I've been living in a building managed by Kasa Properties for more than a year and they are the most responsive property management company I've run across. Both their admin team and maintenance crew are fast to handle issues, and they are professional yet extremely caring. Their rental prices are really fair, particularly for the Bay Area. My unit is beautiful. The paint is a really nice light grey-blue color, the kitchen is new and the bathroom looks pretty too. I've seen other Kasa rentals that are equally as nice. During the coldest days last winter my heater broke. It was freezing and someone from their team kindly brought me a heater to use until mine was fixed. I didn't ask for one. That's how nice they are. It's like renting from a friend who cares that you have a supportive place to live. Thank you, Kasa! read more

I am EXTREMELY disappointed with my experience renting through Kasa Properties and would NOT recommend it to anyone. Most concerning was the LACK of all communication and the decision to distribute additional trash removal charges equally among all residents moving out, regardless of whether they actually contributed to the excess trash. Rather than identifying the responsible parties, management chose to impose collective penalties on tenants without evidence of individual responsibility. See attachment for email sent of them applying a collective punishment to independent renters. When I raised concerns and emailed the property manager that I had not contributed to the trash in question, I was simply ignored. Further infuriating was that this action was not included in my lease, and it appears that the company is in the business of making up charges and imposing collective punishment. If KASA Properties wants to make this right, I will be more than happy to accept an edit to this wrongful charge and edit this review. If not, my review stands. DO NOT lease with this company under any circumstances. Here's the email sent to all tenants. Hi everyone, We wanted to let everyone moving out of Arch on May 31 know that due to the excess trash left behind, the property has incurred additional trash pickup charges. Unless someone comes forward to take RESPONSIBILITY for the excess trash, the additional pickup costs will be distributed EVENLY among ALL residents moving out on 5/31. Please let us know as soon as possible if you have any questions or if anyone would like to address this directly please email Sincerely, Kasa Properties read more

I would give negative stars if I could - DO NOT RENT FROM THESE PEOPLE. They have ZERO emergency maintenance services so when my space was flooding on a Sunday it took HOURS for them to send someone out to shut off the water. They also make you give THREE MONTHS notice to vacate like they own you?? Horrible, they do not care and they will nickel and dime you every cent they can for a subpar living experience. LOOK ELSEWHERE read more

Would rate 0 if I could. Genuinely the most frustrating and useless management group/landlord I have ever encountered. I made the mistake of signing a lease despite all the bad reviews but wow I have never encountered people who will send you in circles and sit on their hands. I hope that the wrongdoings of this company continue to come to light and they no longer get away with their practices as slumlords. Everything that other people have said in past reviews about them are true from low quality apartments to poor cleaning and a lack of clarity or action from the management and general lack of safety. Maybe if they had to live in one of the properties they owned they would see how terrible they are. They will probably respond to this saying I'm lying or mixed them up with the other Kasa but I'm using an alias and can assure you I'm talking about Kasa Properties. read more

Avoid Kasa Properties due to issues including : front 'security door' prone to staying propped open; dirty stairwells; unreliable laundry; maintenance's disturbing unlawful use of loud power tools outdoors; highest rents with inflated add-in fees for water & garbage. Exploitive company owns / manages many properties, to the berkeley & sf bay community's detriment :( read more

A perfect 10! I am getting ready to hand back my keys to management and thought I would take the time to write a review about my four years stay with Kasa Properties. I moved into the building at the height of the pandemic and Kasa took all precautions when showing the apartment including doing virtual tours. The first week after I moved in, the fridge occasionally made a high pitch noise. The noise would last for a few minutes. I explained the situation to the staff and without question, they replaced a new fridge. A fridge was delivered in two days. A few months later, the toilet broke and flooded the bathroom. A staff came within an hour to fix the toilet and brought a dehumidifier to suck up the water. The staff also brought some vinegar to spray the floor to minimize the odor. They left the spray bottle with me and gave instructions on continuing to spray the floor for a week. During my stay, I have requested for a few maintenance and every time, a staff member showed up on time and they always fix the issue in a timely manner. Thank you Kasa Properties for making my stay so welcome! read more

Bad management. First, when we began to get ready to move out, they asked us if we would like to pay a cleaning fee or clean our apartment ourselves before move out. We chose to clean our own space since both my roommate and i are normally very clean. As we were moving out, We spent sooo much of our time and STRESS making sure we left our place spotless. Even though we moved to south SF, we went out of our way to conduct a SECOND deep clean once absolutely EVERYTHING was out. We truly did everything we could to make sure we got a full deposit. The day before our official move out, Kasa had a servicer come out to our apartment to check out the space. This person approved our space and said to us we only have a potential charge for holes in the wall. We then discussed with this servicer that the holes were there before we moved in and that management's contractors refused to fill them in because we were already moved-in. The contractor then said that as long as it's documented we're okay. Weeks later, we get a partial deposit back with a cleaning fee and charge for filling up the holes. Of course, both my roommate and I were livid. We truly did everything we could to make sure we got a full deposit. Once we saw these charges, I immediately reached out to kasa properties and all they were able to do was reimburse us for the holes but not the cleaning. We lost about $300, and I bet the cleaning crew didn't have to do anything. What was mainly frustrating for us was that we were given the option to either hire a crew or clean our own space for free. And honestly, if my roommate and i knew they were going to charge us then we would not have spent so much of our time (and money for tolls). I've heard many bad things of companies in the area like this one taking advantage of students. I always assumed it was probably just tenants not liking the company, but wow. read more

