Terrible management company. Came to pick up keys and wouldn't let me use their bathroom and said "there's a Starbucks down the street"

I stayed in a studio apartment managed by Hawthorne-Stone for almost 4 years and can honestly say they are the best landlords I've had to date. Always prompt with repair requests (within a couple days or faster, unless they were particularly swamped) and responsive over email for any other issues I had. Thorough communication during the move out process, and I got a full refund on my security deposit. I had some issues when I initially moved in with some leaky bath tub pipes and a leaky kitchen window during California winter rain storms, but those issues were taken care of. read more

I had a pleasant experience with Panthika Lilittham for the most part. However, after a long day at work and stress due to the moving parts of my life and nations uncertainty, I misread the directions and locked the doors to the units that I went in to view at 757 Jones. I apologized, via text twice, as she reached out to me after I had left to ask if I had locked the units behind me. She goes on to tell me that the instructions stated not to and proceeds to comment about what a big issue I've made for them and now they have to cancel the evenings showings and the next day too. Mind you, this is the first place I looked at launching my apartment search and certainly the first time I've toured an apartment alone (due to COVID-19). I can't possibly be the first person to make that mistake and if I am, then I'm not sure why the property manager wasn't there with keys or the leasing agent with a back-up plan. That doesn't seem very organized or reflective of a proper and professional property management/real estate company. Needless to say, I won't be applying here as I'm in fear of retaliation/being rejected solely on the basis of having made a simple error. Discrimination of this sort won't be tolerated. Best of luck filling your vacancies. read more

Been a tenant for the last two years. Have only good things to say about these guys. They are very responsive - both over email if I have questions and for coming to fix things. Everyone is very nice who I've dealt with. The building is well maintained - laundry machines get fixed promptly and my apartment has been well cared for. I haven't used the elevator in my building much as I live on a lower floor, but whenever I have used it, it's been fine. Rent is affordable for the neighborhood. Overall - the best landlords I've ever had. Would highly recommend getting in touch with Panthika and the rest of the team if you're looking for a new place read more

After trying to move out and having to deal with other property management companies, I realize I have taken this company for granted. The worst they have done is come into my apartment with out my permission and it was a one time thing that was an honest mistake. Getting someone on the phone is difficult but they respond to emails fairly quickly and maintenance request are addressed in a timely manner. I definitely recommend them and regret ever having doubted them. read more

Today marks one month since our elevator went out-of-service. One full month and still no solution in sight! Last we heard from Hawthorne Stone was 3 weeks ago via a letter taped to the door saying "the elevator will shut down for the next few days". I live on the 5th floor which is essentially 6 flights of stairs from sidewalk level. 2019 year-to-date, I would estimate the elevator has been out-of-service more than 25%. That would equate to at least one full week of every month. If you're elderly or disabled, you would be homebound in our building unless you live in the basement with direct sidewalk access. In Feb / March of this year, one of our two washing machines was out-of-service for over a month. If you're considering moving in to a Hawthorne Stone building, it would be prudent to do extra research into the maintenance history and reliability of the property. Mine would be graded an F. read more

I've rented apartments from Hawthorne Stone two times in the past 13 years and have nothing but great things to say about them. They seriously have it down and are most attentive and professional management company. You can pay rent online, file service requests online as well, and everything is addressed promptly. Both buildings I lived in were super clean and well maintained, if it was possible I wish I could still be their tenant! read more

This is the best property management company I've ever worked with. I lived in one of their buildings for 10 years and just moved out, and I never had a single problem with them. Actually the opposite -- they made the general annoyances everyone has while renting apartments (the occasional maintenance request/repairs) seem like no big deal. When a freak plumbing accident caused water from the washing machines downstairs to back up and flood my apartment, they put in new hardwood floors for me and even paid for me to replace my own rugs, rather than me having to file a rental insurance claim. When I needed supporting documentation for loan applications, they responded immediately and got me everything I needed. When the neighboring building's tree grew out of control and covered my entire window, they got in touch with the manager of the neighboring building and had them prune the tree. And I got my entire deposit back after 10 years of living in it. There was obviously a lot of wear and tear, but I worked very hard to clean it and get it as close as I could to the condition I received it in, and they were very fair upfront about the move out process; no BS or gimmicks to try to nickel and dime me on my deposit. These are just a few examples, but it's little things like this that create positive relationships with tenants, and the team at Hawthorne Stone (which, granted, has changed a bit over the years) clearly values these relationships. They're extremely nice people to work with and always there to help when you need anything -- I would happily recommend any of their buildings in the city to anyone looking for an apartment. read more

