I haven't rented from Bartlein and I'm thankful I didn't get an apartment with them. Just the applying process was dreadful. $130 to apply, which is partially refunded if you are declined or added to your rent if approved. I didn't get a call on either for over a week! I then called every single day to get a status on my application and no one returned my call. Upset and running out of time on my current lease I applied elsewhere, still no call! Finally showed up and demanded a refund of my money. I'm sure they hope most people just forget and then they get to keep the money. *only adding second start because they actually gave me a full refund. Still a hassle though, work on better communication and customer service, the ladies there have no etiquette. read more

New DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY ! Horrible customer service, no proper communication, strings you along after giving them credit check money and money to hold an apartment! Pathetic !! read more

The quality of the staff is just terrible. Horrible costumer service skills, you can just tell everyone that works there is bitter and hates their lives! Will never rent with them again. Takes advantage of younger college students!!! Listen to the reviews this place sucks! read more

I just would like to leave some practical housekeeping information about Bartlein: they have created contracts that don't even allow a five day grace period if you don't have it in by the second you are charged of $50 late fee. Secondly, they will also charge her at this time for an eviction notice which is an additional $35. They go to every means possible and charge you the most they can in a month even if I make arrangements because I'm a teacher so we are paid once a month so if I work in March, I get paid the end of April so if I pay the total of April at the end of April, they will charge me a $35 fee of $50 fee and an additional $50 fee and I believe they can charge even one more although I've made arrangements to pay the entirety at the end of the month; because of my profession I have gone in there and I never speak to anyone because they are very hostile. They are the antithesis of grace or thoughtfulness. I wish they would operate their business with more kindness. I wish the owners really knew how they were representing them. read more

Extraordinary Service - We had a few problems paying rent. Bartlein & Company, Inc. worked with us to make a plan to get current. I cant recommend them enough read more

We hired Bartlein to manage our house over a nearly two year absence when we were out of the country. During that time, they managed to hire a gardener that killed 95% of the plantings, missed a major water leak that has ended up costing many tens of thousands to repair and were consistently radio silent when we asked for updates. When we visited after being away our beautiful home looked like a shanty town, it was heartbreaking. Terrible terrible terrible! Don't believe the positive reviews, it looks like they are all bots or paid reviewers. Any other company or manager will be better, avoid this company! read more

This management company is repugnant. Allow me to initiate by saying they are terrifically hostile. Dorte, who I believe handles rental management, carries some pretty severe trauma. She is combative, aggressive and surly. Dorte personifies a miserable and reprehensible employee. She, in no way, should be working with the public. What an error these property owners have made by allowing her to manage properties that have for most intents and purposes have taken them 1/2 a lifetime to afford. I will never again allow anyone I care for unknowingly rent from this management company. read more

Worst property manager I've had. I've been harassed for vehicles on the property which were in compliance and had bicycles removed twice without notice which were also labeled with my information. I was told they were disposed of but able to recover them after sitting in their office for 3 hours, threatening to sue. Now I'm in the same boat again. Thievery at its very worst read more

Non-responsive, pedantic to a fault, didn't clean the stains out of the doggie rug before move in, charged me a cleaning fee to clean the rug after I moved out (btw, I do not have a dog - they were cleaning the rug that they hadn't cleaned on movein), misled me about returning my security deposit in full. Overall, one of the worst 3 year rental experiences I have ever had. Unit was 105 W De La Guerra, Unit P, and they raised my rent to $6100 from $5800 prompting me to move out. Both rents are definitely over market. read more

