Such an amazing staff! They are very professional and always there to make sure the residents feel welcome and appreciated!

First off, the good is that the apartments are upgraded and maintenance is very helpful. It is in a somewhat wooded area with lots of birds and wildlife. Parking is the best I've ever seen in a complex. The bad is that the staff in the office can be very confrontational and argumentative. I could go on about a few things that make absolutely no sense that they have set up here inside the units that makes it more difficult to live here but my biggest complaint is something that has gone on since July 2024, making it 21 months to this date. My upstairs neighbor runs his air conditioning unit 24/7 no matter how cool it is outside and two summers ago it started making a loud bang when it shut off. The AC units were upgraded 4 months ago to be more efficient and so they shut off even more frequently so that I can hear a bang as frequently as every few minutes. The office refuses to fix it, and when I reach out to them regarding it, I am met with confrontation, circular answers, gas lighting, and rudeness. I am merely trying to get a problem resolved but they treat me like I am the problem. It has caused friction between my upstairs neighbor and I who I got along with for years. And now, after texting him to ask him to turn on the air conditioner so maintenance could hear it when it shut off, I have received a warning for harassment or something like that. This noise is very disturbing and has startled me awake on countless occasions. It can be difficult to get a good night's sleep, particularly when I have my bedroom window open to let in cool night air. This surely doesn't happen all residents but If your AC or a neighbor's AC ends up with a noise like this, don't expect it to be fixed or to rest well. I understand apartment living and don't complain about any other noises but this is unacceptable, happening north of 10 times per hour at times, and I should not be confronted with attitude when requesting a resolution. I advise considering this complex with caution. For reference, here's is a recording of the noise: https://jumpshare.com/share/QF0BaSfsRyfbw9hX0nx8?b=6Mct3XqDWuncqxwdKNMl Do you think that listening to that several times an hour is acceptable apartment living? read more

Unfortunately, our experience after moving into Serrano Highlands has been extremely disappointing. Starting with the amenities, there is no gym in the community, and the pool is small, not heated, and often not properly maintained or clean. As for the residents, at least those across from us have been very disrespectful and do not follow quiet hours. We have already witnessed altercations and even a domestic disturbance that required us to contact the Sheriff's Department. Based on our experience so far, this does not feel like a safe or family-oriented community. The biggest concern, however, is the management and maintenance team. Since day one, submitting work orders has been frustrating. Requests often go unnoticed unless we repeatedly call the office. Even when appointments are scheduled, the provided time windows are unreliable, and staff frequently fail to show up, forcing us to start the process all over again. Communication with the office staff has also been disappointing. During one interaction, the property manager Mariable was rude and dismissive toward my wife, despite us following prior instructions to contact her directly. This lack of professionalism is concerning, especially when corporate directed us to work with her. Additionally, our experience with maintenance has been unacceptable. During a scheduled visit to repair defective windows, Moses their tech behaved in a rude and aggressive manner, raising his voice while my one-year-old child was in my arms. He then refused to complete the work. When I went to report the incident, he followed me, gave me hostile looks, and began recording me on his phone. This behavior felt like harassment and was extremely unprofessional. Despite reporting it, no meaningful action appears to have been taken. Overall, the lack of accountability, poor communication, and unprofessional conduct from both management and maintenance make this a very concerning place to live. Given that we just moved in, these ongoing issues are a major red flag. read more

