I was visiting the University of Arizona to decide whether or not I liked the grad program there. This was the most affordable hotel option I found, and I'm glad I stayed here. Since they're also student housing, not just a hotel, you get access to lots of great amenities. Workout room, pool, computer room, theater, etc. I didn't have time to use any of that during my short visit, but I appreciated the options. They also have a shuttle to campus which is incredibly useful. I only used it once, since I wanted to walk around to get a feel for the town, but it was very convenient. I was also impressed with the rooms. They're set up like a two-person dorm, which was a little bit unusual, but it's fully stocked with dishes and cooking stuff, soap, etc. The only complaint I have, which was very minor - I saw these tiny little ants on the countertop at one point. The staff were friendly on the phone, and in person. If they allowed pets, I would consider leasing an apartment for the school year. read more

It was TIME to move out, There is no locks on the complex gates I'm not kidding it's wide open no fob no key no number needed to enter the complex ... so homeless and street people come lurking and breaking into cars and apartments. They also come swim In the pool as well as the rest of the neighborhoods residents. -Roaches are in the drain system DO not leave your drains unplugged you will come home to sewer roaches all over. read more

First off they have been promising a fob system since 2022!! Look at the reviews on yelp and google. Few very important things you should note. -They are VERY fee happy Fee for parking your car in an uncovered parking lot where cars are vandalized. Fee for trash, another fee for trash pickup Fee for your apartment billing and other fee to pay the bill from your bank account! Fee for terrible internet service Fee for the package locker that you can hardly access They charge the residents electricity and water based on the complex's useage which somehow equates to paying 150$ electricity for a 300sqft studio apartment!? -packages are only available to pickup during business hours 9-5pm if you miss that window you CANNOT pick up your packages and also Amazon will not and cannot access the mail room after those hours so they CANNOT deliver your packages if it's not between 9-5. -The managers Ida in particular is very rude and absolutely does not care. -The property has homeless sleeping in the stairwells and by the pool on the couches there is no security here. -There is no locks on the complex gates I'm not kidding it's wide open no fob no key no number needed to enter the complex ... so homeless and street people come lurking and breaking into cars and apartments. They also come swim In the pool as well as the rest of the neighborhoods residents. -Roaches are in the drain system DO not leave your drains unplugged you will come home to sewer roaches all over. it's facing significant challenges. The presence of homeless individuals, incidents of vandalism, and drug users create a concerning environment. The management's attitude is disappointing, contributing to residents feeling unsupported. Additionally, the neglected pool adds to the overall sense of neglect. It's crucial for the management to address these issues promptly for a safer and more pleasant living experience. read more

This place stinks. Ida is nice and is the only good thing about the office. The manager Michelle is a horrible manager. I was just sitting in the office for 20 minutes and in the middle of being in the office she stops working on my issue and hops on the phone to deal with something else without saying a word to me read more

The whole place is a toilet and they are scammers. They have this provision where if you do anything wrong they can evict you and you will have to pay for the whole year you would have been there. It's 100% a fraud. read more

Day 20 of not living here and still waiting on my $700 security deposit. No body does anything around here. But somehow everyone still gets paid. Do not waste your money by putting money into the pockets of the most incompetent company I have ever witnessed. I will post a nasty review every day until I get what's mine. read more

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This is the most horrible crooked apartment complex I have ever seen in my life. They are the They are the only apartment community that does not have a dropbox for rent and they always leave early so by the time you get home from work you can't pay them so they start charging you late fees and you have to pay by paper check because if you use the portal you will be screwed because the company steals the money and tells you that you didn't pay your rent and then you write them a check but the money is already gone from your bank account. They force you to pay for a trash concierge service that never comes, but who dumped their trash outside their front door anyway? They make you pay for a box for Amazon packages even if you never order anything. I could go on and on and again like somebody has said in other reviews if I could give negative stars, I would. just don't move into this building. I don't care how desperate you are your car will be broken into none of the cameras work in the office lies about everything. By the time it is all said and done you would be paying less for a house go buy a house. read more