This, believe it or not, is my third review, since Hawthorne/Stone doesn't like being called out. So .... For those with (illegal) building issues, file a complaint with the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection and get someone out there. Call the appropriate division directly on their site: sfdbi.org/filing-complaint. Your safety matters! Speaking of safety (and personal experience), invasion of privacy by their maintenance men was an issue for me while living in one of their buildings in the Tendernob, so I highly suggest installing a deadbolt on your apartment door. As stated in an earlier review by L v., "HS is very diligent at collecting the rent ... " And also quite thuggish. Keep your cameraphones ready if you smell trouble; personal space does not seem to be of importance with them. Also, if you ARE thinking of renting from them, be sure to ask about the other tenants who will be situated in the building, and around the unit you are looking at, and of course, the building manager. San Francisco is a sanctuary city after all ... good luck! read more

I have rented with Hawthorne Stone twice in my 6 years of living in SF. The responsiveness, professionalism, and tenant-first approach is something that stuck out about them. Specifically working with Panthika. Process/communication is very seamless and you know what to expect. They have a lot of great properties across the city - sadly I am leaving SF, but if I ever return, Hawthorne Stone will be the first company I contact. read more

This is the best property management company I've ever worked with. They fixed every problem I've had quickly. Rooms are modernized with new appliances and bathroom. I've been a renter in sf for ten years and these guys are the best! read more

I have lived in apartments with both large and small property management companies, even individuals. Hawthorne-Stone was the best yet and I would not have left if not for buying a home. They were very flexible and easy to work with at move-in. They sent maintenance within a day even for minor repairs or issues. The in-building super was extremely helpful and always available. No complaints - highly recommended. read more

They were always prompt with maintenance requests, made the walkthrough and move out process smooth, and gave a letter of recommendation when asked to use for a new apartment rental read more

Hawthorne Stone is handedly one of the better property management companies in SF. I have been a commercial tenant for over 9 years and resided in one of their apartments for 5 years. In that time, maintenance calls have been resolved in a timely fashion and their office is very receptive to any reasonable request I've made. They are professional, fair, and easy to reach. I have had poor experiences with other property managers in SF so I know a good landlord when I see one. I am grateful that during this time of economic uncertainty for my business, I have a landlord that has demonstrated empathy and integrity. read more

The best management company I enjoy being their tenant. Best service and respond fast for our needs and services

(If you've noticed a tendency towards 5 star reviews, it's just because I've struck a karmic goldmine of late and am throwing more coal into the fire by giving credit where credit's due.) Joanna from Hawthorne Stone delivered the most perfect apartment right into my lap, fully renovated, after a brief conversation over the phone a day before I flew off to the east coast for a week. She told me that the apt I had been jonesing for on Craigslist was taken, but that someone was vacating a similar unit on the top floor which she had not yet advertised. She actually saved it for me to have first viewing/dibs, and arranged for me to move in just 4 days later! She was so accomodating and so efficient. in a relatively new city where I didn't really have anyone to turn to for help, she made it easy for me. When I contacted the agency asking for a letter for the SPCA to allow me to adopt a cat, and to fix up a dead outlet, I got 4 call backs from 3 different agents within 2 hours (I couldn't get to my personal phone at work, but still very impressive from their service end). I accidentally broke a stairwell window moving in, and between the resident manager patching it up to the agency rep replacing it, it was dealt with in 4 days... and I never heard another word about that. They really keep their buildings up to par, which says so much in a city where agencies are quick to up their prices, but not do any extra work. I heart Hawthorne Stone and everyone I've dealt with there. read more