MY EXPERIENCE with VICTOR ALBANO the property manager for SERRANO HIGHLANDS was very POOR! I came to visit my uncle who lives at Serrano Highlands as I have been searching for a new place to rent, but after this experience, I would say there are too many options around to endure the negative treatment by MANAGEMENT. Around 11AM we decided to go to lunch in my uncles vehicle so I parked my car in an open visitors parking spot. When we returned a couple hours later, I was hit by an idiotic surprise, a large neon sticker was attached to the windshield. The sticker read "12PM" and "your vehicle is subject to tow by management", When I tried to remove the sticker it left a horrific residue that needed to be removed by a professional with a heat gun. I understand they have rules about leaving any vehicle overnight, but this was obviously a mistake as I arrived around 11AM. I was on the premises for a couple hours during the day and the tenant rules specify that a parking pass is needed for any vehicle parked overnight. The issue I have is the vandalism that was caused by the cheap, very poorly crafted sticker they use. First, I should not have to remove a sticker with an exacto knife, and secondly, the residue was impossible to remove without a heat gun, and again, I should not have to deal with this in the first place. More importantly, the sticker was placed directly in my line of site for driving so I needed to address this ASAP as I work for a local hospital and needed to be at work shortly. When I first walked into the leasing office to discuss this matter, I did see a very bubbly and kind employee who was with a new prospect, showing her the apartments, but when the MANAGEMENT understood what I wanted to discuss, their attitude changed quickly. I handed the employee the invoice for the removal of the residue and she walked in with the property manager (VICTOR ALBANO) who I can clearly hear him say, "WE ARE NOT PAYING ANYTHING", this was before he would meet me or even hear my concerns... he then sent his employee to tell me to leave my demand on the desk and they will send a response to my email. At this point I asked for their business cards and that is what set off the property manager VICTOR ALBANO. He came out swinging with a negative tone, pretty much saying "as a visitor" I do not have any rights as I am on their premises and I could be towed at any time. I have spoken with a few tenants who feel the same way about VICTOR and after my experience I believe this "manager" should receive new training or better yet be replaced by a more respectful and trained property manager. If I do not hear from them I will be submitting at small claims court and a BBB review. read more

Serrano Highlands - Apartments Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Great place to live, very quiet love the environment, office Staff is very helpful especially Shanon, she always has a great smile, Roman and Moises are always friendly and on top of my work orders for any repairs or any issues related with my apt,definitely recommend this apts to live read more

Shannon was so sweet to my husband and I when we were looking for an apartment. She kept me in the loop when things came up and I really appreciated her follow up. We ended up taking another place because we needed to make a descion fast but I can Defiently see us living here in the future! Thank you Shannon for making our experience so wonderful! read more

Update: We have been here since 2018. Things below are wheat we like and what we like to see get improved. LOCATION: the location wise is very nice. I love the area. The area and the floor plan of the apartments are one of the few things they don't make me want to leave. They have a garage which is nice to have for storage. They community is kept nice and clean outside. Things that have gotten better but needs improvement: In Terms of maintenance inside the apartments, they management has gotten better, before the maintenance person would tell us whatever we complained about is not a big but now he comes and fix things (thank you). They do respond quickly now and take care of things. However, things fall apart in our apartment quite often. There is no annual maintenance of apartments for these things, ( you have to file a maintenance report) , other then them coming in to check the ac unit and fire alarms while there IS an annual rent raise. We do not have pets or kids and we are working most time on our computer, so it's not like things are getting handled badly either. There are under lying issues like our bathroom constantly getting rusts even though we got certain things changed. Our balcony, during Covid was falling apart, we had no clue, our neighbor downstairs thankfully reported it, and the maintenance was called to make a new balcony. The kitchen drawers fall down every now and then, the cabinet doors get loose, the windows are not sealed, so for example if you neighbor downstairs have a dog that poops outside, we'll guess what the flies from that make it into our apartment lol. Took me a while to figure out why are we getting flies in our apartment. So things are getting better but for the rent raises they collect annually it would be nice to have annual apartment maintenance, where all these issues get resolved. The other thing is with Terri fields, while she has gotten better, she is still rude when spoken to, not sure what the problem is. I always feel I am being scolded whenever I speak to her. Most if not all of my interactions with her, have been very rude, I always avoid speaking to her. Shannon on the other hand is super nice and helpful and always makes you feel like taken care of. Absolutely love that lady! Anyways here is my up to date review on this place. And don't get me wrong I like this place a lot, just with the raising rent rates every year, it's only fair things are kept maintained at the very least. read more

I just wanted to SEE the apartment, it's very difficult to set up a viewing with them. Granted, this is the holiday season, but every other complex was able to get back to me promptly to set up a visit... so this isn't a good excuse. After reading some of the other reviews, being responsive, being prompt, and being helpful isn't exactly their forte. Lots of other complexes in the area, Id look elsewhere. read more

My stay here at Serrano has been good overall. Office staff is great, always there when in need of service or help. Maintenance team is awesome, very helpful and polite. Team goes over and beyond to take care of issues. Two complaints I have is parking and residents working on cars on driveways. Arriving home at night is always a challenge to find parking. Many cars parked overnight without permits and no citations giving by patrol or management. On July 4 I was home enjoying my holiday and out of no where a resident started working on his truck. Hammering and machines being used, creating unwanted noise throughout the community. I was hoping for quite holiday, unfortunately this resident lacks consideration for his neighbors. I'm hoping management monitors issues like this closely, very unfair for most residents who follow community rules. read more