Many units are in poor condition, make sure you take pictures of any damages as soon as you arrive, because they will charge you for those if you have no prove. Misleading information, they say you have a 10% discount with a code, if you are a frequent costumer, but the final price is the same, with or without the code. Definitely not recommended for repeated stays. No benefits at all. read more

Let's start here: Do not move into a building owned by Kasa. Second, if Kasa takes over owning the building you are living in and you can afford to move somewhere else...do it. I was living at 373 Staten Avenue for a few years when Kasa bought the building. They immediately tried to make me pay for things that were in my original lease, like my parking spot and my storage container in the garage. Any new tenant had to pay extra for those commodities. Then, they did the retrofit that others have spoken of. It is the worst construction you could ever imagine. We were told it would last 4-5 months...it lasted 18 months. I had a few nights with a hole in my wall, during the winter. They would come on the weekends, at 730 in the morning, leaving at 6. Pictures on my wall were knocked of because the banging from tools was so aggressive. And break-ins were way more frequent. The retrofit was done so they can raise the rent of the tenants more than the regular CPI. Everything they do is to squeeze more money out of the tenants. Management is awful. I would have to wait more than a week for almost every email I sent. Don't bother calling the office, they don't actually answer the phones. They also don't return messages. They only respond to you when you threaten to go to the rent board (which I was forced to do 4 times with them because of their ineptitude). Vanessa, Tom, and Natasha, are the worst of the bunch. They will just ignore you. My apartment leaked (#102 for any potential renters) about 5-6 years in a row. Kasa would never find the source of the leak to stop it. Rather they would plug it at the end forcing the water to come out somewhere else. in addition, water from rain goes into the walls and underneath the floor due to the poor construction during the retrofit. As a result, things would just randomly get mold on them despite my constant cleaning (had to throw out multiple items that got overrun with mold). If you have a garage spot, and a piece of the building falls on your car, or one of the pipes leaks on your car, Kasa will claim they aren't responsible...even though they charge for parking spots. A pipe leaked rusty water all over my new car, staining the windows and paint, and they wouldn't do anything or take responsibility. In regards to rules of living there, they are suggestions. They have a rule where dog owners need to take the dogs off property to go to the bathroom. One tenant has been letting her dog piss all over the front entrance and the wall next to it, and when Kasa was informed, they said there was nothing they could do besides send email reminders to tenants. Emails were useless, and up until the day I moved out, there was a puddle of piss in the walkway from a tenant's dog. That problem was happening for about 2-3 years straight before I left. Kasa will treat you nicely to get you to move in. Once you're in, they will completely forget about you and ignore you, leaving you to sit and deal with problems that Kasa started. Avoid this company like the damn plague. I was stuck there because rent was too high anywhere else, and it will take its toll on you. There is nothing good about Kasa. They are greedy and slimy and they only care about getting more money from you. They don't care about providing an adequate living space. And if you move out, request a pre-move out inspection. They must tell you what they will deduct money for and give you a chance to remedy it. If they don't mention anything...legally, they can't deduct anything. Also they will try to show your apartment while you move out. Make sure you're there for the first one, and then tell the tenant how awful it is to live there....they won't schedule anymore viewings until you leave. If you care about having a good quality of life, living in a Kasa-owned building will destroy that. Please don't. read more

