There are much better places nearby for the same or less rent…read more At Otavon you will pay well over $2100/month for 50-year-old windows that don't close properly, no insulation and no air conditioning, all of which make heat waves unbearable. Get used to 83F INSIDE at night in summer. Also, you'll know when the garden crew is using their gas-powered tools, because the gas smell will waft through the crappy windows.

I've been living here at Otavon for 2 years now and I have nothing but great things to say about…read moremanagement, my neighbors and the area that the complex is located in. It's conveniently nestled in a very quiet area of the city and close to a very nice shopping center and gym. I'm big on privacy living in an apartment complex and my neighbors are to themselves but at the same time very friendly when we see each other. It's really difficult for me to find a complaint living here but I guess that says a lot about management and how much they care about their tenants. The bonus was meeting the leasing manager and her and I sharing a love for animals- yes, Otovan is pet friendly so I was able to move myself and my pup here. I would highly recommend if your looking for a place to call home that is quiet, friendly and affordable D. H

THERE ARE COCKROACHES ALL OVER THE FUCKING APARTMENTS!!!! They have been infesting this unit for…read moreawhile and even with measures to get rid of them I.e bait traps with boric Acid, pesticides and natural remedies they have been making it impossible to sit down or sleep comfortably!!!! THIS IS INSANE!!! The State health department should be notified immediately!!!

I just wanted to let everyone know what a great place this is to live. Laura, Sharon and Ronald…read morekeep everything working well. I am truly grateful for the care they give to making our homes a safe and happy place to live. It is very apparent that they care for all of us, and the improvements and overall feeling that this is a community of good people. I highly recommend anyone living here. -and this is me saying thank you. Your the best!

Hillcrest Townhomes are nice inside! They are spacious, a little outdated, but mostly acceptable…read more When moving in, the paint was fresh, the unit was clean, etc. My biggest gripe about this complex, however, is the fact that it is about 100 ft from US 101 freeway, making the unit unbearably loud if you face it. With the single-pane slider closed, you can hear cars zoom by all day. With the slider open, you cannot talk in the living room--this is not an exaggeration; it is that bad. I would gladly stay here for another year, but the sound has gotten to me. Other than that, the 2br, 1.5 bath layout is nice and efficient. Water and garbage are paid, which helps keep our total utility bill under $50 in the winter, and about $30 in the summer, excluding internet and television. Maintenance is fast to respond and management is very nice. Joey, the apt. manager lives on site and he stays out of your business. I have to say, this apartment offers very private living. Aside from annual fire inspections, maintenance has never entered our apartment without being called. Parking can be a challenge, but not for residents, as they are typically given two spots. Ours are situated in a weird place, but not far from our unit. The laundry room is big and has rarely been at full-capacity--I've only had to wait once to use a washing machine. As far as the neighbors go, most keep to themselves and are quiet. We've had no crime problems at our complex--at least none that we know of. There are move-in bonuses. Ours was $100 off our monthly rent + 1 month free, which was really nice. The manager also let us bring our small dog without charging us a pet deposit. Overall, our stay here at Hillcrest Townhomes was mostly positive. The only thing I dislike about it is the freeway noise, especially during the summer time when we have to keep our slider open for fresh air (there is no AC). Sure, the appliances are outdated, but what do you expect for a LARGE 2 bedroom split level townhouse in MARIN for $1,190/mo?

I've been living here for about a month now and I absolutely love it. Very safe and friendly…read morecommunity, affordable, convenient location.