I've lived at Serrano Highlands for 16 years and this is a long overdue shout out for Terri the Assistant Community Director, and Roman the maintenance supervisor. Terri is amazingly responsive to tenant needs and always makes sure any concerns are addressed, and I can always count on Roman to quickly and efficiently resolve any maintenance issues. They are both unfailingly approachable, pleasant, and professional. They help bring a sense of community, genuinely caring about the complex and providing a great tenant experience for all. After all this time they feel like old friends, so thanks Terri and Roman -- you're very much appreciated. As for Serrano Highlands as a whole, I love the fact it feels like a neighborhood, unlike many apartment complexes that resemble cellblocks. While many complexes advertise themselves as "apartment homes", Serrano actually delivers. There is amazing storage space, and huge pluses are the in-unit laundry room and attached garage. While another review sang the praises of the yards, I have a huge balcony with a great view; you really can't go wrong either way. read more

Since we moved in this summer... our experience has been stellar. Great neighbors! Great community! My dog loves the walks through the complex and the huge park next door. Kudos to Shannon in the leasing office for always taking care of us. The office always has events to bring the community together, and they never forget to have treats for the pups. We had a significant issue happen late at night. Shannon and Roman on the maintenance team sprung into action and made us feel very taken care of. Excellent place to live! Thank you, Serrano Highlands read more

Hello! I am so pleased to be able to provide feedback on my experience with living at Serrano Highland for a little over 2 years. I was lucky to take over a lease. To my surprise, my stay was wonderful! I loved my neighbors and made many friends at Serrano. The complex is clean, and my 2BR2BA was so spacious and clean. Whenever I had maintenance issues and logged it, it would be addressed within 48 hours unless it was urgent. The maintenance personal, Roman and Jesus where always great and respected my "no shoe sole" requirement. I mostly worked with Terri, Victor, and sometimes Shannon. Terri and Victor both offered help and resources when I had funding challenges due to covid-19. However, I mostly enjoyed getting to know Terri though. I liked her from the beginning. She is and vary thoughtful and compassionate lady. Always a smile with so much energy. We shared many conversations. And when I had challenges, she made sure I was provided, and a clear understanding of contract expectation and provided resources to help if she could. I'm moving closer to my family in Riverside so I can get more caregiver help with my wife. I will miss my stay at Serrano Highland. But especially the office management personnel. I surely will be stopping in when I can. Thank you, Serrano Highlands staff, for your Beyond and Above services. Very Grateful, Russ read more

I waited to write this review until I had lived here for a full six months, because I have had some unpleasant surprises before dealing with large rental complexes. The pros: The location is great, quiet and safe neighborhood and this is one of the only places we looked at that had a small yard for our dog. That and the garage give it much more of a townhome or condo feeling than just renting a random apartment. Your experience may vary if you end up with one of the upper units, but the yard was literally the deciding factor for us moving in here and we are glad we made that decision. Management is fairly hands off, we have lived places where we felt like people were breathing down our necks, just waiting for us to violate some asinine policy like hanging a towel out to dry on the patio. That doesn't seem to happen here- as long as you pay your rent on time and don't do anything egregious they seem to leave you alone. The cons: Management is pretty hands off. You have to stay on them if something goes wrong in your rental. We had a major leak and the maintenance crew didn't come back for the giant fan for about two months, and they never came back to repaint the wall they had to rip out. These buildings are old. They have been given a face lift, but that doesn't change the old piping. Water pressure is not the greatest. We have been pretty happy so far here and feel that the pros outweigh the minor inconveniences - the office crew is very nice and accommodating when you call for assistance, just keep in mind you will have to stay on top of things. We have only lived here during Covid-19 so they may be spread thin. Plus there is all kinds of great trails within a short distance if you like the outdoors, which we do. I would recommend moving here if you can get into a unit with a yard - it makes a huge difference in quality of life as a renter. read more

Love the place nice and quiet. People are realy nice the management people are realy nice too. Just move in to this place and we realy love it. read more

Make sure to review the conditions and charges for moving out. The will make sure to keep your security deposit plus ask you for more money after moving out. read more

Serrano Highlands - Disposition of Security Deposit - Apartments Near Me - Lake Forest, California

