There are countless other reasons why I do not recommend this place, but let's just pick on a few:
-Constant erroneous fees as they are not accurate in their book keeping. My rent was often incorrectly calculated, and I had to stop in to clarify my lease agreement three consecutive months.
-Lost a very expensive package of mine, and it mysteriously resurfaced six months later. Their excuse was exactly this: ""we offer mail service as a courtesy, it is not our responsibility if it gets lost."" (note, they had signed for the package according to my fedex statement)
-Gym equipment was broken for months
-Rent is comparable with other luxury apartments in the area, thus the overall value of the Calais is questionable
-When my access key broke (used for entrance doors), I had to stop in three times to get a new one. The first time they claimed they had no extra ones. The second time, they claimed the order hadn't come in yet. The third time, one of the staff members gave me hers because I said I wasn't leaving until they gave me one. Note: when you pay $1200 a month in rent, you expect to have unlimited access to the building, and this includes a properly functioning access key.
-I was on a month-to-month at the end of my stay. One evening, I received a notification that if my lease was not renewed, my rent would increase by $200 per month. Of course, I gave my notice. However, thirty-days notice for a $200 increase is highly disturbing, and completely unethical.
Save yourself a lot of headaches and rent elsewhere.
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