Remember the name: David Mouallem! David Mouallem! David Mouallem! Biggest bait and switch, lying, cowardly, dishonorable scam artist in existence! He stole $3980 from me, and I am seeking legal action to get it back. Let's go down the list through each lie in order, shall we?... - Told me tenants would be out by July 15. It is July 19 and they are still there. THE FIRST LIE! - He wanted the $1990 security deposit without letting me see the place. I was hesitant, but relented because we had talked on the phone a few times, texted a lot, and I had research him and he and his company seemed legit. He said we would schedule a viewing once the deposit was made. I deposited it. THE SECOND LIE!...Then suddenly, he said I needed first and last month's rent to view the place because the owner was in a rush to rent it. I was frustrated, but talked him down to first month's rent only because I really wanted to get out of my current place. I paid first month's rent as well, so $3980 total has been paid without a viewing. - The address and listing were completely wrong. THE THIRD LIE! The listing was for 1815 10th St. Santa Monica, CA. I happened to be in the area and went by the address to ease my paranoia. Nothing on the outside looked like the photos on Westside Rentals except the color of the building. I had good conversations with some of the tenants who all verified that David Mouallem was, in fact, their property manager as well. - Two days ago, we finally, we schedule a viewing for 10:00 AM today (July 19 Saturday). Suddenly, yesterday he says they can only do Monday. THE FOURTH LIE! We settled on 5:00 PM today. I arrived on time. By 5:30 PM, I had called and texted him over 60 times total with ZERO response. I ran into the current tenant of the unit and asked if she was moving out. She looked surprised and said "No". I said I was sorry to bother her and eventually left the property. David finally returned my texts but would not answer the phone because he was afraid of how (rightfully) upset I would be. Here's the kicker...He said this wasn't even the right apartment complex! I told him to refund everything I paid him immediately. He asked how, and I said to Venmo it along with $50 gas money for standing me up. He said okay. I said that it had to be in the next hour or I would do exactly what I'm doing right now typing this. It's been two hours and I have NO VENMO NOTIFICATION for my refund. Do NOT rent from this man or his realty "company"! Because of him, I am now in dire straits at my current place because they think I'm moving out. The stress this has caused me while being a full-time student and employee is innumerable. By the way, I STILL haven't met him face to face! I am making it my life's mission to make sure everyone knows how awful this man is and -- if I don't get my money back -- will continue to leave this review on every site I can and make sure he gets fired. I'm a patient person, and this man tested my every nerve along this path of despair onto which he led me. Oh, and he will DEFINITELY leave a reply on this denying everything, despite the fact that I have plenty of digital proof. Good luck everyone! read more

Worst landlord ever slum lord millionaire! Do not move into anything he rents! NEVER FIXED A THING!! If you ask for basics to be fixed they'll say" you can just move" that says everything. I finally moved after 15 years paid rent every 1st btw via zelle and this guy was hounding me down to watching in us move out and coming back every 5 min to see if we're done. Go to hell! read more

I've been renting from David twice now. First a property in Palms and then my current one in Santa Monica. When I've had maintenance problems, he has always been fast to send one right away. He also relocated me to another apartment in Santa Monica when I asked for that area instead. His company has been amazing since I started renting from him. Be aware of scammers as they have been posting on Westside Rentals and other places. I've had people showing up and ask to see my apartment as scammers used my apartment to scam others on Westside Rentals. I let David know right away about it as I knew it was not his number they used in their ads. His company is amazing and I highly recommend to rent from him. read more

David was the best landlord I have ever had. He was so hands on with anything me or my roommates needed and was very understanding. I cannot recommend renting from him enough! He has a wonderful staff team ready to help with any issue you may have at the apartment within the day. Anytime we had any issues they were resolved within the day. He is fair, kind, and reasonable which is not easy to find in a landlord these days. Do yourself a favor and rent from him :) read more

