The manager just walked into my unit WITHOUT permission! I really feel violated!

BUYER BEWARE!! It is soo not what it seems. Seriously read the reviews, all the negative ones ARE accurate. I have heard worse stories that are not printed here. If you are cool losing your whole deposit for no reason, then you might consider it, but even then, its not what it seems. I get that small business are in need of spaces here in SF rental hell, but this place is a mistake. This is why Yelp can be such a great tool - I wish I had read the reviews. I lost my deposit and it was not fair. read more

Although affordable-ish month to month office spaces, you will end up regretting ever stepping foot in this place after dealing with their move out process. Don't even think about cleaning/repainting or even professionally hiring anyone to do it because they still charge you in the end. Say bye bye to that hefty deposit you placed with first months rent. The communication for my move out process was non existent, and I had to be on top of them to make sure they got the keys and that my space was approved a few days before I needed to be out....or so I thought. Low and behold over a month later I receive my "returned" deposit of only half of what I gave them. Reason: painting. Even though my space was supposedly move out approved they forgot to inform me that they wouldn't be giving my full deposit back. Since they take so long to process and give you your check back, they don't even want to deal with giving you the original reimbursement they owe you. Just stay away, there are plenty of other places in the Mission area to rent workspace where you won't be swindled. read more

THIS PLACE IS INCREDIBLY HARD WHEN IT COMES TO DEPOSITS. I AM A CURRENT VICTIM OF THEIR OPPRESSIVE MARKETING AND COLLECTING SCHEME. I spoke with the Manager, Chris, on 06/10/2012, in regards to my deposit and financial obligations. He ordered me to send him an email on that date before midnight to avoid penalties and that everything was taken care in regards to any balances. In fact he said I had a credit on my parking. He also informed they were going to keep 1/2 of my deposit for staying only 5 MONTHS. The next day he orders me to go and pay him the month of JUNE immediately and that because of the misunderstanding he would not charge me any penalties. I tried to explain him that I went to see him the day before to check on my balance and that I was under the impression that last month's rent was taken care by my moving-in cost. He was upset and said that I had $100.00 penalty on my account. I reported this to the Better Business Bureau and I am going forward with any legal recourse. If you have been a victim please call me directly at (415) 786-5937. I will like to bring this scheme to light so others do not fall victims of abusive practices. read more

The space is okay, but don't expect that your security deposit would be returned to you even though you try everything to make them happy when you check out. They will make some excuse why you get the penalty and no refund. I also tried to report at the small claims court but there is nothing to do since they refused to accept the letter from court. I felt I was in the space of mafia business for over 2 years. read more

Yes, they are scumbags. They will take your deposit no matter what you do or how far you go to appease them. They'll be very nice and accommodating to lure you in, but It's basically a clip joint that preys on very small businesses. Exactly as every other legitimate review says... DO NOT RENT FROM HERE unless you too would like to be a sucker, like me. read more

Activspace is a seemingly inexpensive option if you're an artist or freelancer. But as others have attest to, prepare to have most or all of your security deposit stolen, and/or to have illegal demands made so they can get around making their own space improvements. This is likely part of their business model to make up for the cheap rents. When you move out, they will insist you paint the entire unit a specific white color, even if the unit consisted of unpainted drywall when you moved in. This is illegal under California law. If you decide to move in, thoroughly cover yourself, take photos, and do the math with the assumption you will lose your deposit. If you stay a year, thats at least $50 extra per month. Might be worth it to spend that extra $50 on a nicer space elsewhere. read more

