We lived at Retreat for two years and we never had any problems with crime or other safety concerns. The pool/barbecue area is very nice and my family enjoyed many good memories there. Nice poolside loungers, chairs, and tables. We absolutely loved the open kitchen as we spent a lot of time in the kitchen; however, the refrigerator definitely needs to be upgraded. The gym is clean and serves its purpose; however, I wish there was more lighting in the gym at night because it was a bit spooky when lights went into power-save mode at around 9PM. Although the poolside fireplace is a nice touch, it was often not working. However, when it did it sure was nice. Last July 4th we enjoyed watching fireworks over the lake as we sat near the operational fireplace in the cozy sofa loungers. Unfortunately, lack of timely maintenance is a definite downside of residing here, as well as tight parking is allowed only with a limited amount of parking passes for tenant purchase per month. Needless to say, having guests over will require some planning with either a guest pass for a minimal purchase, or they can park in the front of the office after hours. Do not play with parking or you run the risk of being towed, although management always tried to work with us. Good communication is key in any tenant/landlord relationships, and the gals in the front can be very helpful if you just communicate with them. However, I gave four stars simply for lack of timely maintenance. For us, safety and a good school district was a BIG plus, so we were willing to overlook minor inconveniences that we saw previously on YELP reviews prior to move in. When we signed the lease we also knew about tight parking restrictions, so one cannot act ignorant of the facts. We enjoyed being close to shopping centers and restaurants. Also, if you have kids that attend William Bimat Elememtary or Norris Middle School, the bus stop is conveniently located right in front of the office area. We enjoyed using the community garden and incorporated plant science lessons into our kids weekend learning. I homeschooled (Valley Oaks) one child for the two years we were there and noise was never an issue. On a side note, water is not included in rent and is billed monthly through another agency. I wish this was included in the rent because it would have been one less thing for me to remember, but still, it's not a high monthly bill--$35-$40 depending on family size. So often the bills would get lost in my emails. Overall, it was a pleasant and safe community. When we moved in June 2019, we cleaned the unit with concerted effort, taking time to leave the place in the best condition possible making turnover time much quicker. We were glad to find out we are getting something back, which was great to recoup the cost of cleaning products, additional supplies, and time put in cleaning as we commuted between Fresno and Bakersfield to clean the unit. So regardless of what you hear, it is possible to get some of your deposit back, and we even had a cat. read more

The Retreat at Riverlakes - Hannah doing yoga during a break in cleaning. - Apartments Near Me - Bakersfield, California

Initially, this was a fine place to live. There were occasions when bugs got into the apartment -- one time it was a wasp because there was a nest right below our room. We were able to deal with it, although not pleasant. I draw the line when Diana, who seems to be scamming other past tenants, forces a ridiculous $335 cleaning fee for an apartment that was previously professionally cleaned for $200. She says "there is no expected normal wear and tear" permitted when leaving; however, it is stated in the leasing agreement that it is acceptable. So, despite paying $200 for professional cleaners who did a wonderful job, Diana finds it acceptable to hire cleaners (who don't answer the phone or respond to texts, by the way) (Vasquez Cleaning) and have them do a full unit clean of a 2-bedroom, 2-bath unit for $335. She clearly knows she can get away with unjustifiably taking the tenant's deposit, as pursuing legal action would cost more than losing the deposit. Now, in addition to losing our deposit, we paid an additional $124. Would not recommend read more

Lived in this complex from June of 2025 until May of 2026. Paid $21,400 over a ten month lease. During that time, I had over $4,000 worth of fishing equipment stolen out of my garage. When I asked for security footage, conveniently there was none. At the end of the lease, they WILL bill about $700 for cleaning. They will keep your deposit. Make sure you give your notice EXACTLY 30 days before the end of it or they WILL turn your lease into a month-to-month tenancy and charge you. They charged me $142 for two days! Because I turned in my notice April 2 and not April 1st. Further, they charged me $455 for PAINTING! Unreasonable, unconscionable move out fees. You pay them $20,000+, they ask for more. DO NOT MOVE HERE unless you want to be charged outrageous move out fees. Further, don't expect them to be reasonable about it. They won't. Save your yourself the headache, I wish I did. I have NEVER left a bad review about a complex. But this place deserves it. TLDR; paid $21,400, had $4,000 worth of my property stolen out of the garage, charged an outrageous amount for painting, make sure you turn in your notice exactly 30 days before or they'll charge you. Spend your money somewhere the management is reasonable. read more

TERRIBLE PARKING SITUATION!!! Read through the lease very throughly about the parking rules!! They will tow your car every time without a care in the world. The crazy part is, there is more than a couple of empty spaces to park in the gate, but they will not allow it. You can get extra parking passes, but all for monthly or daily fees. So there's a chance you could come home and have nowhere to park your car! Good thing the old Ride Aid parking lot isn't too far, because you're going to need it! read more