I've had my car broken into 2 times since I've lived here and now management wants to come up with this brilliant rule that only 1 parking pass will be issued and everyone else has to park in the street. Last night I got out of work really late and had to walk pretty far back to my apartment. I pay almost 3k for what??????? To feel like I'm renting in the ghetto??? And also they want to tell us what to do with the garage we can't have stuff there only a car ??? Haha what a joke. What a way to start controlling tenants. read more

Still love this place and everything I mentioned still stands almost 3 years later. My ONLY complaint. The pools (especially the south end) are ICE cold even during the summer. If there's a budget, please use some to add heated pools as it's truly unbearable even when it's (and has been) 90+ degrees outside. read more

It has been 3 to 4 years that they never solve our problem with the payment, we paid their rent, but their old staff took the money away it lost it no idea, and now the new staff is blaming us to pay the old fees, after 3 years, go find those people you fired or laid them off, that we paid and here we prove on our checks and bills that we paid. They keep ignoring us, their online app charge a lot for the rent, and if you pay in office most of the time it is close and they don't have drop box. Not recommended. I want the money they charged us, we paid $1630 on check they cash out us $1880, If you pay late they charge you $100, but what if they cash out extra from your check? My case does not ends here, I will go fight for it until I get the problem solved and get my money back. Also you are not allowed to put even your shoes outside like in patio, everything has to be inside, really? We should take dirty shoes dirty strollers inside? read more

When the agent for Serrano Highlands deletes bad reviews and only leaves positive ones... be smart look somewhere else... read more

Serrano Highlands - Apartments Near Me - Lake Forest, California

The perfect place to call home. We have recently moved here from Huntington Beach and can seriously say that this was a long time coming. The staff are extremely friendly. From the moment that we walked in, we were greeted by Terri and she is the best. She will do all that she can to resolve any issues within a timely manner. Roman is amazing when it comes to maintenance problems. I had a reoccurring leak in the kitchen and he spent the time to find where it was coming from, and then promptly replace the unit. They also have community events to bring the residents together. Be it a BBQ, breakfast coffee, Halloween party, and even a can food drive. They truly care for the residents and their happiness. The neighborhood is quiet and peaceful which is exactly what we were looking for in a community. Pet friendly with a large park nearby, and also great for kids. If you are looking for all of the above, this is the place. Thank you staff for all that you do. It is much appreciated! read more

We moved in about 3 months ago, the move-in process was really easy! Gaby was great, very responsive and helpful. She even found us a deal that included a washer and dryer! We have a two bedroom and there's so much storage and spacious rooms. So far we are liking the community, it's quiet, people are friendly. However one of our neighbors gets pretty loud when he's arguing (walls are kinda thin), he also smokes a lot so we can't keep our patio door or windows open...Also the leasing office puts on a lot of community events with free food so it's pretty nice. Overall, great and affordable! We are considering extending our lease when the time comes maybe just moving to a different unit up north.. read more

My husband and I just moved out of the complex in July because we moved to a different state. We moved there in March 2014. We have seen a lot of leasing office staff come and go, but the current staff is really nice and friendly. The are very approachable and easy to talk to. We had been looking for a place close to my husbands old job which was located in Foothill Ranch. Out of all the places we looked at, this one was the best! We loved that it was the only place that didn't have white walls and the carpets were darker in color. We loved how thick the walls are. We never heard to much outside noise and never heard our neighbors. We loved the vaulted ceilings in the upstairs unit we had. It was open concept which really made our 2 bedroom feel huge. The maintenance staff was wonderful and would come fix things in a timely fashion. They really seemed to know what they were doing. Maybe it was because my husband and I had gotten to know them over the years, but it was really nice when we moved out, I asked if we could borrow their dolly because we needed to get our washer out of are unit and downstairs to one of the dumpster area for a trash collection. They had no problem with it. read more

Gabi R went above and beyond with my experience here- I was deciding on an apartment that she showed me and wasn't fully set on it so she showed me a few others the next day with a great attitude. I won't be moving forward with living here because of some misunderstanding with the application process and I'll be getting my holding deposit back - so I would ask for very specific details especially for first time renters like myself - but otherwise it was a great experience w her! read more

