Serrano is a nice place to live for sure. It's clean, modern, and best of all you get the condo lifestyle without the commitment. The building features a gym, party room and theater room and units have a dishwasher, washer and dryer. If you don't think you'll be using these amenities, I would recommend maybe looking elsewhere because this building is not cheap; one bedrooms less than 600sq feet start at $1,200 a month plus hydro. The location is great for drivers because you are close to the 427, Gardiner and the airport. I am not a driver and hated being in between subway stations; it was a 11-15 mins walk to either Kipling or Islington and giving people TTC direction to get here was next to impossible. During my two year stay I found the staff to be nice.... but not always competent. Moving in and out is a bit of a circus act; elevators could only be booked for 2 hours and the loading dock was always blocked by giant heavy metal garbage crates. read more

Serrano is a 20+ floor condo that is 100% rental. The building is about 3 years old. The building and the suites are comfortable and very nice. The building staff is excellent and the building is very well maintained. There are 3 elevators, with one moving elevator connected to the back moving room for convenient access. The suites are pretty pricey (~$1300 for 1 bedroom) but they come fully equipped with all appliances, including a built-in dishwasher, stove, fridge and stacked washer/dryer. There is a central air conditioning heating system. Utilities are not included. The building has 3 levels of parking and is also conveniently located a short 10 min walk from either Kipling or Islington subway stations along Dundas and Bloor. There's easy access to transit on both Bloor and Dundas and Hwy 427 is only 3 km away. Living here is great and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a upscale rental on the west side of the city. read more

Serrano at Village Gate West - Apartments Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Cheapest customer service and the most rude staff Ive encountered in years. Im not asking for a smile, I just need for the leasing staff and managers to be competent enough to do as they promised. I dont even get that. Ive had issues from having to get my access key replaced 3X the same day I moved in, rude and unhospitable customer service, incomplete renovations to my unit, move in day I found so many scratches on the floor, tools left in the kitchen and no welcome package. They have hidden fees for everything. This is a pricey place to live in!!! Im moving out asap because I dont trust this company. read more

Well after living in this building for a year and a half, it will be time to say goodbye next month. I guess I cannot go without giving my last comments. This place is new and an awesome place to live. It's relatively close to the bus stop, walking distance from some shops and restaurants and has plenty of amenities in the area which I am sure will grow over time as the area develops. The office staff were friendly and always answered your questions whether by phone, email or in person. I liked the fact that they gave the option of paying your rent by Interac or preauthorized payments. The place is clean everywhere in the building. I would highly recommend this place to anyone that is renting it out, include my own apartment next month. read more

I've lived here for three years and couldn't be happier! This is a condo style apartment and it makes all the difference -you get barbecues, gym, very clean and well maintained building. It even has its own dog garden! Any repairs i needed were done in a timely manner, and overall, apartments are in good shape, with newer appliances, washer/dryer and dishwasher in the suite. I have to move to a different city, otherwise I would never leave this complex! read more

Have been living here for the last 4 years. They charge a premium but do not deliver a premium service. For example, the elevators have not been working for the last 4 years. More specifically out of 3 banks of elevators 1 or 2 is typically down. And when we ask about it the response is not always professional. If you can, look elsewhere read more

Unless you love constant noise, I would NOT recommend this building. They have done some shotty renovations to some of the units, and if you live below someone with the new cheap laminate floors, you will never have any peace or quiet. The footsteps are so thunderous that the ceiling vibrates. You can hear every time furniture is moved or something is dropped. If they have a dog, you can even hear it running around, its nails scratching the floor, and the toys/bones hitting the floor. If you don't want to feel like you're living in your parents basement, I would highly recommend looking elsewhere. read more

Do NOT rent at Serrano/Village Gate West. You'll regret moving in here -- most people do -- which is why there is such a high turnover of tenants. Why? Because the rent is obscenely high, the elevators are often out of order, lots of false fire alarms (which almost always happen in the middle of the night), they shut-off the AC to the building far too early, presumably to save a few bucks (the AC remains on in the rental office, of course). Speaking of the office, be prepared to encounter rude, ignorant staff members. I could go on but you get the idea. This place is a dump. Oh, and they're going to jack you for a pricey "cleaning fee" when you move out, that's guaranteed. Ironically though, when you move in you'll need to clean the apartment from top to bottom. read more

Don't bother living in Sierra. The elevators are always broken, and bugs everywhere from other tenants. The management staff are very rude, and the rent is expensive. I'm glad I moved out last year. read more