We were tenants of KASA for close to two and a half years Our experience is quite mixed. This review is in regards to one of the rental properties on 370 Staten Ave in the Oakland neighborhood of Adams Point. + Year 1 we've experienced the following: - Three break-ins into the building (private possessions were stolen & damaged, not ours though). The wonky fence in the back proved an easy access point for thieves over & over. It was not reinforced nor raised during our stay, even though we've raised the issue a few times. - A neighbor above was utterly inconsiderate (throwing tennis balls around for her dog) + ignoring multiple pleas to abide by the Quiet Hours (10 pm-8 am). - Once that neighbor moved out, the next neighbor above us flooded our bathroom at midnight. Thanks to the fact that I acted swiftly & decisively, her life was saved. It was a haunting experience trying to knock down someone's door while the person isn't responding to any screams or banging to make sure they're conscious. + Year 2: - The neighbor above us flooded our bathroom for the 2nd time... Yes, you read that correctly. Four months after the last incident to be exact. Again, I saved her life by calling 911 and took care of her dog while she went to the hospital.   - A neighbor that we share our bedroom wall with decided that the best time to be intimate with someone is between 1 am or 5 am. Consistently and with loud moaning and a squeaky bed. The situation never got fully remedied. Even me banging on his door loudly didn't seem to change his mind about it. - Since this was a dog-friendly building ($70 per month [!!!] on top of your regular rent), the amount of barking in this building was through the roof. If you're going to choose to have a dog, be a responsible dog owner, and reign in undesirable/disruptive behavior. Some other things that stood out: KASA did have a responsible maintenance team that was relatively good. These gents would address whatever needed fixing at your place and would do so in under one day for the most part. However, they often did a half-assed job, where things would end up disconnected in the end or needed to be touched up. It's great to have everything manage through a portal (appfolio.com), seeing your lease, previous payments, etc. However, it doesn't always work. Several times now, the password reset wouldn't work, and you'd have to email the leasing office directly to get the issue to over. Annoying, to say the least. Ultimately, our main irk was non-existent soundproofing. Instead of insulating in-between the units they simply put down in your lease a requirement to "cover 70% of your unit with carpets".   Since we've had three tenants above us, we've been able to hear *any* regular walking on an ongoing basis (no carpeting helps), and if there's a party, it's essentially a case of "Let's hit the bar" until the party wraps up. What's even more infuriating is that they acknowledged the fact that they failed to soundproof the apartments and shrugged it off. I guess paying $2500 per month for a one-bedroom isn't a guarantee of a property well managed at all. In short: don't recommend unless you desperately need a place or don't spend too much time at home. It's worth mentioning that the unit we used to live in is currently listed below $2000 & NOTHING has changed since we moved out. read more

I lived in an apartment complex managed by Kasa Properties for a year and a half. It started off pretty well - the maintenance team was responsive, the unit was clean when we moved in, etc. However, things quickly changed. For the first year, our sink would completely clog every few months. By the third request, they told us: "Please be aware that any further calls for this same problem will be charged at $65/hour with a one hour minimum" when our lease states that problems not caused by tenants would be covered by maintenance. After finally doing a deep inspection, they found that the other apartment drains were somehow going into ours. One time the third floor unit's heater (we lived on the first floor) started leaking somehow and got down to our apartment. We called for emergency maintenance and they didn't come until two days later so our apartment smelled like mold for months (it never fully went away). One time, our restroom window broke and they took days to come replace it. The final straw was when we moved out. To avoid any fees, we spent three days deep cleaning. It was completely spotless. Then when we got our security deposit back, they took $230 for "cleaning fees." I sent them a video of our apartment completely clean and had to fight for days to finally get our money back. Had we not recorded that video, they would have gotten even more from us. My time living at an apartment managed by Kasa was frustrating. I felt like I was constantly having to follow up and argue to get maintenance requests completed in a timely manner. Their management team doesn't seem to care about their tenants which may explain their unresponsiveness. It also takes at least 3-4 phone calls (at different times of the day) to get them to pick up. So plan not to have anything urgent needed done by them lol. read more

BEWARE!!!!! We were not told that our apartment in Berkeley would be under construction for the majority of our lease until after it was signed. This included unbearable noise, invasions of privacy, debris in our apartment, frequent electricity/water/gas shut offs, and safety hazards all around. The Property company was slow to respond to all complaints and offered hardly any compensation for this insufferable living space. They should not have had people living in this inhabitable space. read more

After almost 5 years, we are moving out of their 370 Staten apartment because we're having a baby and need a bigger place. Living at this apartment has been absolutely wonderful and we will miss it! The location can't be beat: cute neighborhood, minutes away from Lake Merritt and all the fun restaurants/bars, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's. The building itself is renovated and walls are thick - we live on the first floor and barely ever hear any neighbors. Great community, friendly neighbors. Management has always been super nice and responsive to maintenance requests, which always get addressed within one or a couple days max. read more

Short answer to my review: beautiful studio in great location. I was very flip-floppy before moving in and canceled my lease then asked for Kasa Properties to undo the cancel. The manager I was communicating with, Katelyn, was nice enough to keep my lease, which I got for 1 year and 7 months. I'm grateful for her patience. The property managers and maintenance team are very nice and are also very responsive. I've made good friends with all of them. I'll mention some issues I've had first, so I can end off with a good note. The studio I got at 2140 California St., Concord, CA is remodeled, but it didn't come with an AC, microwave, range hood, garbage disposal, or new windows. There's a hole in the wall where the AC goes and a hole in the ceiling where the range hood goes, so I had to handle that to maintain my space free of little critters and the outside temperatures. But even with the holes there, the space is very well insulated, and not many things get inside outside of the occasional spider friend. The window in the kitchen is also big enough to keep the cooking smoke out, so the range hood isn't necessary. The windows can be hard to open because they are a bit older, but I'm a strong young man so I don't really care. Might be an issue for others. Be prepared to purchase furniture for kitchen storage. Lastly, the security deposit is considerably large, but that keeps people from renting here, so it can be a plus for people who can afford the move-in costs because rent is less than anything as decent as I've found around the area. Let's leave with a good note and cover all the awesome stuff. Many places discriminate against pets, but not here; pets are allowed. Water and garbage are fixed at $15 each, which is crazy good. I used to pay over $100 for both at my previous apartment. You get a parking spot if you wanna pay an additional $15/mo for one. The neighbors are very kind and super quiet. I sleep very well, even with the AC hole in my wall. The community is gated keeping us and our property safe. The remodeled floors, kitchen, and bathroom are very beautiful. I really love the new fridge, stove, and large kitchen sink as well as marble countertops and shower walls. The location is one of my favorite things about living here. Everything is within walking distance -- all of the stores and entertainment I need. I have 2 pets and take them to Banfield, which is within walking distance. It makes life so much easier, and Banfield is great. In all, I recommend living here if you can afford the missing appliances on top of the move-in costs. The location is great and you don't have to travel in a vehicle for much. If you get a remodeled studio, you'll very much enjoy the beautiful aesthetics, marble countertops/shower walls, and new fridge, stove, and sinks. read more