We just moved in about 2 weeks ago, and so far everything has been great! Gaby the Leasing Agent has been incredibly helpful through the whole process. We have had some very small maintence inquires but She was able to send out Martin who was so kind and fixed the issue. (The bathroom sink just needed to be drained) We are so happy with our choice of apartments. We went through a long list of apartments for our first and home and we are completely pleased with our choice. Neighbors are very nice, there is extra parking for our second car. Thank you Gaby for a great experience! My husband and I are very happy with the neighborhood and the apartments itself. A few of our friends have come by to help us move, and they loved the area as well. I told them who their go to person should be and that's, Gaby!! :) read more

We were given the bait and switch! We were shown a beautiful corner apartment. I noticed a problem with the address after we put down a deposit, had our credit checked and got approved. When I asked if the address was wrong on the initial agreement, I was told oops we accidentally showed you the wrong apartment, quoted you the wrong deposit, and were never told that our dog had to be locked up inside when we are at work, even though there is a yard. We gave notice to our other residence. We will have either no choice but to sign a year lease for an apartment we hate or be homeless. read more

We live in Serrano Highlands now and have many good things to say about it. Unfortunately, the one bad aspect has made it difficult for us to stay here - a stubbornly toxic neighbor and a leasing office unwilling to enforce its own rules. I'll get the good parts out of the way first: Most complaints are dealt with promptly and professionally. The maintenance staff is competent and professional. The units are reasonably priced for the square footage. The neighborhood is mostly quiet. There are several parks and trails within walking distance. The 3 stars reflect the above and the odds that you won't encounter the problem that we did. I expect that most people have a positive experience living here. Unfortunately, our personal experience of this community has been poor. We were unlucky in that shortly after we moved in (2 years ago), someone moved into the unit below us and promptly began spending the majority of each day smoking outside. Our experience of living here has therefore been colored by the inability to open our windows without inviting in a cloud of carcinogenic smoke. A few talks with the neighbor and many emails to management later, the neighbor now smokes "only" a few hours a day out in front, where the smoke drifts up to our front entranceway, rather than in the backyard, where it comes in every window. We have basically given up and plan to move out rather than deal with the stress. The reason that this affects our rating of Serrano Highlands overall is that their response to this particular issue has been dull to the point of negligence (compared to, for example, the issue of storing things on patios, which they respond to with heroic speed). It is a violation of the lease to smoke outside beyond "minimizing patterns of smoke", but calls to the leasing office are met with 1) assurances that they are working to resolve the problem, with no results; or 2) sanctimonious reminders that it is not a non-smoking community and that we should just keep our doors and windows shut, perhaps waiting patiently for the clouds of smoke to dissipate before entering or leaving our apartment. I wouldn't consider this something I could penalize them for, except language outlining the rules for smoking and noise (another issue with this neighbor) is clear in the leasing contract, and there are numerous precedents of both neighbors and communities losing lawsuits for refusing to mitigate the secondhand effects of smoking. It is a short-sighted policy of non-intervention that is practiced here, one that has convinced us to leave. read more

This is a great place to live! It is by far one of the best apartments in Lake Forest! The units are very spacious and the ones with yards are pretty great. There are no amazing amenities at this location but those are hardly a deciding factor. We rented a 2 bd/2 bath montecito aparment. My reasons for loving this place were ample parking, guest parking passes, interior amenities (washer/dryer hookups, actual AC not a box in the wall, large pantry room, new appliances, etc), proximity to shopping centers and spectrum, right next to 2 neighborhood parks and hiking trails, phase 2 has a easy entrance into peachwood park and it's a 5 min or so walk to tamarisk park, quiet neighborhood, easy to find address because every apartment has its own address, and so much more! Most matters can also be taken care of online, regarding rent payments, service requests and guest pass printing! The office staff and maintenance are great! Felice leads the office staff very well and she is incredibly knowledgeable about everything that is going on. She will typically be on top of everything! Terri is great as well in being able to work things out and helping if we had any questions. The maintenance staff were always quick and very friendly! They took care of our issues within days if not the same day! It's pretty amazing how they can remember your name after not seeing you for months, but they do it somehow! It's a very friendly environment at the office! :) If you get a chance to live in the phase 1 apartments with a yard prepare to be amazed by some of the yards there! This is one of the few places that doesn't give a 2x2 cement block and call it a patio! It is mind blowing especially at that price point! Similar units with no yard at other locations go for way more and it feels like less of a home! If you're looking for a place to raise kids and/or entertain with a nice yard this is the place for you! If you don't like kids it's just as well! You can't really hear any of the neighbors usually and you still have a nice apartment! ;) Definitely recommend this place! read more

