We were tenants of a property managed by River City for less than a year. To Debbi's credit, if there was ever a repair to be made, it was handled quickly. However, the story below outlines how River City Management mishandled our security deposit, and probably has been doing so for many tenants over the years. The issue for us came when we decided to terminate our lease early (before our 1-year term). River City took this opportunity to take more money from our deposit than they were entitled to take, according to the California Civil Code. CA Civil Code 1950.5(b) clearly states that only 3 things can be deducted from a security deposit: unpaid rent (of which there was none), the cost of cleaning the rental unit (which we meticulously performed before moving out and they did not have performed), and damage to the unit beyond normal wear and tear (which they verified there was none). Well, the lease that River City writes includes an extra $1,200 fee for moving out early to cover their "damages", which they deducted from our security deposit. This is against the law, as cited above. They also broke Civil Code 1671(d) for charging us liquidated damages, despite not providing any proof of any damages they actually incurred. (Not one day of rent was missed between us and the subsequent tenant.) We tried very politely to ask for evidence of damages incurred, and we even tried to respectfully refer them to the civil code, so that they may be more informed of the law and work with us on a reasonable resolution. They declined any effort to work with us despite the facts of this issue. Debbi called us rude and disrespectful, despite our sincere and very intentional effort to gently bring this to their awareness. Well, given that they had illegally taken money from our security deposit, and they were clearly not interested in working out a compromise, we eventually filed a small claims lawsuit against River City Management. It was not until after they were served that they tried to engage in good faith with us (without trying to belittle us or put us down). This is when they finally decided to settle out of court with us. Sadly, I am sure we are not the only tenants from whom they have illegally deducted money from a security deposit. Please know your rights as a tenant when you engage with any property management company, but especially River City Management. And always be respectful. read more

Debbi is fantastic and the River City Mgmt. Team have been very helpful and often going 'above and beyond' over several years. Very professional and always responsive to questions and/or providing answers. They work with reliable vendors and I cannot say enough about their customer service. I worked in a customer-facing environment and wish more companies were like them! read more

Untrustworthy and shady business practice. Discrimination and poor communication. Avoid at all costs. I filled out an application, provided overly sufficient documentation and was told I was 1 of 2 in consideration. I had a lovely conversation with Yolanda, she told me she was only considering me and the one other woman at the showing, they turned around to run my credit despite knowing they were not offering it to me, which Yolanda assured me she would not do as she is the one who runs them. Told 3 applications were presented to the owners. When I called less than 24 hours later to inquire I was told "it's been rented". The housing market might be tough, but you don't have to treat people like trash. read more

Make sure you scroll down to the bottom of this review page and click on the link for "filtered reviews". There have been five reviews filtered out (so that they don't count in the star rating for this place) and, not surprisingly, all five are one-star reviews. REALLY take this into consideration!! **** Just know that if you have a pet, you'll lose your pet deposit regardless of how clean you leave the place. Also, they'll charge you $250-$350 for cleaning the blinds. Technically, this is against the state rental code, but they get away with it under the premise that that's how they gave it to you. It doesn't matter--this is still not legal. But good luck getting your money back. read more

This rental company is awful! Don't use! Message me for details. But yes run! Avoid!

I am writing this review as a a warning to others who might be thinking of using this agency. If I could give River City Property Management & Sales MINUS stars, I would, and my 3 room-mates wholeheartedly echo my sentiments. From the first month we moved into one of the rentals, we had only problems. Debbi was (admittedly) unfamiliar with the property we rented and the place was a neglected dump (an EXPENSIVE dump). Ms. Hart is pathetically unprofessional, exceedingly difficult to reach and to communicate with when one is able to reach her. Her written communication is so poor, it is frequently incomprehensible. The office had chronic difficulty in dealing with our complaints as their tenants - but Ms. Hart certainly had no difficulty collecting our rent every month. In retrospect, I would go so far as to say that this agency might actually have intention to rip off tenants from the time a lease is signed. My room-mates and I had AMPLE reason(s) to break our lease early, which we did. Debbi is a rude, unhelpful, vindictive woman. I would NEVER recommend renting from River City Property (mis)Management to anyone. I am sorry to have to rate the place so badly, but I genuinely believe that a dishonest agency like this one should not go unchecked and be allowed to continue mistreating the public it claims to serve. read more

