Met with Suzanne Garity at 559 Main Street in Merced, CA 95340 16:45 hours 04/18/2025 at Rental Zebra office. I asked her if she received my email alerting of a tree damaging window and foundation at a rental property she manages. I also asked her if her flooring contractor Kevin passed my alert to her. Instead of showing appreciation she accused me of trespassing at the property's backyard which is impossible because the fence has no gate. I reminded her that's slander. Back in 2023 she accused me of trespassing and painting the neighbor's fence. I emailed her The Good Neighbor Fence Act allows me to paint my side and would not paint neighbor's side without written authorization and 50% payment. Rental Zebra is anything but black and white should rebrand Rental Zero. read more

Rental Zebra - Wild tree threatens window and foundation. - Property Management Near Me - Merced, California

Rental zebra is insultingly inhuman. this operation is a cash grab designed to prey on individuals who live in low-income small apartments. they took over an apartment I moved into about a week after I moved in, the point of contact I was given has literally never responded to a single attempt at contact, and all my work orders get closed without anything being done. the multiple wasp nests outside my unit, and the holes in my window screens are especially frustrating. on top of that, they installed washing machines that are controlled by smart phones that are more expensive than the coin op ones they had before, and just don't work. like I had to start going to a Laundromat across town because I can't do laundry on site anymore. if be surprised if the replies to reviews in this yelp page are even real people, it's probably a script or AI. I'm leaving as soon as my lease is up, and unless you have no other options, I would look elsewhere. this company is greedy, predatory, and lazy. It reeks of private equity and upper management who've never worked a day in their lives. Our onsite manager is a different story, he does everything he can to help us with the resources he is given. Rental zebra just hates him and all their tenants so they don't give him the resources necessary to do his job in a meaningful way. read more

I could give the property management ZERO stars I would have! Rental Zebra is a joke for property owners and tenants!!! They charge for everything and only respond when rent isn't paid properly because their system failed to update when rent was increased. Then they charge you with a late fee because apparently it's your job to change the amount of the rent when you pay. Mind you they charge 5.00 a month for technology fee and a processing fee to pay your rent. Oh and then trying to get a hold of someone when your well is working properly, or the ac until goes out, or you know just stuff we couldn't handle on our own. Oh and try getting anyone to help on the weekend. Yeah that's not even an option. We had to go down to the property owners daughter's home to get help when a pipe burst that was connected directly to the well. I was also told that that they wouldn't fix the dishwasher or the disposal because they aren't necessities. Never asking the property owner. Then he found would we fixed all that ourselves he was really disappointed in them. In this time of people being to barely be able to feed their children and find affordable housing this company (ran by a razzari) is out here scamming people. If you can find a home to rent with another company. And if you a property owner do yourself a favor and go with a company that actually properly manages the property and doesn't just take your money! read more

Rental Zebra - The rental company - Property Management Near Me - Merced, California

Greedy, laying thieves keeping deposits, adding bogus fees making up charges after the move out, as a tenant, would definitely stay away from. read more

Yall need to do something about the hospital rd apartments in Atwater I've been parked for 4hrs without being able to get home bc the events they do there and it's not fair getting of work and having to stay in a parking lot in a motorcycle bc the city is not aware about people living there and not get to sleep or shower knowing I have work at 4am read more

Very responsive, great company, friendly and very easy to work with. Highly recommend.

The team at Rent Zebra has continued to impress me with their clear communication and rapid response times. Hats off to their whole team.

very unprofessional, not responsive, the houses they rent out are very outdated , rat Infested, the fence Is completely falling apart, mold infested, they peep through your fences and windows, the only time they call is when they have an issue but not when you put in a maintenance order. would never recommend to others. slum lords to the max.they don't take care of the property AT ALL. just absolutely ridiculous. read more