Joanna Rose help me find the perfect apartment for me at the right price. She was very honest and helped make my move easily and stress free. The maintenance service at my building is also great! Any time I had an issue it was quickly resolved. If you are relocating from another state to San Francisco I recommend contacting Hawthorne-stone to find you place in the city. read more

I base my review on personal experience. I have rented two different places in two different districts in SF with Hawthone and Stone. I have dealt with many other management companies before, after, and in between those two houses. What I found is that Hawthorne and Stone are the best. They are trustworthy, quick to respond, and friendly. Specifically Panthika who is currently on their staff went well above and beyond for me many times. She didn't have to at all. She is very honest, human and helpful and in this day and age it's very appreciated. So if you are looking at a place and pondering Hawthorne and Stone and your agent is Panthika consider yourself lucky and take the place. You wont be disappointed by this management company. PS I'm no longer with Hawthorne and Stone and I can say I already regret it. read more

I am SO grateful to have Hawthorne and Stone management as my first (and hopefully only) rental experience in San Francisco. I moved from NYC to SF unexpectedly in July 2010 and I had worked with Paul right before he left to find this gem of a studio I live in now. Even though he was out to bigger and better things in his future, he worked with me over the course of a month after seeing a previous and disappointing listing to find a place for me to call home. I was then passed to Joanna upon his departure, who wrapped everything up as quickly and easily as I could have wished. As for the building maintenance, I've seen two resident managers now. The previous was good and the current is GREAT. Our current RM is wonderful, super nice and very prompt. I've had some leery managers in the past (not this building) and that always keeps me from asking for help when I need it. All locks and safety mechanisms in the building work, all the time. I frequently see the resident manager on site working on something, whether its installing new light fixtures, cleaning up the garbage area, retouching some wear and tear on the walls...etc. As a single female, I feel very safe in my building and everything is maintained exceptionally well. Pest control visits every week and sprays the apartments who want the treatment and if anything breaks down, the management is QUICK to fix it. Laundry machine broken? No problem. Fixed within 48 hours. Light in the hallway out? Fixed within the day. I dropped my keys down the elevator shaft, retrieved in less than 10 minutes. Leaky sink, broken window latch? SHAZAAM! Fixed before dinnertime. They send in whoever they need to right away.This is an old building and a couple of times the elevator doesn't work properly or gets stuck on other floors because of the old door that doesn't shut/lock right, but once you call, it gets fixed within the day. Same for any problems in my apartment, if I call early enough! The building has carpeted hallways, but it never smells musty at all. They keep the property clean as a whistle and in the near 3 years I've been here, I haven't seen a single roach or mouse. Some tenants will leave junk in the garbage alley, old furniture, books and discarded things sometimes in the lobby, but they never hang out for more than a day before they're gone. No persistent eyesores here. If I call the office with a problem, I never get any attitude at all, just clear questions and answers. They clearly have very competent people working in all corners of this company. read more

When I first moved in, they were great. They've gone to shit lately though. Nothing gets fixed like it used to. Water was dripping on to my ceiling and even though repeatedly pointing it out to their "genius" maintenance guy, it was ignored. Also ignored was a ceiling light that when left on for five minutes filled the apartment with a rotting smell. Have no idea what that was. Also a huge issue has been the lack of actually fixing the elevator in the building. Most everyone I knew had gotten stuck in it at least once! It's a huge safety issue and they either need to fix things like this properly or just shut them down. I had enough, especially with their crappy maintenance of the windows which let in all the street noise and cold. Now they're screwing me out of a large chunk of my deposit as it seems they're purely business oriented and want to use it to fund a portion of the remodel they're doing so that they can raise the rent $500 on the unit. It's a shame as a year or two ago, I would have given them a great review, but now I agree with all of L.V.'s points and would never deal with them again. read more

i absolutely love hawthorne stone. Joanna helped my boyfriend and i find a perfect apartment that was a very decent price. she was so patient with us and really wanted to make sure that we were comfortable. she was very quick to follow up when we called her and we were able to move into the apartment within one week. its been about six months now and we are still as happy as can be. they have great buildings to rent from and come right away to fix problems. I am very content with hawthorne stone and will always rent from them from now on. read more