UPDATE: My wife and I are moving out of this apartment complex. I can tell you that there are things that need to be worked on, but for the most part things are getting much better. I originally gave this place 1 star, which it deserved at the time. You can read my previous review below, slightly modified. I am not happy to give this place an upgrade of three stars. I will upgrade the place again if our move out goes smoothly. Overall, they have improved the services offered. The laundry room is getting much better, and they are very good about emailing you in regards to issues (water cut-off for maintenance). ORIGINAL REVIEW: We live on the fourth floor at 2240 Blake Street in a 1 bedroom 480 sq. foot apartment. The complex advertises itself as a luxury apartment. Well, it's far from that (see pictures). Of course, you will pay luxury prices. It might be the worst apartment complex I have ever lived. My wife and I first moved here in June 2015. We pay a little over $2500 a month (with parking and utilities). Even though we were paying above market rents, we actually liked our new tiny apartment at first, or at least the view from our balcony. 2240 Blake Street is undergoing repairs and updates. We were warned about this when we moved in, but they assured us it would not be so bad. Well, two months later and we are now kicking ourselves that we didn't shop around more. read more

See all

Stay AWAY Oakland/Berkeley run and save your time. The building manager who's name I will not call out on social media is unavailable after 8pm. There buildings are so old, foundational issues, and a plethora of problems. The appliances are not updated my hot water has been updated in eight years... The manager for Kasa Properties Vanessa is slow to respond, slow to speak, and takes her time. Natasha the owner of Kasa Properties claims that's it normal for buildings to have issues but, I have proof that they the building on 1524 1st AVe has numerous issues. When I moved in the apartment had not been cleaned my cleaner had to come over and do a four hour deep clean.... Stay away....... read more

I wish I could give it zero stars. Check in codes didn't work - took an hour to get it working, then got locked out 3 more times that night because the key cards stopped working . They promised to call me back that night but never called. They promised to send someone to my unit at 9am the next morning to take care of it but no one ever showed up. When I called at 9:30, Kasa had no idea who was supposed to come or where they were. They again promised to call me back - it's a day later now and they still have not called. They dumped my problem on the on-site (non-Kasa) management staff, who were as wonderful as Kasa was terrible. I'm writing this at 4am because a false fire alarm went off at 3:30 am (building is still under construction) and we all had to evacuate. DO NOT STAY AT THE BENTON in Santa Clara. read more

Since Kasa took over the apartment building where we were renting a studio, it turned into a living hell - constant water shut offs without prior notices, months-long refurbishments with construction workers playing loud music outside our apartment for the entire day, etc. When construction workers drilled a large hole in our wall by mistake, a Kasa manager said "things happen" without even apologizing for the incovenience. Whenever we submitted a maintenance request, it was left without response for weeks. read more

We are still waiting for our returned security deposit from Kasa Properties. We vacated the property on May 24th 2021. As of June 22, 2021, we are still waiting on our security deposit with no communication/update from Kasa Properties. We cleaned the unit and left it in a condition way better than what was given to us. There is no reason to withhold our deposit. When we spoke to the leasing manager, he told us it could have been sent to our old address (their property) which definitely did not make sense. We gave them our new forwarding address prior to vacating. When we checked in with the resident manager, she told us that it wasn't there. We also checked in with their finance team. No response. At this point, we are so frustrated. We just want to get our money back! read more

dealing with kasa made living in berkeley an order of magnitude less enjoyable. to whoever repeatedly showed our apartment during the work hours we asked you not to (we work from home), ignoring every appeal: you do not have the interpersonal skills needed for this type of job. theres just simply way you enjoy this job or find it fulfilling with the level of disregard you have for respectful tenants read more