I lived in one of DM Realty's buildings for over 9.5 years. When I moved in, I was a single dog-owner and needed an affordable pet-friendly place to live. The apartment I found wasn't ideal, but it hit the mark at the time. A few days before my move-in day, the apartment hadn't been cleaned (floors needed to be swept/vacuumed, blinds and window sills were filthy from road dirt, there was a broken blind, the windows were rotting and several panes had cracks, some windows didn't even open, some windows were missing screens and some couldn't be closed all the way to be locked, the bathroom heater was broken, a closet door was broken, plus there was cockroach defecation everywhere - fun photos attached to this review!). In addition, some of the previous tenant's furniture was still there. When I asked DM Realty why the furniture hadn't been removed, David replied that he thought I might want it (seriously?). It took 3+ months to have the move-in repairs list taken care of. Over the years, there were various maintenance issues that DM Realty rarely addressed appropriately. David's excuse was always, "dis building hundred year old!" (So what? How is that my problem?) The building is (to this day) full of termites. Whenever we had a pest issue (rats included!), we were told to call Western Exterminator ourselves to schedule an inspection. Western Exterminator would always come to inspect, they'd send the repair quote to DM Realty which David would then ignore and he'd come "spray" any bugs on his own with a can of whatever from the grocery store. In the spring of 2015, my boyfriend (now husband) moved in. DM Realty charged an additional 10% for rent, and never put him on the lease. To this day, I'm still not sure how the cost of rent increases with another body in the home. In the winter of 2017, we discovered an incredibly large mold infestation in two closets (every single wall, plus the ceiling and all over our personal belongings), and three exterior walls (our bathroom shower was covered in mold, coming in from the wall). It took David two weeks to respond to our request, and he wanted his maintenance crew to come in and paint over the mold. When I refused this and requested a mold inspector to come instead, David threatened us with eviction. I had to call both the health and housing departments to come inspect, as well. I suspect that this tipped them off to the condition of the building, and the housing department has come to inspect the building every other year since (you're welcome, neighbors!). The building's property is not secure. On multiple occasions, we had violent squatters in the laundry rooms and garages, theft and then 5 months before we moved out, we had an attempted break-in to our apartment (which David cared less about). One time about 5 years back, we found someone in our laundry room smoking meth, with his pants down. On a separate occasion about a month later, I was punched in the face by an intruder. The back gate to the property never closed properly and overhead garage doors were always broken (stuck open/couldn't close), leaving easy access for intruders. After the laundry room/meth occasion, I requested that security screens be installed on the laundry rooms (which thankfully was done, shocking). When the pandemic began, we received the annual rent increase notice. We paid the increased rent rate for 8 months before I realized that for rent-controlled buildings in the city of Los Angeles, rent was not allowed to be increased during the city's emergency period. Our rent checks were being cashed every month at the increased rate, and DM Realty never told us otherwise. We had to deduct the 8-month overpayment ourselves from our January 2021 rent check, or we would have never been refunded for the overpaid balance due to us. The day we mailed our 30-day move-out notice was the best day of our lives. Prior to move-out, we cleaned the apartment and my goodness, it looked so much better than the day I moved in. David admitted in writing that he entered our apartment on our last day without 24 hours' notice (while we were still tenants with rent paid), and refused to give us a partial refund for the day's rent. His excuse for this was, "In fact. We discovered. Later. Some blinds are not working. Missing sd." Blinds have a three-year lifespan. You can't make any deductions on normal wear and tear. If you're renting for over three years, the property manager can't deduct on the carpet, paint, or blinds, because they have a three-year lifespan (https://www.eastbaypmc.com/security-deposit-return-california/). In summary, you get what you pay for. Cheap rent, cheap property management. If you can afford to live elsewhere, don't live in a building managed by DM Realty. read more

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David and his team are such amazing people to rent from. They were incredibly accommodating during our move in process and respond within 24 hours of any maintenance requests. They care about their tenants and it truly shows! read more