I didn't live in the Serrano, I lived in Sierra but all run by same staff etc. For such a beautiful building, many tenants were frightening: -My neighbour was absolutely nutty and never stopped screaming, and I have seen drugs on her coffee table when she leaves her door open. -Another person from the penthouse was constantly drunk and following people out of the elevator and to their apartments. He would also get drunk and knock incessantly, speaking through the door if heard people talking. -Twice I encountered spaced out junkies in the elevator What this company will do is sugarcoat their awful practices with things like free coffee and a few yoga classes, maybe a family picnic or a prize draw. It's like pleasantville on the outside and the crazies are invisible to management. And then as soon as you give your moving out notice - well, now you're just the devil aren't you? We received a 'friendly' move-out package demanding: -$200 damage deposit for the unit (yes, that is against the Tenant Act) -another $200 deposit for the elevator, and they'll try to hold you hostage. Luckily for me the only large piece I had was a mattress - the rest had gone to donation or recycling - so I swiftly moved that out through the basement without disturbing tenants. -a laundry list containing 40 items that had to be cleaned or 'applicable cleaning fees would apply'. This included everything from 'shining taps' to 'removing and cleaning light fixtures' to 'cleaning windows inside and out where accessible (???)' to - now get this - a charge for each individual blind that was wasn't cleaned. -TWO move out inspections: one to tell you what you're responsible for fixing, and the second to confirm it was done (remember this is while they're holding your $200 deposit - I refused to give them a deposit and used the money to pay for professional cleaning so that the apartment would be spotless for the final inspection) -and I am not exaggerating here: 6 out of 7 days of the week I was receiving notice of entry cards for the entire last month, either my roommate or I being held hostage in my apartment all day every day. I am well aware that they have a right to show the apartment, but on a handful of those days I received notice less than 12 hours before the time noted, and they showed zero sympathy for invading my home every single day, traipsing with shoes over my carpets, the ones I have to pay to clean. The move out inspection went as follows: - I am charged $120 for carpets that I never disputed as I signed for it to begin with (big mistake) - $60 for appliance cleaning (all 5 appliances were cleaned thoroughly, but a little dust in the rubber seal of the fridge door was enough to warrant a cleaning fee) -$301 for wall paint....this is what infuriated me. The apartment had never been lived in before and when we left it, the only remnant of life in that apartment were the obligatory fingerprints and shoe scuffs on the walls in the entry way and around light switches. The inspector said that the shelf life of the paint was 5 years so any marks at all warranted the charge. This is completely against the clause stating that tenant is only responsible for keeping the suite in a 'reasonable state of cleanliness' and were exempt from 'normal wear and tear'. -when it came time to settle the agent didn't even argue with me, she just said sign here that you dispute the charges and I paid debit for the carpets. That was it from them. Not a single phone call or warning. UNTIL I get a call 3 months later stating that I am now IN COLLECTIONS FOR ALL THE CHARGES INCLUDING THE CARPETS!! PLUS - a parking charge that I never heard of. PLUS $40 interest...from....what??? Needless to say, I am in the process of filing to the board and even the collection agent was on my side when I explained all of the above. These guys are total sheisters and as far as I understand, what they're doing is classified as harassment considering their claims are rendered illegal via the Act. Moral of the story? Even if you know your rights, don't waste your time with companies like Concert Properties (the management co for the Village Gate West group...heh, now I get why they have so many names) because you still have to deal with the stress of proving your innocence. To whomever is responsible for filing these claims for Concert - I can't wait til this happens to your kid and you feel it the way my family has.....my mom was so happy for me to have the opportunity to live in such a beautiful building that she co-signed to ensure I would be approved, so you can imagine the heartache and guilt I feel that she has been dragged into this, all for what? read more

The apartments and location are great but I don't know if the value for the money is there. We paid about 2000$/month for a two bedroom with 2 parking spots and 1 storage locker. The constant notices in the elevators and common areas reminding you how to be a responsible adult get old over time. It's something that wasn't there when we first moved in but was omnipresent by the time we left so maybe they just had a couple of bad apples spoiling the bunch. We were in Sierra and the treadmills in the gym didn't work well for most of our time there. Also had some frustration with the front desk staff, although upper levels of managers were great. Took 4 visits to get our number in the directory and even then it was listed backwards. We just accepted it and made sure our visitors knew to look for us by first name! We were there for nearly two year and to be honest, my move out experience might be biasing my review. The apartment really was lovely and the fact that is was pretty much new when we moved in was awesome. When we moved out we got a list of requirements (and associated fees) that was astonishingly long and something I had never experienced before. Patching holes where we hung pictures is totally fine but re-painting any marked walls was annoying because the paint they use is that cheap builders paint that will get marked up if you even look at it sideways. To me that's normal wear and tear and not something I've ever been asked to pay for in previous apartments, be they corporately or privately run. The moral of the story is that the apartments are great but make sure you know what you're in for! read more