I just moved to Oakland from across the country. Vanessa Babot, a Leasing Manager at Kasa Properties, was amazingly helpful during the application and moving process. I wasn't able to come to Oakland to view apartments, so Vanessa kindly sent a floor plan and pictures of the apartment to me before I signed the lease. Many Leasing Managers in the Oakland area would barely talk to me on the phone for 5 minutes, since I wasn't in town, but Vanessa made the whole process very smooth. The few minor maintenance requests I have had, have been resolved in less than 48 hours with almost immediate email communication regarding my requests. I've had a wonderful experience with Kasa Properties so far! read more

SAVE YOURSELF AND YOUR MONEY! STAY AWAY FROM KASA PROPERTIES! HORRIBLE HORRIBLE COMPANY! As a result of my difficulties and horrible experiences with KASA Properties, I have formed such opinions expressed here to warn how this company operates. They take undue advantage of the students who are out of the area and get admission at the nearby higher educational universities. They are using every trick to rip you off. They have so many excuses and doing their best to keep you on the lease even after your lease has ended. It is impossible to get your deposit back. If you have other renters with you, they keep you on the lease for years if you move out but any other person is staying in the same property. This happened with us although our lease was only for one year. They claimed that the lease with co-tenants was for another year, and deposit will be refunded after everyone has moved out. We waited for a year for all the co-tenants to move out to get our deposit back, and then they claimed that they did not have any record of renting their property to us. We provided all the information to confirm all that, after which they said they will have to go back and look at the record. After that, they said there is rent still due on the apartment from the tenants who had moved in after us. These tenants were new and not even known to us and KASA Properties had signed new lease after we vacated the apartment. The new renters were not even the original co-tenants and Kasa signed the lease with them after we had moved out prior year. They don't return your deposit even after you have been out for whole year. They stop taking your calls. Don't answer emails. They will have every excuse to keep your money. They want one payment from one person and hold you responsible for the entire rent and utilities; won't let you pay your share only. Once you move out, they will keep your deposit claiming your roommates are still not out and deposit cannot be returned until everyone is out. They keep this round robin going and then claim that they have applied your deposit to new renters and then tell you that the new renters did not pay their rent and deposit is applied to their missed rent. They don't tell you which new tenant was given the credit and don't provide any accounting of your payments and deposit. They tell you that there is rent still due on the apartment from where you had moved out of for more than a year and half earlier. They want you to recover your deposit from the renters who moved in after you moved out. How can you do that when you don't even know who are all the renters who came after you. I have been having problem with them for over a year and a half after having paid the deposit and full rents and utilities until the last day. I am taking all necessary steps with phone calls and emails, which go unanswered. In my opinion, they are not complying with the Real Estate laws, acting without any regards to the lease agreements, and could be routinely practicing fraudulent procedures to keep your deposits of thousands of dollars. read more

I lived in a 2 bedroom unit in their Derby Street complex for the 2010-2011 academic year. THE GOOD: - Fast response to any issue we had. Natasha would text/call/email faster than anyone I have ever rented from before - Safe location THE BAD: I the same major issues that Em. J. has in his review: - "The prices are outrageous to begin with and then the landlords will try to get extra money from you any way they think they can..." Referring to the fact my sister and I were unaware of the extra $20 per person for water charge until we were signing the lease... that rubbed me the wrong way. Additionally we were REQUIRED to get a rental insurance policy that cover Sukhdeep... which I'm pretty sure that is not what rental insurance is designed for. Shouldn't you have your own as a landlord?? - "there is no insulation so the units are freeeeeezing cold in winter..." The coldest winter I've had to weather in a looong time. Bundle up ladies and gents. - And most importantly "you can hear EVERYTHING (i could literally hear my upstairs neighbor's phone vibrating)." I thought I was going crazy the first time I heard the cell phone upstairs vibrating but nope, that's just how thin the walls were. Imagine how I felt when 5 loud/partying Cal athletes moved underneath my apartment (the catalyst for me wanting to move out). Oh and let's not forget my upstairs neighbor who slammed down the lid to his toilet in the middle of the night that would literally wake me up every. single. damn. time. It was the noise issue that made me leave the apartment after only one year of leasing. BOTTOM LINE: The Kapoors aren't bad people, let me get that straight, there are just some thing that I wish were made more clear BEFORE the lease signing. The apartment itself was nice in that it was good layout in a good location but the noise was too big of an issue to overlook. As long as you're aware of this, rent at your own discretion. read more

This company is horrible. They don't return your call or email at all. They took your application fees then don't give you any updates. Their availability website is fraud. They show the apartment is available for you to apply and took your application fee then told you it not available any more. read more

Considering the exorbitant rents and extra fees they charge for their apartments the property management service is absolutely horrible. No one gets back to you after hours and something is always broken. They charge you for issues that are happening because of their lack of management.Managed by a bunch of part-timers who are usually too busy doing something else. read more

Staten Crest/KASA is by far the best living community in Adams Point. Aside from the great location and amenities, I have thoroughly been impressed by KASA's management of this community. They have great staff and are always available to expediently address any issues of concern (i.e. Maintenance). I would highly recommend this community as it's been a great home. read more