THEY DON'T EVEN DESERVE 1 STAR!!!!!! you would think that someone who has lived in their duplex for 10 years, never missed a payment, nothing major broke in the house, fixed all the small things ourselves, never asked for money on those petty items due to wear and tear would get treated with more little to no respect after moving out. Not to mention we never missed a payment! In 10 years !!!!! where to even begin 1) the carpets were old and stained when we moved in 10 years ago. We were in our early 20s and didn't want the responsibility of new carpets. So when we asked for them to replace the carpets 8 years later they refused and forced us to pay half. 2) they would not allow the use of the small outdoor area to be used by us for a small garden or a bicycle. They claim it was a violation of blocking the pathway... it was completely off to the side and in no ones way. 3) violation for repainting the apartment.. wait for it ... white... so who do i send the $250 bill to for the painting materials? Oh that's right we paid out of pocket to make the home feel and look more cozy And didn't want to bother them with another request 4) when we moved out they STILL took the money out of our account through the ACH payment. Then they refused taking my phone calls and even when i did get through i had to reach out to them countless times!!! Not once did i receive a phone call back i was forced to call them every time and they gave me some BS about waiting 7 days to take the money out. after calling them for days they finally agreed to write me a check but somehow it's still going to take 2 days to do that. They took $1200 from my account without permission after we turned in our keys !!! absolutely furious with this rental company. Corissa has been refusing my phone calls and refusing to even have the guts to call me back. way to treat your long term renters with respect. hopefully we don't have to get lawyers involved. read more

I recommend Bartlein and Co.. Great customer service, employees are friendly and answer all questions regarding your rental needs!!

What is even the point of this property management company? Trying to find a rental with them is like going on a treasure hunt with a blindfold on. It order to see their properties, you have to go to their office, which is challengingly hard to find, give them a refundable $20 deposit (per key) and an ID, of which they will return when you bring the key(s) back. Okay, we can deal with that. What is completely absurd however, is that they don't show you ANY PHOTOS of the properties beforehand! They give you a printed list with a few words about the property and the address. Is it sooooooo much effort to post a few photos on their website?!? Literally a HUGE waste of time. read more

Dealing with this company has been one of the most horrible and frustrating experience imaginable. They are antiquated as a company with extremely outdated business practices. They are unethical and kept a $100 rental application fee even though our son did not get the apartment. Our credit and income are impeccable as co-signers and they still demanded a $7000 security deposit on top of first and last months rent. I am a property owner of multiple properties and if I used a service like this for my rentals I would be extremely disappointed but their weeks long screening practices while my unit sits empty for months. Don't deal with this company, do yourself and favor and run away! read more

Dishonest. They tried to get a deposit from my daughter without giving her a lease, instead giving her just a renters guide. Of course it had to be cash or money order. I'm glad I caught it in time. read more

they suck at getting back to you and charge you for shit they don't need to. I actually think they're the worst leading company of 6 i've lived with. do not recommend. read more

This is the worst Property Management I have ever experienced in 60years of Leasing Child porn, security guards that totally suck. Illegally towing cars with no authority as security guards that hit on and date tenants read more

Customer Service, yikes! I've call this property management a couple of times to ask questions about some properties. I was very turned off by the receptionist! She wasn't friendly at all and also had a very defensive tone. First impression are everything and having someone like that answering the phones, yikes. No wonder why they have a low rating. Thankful I read all these reviews before a submitted an application! read more

Horrible place to look for apartments! People are not very professional! I applied 2 times but it wasn't worth it the try! I kept calling about my status of the application and Some lady will tell me "call tomorrow the person in charge will be here tomorrow!" I will call tomorrow and same answer i will get over and over! I was very furious, when i was working and they sent me an email telling me that Unfortunately they weren't able to approve my I application and If i need it I needed to find a Co-signer within 24hrs! I was working didn't have time to go find it that Easy! So i called them back and ask for my refund! Their application price is ridiculous! I had given them 200 because they didn't have change! Go somewhere else! read more

Bloodsuckers - during Corona virus outbreak my son's school cancelled all classes for the rest of the school year. I told them we needed to end the month to month contract early and they responded that they need a 30 day notice AND that they would be keeping the deposit. He mentioned that he had already talked to his lawyers about how he could enforce all rental contracts through the Covid-19 outbreak. If you're desperate and willing to put your college student in contact with a slumlord, you've found your new home! read more