I am a tenant for more than 3 years at Serrano Building. This building has many issues and the management staff are very rude and refuse to do necessary repairs. There is no hot water in my master bathroom for almost a year now. In the end, I am considering moving to elsewhere. Do not recommend at all, you will regret in the end as I lost my patience. read more

Serrano looks good when you see it and that is why I moved here about a year ago, but living here isn't so great. There are only 3 elevators, but, especially during weekends, one is usually blocked for moving. It takes you 5 min to get an elevator. I lived on a lower floor and could have easily taken the stairs, but they are locked and I cannot take them to go up (they say it is for safety reasons). Management is incompetent. I am yet to fully understand one of their posted communications. When I think I do, they do things differently from what they wrote - e.g. construction work at the entrance lane would start/end at certain dates, but it didn't; heating will be turned off and a/c activated on a certain date, but they did it 3 days earlier, without warning during a night with freezing temperatures. If you try to get in touch with the head office, they will treat you like scum and/or ignore your messages. All they want is your money. Talking about money... Rent here isn't cheap. You do get amenities as the other reviews mention, which would be the only reason to justify the price. However, be aware that after 1 year Concert will adjust your rent over inflation. They are allowed to do that by law. Mine is being raised by 2.5% when inflation right now is below 1%. All of that when you could be paying a lot less and getting better appliances at the condos nearby. Management's solutions are always stupid. Due to the way the balconies were constructed, water spills down when you try to clean them. The solution: Nobody is allowed to clean with "too much" water. My balcony is filthy and I rarely use it. Think about cleaning bird droppings without "much" water and you get the idea. My suggestion was for them to clean the balconies for us at least once a year during spring time. That idea probably died with management. Another example: The garage door had a couple of issues when it did not open or close as expected, causing damage to cars. Their solution: To post a sign above the door telling you to swipe your fob every time. Here is the problem: That is just for the lawyers, as the door opens automatically during retail hours. No one will ever stop to swipe the fob if the door is already opening. Of course, if it closes on top of a car, then it becomes the driver's fault, as he or she did not swipe the fob. If you have a choice, avoid this company. It has become too big and it is prone to corporate b.s. Here is another example: At one point they start posting the weather forecast in the elevators (a total waste of paper, since by the time you get to the elevator you already need to know the temperature). It just looks like one of those employee incentive plans when people are supposed to come up with ideas for implementation. The problem is that after a while people forget about them. The whether forecast from 2 weeks ago is still posted in the elevators. Check it out, it may still be if you're planning on coming here to visit the building. read more

Management is horrible it seems like it almost every other week that they have a reason to disturb you. Once you leave they come after you with ridiculous charges this is one of the most common complaints. Don't be fooled by how friendly they seem when you come for a tour as soon as a contract is signed they become very rude and not flexible. They are happy to quote the law and willing to charge and sue you. So know your rights and get a lawyer. Alicia is very nice at the front desk as well as the only man, but that is about it. The monthly fire alarm tests seem to always be in the early morning as oppose to late evening so be prepared to be woken up and disturbed. The noise isn't that bad compared to the city, but the trains can sometimes be annoying. You also have to put deposits down ($300) to rent some of the amenities. So they advertise that the building comes with great amenities but there not always readily available.Some the events they hold are nice, but the place is so expensive the some good qualities they have aren't worth the price and annoyance. Concert on call is a great thing.... sometimes! Be prepared to be charged for repairs that they deem your fault so it not really included The air conditioning is on for just about two months (July-August). Be prepared to deal with hot sweaty night because they refuse to turn on the air conditioning in the early summer and turn it off early in September. They advertise that it is minutes from the TTC (not true). It takes about 10-15 minutes to walk to the nearest subway station which is brutal in the winter. If you don't drive don't even think about moving here, there nothing around here. The building is nice all three (Palomar, Sierra, and Serrano). The suite is really nice as well. If it wasn't for poor management and poor location it would be a great place! The residents seem to be very nice, but they change quite quickly since it is a rental building. Honestly, avoid being stuck in a year long lease and don't even bother with Village Gate West. They try to sell the place in the best possible light, don't fall for it. Worst ever residence experience and I have been stuck here for a year. So happy to be gone! read more