WARNING: DO NOT LEASE SPACE HERE! THEY WILL RIP YOU OFF. If I could give a negative rating I would. Please read all of the reviews if you are thinking about leasing space here. They continually keep all of the tenants deposits when moving out regardless of condition, what they agree to verbally etc. I have now moved out and the same has happened to me. They kept large portion of my deposit even after management (Chris) looked at the space after I had cleaned and painted. We had set up a walk thru for the sole purpose of looking it over before I moved out and he didn't say that anything else needed to be done. He even complimented me on my hard work. Then when I received the deposit check back they had subtracted $480. When I questioned why the deposit had been kept the management (Chris) was threatening and hostile to me in the process. WARNING: DO NOT LEASE SPACE HERE! THEY WILL RIP YOU OFF. I have written the corporate office twice and have been completely ignored. San Francisco will be a better place when this business is no longer here. I am filing a court case against them and have invited others with complaints to join me. Please email me if you have something you would like to include in the filing. Below is a portion of the letter I sent the corporate office. It gives a seemingly typical account of how they deal with tenants. --------- Since I had read the numerous Yelp reviews stating the problems around getting deposits back I wanted to follow everything I needed to do and I requested that Chris the manager do a walk through with me to make sure everything check out as stated in the move out directions. -"Let us know when everything is completed and we can take a look to make sure everything checks out". I asked him to check everything out so we would have no surprises and so he could tell me what else I needed to do. During the walk through he clearly agreed that the walls in 404 had been painted the wrong color by the previous tenant thus making the correct paint that I had purchased and used not match. The paint was fine for 405 but obviously did not match for 404. He said 405 looked great. I asked him if it was all good and he made me believe that it was. He did not tell me anything else I needed to do. It was clear to me he agreed that I had done what was necessary to uphold my part of the move out process and that it was the responsibility of ActivSpace that the previous tenants had used the wrong paint. When I received the deposit refund check a fee of $240.00 for painting and prep of unit 404, along with the fee of $240.00 for painting and prep of 405 were being charged. Thinking that there was just an oversight I called Chris to see what I needed to do to correct this. Chris literally said, "How is it my fault that the previous tenants used the wrong paint?" This is incomprehensible to me since as manager it is his responsibility to make sure the correct paint is used before someone else moves in. He went on to say that I had left the space un-rentable and I am at fault for that. When I asked him about the walk through we did he completely changed his story and said he never agreed to anything. This response was shocking and more than a bit upsetting. I was afraid to confront him any more since the last time I spoke to him about an issue he aggressively said, "You don't want to make me angry." It was obvious this was a threat and after having read the numerous Yelp reviews of people having severe difficulties moving out I did not want to put myself at further risk financially or otherwise. I feel Chris has been highly emotionally unstable and threatening towards me. This is further supported by the fact that while I was a tenant other tenants had told me stories of him being angry and abusive to them also. I am telling you this to protect myself and as a business owner I would want to know if one of my employees is threatening my customers. At the very least, Chris needs to work on anger management and customer service communications in resolving conflict. He seems to feel free and justified in threatening and being angry with tenants. I would think that it is the manager's role to keep a cool demeanor. As stated before, I believe I did everything I was required to do to move out and that during our walk through Chris verbally agreed that unit 405 was in good condition and that unit 404 had been painted the wrong color by the previous tenants. He made me believe that I had done my part and that everything checked out. When I asked him if everything was fine he gave me no further instructions to make me believe otherwise. ------ I have yet to receive any response at all. WARNING: DO NOT LEASE SPACE HERE! THEY WILL RIP YOU OFF. read more

ActiveSpace could be a great alternative for those looking for affordable rent but it's nothing but a scam run by young, inexperienced, and dishonest managers. My advice to everyone it is to avoid renting at this facility. This building is good for tenants who do not mind losing their deposit. Sadly, the managers will just make up excuses to keep the tenant's deposit. Once that happens do not bother to call the corporate office because they have no interest in getting involved due to obvious reasons. read more

I had an awesome experience in this building. I only stayed 6mo because I moved to Seattle, but I liked Activspace so much I'll probably start renting from another one of their buildings here. I was shocked to read the poor reviews, so I thought it worth sharing my own experience. I rented my space when I was done to another massage therapist via craigslist so I could leave my lovely paint job. Worked great, and the management made the transition easy and returned my full deposit. I was on the 4th floor. It was always super quiet. My clients regularly commented on how cool the building was, how welcoming the space was, how beautiful the view over twin peaks was. The intercom was great once I got it going (this is the phone to use folks: http://www.amazon.com/Slimline-Purple-Colored-Phone-Memory/dp/B00UTYWR9Y/ref=sr_1_3?s=office-electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1449111611&sr=1-3&keywords=landline+phone+purple) And great to have a sink in the room if you're doing bodywork. It's not a fancy building. It's simple, basic, not a lot of frills, but still friendly and classy enough. Quite an amazing community of practitioners there. Two thumbs up! read more

ActivSpace - Made a great, affordable little massage studio. - Commercial Real Estate Near Me - San Francisco, California