I am relocating from LA to SF and was performing recon on a new apt online. I contacted Joanna (Rose) Stewart regarding an apt in Pacific Heights I saw on Craigslist. She wrote back a fairly detailed and helpful message the same day which was great. Then I never heard from her again! I sent two more e-mails after a couple days. I called and left a message after about a week. And then, assuming the place was gone by then, I sent another e-mail saying that I'd be interested in any other similar properties. Never replied goddamit! Thankfully, it all turned out for the best as I found a nicer 1 bedroom in Pacific Heights with another agent at Hill & Co. who was extremely responsive and apparently more eager for my business. They get 2 stars instead of 1 for the initial rapid e-mail reply and also because Joanna looks fairly hot in her photo on the Hawthorne-Stone webpage. Shawtayee! read more

Very disappointed with my experience with Hawthorne-Stone. I have contacted them multiple times for various maintenance issues and have yet to have any of them resolved. I have no idea how this company remains in business. Frustrating to say the least. read more

Hawthorne Stone is deplorable. The owner is a substandard landlord and his minions who run the office are masters of manipulation (or, completely incompetent, still can't figure out which). I've lived in my rent-controlled apartment for over 25 years and have NEVER had a problem until H/S took over about 2 years ago. They treat myself and other tenants with gross disrespect and neglect and do everything they can to skirt around doing the legal, decent, right thing - no matter how big or small the issue. There are too many infuriating scenarios to list here so I'll just advise other tenants who are stuck with this classless and obnoxious "management group/corporation" that the SF RENT BOARD is your friend. There hasn't been a case I've yet to lose in my dealing with H/S's tomfoolery. It's not how I enjoy spending my time and energy as I understand and honor the basic tenets of RIGHT and WRONG. Yet, when I'm pressed as I am with most interactions with H/S, it's a guaranteed win to submit a dispute. It's unfortunate that H/S drives tenants to these means and has yet to learn how to operate honestly, decently, and positively with their tenants; it would be a much more rewarding and lucrative experience for everyone if they did. Resources to manage your livelihood with Hawthorne/Stone: San Francisco Rent Board: https://sfrb.org/ Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco: http://hrcsf.org/ San Francisco Tenants Union: https://sftu.org/ read more

We have had our business in a Hawthorne Stone property for over 5 years. SInce the inception of our leasing process with them we have mainly worked with Panthika. She is so great to work with!! She is very straight forward and doesn't waste your time like many realtors like to do- my kind of business woman. We have always had great rapport with them, even when it came time to renegotiate our lease. I would highly recommend working with them; they have always been very fair and supportive of our business. We also have had amazing help from the building maintenance team. Noelle and his staff are always ready to assist if there is any type of challenge we encounter. The communication is fast and direct, they don't meddle in your daily business operations, and are available when you need them. Thanks so much everyone at the Hawthorne Stone Family!!! read more

And... back to 1 star. I moved out and they auto-charged me $75 for no reason whatsoever. They said the charge was for "Cleaning/Flea Infestation" but then later said it was only for fleas after I challenged the cleaning charge. My indoor cat has never had fleas in her life. I left the apartment on Nov 17th, and they had a painting crew in the next morning at 7:30am when I went to drop off my key. They painting crew had dirty plastic all over the floor to protect it from paint. Coincidently, on the day after that, they had someone come in to inspect the apartment and said that they found fleas. 2 days after I had moved out, and the day after the floors were completely covered with dirty plastic that is carried from apartment to apartment. Guess who brought the fleas into the apartment? Doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened. So after their bed bug infestation that cost me hundreds and after this false charge of $75, you can take my word for it that they will find a way to get money from you. read more

I would say when I first moved in 2 years ago they were great, but in the past year it has gone downhill. First off in our building on Mason street there was a lovely cockroach on my mailbox and where we asked them to spray more often, they did so perhaps once every three months. Not enough in my opinion with a restaurant in the building. The kicker for me and the reason I'm writing this yelp review is that when we moved out we had one last walkthrough with one of their staff and after he had a once over he told us aside from a cleaning fee that everything looked great. A few weeks later we get a notice saying we were charged for "bathtub damage" and were charged $500 for it. So I would be leery of this company. Probably the worst experience I've had with an apartment rental company. read more