I had an issue in the kitchen where their pipes backup into my sink, had to deal with this problem for 5 months with no resolution. They tried to persuade me a couple of times not to log the sink issue with their office, since they didn't want to have it cause them any liability in the future I guess. Eventually, with a dismissive attitude, the building manager said that they would attempt an approach they did not do before (I don't know why they waited so long), and that's all they can do. On move out, they told me I have to pay for steam-cleaning the carpet, which I never agreed to. The superintendent was very dry and nosy too. read more

I have been living in this building for almost 2 years and it has been nothing but a nightmare since my move in day. Issue #1 - Elevators I cannot begin to explain the headache that the elevators have caused to all the residents in this building. I have lived in older buildings that have not had the issues that this building has. There is rarely a day that all 3 elevators are working, which means waiting 10-15 minutes during rush hour to get up or down, plus stopping at every single floor on the way. There have been multiple incidences where ALL 3 elevators were down for an extended period of time. One time specifically where a man in a wheelchair had to sleep in the lobby on a Saturday evening because he had no way to get to his apartment. We are constantly told lies by the management office on what is being done to fix the issue and many times cleaners have put the only working elevator on service so they can clean it leaving residents with no elevators to use. Oh and don't even think about taking the stairs because for some reason those are locked. That is, unless you are the wife of the superintendent because she has a key and can access them as she pleases. Issue #2 - Management Office They have been nothing but useless since day one. Myself and many other residents in the building had many issues with a particular resident who was putting our safety at risk by his actions and the office consistently ignored our complaints and concerns saying "he is harmless". Does a harmless man follow a women to work and stalk her while she is completing her shift? Does a harmless man threaten to use a gun on someone? Does a harmless man corner a young lady alone in an elevator? I didn't think so. They also regularly lie to you about any issues that the building is having and wait for you to approach them MULTIPLE times before any sort of action is taken, whether it be broken elevators, an elevator sitting on service all day, broken treadmills, broken glass outside, broken parking garage doors, etc etc the list goes on and on. This is a building that they like to call a rental condo but it is run as if I'm living a Jane and Finch in some old run down apartment building. The only difference is I'm paying twice the amount to live here and I have to deal with all this BS. All I want is to come home from a long day at work and have no issues but unfortunately this is rarely the case. I highly advise anyone considering this place to look elsewhere. It is ABSOLUTELY not worth the rent they charge and they are many other better alternatives elsewhere. read more

oMG I cannot begin to explain how awful this company is. Not just Serrano, concert properties as a whole!!! I was a tenant at the Serrano building, never missed any rent payments. However, when I put in my notice I accidentally wrote the wrong move out date. When I found out about this I called them and said my place was rented already they can't help me and we owe them an entire months rent (when we aren't living there) and 400$ cleaning fees! They refuse to make payment arrangements with you. Like they expect me to just have thousands of dollars to throw at them? If I don't pay I will be sent to collections. Which I have spent years trying to improve my credit, to get ruined by some awful corporation. Concert is floating in money!!!!!!!!! My 1 review I have read is positive with this company. Giving them this money will make me struggle. They don't get a s**t about anyone. The management is the worst! I have emails back and forth from them. There is no communication. Even if you weren't in my situation 98% of people who lived there comes out with 300-400$ cleaning charges that you have to pay! Please if you are thinking of living there DONT! It's not just Serrano. All concert properties operate the same with the same rules. I have spoken to head office and they aren't even willing to make a payment arrangement with me. Just please don't move there. I have never been so stressed moving out of a place, except for now. read more

I have lived here for over 1.5 years now and I hate it. The management office is nothing short of a suggestion box. Nothing ever gets done and the staff are never willing to take the initiative to put the residents safety, hygiene, or common well being first. As Laura W posted below broken glass around the surrounding area will be ignored, forgotten for days, wet floors don't get looked after, service elevators are ignored; all three shutting down for hours unannounced. A doggy bag dispenser is outside with no bags to ever be seen, garage doors opening/closing only partially, beer bottles and cans left outside for hours, cleaning staff that will put the only 2 working elevators in Service. The best part about the ladder is that the cleaning staff will defend their actions. My personal property has been touched without proper notice, they have double parked vehicles intentionally with garbage bins and refuse to move them. The sad part about all of this was not that myself and my family have to deal with this, but when bringing up the issues to light we were told something I never would have expected, " If you have such a problem, why don't you just move out." There is no accountability in this building, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. read more