I'd select 0 Stars if Possible... I responded to a craigslist ad that RIVER CITY MGT had posted, 7438 Versailles Way - 2br - $1300 rental, via email, And she responded and left her number for me to call back, Chyloe Lock 916-000-1111(not her real number), so I called her back and she informed me that there would be a showing at 8am 5/28 Sat, morning, but since there had been several people calling about the property, it was NOW 1400.00... So you advertised it at 1300 and since you have people calling you, interested you're going to jack it up $100.00, really wow, how UNPROFFESSIONAL is that? Anyone wants to view the email, let me know! read more

*Please read before renting - Important Information* First let me say, please take this information for whatever it is worth. I am not vain enough to feel like my opinion is the end all game, nor ignorant enough to realize this is one instance. However, I feel that it is my civic duty to share this information with any potential tenants available for this company to throw in harm's way. I would strongly recommend AGAINST renting with this organization, for your own safety and the safety of your loved ones. My roommate and I were informed by a City of Sacramento inspector that we had been exposed to lethal doses of CARBON MONOXIDE for 4+ months. Our heater vent was improperly installed with a leak we had no knowledge of, nor carbon monoxide detectors to detect. We then proceeded to stop payment to force the landlord to fix the issue and/or remove ourselves from danger as quickly as possible (following the proper legal steps in doing so). 3 days after the inspection (during which a representative was present), the landlord called to demand our rent checks and NEVER called about the dangerous gas leaking in our apartment, even though they were fully aware of it. If we would not have caught the last 10 minutes of the inspection, we would more than likely be on the obituaries page. To make the situation worse, when we informed her that it is an UNSAFE place to live, She told us we had 3 Days to Pay or Quit (mild eviction). Ms. Hart clearly had no intention of notifying us of the leak until the repairman showed up. She ONLY CALLED because of our cancelled rent checks. I repeat, I want to do my due diligence as a person, citizen, and ethical human being to inform everyone of these potential risks. Please DO NOT rent from this organization to protect your own safety. read more

I own a condominium, and the unit directly above me is rented out and managed by River City. Last May a water leak occurred in that unit, and soaked through to damage my ceiling. Debbie Hart made all kinds of promises to me that were not kept. (For an example, a large area of my ceiling would be repaired and painted, not just the point where the most damage occurred.). She was prompt in getting over to my place to see what happened. And then... Nothing happened. I called. Oh gosh, so sorry, they said. And nothing happened.... After some, ah, strong suggestions to them, a drywall guy showed up in July to measure the area for repair. Finally! I thought. Wrong. Nothing more happened. In August I made it Quite Clear that I did not find the situation to be in the least amusing. A lady named Shiloh took over management of my claim. She took care of business, but even at that the ceiling was not repaired until the end of August. It was not painted until the beginning of September. And what about all those promises of an extensive paint job???? Didn't happen. By that point I didn't care, I was just glad it was fixed. My conclusion about all of this? RCM is not in the least shy about telling bald-faced lies and giving people the run-around. (Except for Shiloh, who is the only one there who seems to have some integrity.). Stay clear of these jokers if you have a choice in the matter. read more

I have rented from various property managaments and private rentals in Sacramento for 10 years. I am so pleased to rent from RCPM. They have always helped us promptly if there were any problems, and been open to improve our place. Phone calls and service are always immediate. Debbie is great, and so is the staff in the office. Ususally we move about once a year because we are so displeased, owners won't fix problems or they decide to sell their home , etc. We have been with RCPM over 3 years, and we don't plan on leaving anytime soon. read more

River City is one of the best, if not the best, property management companies I have ever dealt with. They are very professional but laid back, address your problems/issues immediately and treats you like a person not just an address. Debbie Hart is the main boss there and I can't say enough good things about her. She is pleasant to deal with, realistic and easy-going. Christina, the receptionist, is always a pleasure. They address the issues that you have immediately and get things done right. I highly recommend them. read more