We've been renting through Rental Zebra for the last year and everything was going well up to the point where they needed us to renew our lease. A rate increase is understandable, however, we needed one roommate off the lease addendum and a new one added. The new roommate did everything they were supposed to by filling out a credit app and turning it in, mind you this all took place prior to August 1st because we knew that we wanted to get everything squared away so we wouldn't become a problem renter. Unfortunately, after numerous calls, messages, and texts prior to the beginning of the month and the new roommate calling to try to be added to the payment portal, they weren't able to make it happen or return his call. I had to make another call and was finally told that he would be added, our addendum would be updated and we could proceed normally. Well, they did one thing, they finally added him to the payment portal but again no new addendum and then we noticed we were being accessed late fees. So you're going to charge us late fees when it was your responsibility to make sure that everyone could pay on time by being added to the portal that you promised to take care of and WE had to remind you? You're going to charge us late fees when we haven't signed the lease addendum that WE had to tell you to update and it is still not posted to the portal? It was very nice to receive a text from a new person that we have never spoken with that offered us a "one-time late fee waiver"... I've called the person who sent the text at the number she provided twice now and left messages about the situation and explaining that we wouldn't need a late fee waiver because their late fees are their problem and to do what they said they were going to do which was clear up the situation. I sent a text last night to this person and again explaining the situation and asking for a phone call. Still nothing. I signed on to the portal today and still no addendum however on top of their late fees I'm being charged a $10 a day late fee for not paying. Payment isn't the issue in fact the in the previous 12-months we have always paid on time. I'm happy to bring our payment up-to-date today and even pay their ridiculous late fees if I can be assured that those payments will be credited to our account next month. I have the owner of the home's contact information and will be happy to contact him directly if this isn't resolved soon. Perhaps people listing their properties for rent should think twice about who they choose because I'm sure there are other companies in the area that can at least return a phone call and do what they say they are going to do. All you have is your word and clearly, Rental Zebra's word doesn't mean much. read more

Response from Owner regarding a truthful review-- Petty and passive aggressive! Hi "A B." We would love the opportunity to discuss your frustrations with Rental Zebra directly. However, due to using an alias in your review, we can't locate you in our system. We are very proud to be a family owned and operated company, no quotations needed there. It is a privilege to provide housing to the communities we operate in, and to provide employment to our wonderful staff, some of whom are indeed family; and the many vendors we work with. In order to achieve our goal of providing consistently great service and quality work, we do expand and evolve our vendor data base, and grow our team. If you would like to dispute your security deposit charges, we would be glad to review them with you. You will need to contact our office with your name, not your alias, so we can assist you. Feel free to email me directly: Jamie@rentalzebra.com. Have a wonderful day! My response: No need for me to contact your office as I have done so OVER A DOZEN TIMES WITHOUT ANY RESOLUTION. Jamie- Kind of petty as a business owner to call me out " using an alias" I don't need to hear from you or anyone from your office. This is a correct and truthful review just because its negative, don't try to brush it under the rug like all the others or twist it around. Keep up with your revolving door, poor service and constant rent increases. read more

Highly recommend Rental Zebra if you are in the market of renting. The staff are knowledgeable and truly care. A++++ Business

Staff here is very friendly and professional. Ask for Dianna D. she is the best and can help you with all your needs.

I called them regarding their rental property in Manteca and emailed the gentleman. Rental Zebra is a property management company but unable to properly maintain their property in Manteca. I will work on getting the name of the owner of the rental property and I will go directly to them since this company is not doing anything to maintain the big tree at their backyard that messes up our fence. read more

Zero stars , my retired uncle and aunt rented 9 yrs thru zebra , bear creek condos , investors came in bought properties , zebra evicted my aunt uncle for no reason violated there 4th amendments renters rights , put the unit up sale with out them knowing , after being served i researched the property it was in escrow, i fought them thooth and nail for 11 months , they even eligally defrauded paper work to program healthy house out of back rent thousands , that was on paper saying my uncle owed lied i presented paper work on the false back rent that they tryed to get from program , 11 months of homeless ness two retired 70 yrs old went thru sad , we won , they had to give 9 yrs excellent rental rerfence and there record was sealed due to violated renters rights thank god i fought for them and won stressed out i was mental break down dont ever rent from zebra crooks. read more