I'm a working professional and a local of Santa Barbara for over 20 years. I have a unique perspective since I work for one of the largest property management software companies in the industry specifically relating to apartment leasing. Students, professionals, good people in general, I can't stress enough how much I would caution you against leasing through Bartlein. They are by far the worst property management company I've experienced, not only in Santa Barbara, but nationwide. Here is my story. The reputation built up and passed by friends and associates alike that had rented from Bartlein over my years here left me feeling very pensive. Yet was seeking a place so I don't judge, I pursue the place that works for me. I found a nice complex on the Mesa called Chateaux Elise. I spoke with the onsite manager, who was very nice, professional, personal. Then she told me it was managed by Bartlein. I went through the approval process, put the temporary deposit down, paid for the credit check. The place was renting for about $2400, with $2400 deposit, which is pretty standard in the industry. It was not upgraded, just in working condition, basic turnover stuff like painting and carpet cleaning was done. Because it didn't have granite, hard wood floors, high end fixtures, I figure the deposit is a bit high, yet I had the money, I liked the location, the on-site manager, so I applied. Then I was approved, but they changed the terms, asking for double the deposit. I called and asked why they wanted $4800 now for the deposit, especially since it wasn't upgraded. They cited my credit report, which had taken a small hit since I just purchased a car in the November 2017 prior to applying in May 2018. My credit score is typically over 750. I called the owner, Bob Bartlein, and asked him why. He said my score was returned at 640 or something, and cited that as the reason. I tried to reason with the man, pointed to my flawless rental history, my good rental references, and asked him to stick with the original deposit amount. He refused to compromise. I believe he needs to be accountable for his shady practices. So based on my experience here, and based on friends I've known over the years that have had many issues with this company, I would highly recommend that you do not, under any circumstances, rent from Bartlein and Company. They are shady, only a tiny step above Dario Pinni the other local slum landlord. read more

I almost rented an apartment with these folks. They are awful, rude, and terrible. Just because they get a large market share of rentals does not mean that they can treat people terribly. I wouldn't rent from them. read more

Their system is a joke and money hungry! I've noticed that they had reposted a certain apartment daily for a month on Craigslist and decided to finally go see it. On the phone with them I was told the only way to see a place is by showing up at the office giving them a $20 refundable deposit in exchange for a key. I asked if it was possible at all to have a showing with an agent but they said no, which isn't very professional. I finally decided to show up and while staff seemed friendly as I walked in, it quickly turned. They said they didn't take debit cards but only cash. They said I could drive to an ATM. I told them I had to drive to Northern California in half an hour so I didn't have time for running around. Seeing I the apartment looked really promising I decided to go and withdraw the $20 and pay an ATM fee. I drove back and not only did they insist on keeping my license until I got back (which is ridiculous! I was obviously on my own and it's illegal to drive to the apartment w/o my license...) I convinced them to keep my student ID instead. I drive there and check out the partner. Very excited I decided to ask to apply when I got back to their office. They wanted me to pay an application fee, which is all good with me, BUT they wanted a $100 application deposit on top of that which is unheard of and ridiculous! After I say no I don't have that on me in cash she finally recorded to tell me that they already have 5 people in the application process on the unit. WHAT? You knew I didn't have the cash to begin with and that I was in a rush, but still insisted I still go get the money and spend my time when they obviously knew that there was no way I would be able to get the place since they are reviewing 5 applications on it already. Thank you for an outdated system.... read more

A very bad company trying to take most of the security deposit even I spent two weeks do the cleaning and also asked a professional cleaning company to do the job..... read more

Deal with many property managements and managers. Considering the whole Santa Barbara commercial market as a whole is struggling with vacancies, the landlord and property manager continue being incredibly difficult to work with. I cannot wait for lease to be up! read more

Lack of upfront communication and clarity on what they want from their customers. Ended up wasting our time just to be dismissed.