Don't do it! You will regret it! We stayed 3 months and couldn't get out of the least without paying over $5,000!! We had NO lights in the apartment. 3 of the 3 rooms had zero lights and they tell you if you want lights you have to buy your own! Parking is zero. Literally 3 parking spots in the front by the office for the entire complex for guests! You will pay extra bills! the water divided between all renters for the pool/fountains/sprinklers.. on top of the over priced rent. Our car was towed from in front of our apartment. We were told at move in we got 3 parking spots. Nope! You have to pay for a parking pass that is on a lottery system but they won't tell you this until after you move in. Our cars were broken into in the garages btw and we were told too bad. We don't have cameras on the property. It's not a safe space your packages will be stolen also because the gate breaks a lot. Our entire deposit plus $400 is being billed to us after move out and I'll attach photos to show we paid for professional cleaners and had it professionally shampooed. Our washer was broken for 2 of the 3 months we were here. They never fixed it. Scam! BEWARE! read more

Usually I don't complain but when I do it Means pushed my limit! Very Awful, dirty Place . Before we moved in, I saw a cockroach on the floor and asked the girl and she said oh, here does not have any bugs! But after few months I started to see a lot in light bulbs in the kitchen and after complaining they came and sprayed and still found in the kitchen Very very gross! Not a worth of what you pay for the rent of tiny apartment 2,050 per month for one bedroom Forget about the rent, dogs poop everywhere that we can't use the front door to get out cause as soon as I open the door , flies come inside my place! Quite gross. And NO parking spot for the residents and neighbor's guest park in residence's spots Quite annoying! Pool and gym never clean! GOTTA ADD one more thing: the REFRIGERATOR oh my goodness, WORSE fridge ever I had in my life honestly For the rent we pay we are expecting more quality appliances honestly, I got zucchini from Costco and after 3 days ALL was FROZEN ‍ which I had to return them yesterday and the food gets moldy and lots of condensation very fast Since I moved it after 4 months I complain about it but NO changes whatsoever! Very very AWFUL place honestly! read more

The Retreat at Riverlakes - Last night my husband caught it one! GROSS - Apartments Near Me - Bakersfield, California

I had scheduled a tour and had the absolute worst experience. Immediately the front desk ladies were rude and had attitude. Immediately they just gave me a key and sent me on my own to find the units. I asked if they would join as I had questions and they just said they can answer after I get back. The units themselves are super crowded and parking already seems like a nightmare. After finally getting back and asking questions she seemed uninterested in answering anything and almost annoyed I had more to ask. She just kept referring me to look at the website if I wanted info when I had her right in front of me. She had a very smug and sarcastic attitude. Safe to say I'm no longer considering this location. Horrible first impression and honestly the "tour" itself scared me away. You expect a warm, inviting, informative experience when booking an actual tour, not a map them just saying good luck. read more

Too many to list. Absolutely positively everything was great. Very nice and responsive staff. Five star grounds and amenities. Most of the negative comments you see on yelp are quite old. I am not saying they did not experience this, what I am saying is that maybe new ownership took over. If you are looking for a rental in a good section of town, that is very quiet, well taken care of and responsive you would be doing yourself a disservice not to at least look. read more

Moved in this place in November 22, overall community is super quiet has a exclusive feel. Super friendly staff truly professional. Super responsive in regards to any issues regarding maintenance and one of the best maintenance teams i have ever encountered. Tucked away from any noise and gated with security. Overall property is very well maintained and groomed way above standard. I highly recommend this community if you're looking for a great place to rent in bakersfield. read more

Well it is generally a decent quiet clean community, but I can not give a decent rating to an administration that blatantly lies. Just know when you are moving in, you WILL NOT get any of your deposit back, NONE. I lived there alone, part time, 3-4 days a week, for a year, left the place cleaner than it was when I moved in and they say they want the entire deposit PLUS additional funds to make repairs. Yeah, no, I am calling BS. read more