We were NEVER late on our Rent in 3 yrs, but when it came time to move out, we spent 3 EXTRA($190) days doing what we could to make the place presentable, then they say WE owe them money...our $2500 deposit wasn't enough to cover all the repairs/maint. Another Company had our lease originally, so all I had was my word that a Window was broken upon move in.($250) another $350 to Install 5 mini blinds that cost under $20/ea. Long Story Short...LOOK AT EVERYTHING BEFORE MOVING IN AND TAKE LOTS OF PICS. read more

Company likes taking over properties but screws over the renters. This company likes conjuring up false money owed and doesnt care to accept 30 day notices until half way through the next month. Do not rent from these slum lords read more

2 weeks ago There are 1 star reviews from other google users on the same issue but they somehow manage to hide those reviews on google. They DO TRY AND TAKE YOUR SECURITY DEPOSIT. I got $27 of $1750 back but didn't expect all of it back. I'm not giving them a low rating based on this, though. First, they claimed they did not get my 30 day WRITTEN notice even though they knew I was moving. On their lease agreement the day you sign, they state they will contact you within 60 days of the lease's end. THEY DIDN"T CONTACT ME AT ALL. I initially contacted them end of August, and my move out was October. Because of some glitch in their crappy APPFOLIO email (DO NOT EMAIL by REPLYING to THEIR email- you really should CALL THEM, ask them for their EMAILS, HAVE THEM SPELL IT OUT,, and then ask for an ALTERNATE email, and then CC yourself, and email everyone, and then CALL them to ask if they received it, and then CALL them AGAIN to confirm second time. Because they REALLY, REALLY want that EXTRA BUCK. Why am I saying this? Because I have copies of my email that I sent them my 30 day notice, and still they wanted an extra month's rent. I should've just kept the keys until November because legally, I could've stayed til the prorated day (they charged me only for 26 days haha that's just ME being nice, not them) they charged me for but hell I wanted out of that poop-hole house so I gave them the keys early. I really did send them the document, but the problem was, it was REPLIED through their APPFOLIO THREAD EMAIL and "they never got it". Whatever, I didn't have time to argue. When the property manager and the inspections personnel THAT WORK FOR THEM TELL YOU THAT THEY CHARGE A LOT for random small things like lightbulbs, you know that's bad when their own peeps know what's considered reasonable. Thats why I didn't think I was going to get anything back. But hey, $27 out of $1750 is better is better than 0, right? The most BIZARRE thing and most negative experience is that I came into the property with a DEAD AND WEED filled lawn. Also, they did NOT clean the unit that well, (see photos of my first move day inspection) but I guess thats a lesser problem. The yard thing bothers me- because the lawn was dead and they so charging $325 is kinda stupid for a dead yard you were given. However, if they worded like "removing trunks" I probably wouldn't have said much. You might want to ask them for a perfect yard to start with because THEY WILL charge you for it. The good: My property manger Juan was pretty hands off but took care of everything quickly so I really liked him, but probably the only thing I liked about rental zebra. Oh, they have online billing, too. (this has nothing to do with rental zebra but IF YOU RENT their managed property 639 EL PORTAL in MERCED, be warned, it is a hoarder's house. The owner actually wants you to keep her vintage TVs and 8 sets of large speakers in there and she told them she'd like it kept in there. She wants all her random things in the garage as well. It was a pretty old house. But yeah, that's why the most I'd ever give them was 4/5 stars. You can imagine when I found the place relatively dirty upon move in what I thought. Funny because I knew I was going to be charged for the cleaning, someone local to the area told me they charge a lot out of the deposit for it no matter how you left it so I didn't bother to clean at all. Granted it was pretty clean the way I left it but I cared not to "deep clean" the sink, the fridge, sweep the garage floor or dust the baseboards so I didn't mind the $185 unit cleaning) ALSO, if anyone responds to this review like Jamie T below, trust me, they're just doing it to pretend they'd solved it somehow to make you happy. The truth is we all just leave with the bird flipped to their direction and just thank god we won't rent from them again. read more