I've lived here for 1 1/2 years now and I'm incredibly sad that I have to leave this apartment. I'm leaving for work, so that's exciting, but finding an apartment that compares to this one has proven difficult! The maintenance staff is friendly and always prompt on fixing any issues. For example, I had my outside storage door blown off by a night of extreme wind, and they had the door fixed and back to normal in a day. The office staff is also incredibly nice, and you can tell they genuinely care about their residents and want to get to know you! (Shoutout to Matt who is always there to answer my questions!) They hold events every so often at one of the pools and sometimes a "donut on the go" event at the office so they can say hi! Additionally, the apartments are very good quality. The appliances they provide all work nicely. The walls are also pretty sound! I live in a downstairs unit and rarely hear my upstairs neighbors! It's a pretty quiet community too, typically I'm able to leave my window open at night and not have any noise complaints. There are a couple yappy dogs and a few apartments that host somewhat loud get togethers, but that's to be expected anywhere (and you can't blame the management for that)! Parking is very easy, and strangers never park in my carport so that's always reliable. Finally, I LOVE my backyard. It's huge for an apartment and definitely worth looking at if you love to garden or lay in a hammock! I would HIGHLY recommend this complex to anyone looking to move to the area. If they included all the appliances (such as the refrigerator, washer, and dryer) they would be absolutely perfect. But if you're willing to purchase those items, move here and you'll see how amazing it is! read more

Horrible place to live. Staff changed my move in cost three times. Since moving in I have had nothing but problems with bug infestation and have my apartment treated weekly. Also neighbors are extremely loud throughout night and threw glass in my yard when my dogs barked. Staff tells me these are normal things and they cannot allow me to leave. I am forced to live in unsanitary and dangerous uncomfortable conditions. Staff will speak to you in condescending tone. So here I am, trapped. DO NOT TOUR HERE OR RENT HERE. Also emails are often ignored and they do not return phone calls and only pick up 20% of the time. read more

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Just No! Yes they are larger than average and less expensive but there is a reason. They are terrible! Bugs! Ridiculous parking rules, old pipes so the bathrooms just smell no matter what you do and very dark inside. They charge you to pay your rent online but don't want you to drop off rent. Mgmt is insincere and drops the ball on requests. Skip this place! ***Update*** 5/29/2015 - I mentioned the bugs but what about the cockroaches! Maintenance has come twice to spray and still they are everywhere. Don't move here, you'll regret it big time! I do :( ***Update*** 6/8/2015 - I'm outta here. Felice in the leasing office is unhelpful and unreasonable. First she suggests that they spray 2 more times but that this time I should contact my neighbors and get them involved so they can attack aggressively. Originally I agreed to the spraying but cancelled the day of and decided to move instead. Couple that with the fact that the shower has smelled horrendous every time I've turned it on. The toilet tank rocks precariously and that's after being "repaired twice" and when I run the dishwasher it smells terrible. I have bleached and bought cleaners but still the smell won't go away. This place is just filthy that is all I can say. Don't move here! You will regret it!!! read more

THIS REVIEW IS FROM A (no longer) POTENTIAL RENTER - NOT A CURRENT ONE When I first started looking online, I was incredibly excited about Serrano Highlands. It had everything I wanted. The first time I stopped by it was near closing and the first lady who I saw (older lady, dark short hair) was INCREDIBLY rude. She said it was basically too late for her to help me with anything and come back another day. Just when I was about to head out the door a younger, african american woman came out. She was incredibly sweet and very helpful. She gave me the layout options, talked to me about pricing and when I asked about a walk through so I could see the actual layout said to come back another day if I could and apologized for not being able to give me a tour that day. That was two weeks ago. I stopped by around 4pm, two hours before closing, to see about a tour. I saw from the website that there was three of one bedroom floor plan available and one of the two bedroom floor plans available now. I walked in and immediately saw the very rude lady from before (older lady with dark short hair). I told her I had a come to do a walk through since I didn't get to do one last time. She immediately said that wasn't an option. I was extremely confused and said why not because I saw there was apartments available online. She said they don't do walkthroughs that they only pre-lease apartments, meaning if I left a deposit on an apartment I could see it when I move in. I was getting irritated because she not only contradicted what was told to me the last time, but again was extremely rude about it. She said I don't know what else to tell you, I can't show you an apartment today. I said okay, well if I get an availability alert (because I am signed up to get them from their website when apartments become available) could I come as soon as possible to see the layout of the apartment. She said no. When I brought up the fact that she was there when I was told last time that they do walkthroughs, she replied by saying well we only pre-lease so if you leave a deposit you can see the apartment you rent. I just feel like the whole experience with that particular woman was horrible. She was rude and extremely unhelpful. She seemed to just hate her job and wanted to get back to doing nothing (I was the only potential renter there). I wish the other woman (younger, african american woman) had been there, I feel like she would of helped a lot more. After this visit, I told my husband we probably shouldn't rent somewhere where at least one of the property managers doesn't want to bother to help people. I would rather live somewhere that actually wants to help potential renters. read more