RCMS has always been great. One thing you have to remember about property managers is they have no control over the ovners. If the owners do not want to pay for upgrades and remodels there is nothing they can do. Always had a good experience with Debbi and the office staff. They always have called me back. When I needed soemthing they had a vendor call me. There have been a few times where I asked Christina to have Debbie call me about something trivial and not really related to anything she should have to call about and she returned my call. I think people really need to adjust their expectations and not find everything to complain about. Some things are what they are like the age and location of your apartment or home. read more

I cannot advise strongly enough away from here. I rented from them for a decade and rude, abusive, and lying are just some of the more wholesome adjectives that apply. 8 calls from 3 different people in the course of 24 hours. Late for meetings they schedule-while I missed work to meet them, per their haranguing. post-walkthrough I got an email saying they'd need some of my deposit to cover wear and tear-a totally acceptable number. 2 days later they decided they were taking 1/3 of my security deposit-just cause; If I didn't like it "take me to small claims court". The prop manager, Debbi Hart sent repeated harassing childish emails to my work account, to the point I had to involve my IT department, and threaten her with police to make her leave me alone. I also had to call repeatedly to get what remained of my security deposit back at all-"check's in the mail" for nearly a month. (it wasn't). The last month under them felt like 30 years, not 30 days. A few hundred dollars is an absolute BARGAIN to be permanently rid to them- and would have been cheap at twice the price. The WORST rental experience I've had coast to coast, in more than 20 years as a tenant and a dozen states. They are complete nightmares and you only have to read some reviews here to realize my list of complaints is far from unique. save yourself a TON of hassle and RUN! read more

This place is great if you are into berating landords that habitually enter your house with no notice and non stop threaten you with eviction after day the 5th of the month is a day late and fix nothing. If thats not your thing this place is great. stay away from this place and the rudest property manager on the planet. Cant say how rude this place is just keep looking if you see them on the sign. read more

Debbie Hart, owner of River City Property Management, has been managing my rental properties for over 20 years. She is delightful in her professional skills. She is available, responsive to owners input, and will let you have as much control over your properties as you might need. I believe she is fair in her assessment of potential renters and selects the best suited for your individual properties. I have had stable long term clients over the years, with minimal turn over. What more could be said? River City Property Management Co., Debbie Hart, Owner, and her staff are all top rated professionals. Thanks, Debbie. Will G. Sac, retired MD read more

I am so glad that AC did the prior review. I had convinced myself that I must be the only one who notices that when I am speaking to Debbi Hart that she would rather be talking on the phone, driving around, anything to not be speaking to me. Her attitude seems contradictory because she appears professional and there seems to be someone in their office regularly. The problem is that as a resident I feel like I am unimportant and a second class citizen to her. The things that I have mentioned to her are few and simple (and would be of concern to the property owner as well). I wish I could say better things, but I too would encourage property owners to do some legitimate references, and renters to be aware that they too will get minimal and marginal service. read more

River City Property Management refused to return all of my security deposit because they decided to have the unit professionally cleaned after we moved out. However, under California law a security deposit can only be used to return the unit to the same level of cleanliness it was in at the inception of the tenancy. We guarantee that we left the unit definitely much cleaner than when we found it, made improvements to the unit from its move-in state (new blinds/curtains) and were very patient with their slow response times to maintenance requests; however, we were met with indifference and refusal to return the full deposit. Please think twice before renting from a company that operates on shady and illegal principals. read more

Debbie's management company runs away the first time there's a difficult renter....even though she selected that renter in the first place! Got complaints from renters about Debbie and her staff's communication skills too. Plus her staff tried to cheat our company over a contractor - tried to charge us extra fees that we didn't owe. Switched to another company, and our tenants were happy and we were happy! read more