I am glad that I rented through this company. They are friendly and helpful and they respond fast for our need

Hawthorne Stone is the best property management out there, and I have rented a lot! I first rented from Hawthorne in 2001. Also during that time I worked on the maintenance team. Knowing first hand the work that goes into these apartments is top notch. I don't agree with the comment about the smokers and loud partiers are Hawthorne's fault. Its not Hawthorne's fault when someone rents a unit and puts on a friendly face and then later they become trouble for other tenantes. Its the wonderful world of renting, especially in such a densely populated city. Anyways, a couple years later after moving a way for a while, I came back to San Francisco and went straight to Hawthorne Stone because I don't trust any other management. read more

Was my apartment beautiful? No. Was my landlord fantastic? Hell No. Was the neighborhood picturesque and safe? Nope. However, I loved having my apartment under the management of Hawthorne-Stone, and here's why... I was in a tight spot and had to take this uber-tiny, ultra-expensive apartment on a sidestreet right on Market next to the freeway exit. I had a medium-sized dog and desperately needed a place to live... Despite a CREEPY landlord, a sketchy hole-in-the-wall location, and a box of an apartment, Hawthorne-Stone was always great. They were incredibly responsive when any problem arose, super-sweet about my dog (even invited her to visit their offices!), and helped me get my security deposit back from the sheisty landlord. The only reason I didn't want to move is that I knew this kind of service is so hard to come by with property management. read more

Love them - Joanna Stewart was awesome (not there anymore, unfortunately) and my building manager Archie and his staff are fantastic as well. I have to be careful to mention if anything is wrong because they want to fix it right away and I'm not always prepared for it! As for people complaining about the removal of the steam heat, that's a natural trend because steam heat is antiquated and very difficult to maintain, esp when HS tries to keep natural hardwood floors. The wall heaters are more than enough for me, I just make sure I close doors to rooms I don't need, which you should be doing from a conservation standpoint anyway. The apartments are beautifully done and preserved with their classic feel, despite the cost benefit of just making them look uniform. I chose my classic 1919 over the corporate places they slap together these days. I've recommended HS to friends as I think you would be hard-pressed to find a better management company in a city like SF without going corporate and living in drywall hell. read more

I lived in a Hawthorne Stone building for a number of years and feel like I should give them credit as one of the better - if not the best - management groups I have seen and worked with (especially now in the crazy, cutthroat real-estate market of the city!) The building I lived in was a vintage, mixed-use multi-residence building in a part of town that is often underserved. Surrounded by a sea of buildings neglected by obvious slumlords, Hawthorne Stone's buildings always stood out to me as particularly well maintained. As someone working in the architecture industry, upkeep matters to me. Because of my occupation, I'm probably more aware than most of real estate and construction costs and good practices, but it should be no secret to anyone that property management in a rent-controlled city is full of competing agendas. From my perspective over the years, it was clear to me that Hawthorne Stone worked pretty hard (especially via Nancy Ng, who I worked with often and found particularly helpful) to balance out the obvious for-profit interests of the owners with the actual costs of respectable upkeep and reasonable tenant pricing and service. Therefore, I highly recommend them both to prospective tenants and to owners looking for an experienced group that can adeptly keep their buildings cared for and in-demand. read more

Just plain excellent. I was in 895 Sutter and the building was comfortable and kept nice and Hawthorne/Stone was perfect. I had to leave San Francisco quickly because of a job transfer and they completely understood and assured me I would not be penalized. I can't wait to move back to SF and the first thing I will do is try to mover back into that building or of course back with a Hawthorne/Stone Property. I miss SF. read more

I liked these guys. I rented from them for only a year, but during that year every interaction I had with either my property manager, Joanna Rose, or the Maintenance Manager, Archie (cant remember his last name) was good. They are friendly, responsive, and always go out of their way to help. Archie even drove all the way out to my apt once when I was out of town to check and make sure I hadnt left the front door unlocked. I called him, in a real state of panic, and he really came through for me. Anyway, I liked this team a lot and I'd highly recommend renting from them. read more