I rented with David for 13 years before recently moving out. For that long of a rental I bugged him for years and every time David responded and heard my concerns. He and his team Elias and John were always a pleasure to talk to and always enjoyed joking around with them. David always made a genuine effort to make sure things were good and always listened when I nagged him about everything. In my last month of saying goodbye, David and Elias (head of maintenance) made it super easy to move into my new spot. I'm going to always bug David wherever I live. read more

For the year that I lived in David's property, he was, hands down, the best landlord. Not only an incredibly kind person, but he also took excellent care of his properties. Whenever an issue in the house arose (not that there were many), it was solved immediately. Lines of communication were clear and easy. David is truly an excellent landlord. read more

I rented from DM Realty for over 8 years. Great landlord. No issues, and easy communication with David and his staff. Be fair to them, and they'll be fair to you. read more

David and his team were very professional, and would go out of there way to make sure everything was okay with any problems that may have occurred. I would like to thank DM Realty for allowing me to be a tenant, and always being attentive to any issues that have came about since I moved in. I would high recommend DM Realty. read more

Super easy going yet responsive landlord. Didn't raise rent once during COVID and gave a month free at the height of it. David and maintenance guys were friendly and responsive. read more

David is the best landlord. He is very attentive and takes care of any problems fast and efficient. His service team is first rate. David genuinely cares about his tenants encourages you to make your apartment your home. He made my transition moving in smooth. If you're in the market for an apartment, look no further, DM Realty is second to none. Thanks David! You're the best! read more

I lived at an apartment block for over 3 years. I was there because it was cheap rent and located in a convenient spot - for someone with a baby and not driving for the longest time. Anyway, the screen doors at all 12 apartments were busted and bad shape. One side of the complex had all their screen doors replaced; my side didn't - BUT we had new windows! That should keep us happy, right? I....guess. Except I really REALLY needed a new frickin' screen door - that would lock shut so I can keep the front door open - not JUST for security reasons but also to keep my 18 month old at the time from pushing it open constantly. On the 2nd floor with a loose screen door and young child? No. I emailed David requesting a new screen door in April 2013. APRIL 2013 - it never came. I asked him to at least repair the damaged one with a lock - there's only so much repair that can happen on a door frame that's beaten with holes from previous "repairs". I eventually moved out and not having had a new screen door was a major reason. Guess what. The screen door was replaced before the new tenant moved in. Also, are you thinking about moving out soon?? GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING!!! Do NOT assume that David is doing you a favour. Ever. Your deposit will know it. He kept a portion of my deposit saying the apartment needed cleaning and also charged me for "missing" blinds. Here's some backstory: when we moved in, the blinds were dirty and not in great shape. I decided that I wanted them taken down and taken away so Elias happily removes them 3 years ago so I can get my own curtains. No one mentioned that there'd be a charge. Maybe I should have made it clear in writing there and then but I didn't. Anyway so he said they spent $150 on new blinds. I asked for a receipt. Didn't get one. And then the story changed to me being charged for the INSTALLATION of new blinds. Again, why am I being charged for something that they took away? Or even the installation of? I asked for receipts, and got some hand-scribbled notes from Elias with fake charges and then a hefty pretend discount. Weird. Honestly, I'm not going to spend much more time on small things like kitchen cupboards painted over and over that the paint literally peels off into your pans. Just remember to get everything in writing. Or be prepared to get shafted. My biggest disappointment was not getting the screen door fixed or replaced as that concerned the safety of my child. read more

I lived in an apartment with DM Realty for over a year and can only say good things! The deal was amazing for the location in Santa Monica we had. If there was ever any issues with maintenance or anything it was fixed right away with extra care and I felt very taken care of. David was such a nice, flexible, understanding, and great landlord! Be a good resident you'll be treated even better in return. read more