My job relocated me to Bakersfield back in December 2020 from Las Vegas Nevada. The retreat apartments where one of the few apartments that had a few apartments available for rent. We did a 1 year lease. This apartment complex is nice, with a great pool area and spacious apartment options. Parking is not great you only get one garage space for a two bedroom and one uncovered space. Friends or family can not spend the night over because they isn't any parking for your guest. These apartments are also pet friendly which is a plus! The issue becomes with the pet owners not following proper pet etiquette and hygiene. There is dog pop everywhere, management does not care! We brought this matter to management multiple times, but nothing was done. Grass area is filled with dog pop and grass is being destroyed. There is a designated pet area with doggy bags, unfortunately many of the residents don't use the area and just let their dogs pop everywhere and don't pick up after their pets! Some more negatives our dryer didn't work for the first 2 months of our lease! Them towards the end of our lease our washer didn't work for 3 straight weeks and we had to use an empty apartment to wash and do our laundry! For whatever reason they wouldn't bring in a different washer unit from a vacant apartment. The outside light poles lights were always burnout in the walk pathways. Which even though is a nice neighborhood made it very dark at night and feel unsafe at times. These apartments not cheap, for a two bedroom we were paying north of $2,100 per month! There was a management change about 7 months into our lease. Colleen was in charge when we first signed our lease! She was always very attentive and helpful and always seem to care about the resident issues and concerns. Not sure why there was a change but it wasn't for the better. Colleen was replaced by Diana, Diana always seem to have attitude and just never cared our addressed our issues. Forget about ever getting your deposit back! We didn't have any pets and left the place just as good as we received it! I truly believe this is because of Diana! When we first moved in Colleen told us to take pictures of the paint issues and nicks in the wall. Colleen had us email her all the pictures and stated we would not be charged at the end of lease for existing issues! Unfortunately when our lease expired and we gave our 30 day notice we had a walk-through with Diana and nothing was honored! I am sure you will continue to have more complaints about Diana from your other residents! Diana claims that they paint the apartments every time there's going be a new tenant but yet our apartment didn't have freshly painted baseboards when we got it back in December 2020! But yet we are being charged for paint in the baseboards! But overall the apartments are nice my only gripe and my main gripe is with how management handles concerns or issues mainly Diana! read more

This is probably the best apartment I've ever lived in. From the manager Colleen and Lisa to everybody in the work and staff, everybody is super nice. I'm very grateful to be here. Just yesterday when it was 111 outside, our AC went out.They immediately sent a wonderful young gentleman called Daniel to deliver us a mobile air condition unit and had it installed in our apartment within a very short period of time. It is such a good thing to see a business that's doing so well yet not taking things for granted. I recommend anybody this place! Thumbs up! read more

I Live in Retreat at riverlakes apartment in Bakersfield. Recently I have had issues with my spectrum internet which was investigated and it was found out that the cable coming to my unit from the box needs to replaced. I have had several discussions with leasing office and spectrum and no one seems to take the initiative to fix it. As per spectrum, they can extend an external cable to my apartment unit, but the cable buried in will be the responsibility of the apartment management. As per apartment management, they are not responsible to fix it. But by Law I am supposed to be provided these services. Would really appreciate if someone can come up with a solution to this as this affecting my work life to unimaginable extent. Being a Healthcare provider, it hasn't been easy to begin with. Additionally, given the fact that my lease is coming to an end, I feel like I am being forcefully evicted from this place simply by delays and not providing me with basic services.:( read more

The inspection is ridiculous. 1.charging us for the paint $480 2.They charge us for the carpet $125 3.they charge us heavy cleaning $120 4. they took our deposit $480 5. paid for sour water $290 after we left 6. we give our keys and remote 2 days after the new month we got charge for $250 after our less is up in 6 month agreement we end up paying $1783 after our rent this place is not worth the money or the headache. if you have friends or family after 9 pm they will bring you a warning on the door next day.we are not allowed to be out side after 10 pm your not allowed to have family and friends after 9pm i swear worst apartment please don't let the look make you happy They are frauds they make there money when your less is up they know how they can make you pay for extra month without you being there after tow month of me moving i got a phone call from collection department that we have damage wall and the carpet and all that bullshit they told us i got a housekeeping company to clean the apartment a full team i swear we left the apartment with nothing wrong, The walls was as is .WE wish we never lived there will never again live there and anyone thinking of living there should seriously reconsider. read more

We lived at The Retreat for 3 years and LOVED it! Beautiful apartments, beautiful amenities (pool, bbq area, lounge area, work out center, putting green and dog park!) and an amazing staff! Anytime we needed anything the maintenance staff and office staff were on it. We moved due to a job change but will always have a very fond memory of The Retreat. We made some great friends as well. read more

This apartment complex holds itself out as a luxury property but that is a joke. When I moved in the Carpet was not cleaned. They have dogs pooping all over the place with no consequences for the owners. Most importantly they usurp the security deposit to pay for apartment improvements which shouldn't be the responsibility of the tenant at move out! It takes forever to get repairs done and there is no follow up! Would recommend living anywhere else for the price! read more

Alright let's get to the main points. You have to buy a parking permit to park inside of the gates. Where they have parking that never fully fills up. They wouldn't even allow us to buy one. They don't have any handicap parking and instead have a "reserved" space. They have one handicap parking space in the front that's always used by the manager. We have had our apartment broken into and the complex never did anything to secure the complex more and didn't let any other residents know. They tried to break in again later but we had a security system installed. Several cars have been broken into and there are always people getting into the dumpsters and throwing trash everywhere. I have lived here for about a year and only because my family's house burnt down. This apartment complex is not at all understanding, is unsafe, and is not at all welcoming. You have about as much security if something happens to you or your apartment as if you were living in Oildale. And yes I have lived at an apartment complex there. Whatever you do- do not move here. I can not wait to get out of here. read more