DO NOT RENT FROM THESE PEOPLE: Suki (Suhkdep) Kapoor, Reva Kapoor, Natasha Kapoor-Acuna They own multiple properties, but I can only speak on behalf of the building at 2133 Grant Street in Berkeley. In addition to the bullshit about rent ceilings and addendums that the person before me has outlined (which is completely true and totally fucked up), this building has a SEVERE MOLD PROBLEM. It's an older building with no insulation, so any moisture in the air is instantly condensed into water when warm temperatures inside collide with cold outside walls. More importantly though, this is kind of mold that grows inside the walls, not just in the shower or something. They did earthquake retrofitting in Winter 2009 and left the outside walls unprotected and exposed to rain for several weeks. After they finished and sealed everything up, the next winter I noticed that mold was growing inside my apartment directly on the other side of the wall from where the work had been done. The mold line directly reflects the new plaster lines on the outside of the wall. I told them about the mold after I had to throw away EVERYTHING that was in my bedroom - mattress, furniture, clothes, backpacks, personal items, etc. and all they did was offer to buy a dehumidifier, which in addition to greatly increasing my electric bill and decreasing the very limited space in the apartment would do absolutely nothing to fix a structural mold problem. They told me they would wait until I had moved out to fix the problem since it would require major construction, but I happened to know the person who moved in after me (five days after I moved out) and they didn't even inform her of any mold issues in the building, which is against the law and also just really fucked up because that kind of mold is serious and poisonous. They also tried to keep part of my security deposit for cleaning UNDERNEATH the stove top, where the pilot lights are. This would be less unreasonable if they had returned the rest of my deposit within 21 days as required by law, but since it took them 30 days to return anything to me they are not allowed to keep any of my money. before i moved in they had asked for more than 2 months rent as a deposit, which is also illegal. they have a clause in their leases that requires you to give 60 days notice instead of 30, and they will start showing your apartment 2 months before you move out The location of this building is fantastic and the units are cute, but the prices are outrageous to begin with and then the landlords will try to get extra money from you any way they think they can. there is no insulation so the units are freeeeeezing cold in winter and you can hear EVERYTHING (i could literally hear my upstairs neighbor's phone vibrating). my 1 bedroom apartment was less than 500 square feet. when i moved in they charged $1395.00 for rent, $25 per pet per month and $20 per month for water. During my tenancy they raised the rent .07% (as the rent ceiling law allows), they began charging $25/month for a parking spot that was free in my initial lease, and they tried to DOUBLE the water fee to $40 after the second occupant in my unit had moved out (that's right, double the cost of water for half as much use). one of my friends moved into the building from another Kapareva building next door, and they were charging him even more for these "addendum" items than they were charging me because they knew he would have no room to argue since he was depending on them for a place to live and needed to sign the lease. i have heard these as well as other complaints from multiple other tenants, and i have never heard from anyone that they are satisfied with the way the kapoors do business. The folks at Kasa Properties depends on people being ignorant, too lazy, too young, too old, or too disenfranchised to stand up to them. They will violate your rights as much as they think they can get away with, all with a slimy smile and assurances that they only have good intentions. (formerly known as Kapareva Group - http://www.yelp.com/biz/kapareva-group-san-ramon) read more

Derby location I saw the negative reviews but figured I was an easy person to please and decided to move in. The price was do-able, beautiful neighborhood and close to the action. I never imagined the stress I was walking into. I understand the desperate nature of our rental market, so if you choose to rent here, DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. (That means no phone conversations! Have EVERY correspondence in writing) You'll thank me later. Oh...I almost forgot, Kasa offers incentives for positive yelp reviews and "likes" on FB like entrance into a raffle for baseball tickets or other events. So think critically when reading reviews. (Can't blame em, who doesn't love the A's) Quick details: Staff is unresponsive to basic request, repairs or fixes to the apartment were poorly done and had to be redone. They will squeeze every additionally penny out of you they can. Natasha is smart, she will do everything, just under the threshold of breaking the law. The company banks on the fact that most people who rent, will not spend money or time following up in small claims. But, I will say, if I knew ahead of time, I would have documented from the start to protect myself. So if you want more...here's my full experience in detail: Detailed review: I moved in April of 2014. My first experience was a 4pm move in time. I requested an earlier time frame so I wouldn't be moving in the dark. They agreed to make the space available by 3pm (wow, thanks). The first night in the apartment, I started the oven to preheat a lovely frozen pizza (don't judge me) and discovered that the tenant before me used the oven for storage. That's right, the cleaning crew missed items in the broiler and boom, fire. I had nothing unpacked to scoop water, no fire extinguisher, nothing. I ended up smothering the fire with my shower towel. I immediately contacted the property manager. He initially seemed very concerned, but then didn't do anything or check anything. (On-site managers do not perform any function, I rarely saw mine) It took 2 days for anyone from Kasa to get back to me. They sent out their maintenance staff, and said they would replace the oven. I inquired about a cleaning service due to all the smoke residue, replacing scorched cabinets and floors. All requests went unfilled. I spoke with Natasha and she ensured me that this was not the way they did business and informed me their cleaning policy had been modified. The next day, I could hear clicking coming from the oven. I investigated and found the gas was still live and leaking from the burned oven! I slept in the apartment for two nights, my dog was there all day! The company never verified the gas was off to the unit. I ended up pulling the unit out myself, locating the valve and shut it off. I spoke with Natasha about leaving the property due to my experience within the first week. The next day, the oven was replaced, a fire extinguisher was added to my unit and a new smoke detector was placed in the living room (closer to kitchen) I agreed to see the lease through so I wouldn't loose my $3500 deposit. (HUGE MISTAKE) Over the next few months we had the following issues: - The laundry room was being used by non-residents, we reported to our site manager, nothing was done. -we received notice that fixes were made inside our apartment that had not been made. -their staff entered my apartment without notice, then used a play on words on 1 email to justify their actions. -they couldn't organize simple communication about maintenance issues but was ALL OVER the cat I had in the apartment for 1 week. ($) - at move out, I completed the walk through with their staff member and was told I was good to go (no deductions from my deposit) then I received an email a week later stating they were charging money for a cleaning fee. Needless to say, I left as fast as I could. Okay, I hope you got the just of my experience....please, for the love of God, think twice before doing business with Kasa. If you must, protect yourself. Natasha will fold if you push and complain enough. I got out of my lease and left before the year without penalty. I could have/should have gone after them in court but it's not worth my time or money. So I hope my experience will keep you safe and smart. Document everything and stay on top of them. read more