Bait & Switch. We've been renting for over 4 years. We live in a 1961 building which has NEVER been renovated or replaced. It has been "patched." We originally signed with David because he was friendly, personable and quick to agree with problems that needed immediate attention. That was only the first month. Now that we've been there "beyond our time," our rent is increased every year without any improvement. Please understand, after 4 years of being there, we've just recently called with ONE major complaint. We were told by David that if we didn't like it, we "should just go buy a house." True story. Yes, the rent is cheap---but when you're dealing with a 40 year old furnace that has never been maintained and DWP is frightened by it; when you're dealing with cracked tiles that have been replaced with non-matching tiles to patch and the grout is allowing water to seep thru to the boards; when you're dealing with holes in the wall behind the cupboard to which they offer to "patch" (with a piece of paper and spackle--as has been done before for the last 50 years); when you're dealing with a reasonable facade from the apartment and from the manager himself ---a facade that crumbles with the slightest request, I implore you to look elsewhere. DM Realty is there to put off what should be done, and all of us are just a bottom line--not humans trying to live in a decent space. read more

Professional, personable, prompt! We were renting a property that was managed by DM Realty for over 3 years. These guys are PRO by all means! A prompt response for every call with a great service and best service team. We never had to wait more than a day, all issues were taken care right away in the best way. We were very pleased with David and his team. I would definitely recommend DM Realty to anybody! read more

David is the best! It's so hard trying to find a rental when you're moving to the US from Australia, but David made the process super easy, affordable, and stress free! The process was so quick and easy, is use DM Realty again in a second. Thanks David!! read more

DM Realty is the best management company I have ever worked with, they are professional, compassionate and always on top of every task given to them. I especially enjoy dealing with David he always helps me every time I call, always easy to reach and cares for all his tenants. read more

I was a tenant of David's for 2 1/2 Years, and from our first day as his tenants to our last, David has been such a joy to have as a landlord. He really helps guide his tenants through the moving process. We always felt safe in our building and David always responded right away if you had a concern. I highly suggest DM reality! read more

Yes on everything good about David & his company. 2009 - Helped move my stuff in; that's amazing. Reasonable rent. 2016 - I got my deposit back (note: I kept my apt. in order ) David & DM realty cared - that always means a lot to me. read more

A pleasure having David as my landlord the past 4 years. He is a creative and responsive professional. I enjoyed my interactions with him. Very highly recommend DM Realty. read more

David is the best landlord! I've been his tenant for almost 3 years and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon! David is very attentive but not overbearing (as many landlords tend to be in LA). He is very quick to respond to any and all concerns. I highly recommend DM Realty! read more

My wife and I rented a beautiful apartment from DM Realty for over five years. Having David as our landlord was truly pleasant. He is very laid back and truly wants you to make his properties your own. We also loved how responsive his handyman, Elias, was to every text message we sent when we needed maintenance. If you are in the market for a new place, look no further! DM Realty provided us with a place we could actually call...home. read more

Great owner! Small real estate company. The owner David Mouallem is sweet and personable. He repairs properties right away. The apartments are large cheap and he allows pets! (I have a 40lbs. Lab mix and he as no problem with it.) I cannot imagine renting from anyone else. He has properties in Santa Monica, Beverlywood, Los Angeles, and Mid City West. I have lived in his property since July 2010, I haven't had any problems yet. My apartment is going to be my home for a long while. read more

The owner, David Mouallem is a slumlord. He is hands off in a terrible way. If you have a problem with another tenant, he will tell you to solve it yourself. If you have a problem with a homeless person staying on the property he will tell you it happens. While I was still living in my apartment, he gave my cell phone number to potential future tenants without my knowledge or permission so I could show my apartment (by myself, as a single female living there alone). Imagine my surprise when I got a text from "James" asking if he could swing by to see the apartment after work. Nice. When he opened my apartment without my permission (on the 31st, after MOST of my stuff was out, but not all), my tools and various other items were stolen. He never took responsibility for the stolen tools or for opening up the place while I was still paying rent for it. Bottom line: If you want to run shady operations out of your apartment, this landlord is your man. He won't bother you or confront you. If you want to actually live in a respectable, well kept place, look elsewhere. read more

