Avoid this place -- premium rent, poor living conditions, and unfair management…read more I lived in a so-called premium Apartment E and paid one of the highest rents in the complex, yet the living conditions were terrible. The unit was a heat trap with no fan or proper ventilation, even though other units in the complex do have fans. I often felt suffocated. Management was informed and took no action. The apartment is located near the parking area, and the unit was constantly full of dust no matter how often I cleaned. There was also frequent management and maintenance noise around Apartment E, making the "premium" label misleading. The toilet clogged almost every week, even with very light and normal use. This was a recurring issue that was never properly resolved. Before moving out, I wiped down all furniture surfaces, and the unit was left in good condition. Despite this, I was charged 5.5 hours of "general cleaning" for a studio apartment, which is completely unreasonable. Carpet cleaning was not even counted in that 5.5 hours. I formally requested a pre-move-out inspection, asked to be present, and requested 48-hour notice. None of this was honored. When I went to the office on a weekday before move-out, it was closed without notice, so I was never given a chance to address any concerns in advance. The cleaning was done about 10 days after I moved out, raising concerns that the hours charged reflect dust accumulation over time rather than my move-out condition. When I questioned this, management pushed responsibility onto the cleaning company instead of explaining or correcting the charge. After that, management stopped responding. Even returning the undisputed portion of my security deposit was delayed and required repeated follow-ups. High rent, poor living conditions, constant issues, and unfair deposit practices. Avoid this place and rent elsewhere.

This is the best deal to live nearby the UCSB campus. IV maybe noisy but Felipe, the land manager,…read moremakes an excellent job at keeping Sutdio Plaza the most quite place in Isla Vista. He is kind but firm, and impartial. Also, if anything in the apartment needs fixing, the Studio Plaza team gets it done very fast. I loved living there also because the natural environment around IV is great.

UPDATE May 2018 Pool and hot tub remodel is finally finished…read moreand everything in good working order. Fantastic new pool deck furniture, an outdoor shower, larger bathroom, and a second entry gate were added. ******** UPDATE August 2015 All laundry rooms were recently remodeled and updated with brand new washers and dryers. They are now operated by simply using your credit card in the machine. Prices have gone up slightly to $2.50 per wash and .75 per dry. ******** We really like it at La Colina Gardens. We rent a 3 bedroom end unit with an enclosed back patio area, and have been here 9 months. We have made several requests for minor maintenance with a repair time of less than a day in most cases. The grounds are well kept and the maintenance staff are really friendly. Management has been nothing but nice. They are always available and accessible, and quick to respond to any needs or concerns you may have. They keep a regular maintenance schedule on everything from replanting old landscape and pool cleaning, to changing out appliances and carpets. The complex is very pet friendly and allows a variety of sizes. Dog waste bag stations are strategically placed around the grounds. The complex is also fenced off from the creek bed along the back property which helps to deter unwanted wildlife and coyote attacks. Foothill Vet Hospital is also located across the street on Cieneguitas Rd. There are a lot of families with kids here. It's conveniently located just down the hill from La Colina Jr.High, which can be accessed via a short walking path from the far back corner of the property. There is no playground, but the kids have plenty of green space to play and the swimming pool is popular. The swimming pool is salt water and heated with solar roof tubing. The pool furniture is in good condition, with plenty of loungers, small tables, and decorative planters. Each unit has its own unique front door appeal, with a variety of landscape plants, trees, and flowers; along with a variety of back yard/patio options, which I find adds some character and a little room to personalize. There are 5 separate laundry rooms on site with machines operated by pre-loaded cards. The washing machines are $2 a wash, and .50 for dry. The dryers are fantastic and dry everything the first time. The 3 bedroom unit comes with 2 parking spots in a covered carport area. I think the smaller units may only come with one, but you can request/rent another, or a separate accessible parking spot. Each designated carport unit has a lockable wall cabinet for extra storage. There are guest parking spots throughout the complex, and nearby street parking on Foothill and Cieneguitas. The complex is on or near several city bus routes, and bicycle routes, and easily accesses Hwy.154, upper State St., and the 101. It's really a great location! One of my favorite discoveries is living so close to the San Marcos Foothill Preserve. It can be reached within minutes either driving or walking, and is a lovely place to hike, trail run, walk the dogs, and catch a nice view of the ocean. The closest grocery stores are Smart & Final, Vons, and Whole Foods which are about mile away, with Gelson's and Trader Joe's nearby. The rent is a little higher than what we would have liked to pay, but if you are looking for a place that doesn't suck for the money, is pet friendly, and not too far from everything, this is a good one.