I was a tenant of Serrano Highlands for 2 years and recently moved out to relocate for my job. During my time there, they transitioned management companies, but retained the staff, so as far as I was aware, there was no change or interruption of service whatsoever. Kay and Bert in the front office are a pleasure to work with, I always felt confident that any issues that came up would be resolved, and they have always delivered. Part of the move-in packet provides a chart of expected line-item costs at move-out based on damages to the apartment, and I can confirm firsthand that these are accurate, and you are given a wear and tear allowance based on the length of your tenancy to items like paint and carpet. Bert gave me very honest and straightforward advice about the move-out process, and I suffered no surprises as a result of it, which I appreciated. How you feel about the location will depend on your own circumstances, but even if the close proximity to a park does nothing for you, the community does have very easy access to the 5, 405, and 241, with plenty of shopping and nightlife options nearby. Units in this community have fixed permanent street addresses, so there are no apartment numbers in your mailing address, which is nice. There are no gates or other access barriers, so nothing tricky for the pizza guy to negotiate. One downside of the community layout is that there is limited parking inside. Depending on which part of the community you're in, you'll either have a garage or a carport, and you'll be issued up to one other parking pass to use any other unmarked stall. Cars beyond the second or guests have to use street parking, but there is definitely enough street parking available that this doesn't pose a major detriment. Lake Forest is an affordable part of South Orange County that is still nice to live in, but you definitely feel like these are nicer units. Plenty of landscaping, and first floor units have a fenced back yard that you're free to plant a little garden in, if that's your thing. Cox Communications has the regional monopoly on cable, but the utilization from this node is minimal, so you can get screaming fast internet just about any time of day. I think we experienced two or three actual bonafide service interruptions in 2 years. I don't know if this is true of all units, but my unit had hookups for washer/dryer, and I rented both from the management at a very reasonable rate, same for refrigerator. My unit had a dedicated water heater and A/C, and a ceiling fan in the dining room. Appliances use gas, for cooking aficionados. So does the heating, for what it's worth, but it's Southern California, so you probably won't need it. Rent can be paid online, and you can set up auto pay from a bank account with a very small service fee (I want to say like $1.50). Maintenance requests can also be filed online, and I honestly don't think I ever waited more than two days for a response to anything. There was an issue with my oven early on that required a third-party vendor to come out, but the response from the community's maintenance staff to make that determination was next-day. I had a number of different neighbors come in and out of the community in the time I was there, no issues ever came up beyond occasionally hearing a TV turned up too loud, or footsteps on the ceiling (I had a first floor unit). Definitely nothing serious or even moderately annoying. This was an extremely easy place to do business with, a great area for my wife and son, and very good value for the price. read more

I'm a current resident, coming up on 6 months. I decided to write a review after the honeymoon phase was over. So.... I am still as happy with the apartment as I was when I moved in. Relative to other communities in the area, the price is decent for a place where you can get a back yard (albeit smallish), and washer/dryer hookups. The day I moved in, the place was spotless. I went in to look for anything I could note, but came up with nothing. That was impressive, since I have lived in more budget-conscious places. I can't say enough about how helpful the staff in the office was. Sydney and Felice made the experience a great one, carefully and patiently answering every question. (I tend to ask a LOT of questions). They were able to work with my travel schedule when I started the process of looking for a unit. I was actually back East when I got a call that they had a unit for me! I have found that some of the helping staff is hit or miss but at the end of the day the management handles it swiftly. Meaning, they are not there any more. I had an experience with a particularly unhelpful clerk, and next time I checked in, they were gone. Good. Parking, let's talk about that. There is a recent parking policy change, which I was not too thrilled about. But when I saw the end result, I am very happy about it. Now, there are plenty of open spaces. This tells me that a lot of the other residents were using spots for car storage, or had people camping out. If you go look at other communities in the area, you will notice parking is always a challenge. Serrano Highlands is not immune to that challenge, but they are trying. This community is built on the side of the hill. There are parks and trails all around. You will definitely find creatures like bunnies, and yes, spiders. One is cuter than the other. But it comes with the territory, doesn't it? Make sure you have some bug spray handy, and you'll be alright. read more