Activspace is a convenient and cheap place to work, full of independent businesses, a great cafe, salons, barbers, artists, and healers. If you're looking for a, 'hot-desk' or a really tight-knit community then this is probably not your jam. If you are looking for a safe, clean, secure, quiet place to get your work done or conduct your business, then I can't see it getting much better than this. Chris and Jennifer, the managers, are charming and always interested in what you're doing or explaining the rules. Keep in mind that this place is not a college dorm. There are rules and if you don't follow the rules then you have to pay. I should add that I moved out of Activ-Space at the end of August. Before moving out I worked with the managers to figure out exactly what needed to be done to get my security deposit back. All in all it took about 8 hours worth of work to dial the place in. However, last week I got ever-single cent of my security deposit back, so I'm very pleased. read more

My company, Nerd Busters, just moved in to a sweet new double-wide space at ActivSpace and love it! The space has terrific lighting, easy street access and walking distance to fun Mission restaurants and bars. The building has tons of energy from a very diverse group of people ranging from massage therapists (seems like a quarter of the tenants) to a bike repair shop. Kafe 99 sqft is the on-site corner cafe and the friendly folks there make delicious espresso. The leasing process was a breeze and aside from my move-in being held up by the previous tenants delayed departure, the entire experience was painless. Chris and James were extremely organized and easy to work with. The operation as a whole is very professional, but laid back and personal, so you don't feel like you're dealing with some over processed corporation. I signed up for Internet with MonkeyBrains.net and opted for their VDSL service at 40/40Mbps. At $100/mo, it's way cheaper than Comcast or other business providers. The regular service is rated at 10/1Mbps and runs $35/mo I believe. They do have a fairly high $250 setup fee. Other than that, all utilities are paid for, including the water for the in-unit sink. ActivSpace is perfect for my growing business as I know I can get up and leave or add another space as needed, all with very simple, up front terms. The parking situation is hit or miss on the street, but I plan on walking at least half the time with my dog... yes, dog's are allowed on leash in common areas. When I do need to park, it's only $2/hour during weekdays and just a $1 after hours and weekends. If you need a clean, simple space without a long-term lease, ActivSpace is hard to beat. read more

DON'T FALL FOR THE SCAM!!!! ActivSpace is a total scam. When you move into a space it comes with unfinished floors, and bare drywall walls. It took hours and hundreds of dollars to make the unit habitable. I might understand if the walls had just been flat white, but the bare drywall was uneven and there were gaps between the pieces so I spent a full day mudding the walls before I could even paint. ActivSpace lures you into paying a premium over the cost of other co-ops by promising all sorts of community events (BBQs, mixers, etc...) but they don't actually do anything to put these events on. When pressed about this management's response is that the tenants are free to put on (and pay for) those events themselves if they want them. Of course, management will not provide the contact information for other people in the building so planning something would be tough. Moreover, why are we paying a premium for these activities if we have to plan and pay for them ourselves? We were told there would be film projectors and many other amenities that just don't exist- very frustrating. It took management almost a year just to get a some seating for the courtyard. Buying and setting up benches should have taken a week at most. There still hasn't been a real answer about why simple things like this take so long. The current manager is clueless and can't even do something as simple as sending an email to all the residents. Either she only sends the email to half the building (and then complains about low attendance at meetings) or sends the email to the whole building in such a way that we can see everyone's email addresses (which goes against the ActivSpace privacy policy). I mean come on, how hard is it to send an email? The units have sinks but no hot water, which came as a surprise to me. The bathrooms are almost never cleaned, nor are the hallways or other communal areas. When people move out ActivSpace charges takes some of their deposit to put the unit back to move in condition. However, I've never actually seen them strip all the paint and flooring out of a unit. to restore it to the condition it actually started in. I guess they just pocket the deposits, which seems pretty shady. Overall, stay away from this place. Don't fall for the scam. There are some really cool tenants here, but the way the business is run is just a joke. read more

I wish I could give them negative stars. They don't even deserve one. I rented here for several years. It worked fine for my small business and I never had any trouble. I finally moved out this year and during my initial walk-through I was told directly by the Manager that I didn't need to paint my walls but the floor needed to be painted. So I hired their recommended painter and had the floor painted, no problem. I checked out and everything was fine - no communication to me at all that there was a problem. A month later not only was I charged for additional painting but I was charged for a random cleaning fee, and I lost my deposit!!! I never write negative reviews online because I'm a business owner and I know how hard they can be. However, I've never felt more upset about an exchange with a business before. I've rented countless apartments and offices over the years and never once lost a deposit or was charged a ridiculous fee. I was completely and utterly taken advantage of and lied to. The building management is unreasonable, and unprofessional, they are also in Seattle and could care less about you and your business. If you're an Artist, a Business Owner or a Startup don't use Activspace in San Franciso or Oakland. Period. read more

id like to consider myself an honorary member of this here society. i like it here. you know when you are walking down the street at night and you can see into peoples windows and glimpse into their lives throught the light in their windows? its like that, except all day long. read more

