Specific Apartment Complexes in Sherman Oaks (Nice: fit in, section 8, rent)

[jbhawk123]

Hi All,

I've been offered a position close to Sherman Oaks and have been looking for Studio or 1 Bedroom apartment near there. I've read a ton of yelp reviews but it's been pretty difficult as some reviews seem incentivized by the apartment management. Does anyone have experience with specific apartment complexes in the area that they can recommend? My budget is up to $2100 (though it would be really nice to be under my max). Thanks so much in advance!

[ryanms3030]

Look around on craigslist/padmapper for smaller buildings. I lived in a corporate owned building in Sherman Oaks for a year. It was ok but the entire building smelled like weed 24 hours a day and the pool area was like a Vegas pool party complete with pro sound system every day since 90% of the residents were 20 something out of work actors/bums living off their rich parents. The biggest problem with the building I lived in is they give you a special first year rate and then raise the rent the next year based on the "real" rent not the incentivized rate. I think my place was like $1800 but $1400 first year price (5-6 years ago) and after a year they tried to raise from $1400 to $1900

[nightlysparrow]

A friend lives 4250 Coldwater Cyn., it's well run and quiet. Nice because it's next to the river and there are walking paths, it's a block or two to Ventura Blvd., and because Coldwater is an exit off the 101 for freeway ease. But they do raise rent yearly.

[SandyCo]

You have to figure out what you want (or are willing to settle for). Do you mind living on a busy street? Do you care if it's a large, professionally managed building? Also, do you have any feelings about Section 8 residents?

I pay a lot of attention to how the main areas look. Is the pool clean? Is the paint peeling? Does it look like the owner(s) really care about the place? If you have a chance, talk to a tenant or two and get their feedback. "Yeah, it's under rent control, but the landlord sucks." This kind of info is very valuable.

Ask the manager how often they spray for bugs. If they look at you like you're crazy, that's good! If they say "once every three months" you might want to look elsewhere. If you see a roach in an empty apartment, the place is probably infested!

If there are water stains on the ceiling, or stains on the carpet, etc. management obviously didn't even care enough to clean up the apartment properly before showing it. Basically, whatever shape the apartment is in when they show it to you is what you should expect in terms of maintenance. There are exceptions, of course (I saw my current apartment the day after the previous tenant moved out, but I knew they'd replace the carpet, repaint, etc. before I moved in - and the originally advertised apartment they showed was pristine).

Other things to think about: How far away is the laundry room from your apartment? What about the parking area? Would you be lugging groceries up three flights of stairs? What about the dumpster? Is it far away, or worse, is it right outside your window?

If you choose a rent controlled building, the chances are it won't be insulated well, so you'll roast in the summer and be chilly in the winter. Pay attention to how much sunlight the unit gets; it will affect your air-conditioning use. On the other hand, older buildings usually have bigger rooms and more storage. No insulation means that you'll be able to hear your neighbors sneeze (yes, I'm serious!). If you're very loud or conversely if you're allergic to other people's noise, please find a more modern building. The trade-off, of course, is that the rent will increase faster in a non rent controlled unit. Oh, and an older building will probably only offer one parking space per apartment, and street parking can be a challenge.

What about pets? If you don't have pets, you might want to find a building that doesn't allow them. Even small dogs can bark incessantly while their owners aren't home.

Good luck with your search! I know it's difficult.

[highlanderfil]

Try Windmark (4300 Beverly Glen). Should fit into your budget, plus it's south of Ventura, which is a more desirable location in general in the Valley. It's walkable to most of Sherman Oaks's attractions, as well. I lived there between 2007 and 2010 and would not hesitate to recommend it. Apartments facing East are better, as they face away from Beverly Glen and are quieter as result.