Best landlords I've ever had. David and his team are courteous, fair, and prompt with repairs. Really the best relationship I've had as a renter. read more

I've lived at one of DM Realty's properties for 2 years. We have always received exception service. If there is ever a needed repair we can count on his maintenance crew to quickly fix the issue. David is a great guy who is honest and fair. He makes sure you are happy as a tenant, which is something that is a rare find in LA, especially with the larger management companies. I would highly recommend DM Realty. read more

What a great experience I had with DM Realty! I've lived in several apartments throughout the years and this was my most pleasant experience so far. Stuff that needed to be fixed was fixed fast, communication was always very clear and professional. David is a great guy, running a great company. I would highly recommend. read more

David is kind and personable. I've been living in one of his apartments for almost 6 years and I don't have any issues except minor fix such as when toilet gets clogged but that's nothing. Thanks for taking care of the apartments! read more

David is a great landlord. Very laid back and easy to talk with. Keeps to his word. Very honest and trustworthy. It was the first mine and my husband's first apartment together after we got married and we had a great experience. Cute vintage building with a lot of windows. Great neighborhood and well kept property. Thanks again David! read more

David was a good, personable, fair, and respectful landlord. His maintenance team, especially Elias, we're always quick to respond and very helpful! Cheap rent at a highly accessible location. read more

As far as landlords go, he's not bad. He has a lot of buildings and a lot tenants. He's a nice guy though. Check out your other neighbors before renting (meet them three time). They may have loud dogs, a newborn, or what not. Most of my neighbors are great. The landlord is very eager to rent the apartments. He usually gives you a discount on the first year. Good prices, but he will increase your rent EVERY year 3%. The buildings are maintained pretty well although they are fairly older. We've had quite a bit of vandalism and there's a bit of theft. Hope this helps. read more

Our property manager David is always friendly and responsive. For example, a few weeks ago our fridge stopped working. Within a few days, we had a brand new fridge delivered!!! 5 stars!!! read more

I David was friendly, personable and honest. During my relocation, he allowed me to negotiate my relocation contract and he came through with everything as promised. I did not have much time with him as a landlord. read more

David is a great landlord. We were so lucky to met him. He made it easy for us to start living in the apartment that we want, he even allow us to start moving in a couple days before our contract starts, and that was really helpful. The crew he has maintaining the property are really good at their job, and you can count on them when you need them to come and fix something. Thanks for everything Amador! I very highly recommend DM Realty. Thank you very much, David. read more

David is nice and friendly. We gets lots of help from him and we really appreciate him. When we had an emergency, we called him and he came to our apartment on that day and solved the problem. Really helpful. Thank you David always!!! read more

David has made my friend highly uncomfortable and was difficult to work with. His business is run shadily and he made comments that were bordering on harassment. The apartment she stayed in was ill-maintained and had several problems, particularly in the bathroom. Repairs made by Elias were subpar. Please avoid this man and any apartment under his management. read more

I have been renting from DM Realty for over two years now. The owner, David, has been very responsive to any problems or requests I have had. His buildings are somewhat older but they are all very well taken care of, both inside and out. The apartment is in a great location and the price is reasonable. In short, I couldn't really ask for much more, especially in LA where it is really difficult to find a nice place at a price I can afford. I have noticed that his vacancies are filled quickly, and are usually few and far between, so if you see an opening--take it! read more

I have been renting an apartment managed by DM Realty for the past six months, and although the building is old, the owner and manager, David, maintains it beautifully. What is more, any problem, especially at the time of moving in when there are little things missing, such as curtains, or bath towel bars, etc. is taken care of on the spot. David is truly the most courteous and attentive landlord I have ever rented from. read more

My roommates and I moved in early this month and so far have been very happy with our experience with DM Reality. We accidentally broke a window and they were quick to fix it for us without charge. Both David and his son Marc are very helpful and obliging and are quick to respond to any questions/needs/concerns that we have. We are thoroughly happy with our decision to move here! read more