See all

I am stunned that Rental Zebra has any favorable ratings given our experience with this property management company. They repeatedly demonstrate 1) that they are unwilling to honor their terms of the lease (e.g., canceling service requests from the portal without correcting problems such as mold and leaks), 2) that they are willing to use intimidation tactics to coerce tenants to perform specific tasks that are not explicitly required in the lease (e.g., ominous notices to acquiesce to their informally preferred level of curb appeal), and 3) that they are willing to falsify legal documentation (e.g., indicating and requiring signed agreement that inspections were conducted when they were not). -- Staff in the office do behave cordially in short exchanges, but they maintain an extreme distance from tenants by attaching fines and fees to any action that is done in person (e.g., paying rent, delivering paper communications, etc.). Indeed, the superficiality of this atmosphere masks an otherwise deceptive and unethical system of practices. -- As a liaison to the UC system who's been living and working on Merced's campus for the past three years, I can not in good faith go without posting ample warning to incoming student populations or other families seeking honest and stable living arrangements. My preferred rating for Rental Zebra is '0' stars due to unethical practices and predatory behavior toward tenants who are often vulnerable persons and families who require stability. read more

We've been in our rental coming up on 7 years, a little into our time here Rental Zebra bought the property. Ever since they have been our management company things have been great! They got even better though when Cristen took over the Oregon portion! She's so easy to get ahold of, she replies to emails super quickly and she's really an all around great person! I would recommend rental zebra to anyone! 5 stars deserved! read more

The relationship started great. Erin was great, never had an issue with her. Issues arose at the end of the lease. I was in contact with Mary who is the accounting administrator. She had me feel out my 30 day notice form so the lease would not be renewed and was assured in email that i would not be liable for the rent of January as long as the form was completed on time. That was a lie. As after i moved out, i received a invoice for said rent of January. After, speaking to another employee on the phone, they disregarded the email and said I still owed them the rent, claiming the lease was up a month later and i was breaking the lease by moving out. I was given false information by Mary and with proof of Mary's statements, all they cared about was the money. Glad to be washed of them. I would not refer them to my worst enemy. They will try to screw you anyway they can. Avoid them at all costs. read more

Rental Zebra - This is the email about January's rent that I would not be liable for from Mary. - Property Management Near Me - Merced, California

TL;DR: If you're new to Merced and/or an undergraduate in the area, I would avoid Rental Zebra at all cost. Save yourself a headache. They seem to have slumlord-like tendencies. My spouse and I are pretty rational people and have always been good renters. We've never experienced anything like what we experienced with Rental Zebra. Something as important as a home was made to feel like it was just so unimportant and on the back-burner. During the near-year we lived at the property, we had so much anxiety about all the problems that existed with the unit, that it really affected our day-to-day lives. We may have stayed at the property longer had Rental Zebra done a better job of communicating with us and solving problems. Throughout our time renting with Rental Zebra, it was pretty difficult to get ahold of anyone for help on maintenance, information, etc. When we first moved in, the unit was hardly in move-in condition (the unit had clearly not been cleaned, there were many remnants leftover from the previous tenants, several things were broken, etc.), and we had made several maintenance requests which were never fulfilled. We ended up having to fix/replace most of the broken things on our own. Granted, we lived at the property during COVID, so that probably had something to do with the radio silence, but Rental Zebra has a duty as a property management company to fulfill super reasonable maintenance requests, and they just never did. No one even addressed our requests, either. It was like Rental Zebra pretended we didn't actually have any requests to begin with. We dealt mostly with Shaylynn, Brandy, and Juan Bravo. Shaylynn was super helpful, and very reliable, but we were instructed to not go through her because she seems to bring people into the renting process, but doesn't manage. Brandy fell off the face of the earth soon after we moved in, and we never heard from her again. Juan Bravo came in at the very end, after we had put in our 30-day notice, to manage that, I guess. We heard very little from Juan Bravo in the first place, and eventually stopped hearing from him altogether, despite repeated attempts to contact him. We also talked with Marina Ortega, who apparently left the company or was let go, and Diana Romero, who we heard from one time, but only to tell us Marina no longer worked there. Overall, we were tossed around to several people, and received very little help and guidance on maintenance issues, as well as the move-out process. Once we had all collectively gotten used to lockdown, it was still really difficult to get ahold of anyone at Rental Zebra. Our move-out process was difficult as well because it was hard to come by any confirmation that our lease was indeed finished (granted we moved out--with ample notice--before our lease-end, so that muddled things, but I don't know that our early move warranted radio silence). The only way we for sure knew our lease was up was when we received our security deposit in the mail. Some kind of verbal or written confirmation beforehand would have been nice, so we could have avoided a lot of frustration and anxiety. Rental Zebra seems to have really poor communication, as well as high staff turnover. Given all the move-in issues we experienced, we had to constantly update new staff on issues/requests via email, which again were never fulfilled. Finally, Rental Zebra, though based in Merced, seems to be pretty decentralized with virtual offices all over. Whether it was because of this arrangement or COVID, we ended up talking to very few people in-person/on the phone, and did most things through email (which felt a little scammy from time-to-time). Overall, I would actively encourage people to not rent from Rental Zebra. read more