We applied to this apartment and we talked to a lady named Gaby. She was nice but she didn't make it clear to us, that when we payed $100 holding fee, the 72 hours would start right when we applied. She made us believe that the 72 hours would start after we got accepted. They made the application process longer for us, giving us more and more paper work, making excuses that they weren't working, so they can prolong the application process, so they can take the $100. They could've at least noticed us when the 72 hours would start. She would not give us our money back even with the misunderstanding. Even during this pandemic when she could've understood that everyones struggling during this time. But I understand how some companies are money hungry and that's the way it is. read more

After having a traumatizing experience in another apartment complex, Serrano Highlands has exceeded my expectations! Terri from the leasing office was always so welcoming and helpful. Since I moved in I have zero complaints, we had a minor issue with the gas stove but the maintenance workers quickly and promptly fixed it for us. I love how clean and quiet the neighborhood is and how theres monthly activities for all the residents. I've been here for less than a month but I already feel at home at Serrano Highlands read more

I've lived at Serrano Highlands for nearly 3 years and have been pleased with all aspects of living here. We live in the older phase by the park. We love all the nearby trails and the mature trees. There are even bunnies in our yard sometimes! Our place felt like home as soon as we moved in. I'm writing this review because I'm so thankful that management (thank you Felice!) helped us with breaking our lease when we bought condo. I couldn't be happier with their level of customer service during such a stressful time in our lives. We wouldn't be moving if it wasn't for the opportunity to buy! A few highlights: *The community is extremely safe and quiet. I have packages delivered weekly and have always felt so secure with my stuff sitting on my porch all day. *Neighbors are friendly and considerate. *Parking is great...we park RIGHT in front of our unit. *The management is very helpful and professional. *The maintenance team is fast and efficient. In the 3 years that we've lived here we've had multiple things replaced without question, including our dishwasher, stove, microwave, and water heater. Our stove went out one night and the next day I came home to a new one. One day my neighbor said she thought my water heater might be leaking...same day I had a new one! Seriously amazing! *Due to the mature trees there are spiders and in the summer there are June bugs, but pest control is on property every week so I just called management and they sent someone out to spray every time I asked! You won't be sorry if you move here! read more

I have toured most of the other Lake Forest apartment complexes first and foremost. My girlfriend and I viewed Serrano Highlands second and we were really excited when we saw the downstairs 1 bedroom unit with a backyard...and im not talking about a 5x5 backyard im talking maybe 30 feet by 20. Its huge! We checked out a few other places to make sure we weren't rushing into picking a place but after seeing everything else, Serrano was definitely the spot. The process to apply was a tiny bit meticulous but it was very worth it in the end. We have lived here for a month now and we love every second of being home here. The amenities aren't fantastic but we easily look past it with the place that we have. Can't say it enough.... give the community a look and you'll see why we're happy too. read more

Lived here for 2 years. Units are nice and updated, couple different layouts to choose from. Great area and lots of nature and parks nearby(great for dog owners). Quiet and safe community here. Management is excellent, especially Terri who goes above and beyond to make sure you are comfortable. I only had a few requests but Terri and the staff were able to make sure I was satisfied and was always available to assist. Maintenance requests handled quickly. They do community events like taco night, giveaways etc which were unique and fun, good way to meet neighbors. Would reccomend this apartment community to anyone, but especially dog owners. read more

We moved in in April and it was flawless. We love the neighborhood the staff is very friendly and responsive.

I visit this property on a weekly basis and I thoroughly enjoy my weekly visits. The property is very clean with tons of amenities. Some of the units have back yards which is SO rare in Orange County. The staff is amazing! The office staff puts their tenants first and they are professional and very courteous. I'll be moving soon and Serrano Highlands is first on my list. read more