When I first found out that I was moving to the North Bay, I came across Novato and looked into…read moretheir apartments. There wasn't many and when it came down to size and cost, Hamilton Woods was the way to go. I moved in August 2013 and during the day of move-in the lady who worked at the front office was extremely rude and unpleasant to work with. Upon signing the paperwork, I realized that buildings were assigned as smoking and non-smoking . I was not given this info during my tour and somehow, my husband and I were put in a smoking building (1008 to be exact). For someone who hates smoking as much as I do, I was pissed, especially since the stench lingers in the carpet, walls, etc. When I expressed my concern all she could say was that nothing was available until 2 weeks later. My husband and I were ready to move in, Uhaul and all. When I asked if I could check out the apartment before signing all the paperwork she gave me the keys and didn't even offer to walk me to the apartment or point me in the right direction. Luckily there was no overpowering stench from the previous renters and I decided to follow through with signing the lease. Smoking was never an issue for me until the last few months before I moved out and people were always smoking below our window (I lived above the laundry room). As for amenities...when I first toured this property, there were only 3 or 4 cardio machines in the gym. They were old and extremely beat up. I was told they were in the process of renovating the gym and new equipment was on the way. In the 2+ years I've lived here, the gym remained the same. I never used it, but I noticed it became a little Zumba room for 3-4 ladies in the evening. I never used the swimming pool either, but it's available, and goes up to 8 feet. There are 2 laundry facilities on the property, a small one at the top of the hill (only 4 washers/dryers) and a larger one near the bottom. I always did my laundry on site and never had an issue. Like all the previous reviews, parking here is horrible. One bedroom apartments are assigned only 1 carport (not sure about 2 bedrooms) and everything else is first come first serve. There's only about 50 other parking spots on this property, then you're left with street parking which also fills up quick. My husband and I used to park as far as the little market near the corner of Bolling and Marin Valley (a little over 1/4 mile), I used to think of it as daily exercise. =) Another bad thing is dog poop. There were multiple instances when dog poop was in the walkways or even in front of our door (I lived in an end-unit). Management did put up signs, but honestly, they have no control over this. I never dealt with roaches (thank goodness!), there are; however, lots of lizards running around outside. I've only had to deal with maintenance once or twice and everything was taken care of in a timely fashion. There are instances when Hamilton Woods had to shut off the water, but they do give sufficient notice. Before moving out, we had to have the carpets professionally cleaned or it would be taken out of our deposit. I thought this was ridiculous, especially since my husband and I never wore shoes in the house. I was a bit disappointed about how much they took from our deposit, but in all fairness, we got back a decent amount and they provided an itemized list of what was deducted and how much. From my experience, Hamilton Woods met my needs. It was fairly safe, I never had any packages stolen from my doorstep, and I only encountered police on the property twice.

Worst place to live, rent is high but nothing has change SINCE EVER. We just reported that SOMEONE…read morehas opened our car a stole ALL of our belongings, didn't care and told us she can't do nothing about it to just make a police report, the so call "cameras " they have installed are useless as much as this place, if you think you wanna rent an apartment don't, think twice and look somewhere else, gets hot/ cold in the building, these apartments don't have any good reason to even move in. Ever since we moved here shit been a shit show, better apartment out there

our experience with Highlands of Marin was good. office was receptive to maintn requests, pool and…read morejam were maintained fine

I have lived in this community for three years now, and I am proud to call the Highlands of Marin…read moremy home. The units are beautifully renovated, the management and maintenance staff are friendly and helpful, and the grounds are maintained to a high standard. Pets are welcome, the pools and amenities are terrific. The ONLY issue I have is that the corporate company raises the rent, year-over-year, to the maximum allowed by law. It is pricey!!

very bad .Don't rent…read more I definitely do not recommend this place. The landlord and property management are both very poor. Communication is difficult and uncomfortable, and when problems come up, they are not handled in a timely or reasonable manner. As a tenant, I feel that there is very little consideration or respect for renters.

I lived here from 2012-2020, and do not recommend it for anyone. The current manager, Mike, acts…read morelike he is a nice guy; he is not. The owners and management do not care about the health and safety of residents. I had multiple service requests that were ignored during my residency here, one of which lead to a mold infestation in my apartment, #78. I reported an issue with my water heater for several years, and it was not addressed properly. A water heater leak caused toxic mold in my apartment. After reporting the issue to Mike, he had a new water heater put in without getting a permit, but did nothing to address the mold & claimed no further repairs were needed. I had to have a mold inspection done and provide him with the report showing my apartment was infested with toxic black mold (stachybotrys). He then refused to have a mold abatement specialist repair the issue, and instead had the maintenance/handyman address it. They painted over the mold in some areas and did not remove all of it. Mike was uncooperative and entered my unit without providing 24-hours notice. He ignored phone calls and emails and is dishonest. I had to choose between continuing to live in an apartment with toxic black mold or moving. I moved out as a result. Then Mike withheld my security deposit and did not send an accounting for it, which is illegal. I had a walk through inspection with Mike 2 weeks before moving out where he told me I would get my full deposit back, and a written confirmation that I had no remaining balance from him as well. I contacted him 4 weeks after moving out since I had not received my deposit nor an accounting for it, and Mike said I owed unpaid rent and a cleaning fee, despite my paying my balance in full and leaving the apartment clean. When I disputed this, Mike sent me a mutual release to sign stating he would release the deposit if I signed agreeing not to sue. If you're thinking of moving here, don't.

Hi, This is Pat, I have lived in three residences so far and…read moreDrake Terrace is decidedly the best! this is mainly because the staff is really caring. You see and feel the relationship[s build between us. The attention paid to preferences and recognition and care of physical conditions. The building isn't the most modern around the edges - But that doesn't really matter, ones former home sometimes was too. However the garden is really lovely - a green and peaceful place where the birds come and drink at the fountain where we can sit with our friends and family and watch entertainment provided by the management. And the FOOD (no small matter) is good! Definitely several cuts above what one expects of an institution of this sort. All in all, by most standards. I would give Drake Terrace High marks! and I'm happy and grateful to be leaving here.