I love this space. I was actually surprised to see such a wide array of negative experiences here. Granted, my officemate is very reliable and organized, so it was easy to come right in. I like the mixture of types of businesses. It's both inspiring and grounded, in my experience. I am really glad to have an office 3 days per week here. I feel happy every time I walk in. read more

I love these guys. Jess and James are really friendly, helpful property managers, and the space is turning out beautifully. I'm not sure where "fatty m" is from, but construction delays are about as normal as breathing oxygen. Sh*t happens. These people have been kind, funny, and are providing an affordable space for artists, small businesses, and people that just want to get their craft on - definitely in a neighborhood that needs it. I'm really excited to be part of the new community that is forming. Go ActivSpace! read more

Looked and looked for a private office space that I could afford. Everything was over $1000 and that is way out of my small business price range. When I found my little space with my private door for under $500 a month, I was thrilled. Have been her for four months and no complaints. For those looking for cookouts and get togethers, I prefer to do those in my private time and get my work done while at my office. And to those who don't like the idea of outfitting your own sace, my walls are rough and I have a concrete floor, but have clients to my space all the time. Anyway, that's my two cents. read more

What's up with the mean reviews? We have been at ActivSpace since the beginning and have had a very good experience. The management has always been warm and responsive, and the new manager is downright awesome. True, there have been hiccups along the way, but the place is cheap, clean, well-maintained and a true find in this pricey city. A nice mix of characters, getting better all the time. read more

Took our $200 deposits. Told us the place was opening in October 2007. Get an email saying *whoops* we can't open until possibly January 2008 or maybe later! Now we are all sh*t outa luck because they refuse to return our deposits. What a scam. In the meantime, those I have met at their swarmy little "barbecues" are livid, just like myself. One star for having windows in the spaces. And to the previous poster--are you serious when you say mucisians finally have a place to practice?? Who the hell will stand for that? This isn't some building in Bushwick, for god's sake. The other people will hate you for making so much noise. read more

I loved the space once I had it all set up, but never had a good experience with the management team. Time and time again for various reasons interactions with management were disappointing. read more

First off, know that I have never written a review, positive nor negative about anything. I feel compelled though to now do so. Also know that I have worked in the customer service sector for about 15 years and know that in the end, the only thing that truly matters is how you treat people. With that, here is my story. I am a massage therapist and have been looking for my own office space for about 6 months now. I have visited Activspace 2-3 times checking out their various offerings but never found the right one. I was looking for a large space, on what I was told is the quiet floor, and in a corner so not around too many other tenants. Never have I found this. I primarily spoke with Jennifer and always found her very personable. Yesterday I found a craigslist posting, http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/off/4268933299.html, (it's still up by the way as of 1:30pm 1/3/13, over 24 hours since I first saw it and called them), for a space on their top floor (the quiet floor), which consisted of three separate rooms that were converted into one and just so happened to be in a corner. This space had one wall with a passthrough up so that I could have a little waiting area as well. This was amazing and just what I wanted. I called immediately and spoke to Jennifer and she confirmed it was free and that I could some see it. Since their showing hours were about to end that day I said I would come the next day right at 10am when they opened. Jennifer said she wouldn't be there but Chris, who was standing right next to her and presumably listening to the conversation, would be there to help me. I hung up and was so excited about this. The next day, today the 3rd, I got there right at 10am. I walked in and introduced myself to Chris and told him I spoke to Jennifer about the space and was there to see it. Here is where it all goes bad. He first told me that Jennifer should never have told me the space was available. Mind you the ad is still posted on craigslist. Word to the wise, never blame someone else either rightfully or wrong, as it only goes to make you look like a fool and pisses someone else off. I felt that was bad form. So, with my hopes quickly turning into despair, he told me the space wasn't free and instead they had promised it to someone else in the building. I guess they have a wait list for other people in the building that want a new space. Really, you do, then why didn't you check that so called wait list before posting the ad on craigslist and telling me on the phone it was free? So they decided to give this space to another tenant in the building. Chris then said he wanted to help me make this work. I told him this space had everything I had wanted and I didn't think they had anything else. He said yes, the space in question was the other one of it's kind in the building. It then started going downhill more from there. I mentioned that I had particularly wanted the 5th floor as I was told it was the quiet floor. Chris told me well yes it is but not really. When questioning him he continued that if someone wanted to make noise on the 5th floor he would rent them space up there since the building is called Activspace after wall. Really Chris, so you tell people the 5th floor is quiet so you can rent to them but when you need to fill a room you will forget that and rent to someone that makes noise? I hope your current 5th floor quiet tenants are happy with that. He also told me he wasn't going to rent the 5th floor to just all massage therapists. What, who said anything about that? All I said was that I wanted the 5th floor since they had told me it was the quiet floor. At this point I had enough. Chris was less than apologetic, was rude and arrogant and was starting to feel combative with me. The service I received there was awful and I will recommend everyone to do your research before renting in this building. I for one will never go there again and if anyone asks me, I will be giving bad reviews of my experience. Mark read more