Leasing agent Joanna is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Incredibly accomidating, friendly, understanding, and patient. She has been an advocate for me over the last year renting with Hawthorne Stone. She found for me an amazing apartment when I was unhappy with my previous living situation. She really listened to my concerns and made sure to find a place that addressed the issues I was facing. Highly recomended! read more

Not much to add, but will verify all the good stuff already said. Very well-maintained apartments, nice/responsive staff, but yeah hella expensive electric wall heaters. One star off coz I couldn't get my janky half-kitchen-floored linoleum tile replaced, but they said that was on the owner of the bldg (didn't want the expense). read more

What a way to start the New Year!! Joanna Rose and Hawthorne-Stone did a great job for my partner and me. She helped get us into a dream apartment in a great part of town. We just finished moving all of our stuff out of two separate apartments into this one on New Years Eve just in time to ring in the new year. We could not be any happier with the way things turned out. So much credit goes to Joanna and the approach she took in working with me in the apartment search. I basically cold called Hawthorne-Stone and got Joanna on the phone. I mentioned I was walking around the lower-nob hill area when I saw their business signs posted in front of some really cool buildings. She enthusiastically ran through a list of several buildings in the area she thought we might like, and wanted to promptly schedule a time to take me on a viewing. I had never worked with a leasing agent in my past apartment searches so this was for the most part a Go-See with who I thought was an already professional and very pleasant leasing agent on the phone. Wow, Joanna is a delight in person. She was very friendly, easygoing, poised and very professional. She asked thoughtful questions wanting to know more about the things we needed with the ideal apartment. As she took me around to the different buildings it was so apparent that she was really trying to suit our needs rather than fill an empty apartment just for business. While I kept falling in love with every apartment I saw, she assured me the right one will come up. And it did. The experience was so at ease, and it made me feel like I was the most important client. After looking at several apartments all uniquely great we finally came upon the apartment which my partner and I chose. It was amazingly perfect, and ideal in so many ways. I was sold and wanted it right then and there. I was so excited to tell my partner because I knew he would love it, and we could be very happy in this apartment. Joanna sensed my excitement and urgency right away and wasted no time in providing the paper work and instructing me on the next several steps to secure our potential apartment. It was so great to see that she was just as excited for us to qualify and eventually move into this place. What followed thereafter was a series of amazingly efficient and careful correspondence by phone and email to complete the application process. It went very well and surprisingly quick, and we were approved within a week and given our keys. We were then introduced to the building managers who are very friendly and helpful which reassured me of the kind of hands on support we'll continue to receive while living in the residence. Although our move-in has concluded, Joanna has continued to make herself available in any way to us. I would venture to say it's a company wide approach. I sincerely get the feeling everyone at Hawthorne-Stone cares about all who lives into their properties. We've certainly found a great home through Hawthorne-Stone. I would encourage anyone searching for an ideal apartment to seriously consider them as well. Great job all around to Joanna Rose and Hawthorne-Stone. read more

The new resident managers are exceptionally diligent about ensuring a pleasant and livable home for all residents. Everything is kept clean and in good repair, including the area outside the building. Any tenant problems are addressed immediately. read more

For the past few years, I've been renting an apartment from HS. Apartments are nice, clean, market priced. Seems the management has been cutting a lot of corners lately. They removed the steam heat radiators that actually heated the apartments and replaced with small, ineffective wall heaters that are very expensive to use (the kind you usually find in a bathroom) and they never replaced the on-site manager when he got fed up and quit. HS is very diligent at collecting the rent; however, if there is a problem, you mostly get over-the-phone lip service by a very nice office person. They don't step up to handle issues that normally arise. If something needs to be fixed, they send over the "no comprende" maintenance engineers who don't fix things very well. read more

I've been a tenant with this management company for 3 years. They are slightly better than mediocre Sometimes, yes, they are impressive in their response and follow up. Other times, not so much. They also don't offer listings to current tenants, despite repeated requests to upgrade to a larger unit. read more