The real bummer about leaving this review (and what everyone on here should know), is that they genuinely don't care about their ratings, reviews, or customer satisfaction -- otherwise, they would at least try to do something about it (or respond, or anything really). We reported them to the BBB, as well, but (shocker) they aren't accredited and don't care about those reviews either. But what it really boils down to is this: if you want to rent in Sacramento, do yourself a favor and don't go with these people. That's the best advice I can give anyone. That said, I still feel it's important to share our experience with others. First off, if something stops working (or doesn't work to begin with, as was the case with us), do NOT expect it to get taken care of. Like, ever. We had a broken front door, and a broken window crank (both messed up before we even got in), we were there for a year, and when we left NO ONE had ever fixed them. When we moved in, the place was FILTHY. The house itself we loved, the neighborhood we loved, but we couldn't believe that they never bothered to do even the most basic of cleaning. The garage, in particular, was BRUTAL. We told them this. We also took pictures. Why is this relevant? Because they could not have cared any less about the condition when we moved in, BUT when we moved out, they nickled and dimed us for every penny they could get. We not only took their "cleaning sheet" and followed it to a T, but we cleaned the garage completely AND hired a professional to come in for 4 hours and get anything we may have missed (I can also say that, even before the professional came in, the place was infinitely cleaner than when we had moved in). We heard nothing from them until a month or so, (at which point we actually had to contact them for a 3rd or 4th time just to get a response as to the status of our deposit return). At this point, they danced around our questions, and then stated that they would send us our deposit back but taking out the money for cleaning. We had a few back and forths with them explaining how we know for a fact that that the place was immaculate when we left and asked them some very specific questions about the cleaning (I.E. what did you clean/feel needed more cleaning, why, who cleaned it, and can we see the receipt as proof that you indeed did hire a professional to come clean over our professional's work). Magically at this point, they stopped responding. The only thing we heard from them after this was when we got our check (which they still took out they're FULL cleaning fee) and some weird list thing mentioning that the cleaning company was called "Clean Telene" (why is that name important? Because anyone who deals/dealt with them knows that Telene is the name of the front desk lady that works in the office, and is indeed not a professional cleaning company). We called them on this, too, and you'll be shocked to know that they ignored us and never responded. You'll also be shocked to know that they never provided a receipt for this, or proof that this "cleaning company" was even a real thing. They are the worst kind of people, the shadiest business, and they could not possibly care less about their tenants, being honest, or even providing documentation for their version of the truth. If we still would have lived in Sacramento we would have taken them to small claims court -- not because the money was a substantial amount, but because they are so dishonest, rude, and unprofessional that SOMEONE needs to hold them accountable. read more

This property management company is terrible. They will make a verbal agreement over the phone and not stick by it. The manager talks with a 6th grade vocabulary because most likely that is as far as she made it in grade school. They over charge for all their rental properties and the security deposits are outragous. DO NOT rent with this company. There are plently of other rental companies in Sacramento. Any company is better than this one. read more

WORST P.M. SERVICE I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED First, a house was promised to us then leased to a friend of the landlord. No problem. They shouldn't have made me follow up three times to find out but whatever. Second house was agreed upon. Lease contract came in with some language that we would PAY TO PAINT THE ENTIRE HOUSE after we moved out. This, and other parts of the agreement, made us uncomfortable. The broker DEBBIE HART called me personally to object (tactlessly) to any changes to her beloved document. Two sentences could have changed my whole outlook. No compromise. I am in real estate. I try to understand both sides of every situation. This was ridiculous. I would have preferred she bought us dinner before she tried to F*** us. Poise and professionalism can go a long way, Debbs. Happy Yelping. read more

If you like your security deposit don't rent from them! They made up problems and when we proved they existed before we even lived there Debbi told us that it didn't matter... this place is the worst! Also they don't do any sort of upkeep on their properties, when we moved in we submitted a list for them to fix and that never happened... so basically bad place, bad people, stay away! read more

I would not use this management company. I'm not sure whether they simply don't tell the truth, or are prejudice in some way towards certain applicants. Let's see, we have outstanding credit, have great income and are self-sufficient. BUT, We were just denied an application for a rental and on the bottom it was written "Only accept up to three applications. Did not process application as we had already up to 3." This is interesting, since when we personally gave the agent Yolanda our application, she said that " This is the third one,so we will now close the application process after I take this to the office now". Maybe they only are interested in young, straight applicants with less than perfect credit and marginal income levels. But after reading the other reviews here, I realize maybe we were lucky to get out before we started working with them. read more