I rented from many different places here in Santa Barbara. By far the worst experience with property management was Bartlein & Co. They kept most of the deposit on the grounds that they had to replace the carpet because it was torn and dirty. They replaced a shower head that I bought and it was an upgrade from what they had in the first place. That carpet was already torn and it smelled like cat pee when we moved in. We made note of that on the move-in sheet and that there stains. They charge a tons of money just to move in. They expect for you to pay 1st month's rent and last and a deposit before you can move in. I'd prefer to live out of my car than to actually rent from them again. I do remember that the staff was not that friendly either. I do remember that we got a noise complaint and we did in fact deserve it; however, on the letter I got they had a complete different last name for me and and they had a strangers name that wasn't even on the lease. If you are going to be professional at least get my name right. read more

By far the worst rental company I have ever worked with. The people that work in the offices are not friendly, and it just gets worse after you are a tenant, and you need something from them. They charge a lot for the deposit..and don't think that you will get back over 2K from them when you move out... My roommates and I hired a cleaning services and got the carpets professionally cleaned (as it states in the lease) and they tried keeping over a thousand dollars worth of the deposit. No house or apartment in Santa Barbara is worth having to deal with this rental company in order to live in...if I could give them 0 stars I would. read more

Just the worst. They seriously don't deserve a single star. Robert is a real piece of work...

This is absolutely, hands down the WORST property management company in Santa Barbara. Only rent from them if you wish to be charged for problems you did not cause. They are extremely rude and condescending when contacted about a property complaint or repair needed. They classify all younger renters in a stereotypical category. Not all 23-year-olds are immature college students. I am a full-time employed individual that respects the other tenants in my building, has never missed a rent payment, and always politely complies with any request that is asked of my unit. Instead we are treated like shit and constantly talked down to by our property manager. It is hard to judge your decision to rent off of a Yelp review - especially when the housing demand is so high in Santa Barbara and you finally found a place - BUT PLEASE TAKE THIS MESSAGE VERY SERIOUSLY. You will save yourself a lot of stress and anger is you choose to take your business elsewhere. Do not spend your hard earned money on these incompetent idiots. read more

I walked into this place on Saturday and was very underwhelmed by the staff member at the front desk. She handed me a list of apartments and told me that if I haven't held my current job for the past year that I may need a cosigner-- and that the deposit would be the maximum allowed by law. She then said if I wanted to view any apartments I was to leave my I.D. and 20 dollars cash. I was dumbfounded. I said, "hello!" And then I told her we were hoping to talk to an agent to see if their company had any listings that would suit us. She told me to do research on their website. I left and decided they aren't the brokers for me. read more

The other one star reviews are completely accurate. I have lived in one of Bartlein's studio apartments for over two years now. They take your money every month (which is way overpriced for a tiny studio that's falling apart), but do not fix any of the apartment or building's problems, despite multiple calls and assurances that they will do so. They take your money but don't do the work. Then, they have the audacity to remodel every apartment that becomes vacant around yours, and then charge every single tenant in the building an increase in rent. I did not get a new sink, though we desperately need one; the vacant neighboring apartment did. I did not get new carpets, the neighboring apartment did. But regardless, our rent has gone up sixty dollars a month over two years for the "maintenance" of other apartments, while my own slowly deteriorates and I'm told it's "normal wear and tear." The staff, from reception to the property managers, are incompetent and incredibly rude. If you know what's good for you, don't get stuck renting from these scumbags. read more

This management company has been a pain in my side do to one of their property manager. No matter how many times I report her they do nothing. She writes up my tenant on everything. Fines, fines, fines. Her managing technique is to get my tenant to move to cause me to sale. I will not recommend this company to none of co workers who own various properties. My advice stay away!!!!! read more

Some staff is so rude, not nice... whenever I call about something, she responded like fighting with me. She speaks in very rude way and loud voice. read more