Oh they're also super fee happy. They charge $25 a month for trash valet, which hasn't been available since they started charging 3 months ago. They charge $125 of your rent is even one day late and $25 to tape a notice to your door. Just ridiculous. This place is garbage. Avoid! read more

I love Sahara Apartments. We are getting a new fob system and that will make this the perfect place to live. We are fortunate to live here at Sahara and we know it. Our managers are the best. Addressing work orders immediately. We have a maintenance team Felix and John that can fix anything and do. Great location, great price and pet friendly. 4 stars for now ....5 stars with the new fob system. Come in and check it out. I promise you'll be amazed. Call Sahara Apartments and ask for Ida or Allyiha 520-622-4102. Tell them Darvi sent you. It's like paradise here. You won't be disappointed. Thank you read more

This is a great place to live. The maintenance is fast to respond and fix the issue. Management and maintenance are top notch. Really great community. read more

horrible. there's honestly no "pros" living here other than UofA being down the street. the year I lived here I had a crazy neighbor who would yell at everyone coming out of the elevator, did get physical with one of the neighbors he ended up getting evicted months after it was hell. place is absolutely disgusting elevator had pee and Poop so take the stairs, the walls are so thin you can hear absolutely everything. the police was here every other day overall I just don't think they do their background checks at all. Lastly the electricity literally was out almost every other day in April to may therefore the cars parked inside the gates could not get out management did absolutely NOTHING. food went to waste, no air conditioning just horrible. read more

If you are looking for a place that allows you to feel safe at night.. this is NOT the apartment for you. If I could do negative stars I would. I moved into Sahara Apartments in March 2020. On my move in date, no one showed up and I was stranded outside with all of my belongings. Thankfully the maintenance employee (who is the best person on the support staff) was available to make me a key. About one month into my lease, I was robbed outside. My wallet was stolen and my belongings. I called the police and the support staff to view the cameras and improve safety. I was never followed up with. I called multiple times with complaints of the "gated community" gates left wide open all night (note there is a homeless park on the block) and homeless people occupying the laundry rooms. Going forward, my bike was stolen off of the second floor balcony. It was chained to the railing and ripped off. A second time, my car was broken into. I asked the management to check into the "cameras" and consider hiring security a few nights a week. I was never followed up with. 8 months into my lease, my APARTMENT was broken into through the back. My TV, GUN, lap top, money, shoes and clothes were stolen. I called the police and they spoke to management who again, never followed up with me. I started to get knocking on my door late at night... and was not able to see through the key hole to see who was there. I was told I would be able to terminate my lease one month early for my safety. I brought police reports, my victim impact brochure and asked that I be able to evacuate the property. I was told.. and I quote "we are not responsible for the safety of our tenants." I spent the last month in this apartment complex getting my laundry basket stolen from the laundry room and tripping over syringe caps on the way to my car. Other than that, the apartment was OK if you like paying $1000 for roughly 400 square feet of living space. The rent went up $100 for "upgrades" yet nothing changed and the pool was closed the entire time I was here. The bathroom ceiling is leaking and I can hear the people above me hooking up. There are many alternative apartments closer to campus for less than $1,000 a month. I recommend any place but here. read more

I love Sahara because it's a perfect place to live and study, walking distance of UOFA and other points in the city. The internet is good, and they even have free TV. Ted is so friendly and always have a smile to help you. I will love to come back asap!!! Best place in Tucson. read more

The place was remodeled a year back, but upkeep is so-so. Cockroaches in the hall and laundry area. It is located in an unsafe area, with a homeless encampment in the park across the street. They are confused with the paperwork, and every time I went to the office, they said something different and then said something different via email. Overall, not worth it. read more

So far, so good! I spoke with Ted, the owner, and he was very friendly and helpful over the phone. He answered all of my questions and provided additional information about the rental process and amenities. My son wants to live there in 2011-2012 while attending the University of Arizona. I'll report more later... Sounds like the perfect place, no parties, security and his own space to study...not to mention close to campus. read more

I like the space and some of the staff makes you feel like home. Great location, close to University and downtown.