Like many others, they threatened to steal my deposit if I didn't completely re-paint the space. I knew that their policy was illegal but also knew that a legal fight would cost me more than my deposit. read more

My small office in ActivSpace was great while I was there. BUT no matter what you do, no matter how hard you work to move out of your space, no matter how much cleaning you do or how spotless you leave your space, they will take at least $50 from your security deposit for "cleaning." And there's nothing you can do about it. So just know going in that you'll lose at least that much $$ when you leave. read more

This building has mis-represented itself as a community-oriented place for creative people (i.e. artists, crafters, film makers, and other creative types) that would have regular events and the building would be anchored by a Cafe. None of these things ever came to pass. While there are still a small number of creative type of people in the building, it is not an artist-friendly building, there is definitely no community feeling (or effort towards this) - there are no events to speak of, and the building management could not make it harder for artists to hold events or even have a successful Open Studios (there are too many closed doors in the building to make it a successful destination). Most of the store front spaces are always closed with the blinds drawn and the building barely looks occupied. I'd say it was 80% misrepresentation of what this building was about and 20% the poor economy (as many who have left have found other spaces to pay for). The spaces are basically tiny storage units at top dollars (or double sized storage units at double the top price) and its more an office building for small businesses and entrepreneurs than it is a community-oriented space for artists and creative types. If you are an artist or other creative type looking for a community building with a great Open Studios as well as other events, a place to hang out and connect with our artists and creative people - as it is being marketed - best to look elsewhere and save your dollars. If you are just looking for a clean tiny kind of high-priced (but possibly affordable because they are so small) space where you'll be left alone to do your work, then this might be an option. I'm not sure why the intent of this building did not work - or why it continues to be marketed the way it is, but I'd approach this one carefully and not believe any of the sales pitch of what happens at the building unless it is in writing. read more

This place has been wonderful for me and my company - a non profit mental health organization. Activspace is affordable, comfy, well located, and vibrant. The staff is kind, helpful, and friendly, and the diverse creative community is a delight. read more

James and Jess are the rock stars of Activspace. They have been incredibly helpful, friendly and lots o' fun in what ordinarily would have been a dry transactional experience somewhere else. I'm very excited about joining the Activspace community. I have been looking for space off and on for a couple of years, and this space has it all...without having to wait for someone to kick the bucket in order to get a spot. Can't wait to get started! Thanks James & Jess! read more

RENTER BEWARE: If you rent from ActivSpace, expect yearly rent increases and lease changes. You have to leave the space better than you got it. No matter how much you paint it and fix it up, if it doesn't meet their standards, they will take your deposit and charge you on top of that. After all, it's likely in their lease agreement or amendment with you. This is not a place for artists. There is no community. No events. Used to be when they first opened that there was more of a community as evidenced by the older reviews here that were good. No longer. Parking is also awful in this area and they now charge you for the parking lot by the hour. They act so nice when you move in and they want your business. Not true when you move out even with ample notice and attempts to do your best to clean up. The reality is that there are other places for rent out there that have more of an artist community. Keep looking folks. Do not rent from these people. read more

the owner of ActivSpace contacted me to let me know that they have been listening to tenant feedback and that Susan is no longer the manager (though from the looks of it, this happened before I posted this review). I've kicked the rating up a couple of stars, since the place itself doesn't deserve a bad rap. read more