Yikes! Should have looked at the rest of the reviews before trying to view properties from here. First of all, in order to make sure the property we wanted to view was available, we called ahead before driving to their office... 3 times. No answer. Red flag #1. Once we arrived at their ugly, cold looking building, we waited in line to get a key to view the property. They don't show properties, they let you roam around them by yourself if you leave $20. That should have been my second red flag. Some customer service that is. When we walked up to the counter, the grumpy lady asked us how many people would be living in the house. Instead of kindly informing us that 3 adults (my fiancé and a family member) is too many for a 2 bedroom, she pulled out a piece of paper. She said with a monotone, blunt manner, "That won't work", and proceeded to mark with an X and underline "2 BEDROOM-MAXIMUM 2 ADULT OCCUPANCY'. Without much further interaction, we walked out. The only reason businesses like this survive is because they are in a city like Santa Barbara where many people rent. If you are looking for any sense of customer service, do yourself a favor and avoid this rental company. read more

My experience was extremely positive with Bartlein. They definitely don't deserve a 1 star rating. Yes, it IS hard to get a hold of them sometimes, but that's a lot of property management companies (and businesses in general). Call, leave a message, and call back again if you can't get a hold of them right away. My apartment did have some issues on move-in, but we documented them well and called immediately if something wasn't working. We kept our apartment clean, followed the rules, and got our full deposit back on move-out. Thanks for providing us with an easy experience! read more

This fake middle man business owner is a moron. I own 3 houses...2 in Santa Barbara and one in Oxnard. I have approx $2.5M in real estate so far. All paid for. I have over 700 credit with a 2019 bmw x3 m40i worth $70,000. He stated I have bad credit and not enough rental income from my houses to rent a $2600 apt in SB! GTFO!!! My family ...all they did was OWN real estate in SB (not manage like him)...28 properties including 2 apartment complexes in SB and Goleta. My properties I own now are managed by REAL management companies unlike this clown. As a prospective tenant you would think I would have no problem RENTING something. You would be wrong...Mr. Barflain needed my kidney as well...preferably with documentation that it's worth something. I wish this clown would retire he is a disgrace to the community. My grandfather helped the community with properties and housing...my father as well at SB housing authorities...this loser does not. The reviews are totally correct. Luckily I have lawyers and will look into what we can do. Thank For Nothing Moron!! Oh and the first time I went there they shredded my application as well. Totally normal to shred documents and not hand them back to you!!! Andre read more

They were very professional. Make sure you have $20 cash, or else they can't return $ to you when you take your key. Despite some of these other reviews Andrew is great and very professional. Cracked a few jokes. Apartment is beautiful and in a beautiful location. read more

I'm not sure why these other reviews are so terrible... I couldn't be more grateful for the staff at Bartlein who helped me! Finding an apartment in SB was already a nightmare, and they made it easy to get keys, view units, and apply. After we had applied, they were very responsive with letting us know how the process was going. We had a REALLY bad experience trying to deal with another landlord in the area a renting very similar unit, who took our application materials but refused to tell us if we were accepted or denied for weeks because they were waiting to see if anyone better would apply. Bartlien's process was extremely straightforward and fair. Once we had been approved and were ready to move in, we had a bunch of personal circumstances that led to us missing our appointment on a Saturday. However I was able to call their emergency services line (which answered right away) and track down both a key holder and rental specialist, who both were willing to DRIVE BACK TO THE OFFICE after hours, let us in, and sign our lease so we could move in that day. Thank you Ruby and Anthony for being so wonderful to us!! To be fair, the apartment itself leaves a lot to be desired, but we just willingly moved into the heart of Isla Vista so we got what we were expecting. However I'm also pretty sure we got the last apartment available for this school year, so we're stoked on that. Thank you Bartlien!! Because of you we're not homeless anymore :D read more

horrible experience on the phone with the owner. i was looking for someone to manage my property that I own. Sure seems like businesses are very lazy in santa barbara. If I consider opening a business in this town I sure won't have to work hard because there is unfortunately not enough competition here! read more

DO NOT RENT WITH THIS COMPANY. MONEY SCAMMERS !! I paid my rent for that month & still they deducted more money "for rent" when I had to get my deposit back. read more