I stayed in a studio at Sahara Apartments. The location is perfect: 10-minute walk from downtown and 23-minute walk from the university. They have a shuttle to the university every half hour and it is round the corner from Pima Community College Downtown Campus. The staff are very helpful, they do their best to solve your problem. There used to be an internet problem, but they solved it before summer 2018. There is a pool and a hot tub around which you can hang out with friends! I miss Sahara! read more

I'm extremely satisfied with my staying at the Sahara apartment. The room was comfortable and well-furnished. The location was great as it's really close to the university and several shops. However, what impressed me the most was the staff: the owner and the other members of the staff were simply amazing: they were able to support me during my staying at the Sahara apartment, they also managed to fix any possible issues within a few hours and they did their best to make me feel at home. I'm sure that if I ever go back to Tucson I'd choose the Sahara apartment again! read more

To be honest, the room were not good. Because I could use utensils in the cabinet, but all of which were very dirty in my opinion. When I came to Sahara for the first time, I hardly found Wi-Fi password, it was really important to tell my parent that I'm fine. But as the email that I had received before arrive said folse password. That's why I was apart from any connection. I would like to change Introduction for new residents. By the way, I was good system that you sometimes gave us a ride to Walmart and Shcool. read more

I am more than satisfied with the accommodation I chose and if I am back to Tucson I'll choose this place again. The room are nice, and the place is lovely and very well looked after. What amazed me the most is the staff and the owner! They are incredibly kind and helpful. They helped me with many different issues (my flight, my bags...) with care and kindness-Their help and replies have always been prompt and kind...Simply great!!! I'll be back there for sure!!! read more

Sahara Apartments is the best student housing in Tucson. The security and the location can't be topped. The staff is awesome. The treatment of each tennant is unmatchable in this town. I feel at home. read more

