From Jasmin and Steve:…read more
Tl;dr best apartment we ever had.
We lived at Bel Mark Apartments from July 2017 to March 2022. So, almost 5 years. We lived in a 2 bedroom, 2 bath, corner unit that was about 1,100 square feet. We had 1 parking spot reserved in the gated garage. For the entirety of our tenancy, we paid $2,495 per month in rent, $90 for water, and usually around $30 for electricity. In-unit appliances were on the newer side, but not stainless steel, with almost no needs aside from regular maintenance. Laundry is communal and used to be all coin-operated, but they transitioned to a vendor so you can now use an app. The mail area has been upgraded with package and letter theft-proof infrastructure.
Bel Mark is close to San Leandro BART and other public transit. It's not too far from both the 880 and 580 freeways if you drive. We were literally walking distance from Downtown San Leandro, where we could go to the Farmer's Market, local restaurants and bars, the main library, beautiful parks, and more besides. There is always some background noise since it's an apartment in a major metro area, but nothing unusual for those used to living in a city. We never experienced any safety or crime issues personally and always felt very safe walking around, even at night. Our neighbors were the best kind for a big apartment building, pleasant and private.
There's so much to say about our time in that apartment... I have included some pictures that don't have people in them so you can get an idea of what the place looks like. But it's more than that. Both of my daughters learned to walk on the carpeted and vinyl flooring. We hosted birthdays, holiday dinners, and movie nights in our living room. We survived the beginning of the pandemic there! It was an amazing place for us.
Dalia, Thalia, and Loretta were the property managers we worked with during our tenancy and they are/were phenomenal! They were super helpful whenever we had a maintenance request or other issue. We could reach them easily via phone, email, or in-person at the front desk. They would hold packages for us just in case we weren't home. When we had flooding from an upstairs neighbor, they went above and beyond to ensure we were compensated and/or accommodated as needed, whether that was covering some of our electricity bills, providing extra convenience tools, or giving us access to an empty unit for temporary use. They even worked with us on our move-out condition to ensure we maximized our deposit refund. They also had a great personal touch, always asking about our family and sharing updates about theirs with us too.
Luis and Ramon, the main groundskeepers, were prompt, thorough, and could fix anything. They repaired faucets, fixtures, cabinets, appliances, and more. They made sure to leave everything looking as neat and clean as the day we moved in. They were able to perform major repairs in just a couple of hours at most. When we needed updates to our lighting units, they even gave us free upgraded bulbs!
While I know tenant and landlord relationships are often fraught, tense, and complicated, I can honestly say that we loved our time at Bel Mark. Even during the rare occasions when there were problems, the staff did everything they could to make us feel comfortable and ensure we understood whatever our options were. Maybe we got lucky and, if so, then we hope you do too if you choose to move there yourself! We highly recommend this place if you're looking for housing in the area.