Adding a few more notes about my RCMS experience. FYI - the previous note about mini-blind cleaning upon move out is true. RCMS charges $14.50 per mini-blind, so wash them yourself before you go. Another instance of Debbi Hart's management challenges: we had a serious problem with two tenants who moved in after we had lived in our place for a year. The repeated complaints were not taken seriously nor handled appropriately. As a result, we moved and chose to leave RCMS properties behind. The only nice thing - Debbi let me get away without a 30-day notice and refunded our extra rent as a result of the tenant conflict. For that part, and for Yolanda and Christina's roles, I upped the review a star. read more

We've had Debbi and her team manage all of our rentals for years and we're very happy. They really "take ownership" and keep up with advising us of preventative maintenance issues without going overboard. We're very happy with RCPM. read more

Horrible. They try to intimidate by yelling on phone if rent is only couple days late and threaten to evict and go to court after I already gave them notice to move out. They get mad that I only email t keep legal records for court and no longer speak to them over the phone. I have lived at location almost 2 years and stove so bad I can't cook on it but they wouldn't replace it. The grass was almost dead when I moved in and Debbie Hart claims I killed it which is a lie. They said I could put a doggy door to garage and then later change their minds. I could go on and on but I don't recommend them at all. Stay away. They trick you into paying for extra rent, etc! read more

I've watched Debbi and RCPM grow through the years to become one of the areas most successful property management companies. Weather you are looking for a place to rent, or are unhappy with your current management company, I recommend contacting Debbi and her staff. They really have all the experience necessary to meet all of your needs. read more

As a Realtor, I have worked with Debbi to sell properties. I now refer her to my investor clients interested in property management. My clients find her services superb. read more

I just moved out of a home having leased for 13 months. I cleaned thoroughly, along with two friends, and Debbi Hart still took out $125 for what I considered a bogus claim of "additional cleaning throughout." These are the facts: (1) We left the house FAR CLEANER than when we moved in, and I have the Move In Inventory and witness of two friends who helped me leave the place very clean when we left. (2) Ms. Hart sent what we considered an invalid copy of an "invoice" from an alleged cleaning person/company--no address, phone #, or invoice #--that had a pen notation of "additional cleaning thruout." There was NO cleaning to be done as we left it far cleaner than when we moved in. She refunded the $125 when I brought it to her attention that the invoice appeared invalid and the place was cleaner than when we moved in. (2) She and her landlord Mr. Ben Palazzolo do not follow the California Tenants Guidelines for 2010. I found several discrepancies, which she and he brushed off. They have no problem with taking out money from the security deposit that are not considered valid deductions according to the Tenants Guidelines. (3) Ms. Hart did NOT provide a written itemized list of things she wanted done to pass final moveout inspection as required by the Guidelines, yet she arbitrarily deducted amounts from the security deposit that cannot be justified by the Guidelines. read more

Very nice people to deal with! Rented for a couple of years and anytime we had an issue it was resolved quickly including the moving out process! read more

I've been looking for a rental house for months and never have I had the response time as RCPM! Yolanda returned all my calls and even my texts. Even to say thank you and you're welcome. I'm hoping that 2 of the places that we're viewing right now work out read more

Kris is dead on the mark - when my wife and I moved out of the hovel we were renting from RCPM, Debbie tried to keep the money to have the blinds "ultrasonically" cleaned - in an apartment made from a converted closet, with a hole (floor to ceiling, across the ceiling, and ceiling to floor on the other side of the room). What a joke. We should have withheld rent, but couldn't risk the prospect of losing a place to live at the time it happened. Unsympathetic, uninterested in anything but cashing your rent check, and laughably UNprofessional when called out on the bullsh&* that they try to pull with the deposit. Avoid at ALL costs - no home is worth the BS. read more