This company sucks to work with. I said it. I have to chase them down - they never reply to emails or answer the phone. Totally unprofessional and disorganized. If this is what it's like going into it as a prospective tenant, I can only imagine what it would be like to actually live there.... read more

Kasa is the worst. They told me there was going to be a showing today at 2231 Ward Street, 5:30 pm so I showed up and nobody was there. I called the office and they told me to wait until 6:00 pm. Still nobody. I called again, no answer because the office had closed. Then someone calls me back and tells me that the open house is actually tomorrow. ????? Such a waste of time. I was a prospective tenant, but this behavior is so unprofessional and ridiculous that I'm not even going to THINK about renting from them. The 5 star reviews are fake. read more

I'm SO glad that there's a yelp site for this management company now. I can finally warn people to please STAY AWAY if you can. I moved into the building in August 2013, two weeks past the date my lease stated, because they hadn't finished my unit. I was assured that construction would be completed by September when I signed a lease the previous May, BUT that did not happen, clearly, as I just drove by the building and it STILL is under construction. I won't carry on, I'll just list a few reasons why this property was the WORST PLACE I EVER LIVED: 1. The construction crew would have parties after hours in the units they were renovating. Get drunk and yell loudly, well into the night. Once they did donuts in the parking garage, one pulled out and promptly got in a car accident. The driver fled, so a hit and run, but was later arrested for a DUI. I was told he was fired, but later saw him working. 2. They cut off the water without warning, once for three days and three nights. The management wasn't reachable and was not apologetic. 3. The workers stole a wedding gift from my front door. The then building maintenance guy said that the crew did this regularly, and even told me where they dumped contents that they stole, but weren't interested in keeping. 4. When the crew would party and get drunk, they would urinate along the fence, which is a main entrance/exit to the building. 5. The garage door did not operate for several days. So if you're car was in or out, you were out of luck. The list goes on and on. If you can, avoid this property and this management company. They are truly the worst I've ever had to deal with and I've lived in Berkeley for over ten years. read more

I moved from NYC to Oakland and was so glad to find Kasa Properties. Every apartment I saw was well cared for, the staff was friendly and accommodating, helping me move in early and also helping me with my move out. They responded quickly to any questions or concerns. The electronic payment system for rent was really convenient as well. I highly recommend! read more

We rented almost a year ago with the promise the remodeling would be completed by November 2013. No carpet on the first floor halls, second floor carpet is so dirty we have filed a complaint with Berkeley Health department. Fire exits have construction debris. Light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. Electrical wiring hanging out of the ceiling. Open access to the roof. Half the washers and dryers don't work. Contractors don't clean up behind them and leave doors propped open during the day and when they leave at night. read more

Compared to other landlords and managers I have worked with in Berkeley, Kasa is a breath of fresh air. Their staff is kind and courteous, and have been very responsive to any issues in my apartment or building (2828 College Avenue). Once per week a cleaning service comes to tidy up the grounds and sweep the floors, so overall the property is kept nice. The leasing process is also fairly straightforward with them, and they were helpful in accommodating my schedule for showings, and were also quick to assist in finding another unit when the one I was after ended up being poached. The market in Berkeley is crazy these days and can get a little stressful, but I feel that Kasa, as a local business, takes strides in making everyone feel 'human' and respected. They are still a management company after all, and not the building owners, so getting improvements made to the building has been challenging, but still there have been several good changes made since I moved in. read more