Live here for 5 years and Cristen Fazal is great.

I rented with Rental Zebra for several years and what I liked best about their service was the automated service they have so that rent, work needed and all my past payment etc was all online and I had access to it all. read more

They cater to slum lords. You are not their priority. Their priority is their customer's, you are a tenant. Your money goes to the owner of the property who pays RENTAL ZEBRA for their services. RENTAL ZEBRAS priority is to provide the most return for the owner while collecting their fee WITHOUT extra expenses, (I.E. the air conditioner does not work, I have a major leak, there's raw sewage flooding my house. If they don't send someone over in a timely manner, don't count on someone showing up. They send the cheapest handyman from Craig's list they they can find). Unfortunately, I'm still under their thumb. I would advise against doing business with them. If you must do business with them, document every inch of the property to be thorough. Cover you a$$!!! read more

Our property management company for the last 10 years recently retired and the business was sold to Rental zebra. We have been very pleased with Rental zebra's management of our rental property in Merced. We find them to be very proactive and efficient. We intend to stay with Rental zebra for management and appreciate their personal service. read more

I loved my place that I was staying in, comfortable and secluded, until I started having problems with my sink, which I am not mad about. Juan Bravo is horrible in the customer service field, apparently his phone is always dead or just does not know how to use it...It took him a little bit over 2 weeks to get back to me leaving me and my pregnant girlfriend with a foul smell from our sink. Mind you our place did not have a dish washer so we ate off paper plates. It is not my job to fix it or call a plumber but I took initiative and fixed the problem myself. Then Juan credited me a 100 dollars off my rent, pretty pathetic if you ask me. They totally violated rental law procedures and continued to ignore me even with me going into their office 3 times. Seeing the look on Juan's face and his body language said it all as he did not give a care at all. Also don't think it is very professional to giggle and smirk as I walk into their office from people that are supposed to accommodate you. This is not the first complaint about Juan. Please be better at managing and taking care of your tenants. read more

I was in property management myself for a very long time, so I really appreciate a job well done. The entire staff at Zebra have been kind, patient, professional and very quick to respond to the few maintenance repairs I've submitted. I'd recommend them to all comers!! read more

We lived in our property for just about 2 years when we decided to move, we started off with Salvadori Property Management and then right before we moved, our management switched to Rental Zebra. When we moved into our property, we had a lot of things missing that Rental Zebra ended up making us pay for when we moved out. We tried explaining over and over again saying we never had certain things to begin with but they basically told us we were screwed and had to pay it anyway. We had a month to pay our bill and we had concerns but they never contacted us till the very last minute our bill was due. read more

I have been renting my home for about 5 months now. Cristen Fazal is my Land Lord and has been so kind and caring with me. She has worked with me with anything I have asked of her. She always responds to my emails within an hour, and truly is the best landlord I have ever come across. I would recommend her to absolutely anyone. read more

Rented a home from them for 2-1/2 years and was very pleased with their professionalism and property management. The personal attention given us by Erin and by Juan was very much appreciated. We will definitely recommend them and use them again. read more