On the outside this development might seem like a nice place to live and the grounds were quite…read morebeautiful. However, looks can be deceiving. On the inside these units are poorly maintained. We were embarrassed to invite guests over. Those that did come over would say that we lived in a real dump. A friend of mine worked extensively in the home health field and has seen many section 8 apartments nicer than this. One of the worst issues we dealt with here was the carpet. It was in absolutely decrepit condition with holes, mold and dust mites. It was making my family extremely sick with chronic sinus congestion and other health issues. Management refused to replace it for us. Then there was the situation with the toilets.... Many of the neighbors complained of a terrible smell originating from the old toilets in the units. We found out that the urine was crystalizing with the hard water to create this terrible smell. The management claimed was that there was nothing wrong with the toilets so they refused to replace them. The development was experiencing some major plumbing issues because our toilets kept on clogging and overflowing despite the fact that we would use the cheapest thinnest toilet paper from Costco so I kept on having to clean up sewage water from our bathroom floors. They have virtually eliminated all of the guest parking spots so good luck when you invite guests over. The complex was not very safe. My car was broken into and the pool was vandalized. I recently toured the new Marc apartments on State Street they are brand new and much nicer!!!

Appreciated the quick response to my two work orders…read more Daniel replaced blinds that had fallen off which helps us keep our upstairs place cooler, and bathroom had been renovated though some nails under the sink counter needed removal. Thank you Daniel and Willow Springs.

Alex was wonderful! Our fridge randomly stopped working and Alex was there within 24 hours to fix…read moreit! He payed attention to tiny detail we didn't even know were wrong and fixed every single one of them. He was kind and moved everything off the fridge and put everything back exactly as he found it, we really appreciated it and desperately needed the help! Thanks Alex!

I can't wait to live here! Property Manager, Frankie is absolutely amazing and attracts very cool…read moretenants! She went above and beyond to get me into my third floor single bedroom unit. Frankie has a special and rare quality of making anyone she communicates with feel like a good friend and is 100 percent attentive, you feel cared about honestly. Totally genuine chick. Thanks Frankie!!! These apartments are going to BE FREAKING RAD!!! Sonos built in... Wow! The amenities all top notch. I'm so impatient to move in... Then we have Frankie!!!! Once I met her I knew I didn't want to live anywhere else. Beyond excellence in customer service... Also very charismatic. She told me that everyone who has been approved and locked in on an apartment are all very great! This is gonna be a fun community!

I rent an apartment here for my son. We are in our second year. The office manager told me to set…read moreup my auto-pay for $3700.00 per month ( for a one bedroom apt) and my rent and "other fees" would be covered. Well of course that didn't work out!! There is a litany of fees: water, trash, pest control, insurance, admin- literally whatever they can think of to nickel and dime you to death. So apparently, none of these fees were paid for two months, did anyone call me? Email me? Text me? DM me? NO. What they did was charge me $150 per month in late fees and then after I spoke to the manager, Linda Berry, she said she was unable to waive the late fees, $300 in total on top of the crazy rent. Linda told me it is my responsibility to check what my monthly fees are, after they told me $3700. would cover everything. So beware of the costs of these apartments, and be aware of all of the little ticky tack fees, they add another $200 to your rent.