I love living at Drake Terrace: 1- Great location and…read moreLandscaping 2- NO CAR NEEDED - all transportation is provided 3- Delicious meals, alternative choices, and meals offered 7am - 7pm daily. 4- I love my appartement and my balcony garden with a view. 5- All levels of exercise available (class, gym and competitive mental games, such as trivia and brain games). 6- Residents association, with no staff, meets every 3rd Wednesday to discuss clubs, old business and new business, with comments from the floor. Any perceived need for change is then taken to administration to be acted upon. 7- Communication is open, which keeps residents happy and well. 8- Programs and outings are varied, with monthly signe ups if participant participation must be limited. 9- Residents come from all over and bring new experiences to share. 10- Personal ambassadors assist new resident personally. The drake Terrace population is defined by a HAPPY SMILE!!!

I was haunted by lookee looks in here for 10 years and people haunted my apartment blowing smoke…read moreinto my air filter. It caused me to relocate when I complained to Sheryl and Gordon. I was given no explanation and had no resolution if the traumatic experience had an I'll effect on my heart and lungs.

I lived here for three years, first in a studio and then one of the large townhouses in the back…read more My ground floor studio fronted the creek and I could hear choruses of frogs in the spring, see deer rambling through the creek bed, and wild turkeys everywhere. The first neighbor I had living above me was so quiet I didn't know when she was home. Unfortunately the next person who moved in was not quiet, and I could heard him yawning in bed. I seldom had to use the heater or air conditioner, because except for one sliding glass door onto the patio all the other walls were shared. The townhouse in the back was twice the size and very quiet. Overall the property managers Gordon and Sheryl were very friendly and responsive. My new job required a move to Burlingame, where I am paying exactly twice the amount of rent. The Cowbarn Apartment complex has four times the number of units, but the maintenance was far superior to where I am living in Burlingame. Both the studio and the townhouse were squeaky clean when I moved in, and the grounds and carports were very well maintained. I would not hesitate to move back to this complex.

Bridgecreek looks peaceful at first -- mature trees, quiet pathways, a pretty name -- but living…read morehere tells another story. The real issue isn't the property itself; it's the management behind it. I've lived here long enough to see how little accountability exists at the top. Communication with the office is inconsistent, dismissive, and often downright unhelpful. Requests are brushed off, follow-ups are ignored, and there's a sense that management just doesn't care once you've signed your lease. You'll get polite words when it's time to renew, but not much support when there's an actual problem. To be clear, maintenance is not the issue. Alex, in particular, is responsive, kind, and genuinely cares about residents -- he's the one bright spot here. He shows up, follows through, and actually listens. It's unfortunate that management doesn't match his professionalism or reliability. Another frustration: the pricing is completely backward. My unit is not renovated -- older flooring, original cabinetry, dated fixtures -- yet I'm paying more than residents in newer, updated units. There's no logical explanation for it, and management won't give one. You're essentially paying premium rent for below-average conditions. Noise levels vary depending on your building, parking is tight, and guest spaces are scarce. But the bigger problem is the lack of fairness, communication, and consistency from the leasing office. It's not just an occasional oversight -- it's a pattern. Bridgecreek could easily be a great place to live. The property has charm, and the maintenance staff do their best. But until management learns how to communicate with residents and treat people with respect, the experience here will continue to fall short of what it should be -- especially for what they charge in Novato. If you're looking for a well-managed community where your rent actually matches the quality of your apartment, keep looking. Bridgecreek has potential, but management makes it an exhausting place to call home.

The Maintenance team is amazing and fast. When I put in a work order it's handled hastily. The…read moreneighborhood is quiet and safe. I've been here 2 years and I do like how all shopping is conveniently located within a 5 minute drive.

I lived in this apartment for 2.5 years and had a good experience overall--well-maintained…read moreproperty, friendly neighbors, and no issues during my lease. Unfortunately, the move-out process was a major disappointment. I didn't receive any update on my security deposit within the required 21 days and had to follow up myself. After 28 days, I was told not only was my full deposit being withheld, but I was also being charged for carpet replacement, cleaning, and even an extra day of rent--despite leaving the unit in excellent condition. They also charged for normal wear and tear, which is not allowed by law. Over 45 days later, the issue remains unresolved. The office manager has been unhelpful, and I haven't been able to speak to anyone with the ability to resolve this. Final advice: If you rent here, document everything and take photos when moving out. Don't expect your deposit back without a fight--management is unresponsive and disregards tenant rights laws.

Due to unforeseen circumstances involving mold, remediation, we were forced to find a new place to…read morelive with only a few days notice. Rosie at Crooked Oaks was just an angel and did everything she could to get us in in three days. This is a wonderful place to live with great on-site management and maintenance. We really couldn't be happier. Thanks Rosie OK!