This company is phenomenal! The staff is both very knowledgeable and helpful. I instantly fell in love with one of their properties and am very pleased (to say the least) with the outstanding condition it is in. It quickly and easily became a home! Thanks, River City Property Management! read more

I recently moved out of a RCPS property leased to my husband and I by Debbi Hart. We had a positive experience. While leasing, our neighbor had a flood which damaged our condo. Debbi responded immediately, taking a leadership role and having our damage repaired without waiting for payment from the neighbor's insurance company. I made several verbal agreements with Debbi during this difficult time and she honored each and every one of them. I received our deposit back today. There was a $35 charge for cleaning the blinds and a reasonable charge for cleaning the carpets. That was it. We have two animals and nothing was deducted from the pet deposit. We found the deposits themselves to be the same as other similar properties. Debbie and her consciensious staff excel at their jobs. I will definitely rent from this company again if their inventory meets our needs. read more

Debbi Hart and Chyloe have solved every problem that has come up since I rented an older property that they manage in McKinley Park. This place was built in 1942, is full of character, and has maintenance issues consistent with a building built 71 years ago. What I appreciate most is that Debbi understands the value of maintaining the charm of this place. When there was a problem with the bathroom plumbing, she didn't pull out the original sink and replace it with something cheap but functional; instead, she took the time to restore the original sink and plumbing fixture. She and her staff are always responsive, logical, and friendly. Rather than being a temporary place to live, RCPM's service is responsible for making me feel at home. Thanks RCPM! read more

Property Management Companies cause rental rates to increase and they never do anything but collect the rent and then screw tenants for whatever they can out of their deposits. I don't and wont ever use RCPM. I've personally seen how screwed up this company is. Try this one for size: I currently rent a house in SLP. It's a 2bd/2.5 bath in an okay neighborhood. I've been around $1250 for the past two years... For some reason, the owner of this house decided to bring in a property management company. Debbi Hart and I spoke about the unit recently and with RCPM the rent for the house is set around $1750 to $1850. The house is not worth it nor is dealing with companies like RCPM. Oh, and Debbi Hart is cold, callous and a frigg'n idiot. read more

I have never encountered a business who is so unethical and lacks so much professionalism. Worst experience communicating with Debbi the way she presents information is quite manipulative. read more

I couldn't NOT write a review. I recently got custody of my nephew who has special needs and his 2 sisters and needed to relocate into a larger home so my nephew could receive the in therapy ASAP. That therapy requires space and I was looking to move NOW. I located a beautiful home with ample space and went to the 1st open house. I was very up front with Yolanda. I don't have good credit and I'm not in denial about it, but I have excellent rental history and a solid 10 years at my employer. I wanted to speak with her because I don't have the money to waste on application fees if they wont consider me as a tenant because of my credit. I was assured that it wouldn't be a problem but an additional deposit may be required. OK no worries there. The back yard definitely needed work since it was just dirt but I advised my family owns a residential irrigation/landscape business and we would redo the entire back yard on our dime. After talking to Yolanda, I turned in my completed applications w/ paystubs and a check for the 3 applications ($45). I emailed copies of pay-stubs, IDs, bank statements. Over a week later and I had to email THEM to find out that my credit was an issue and they couldn't approve me for the home, so now my hunt continues and my nephew suffers. Had she just been upfront and told me "Bad Credit = No House" I could have continued my search and saved myself $45. Poor Show River City! After reading these reviews maybe its in our best interest! read more

I have found River City to be professional, honest and pleasant to work with. I have been working with Debbi and her staff for over 15 years. Thank you for everything River City!!! Rebecca B. read more

Wow! I really wish I would have read all these reviews prior to renting from this company. Renters beware! If you value your money and time, do not rent from this company because they practice very poor business. We left their rental spotlessly clean including professional "truck mounted" carpet cleaning, yet they proceeded to withhold hundreds of dollars from our deposit for professional house and carpet cleaning. An easy mistake for the company to fix, so I proceeded to call and let Debbie know about it, yet she refused return our money. I cannot believe she continues to get away with this. One again, renters beware! read more