We lived here for around 2 years…read more We really enjoyed living here. Susie is very responsive, any issues we may have had were addressed immediately and she kept us updated on any situation. She's such a nice person, you can really tell she wants to help and look out for her tenants. If we were still living up in SB, we definitely would've stayed longer.

This building was so great! My wife and I lived there for over five years and it was by far the…read morebest experience I've ever had a building/management team. The apartment itself was great. It was a one bedroom, but the master was big for a 1B. The kitchen appliances worked well, there was a good amount of storage. The water pressure and temperature were awesome (I miss them now). It was a really cute place (esp. the ceilings). It was also affordable (relative to SB County prices these days). Maintenance was incredible attentive and responsive. I never had a problem that wasn't solved within a few hours, usually immediately. Juan is a rockstar. Super nice, knows how to fix *everything*. The manager, Susie, is by far the best manager I've ever dealt with. She is kind, helpful, accommodating, and reachable. If you've rented long enough, you'll know that a difficult landlord relationship can add a huge amount of stress to your place - this was the exact opposite. I was always confident that the management group was poised and ready to help me in any way they could. We had to move out of state, otherwise we would still be in this place. Do your self a favor - live here!

We lived at Patterson Place for over four years, and we truly couldn't have asked for a better…read moreplace to call home. The staff here are incredibly hardworking--Bobbie, Rigo, and Carlos consistently go above and beyond to ensure the apartments and grounds are beautifully maintained, creating a wonderful living experience for everyone. About a couple years ago, the property completed a renovation that gave the apartments a fresh, modern update. The landscaping is stunning, and the shared amenities, especially the clubhouse encourages you to get out and explore the property. There's always something happening within the community as well, from picnics and pizza parties to festive gatherings at the clubhouse. You can always count on Bobbie and Rigo to come up with creative events to get everyone excited. Our daughter always looked forward to seeing Bobbie and Rigo because they were consistently warm and welcoming! They really made it a great way to connect with the community and make memorable experiences! The location is another huge plus. Patterson Place is ideally situated just a five-minute drive or a 15-minute bike ride to Goleta Beach, which has also recently been renovated. The Calle Real shopping centers are just minutes away, where The Towbes Group hosts fun seasonal events for families and kids as well. We will deeply miss our time here, especially because it holds so many special memories--like watching our daughter spend her first few years here and forming lasting friendships. We're incredibly grateful to Bobbie, Rigo, Carlos, and The Towbes Group for creating such a positive living experience.

Rigo is the best! He has helped me so much and is a great advocate for renters. Lovely place to…read morerent and awesome staff.

Thank you for the first day of school breakfast!! such a nice surprise and a very kind thing to do,…read moreplus it's delicious! Thank you, Elizabeth and friend for handing out this yummy food and drink on the first day of school. Very thoughtful. Thank you.

Encina Meadows is a large apartment complex. You would think it would take a long time for…read moreManagement or Maintenance to respond if there was no emergency. Requests are handled in the order received, unless it is an emergency, which I appreciate. Elizabeth Fogo is new here. She is amazing. Very friendly and will help in any way that she can. In this day and age, many people aren't pleasant and gracious as she is. Even though she can be extremely busy, a person would not know it in the way she handles the situation. The attitudes of Jac, Dan and Raoul are also pleasant and wanting to help in any way they possibly can. The Towbes Group must emphasize that their employees be efficient, courteous and helpful. This has not been my experience in the past with other companies. Evelyn

Way too expensive for what you get. The management does not…read moreenforce the non-smoking lease terms. If you enjoy breathing carcinogenic smoke from toxic and reckless neighbors, you came to the right place! If you want to breathe clean air in your own home, keep looking! Furthermore, the apartment is dark but still gets much hotter than the outside. There is no A.C. and no cross breeze. If you want to open the window to get some cool air, too bad. You get to breathe carcinogenic smoke from your toxic and reckless neighbors.

This complex has nice amenities and the grounds are kept very tidy. It is in a good location next…read moreto shops and restaurants.