I have lived at 2828 College Ave almost about a year and recently moved out to move to the city in order to be closer to work and to cut down on my commute. My experience with Kasa Properties and especially with Natasha Kapoor-Acuna has been very positive from the beginning to the end. I have moved into one one of the newly renovated units and the entire unit was pretty much brand spanking new. Bathroom had new tiles, new sink and a new tub, kitchen had a brand new granite counter, new sink and new facet and the entire unit had new hardwood floors installed. Best of all the location of the complex was fantastic. I must say, for me the entire experience, from viewing the apartment to signing the lease to the final walk through was problem free and Natasha was very helpful and accommodating. My neighbors were also very quite and cordial when you met them at the stairs or while checking the mail. I have read the other reviews here and I can only sympathize both with the tenants and the Kasa Properties. In July, "earthquake retrofitting renovation" started and my unit was one of those which was scheduled to be renovated. I welcomed the efforts by Kasa Properties to improve the safety of the building regardless of what their motivation might have been. I prefer to live in a safer and sounder building. But I also agree with the fact that this king of construction can be hard on the tenants. The scheduled renovation in my apartment conflicted with my schedule and after contacting Natasha we were able to find a mutually agreeable date when the construction could be done. I did not suffer from the construction noise or other related inconveniences since I was out of my apartment during the construction hours. Yes, in front of the complex looked like a construction zone but my feeling is that once the construction is over, the building will get back to the normal. Bottom line, if you are in one of the renovated units (I can't speak for the other units since I haven't been in or lived in one) you will like the 2828 College Ave. The location is great, neighbors are quite and good people. And I really think Natasha is a very reasonable, very accommodating landlord to deal with. I would recommend this complex and the Kasa Properties. read more

I have to disagree with the negative reviews on here. We have lived at 2240 blake for almost a year with zero issues. Management is responsive to all emails, our apartment was beautifully remodeled and its a great place to live. read more

We just showed up for a viewing and the leasing agent was not around. I had asked beforehand if I could get her number to confirm and was told that I didn't need it because she would be there. We came all the way from the city to see this place and it's extremely un-professional on their end not to show up or at the very least notify us. read more

I seriously considered leasing with Kasa and ultimately opted for something else, but I had a fantastic experience with everyone there, including Tania, Natasha, and Michael, who showed us a unit and was delightfully upfront and helpful. We never felt pressured to sign anything or to put down a holding deposit, unlike other sketchy building managers we interacted with. When we went with another landlord, Kasa was totally understanding. This company strikes me as highly professional, kind, and accessible. If we need to hunt for an apartment again, we will definitely be getting back in touch! read more

My husband and I lived at 2240 Blake street for a year while he was in school (8/14-8/15). Our apartment was beautiful with a nice balcony and a tree.We had squirrels and hummingbirds and great peaceful views. It was an oasis in the city. Blake Street is a wonderful location, close to UC Berkley, Bart station, Berkeley Bowl and for walking all over town. We knew there was renovations happening and were told the time line for the projects when we viewed the apartment. We were always told when water would be shut off and for how long, or if noise, or other renovation inconveniences were going to occur.There is a "quiet time" regulation in the lease for both the tenants and maintenance crews and we found that renovation crews and neighbors adhered to this. Any noise problems that the office was made aware of was handled quickly. Any questions or problems we had were resolved fast and efficiently by Tasha, Vanessa or other office staff or our maintenance workers. I once needed help changing a high light bulb which was not the buildings responsibility but the crew came and helped me. Everyone was always very fast and efficient with our needs and professional. The office staff was always very receptive, friendly and professional with us and I have nothing but positive feed back for our experience with them. There is no outgoing mail box in the lobby but there is a mailbox very close, at the corner of Ellsworth and Dwight. The washers and dryers are new and the laundry room, like the rest of the building was undergoing renovation so the folding table was removed. We were told it would be returned when the rooms were finished. A few times a washer was out of service but there were enough so that we could use another (on the first floor and second floor).It is not the same as having one in your apartment but much better than walking to a laundry. One time,I did not notice the out of order sign, and lost my quarters, and the office even replaced them for me. We opted out of valet trash pick up-all you have to do is let the office know that you do not wish it. We choose street parking because you can get a J sticker for about 55$ per year and save money.There is a fenced, locked area in the back, tenants are given a key, which has picnic table, chairs and umbrellas where you could met with friends, clients or just enjoy lunch or a book. We loved our time living at Blake street and if not for our careers calling us to other places we would have stayed. I am perplexed by the negative comments on this rating because it is so opposite of our experience living there. We even got all of our deposit plus interest back.I really miss living there and the nice people who we grew to know. Thank you Kasa. read more

I have been 2240 Blake for a year and a half and it was pretty good experience. Management was responsive and helpful. Natasha and Vanessa are very nice and respectful. And it is a very convenient location! read more