This is the absolute worst experience I have ever had at a place of residence. I'll start from the beginning and work my way through the dozens of negative experiences I had at this place. I moved in a few months before their traditional leasing season started, so I lived in a single room until school started at which point I was assigned a roommate. I was told that they had found me a roommate and he would be moving in soon after, but he never did. I contacted Ted, the property manager and he had made a mistake. You'll see that mistakes are the recurring theme here. It turns out he assigned the person to a different room. He ended up moving me into another room, but that was not the original plan as I was supposed to stay in the same room I had been living in. This was a minor inconvenience but was the first in a string of horrific experiences. One of the first things you will notice about Sahara is the filth that fills every corner of the property. It used to be a motel before it was an apartment complex, and it definitely retains many of these motel-like characteristics. The hallways are covered with cigarette butts, black grime, and the smell of cigarette smoke infiltrates every corner of the buildings. There is a serious pest problem with ants in the hallways, elevators, and rooms. There was also a bedbug infestation a few floors below me during my stay here. The buildings look and smell like they haven't been cleaned in a very long time and the laundry machines are constantly down. The property is a nonsmoking property, but Ted doesn't seem to be willing to enforce this. About half of the people in my hallway were chain smokers and would smoke in the building against the written terms of their leases. I don't enjoy inhaling carcinogenic smoke which irritates my allergies, so I contacted Ted multiple times about getting it resolved. He always promised to take action against it but this went on for about 9 months before the offenders finally moved out. They didn't get kicked out as you would expect but rather their lease expired and they moved back home. The only good experiences I've had here were with the Sahara staff. The shuttle driver and janitor, Ana is fun to talk to and is the hardest worker you'll ever meet. Richard, the maintenance guy is also great at his job and is such an amazing person. This leads me to my next complaint though. The shuttles were consistently late or just never showed up. If the shuttle was supposed to leave at 8:00 am, it wouldn't leave until 8:04-8:05 am. As you can imagine, this is extremely frustrating considering it makes you run late for work or class. During the summer, I would have to call for a shuttle to pick me up because they only ran on demand. They would say they would be there 15 minutes after calling, but this never happened. I would call again when they didn't show up and Ted would tell me how he forgot and would be there soon. This usually left me waiting out there for upwards of 45 minutes every day, when it should have been a 10-15 minute ordeal. This was when it was 110 degrees outside too, so it was physically exhausting being out in that heat for so long. However, when Ana was driving, she was always good at getting there on time. The air conditioning units in the rooms can't keep up with heat either, so the coldest the room would get during the summer was 80 degrees. Throughout my 15 month stay at Sahara, Ted emailed me multiple times after paying my rent telling me that I did not pay. I called him out on it every time that it happened and told him I could show proof from my bank statement that I made the payment in full to him. This also happened to my roommate and a friend who was living a few floors below me. One or two times would make this an innocent mistake, but the fact that he tried to pull this stunt on multiple people tells me that he may have had more malicious intentions. The property manager is one of the most condescending people you will ever meet and treats everyone like trash. No matter how polite you are with him, he finds a way to turn a situation/complaint around and make it into a personal attack against you. After moving out, he sent me the most unprofessional email I've ever received, calling me "paranoid" after I asked him where my security deposit was at (this was after the 2 week deadline by which he is legally supposed to send back the deposit). He told me I should "meditate" and stop worrying about it. After finally getting the security deposit back (for less than it was supposed to be), I had him send me my full account statement. Upon looking over it, I noticed that he had charged me an extra month of rent, that I had already paid for up front. This was by far the most shocking part of my experience at Sahara as you don't expect a professional to try and steal money from you. The cheap prices here are absolutely NOT worth it. read more

I stayed at the Sahara Apartments for 2 weeks while I was a Visiting Fellow at UoA. The grounds are immaculately kept and the place is very peaceful. The staff are friendly. The staff are also very good at explaining things to those visitors from overseas.The accomodation is basic because it's like a student dormitory, but it has everything you need, it's very clean and extremely affordable. I also felt very safe there. Two free services were especially helpful: (a) the shuttle to campus, and (b) a shuttle twice each evening to the nearest shopping centre from Mon-Friday. Both of these services were enormously useful to me. read more

While living and working here I was assaulted by one of the tenants. He grabbed me and pulled me into his apartment. Groped, kissed and felt me up. I managed to escape. The next day I came in to work and explained what had happened to the owner, obviously shaken and crying. Not only did I have to work the rest of my shift, but the only repercussion the man received was that he had to come and apologize. Obviously seeing this man again only punished me further. Within a week I left the apartment and job and lived in my car until I got a new apartment, afraid of living there while my attacker did as well. I was just starting my sophomore year at UofA and the attacker was a 40/50-year-old exchange student. It's disgraceful how this was handled and I wouldn't wish that experience on anyone else. read more

My stay at Sahara Apartments - Student living was excellent! The daily shuttle to and from class was my favorite amenity.

Well located, they offer free shuttle to the university and to the groceries store. I asked for an special offer i did have to share my room with any one else, no roommate! read more

My experience living in Sahara Apartments was amazing i could met new students from all over the world, the pool and the gym are very nice and in general all the areas are great,i recommended a lot this amazing place. read more

Sahara Apartments - Sahara Apartments pool - Apartments Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

I am living at Sahara now so this is an updated review. Sahara apartments is a lot of hype and is very outdated. The recreational facility is poor, the shuttle to service to campus is in a sketchy blue van, maintenance requests for my apartment take a long time, and the internet is horrible. Sure the pool and the hot tub is nice and sure its close to campus, but it is pretty much and outdated hotel that was bought for apartments. Would not recommend it. read more