Nob Hill Palace

We moved here from out of state and have now lived here six months. Things were good at first under Ofelia, who kept the building clean, smelling nice, and in working order. Since she left, we've had three managers and no one has told residents who's coming or going or who our contact is. We seem to get another manager about every two months, and recently our heat went out twice in two months because of a “trip in the system.” The building is a continual mess. Something in the workout area is always broken; the TV has been disconnected for months despite my telling management, and the equipment wipes have been empty for months too. There are always flies in the entryway, the carpets are very worn, and a second-floor window has been left wide open for months. We were told water would be shut off for part of a day, but it never happened and no one explained why or when it would. Now we're being asked to sign a Prop 65 addendum acknowledging asbestos and lead paint. The website still lists swimming pools, tennis courts, dishwashers, and disposals in each apartment. When we asked about those on our tour, we were told the listing was a mistake. That was over six months ago and the description is still there. We have also had three packages go missing. When our fridge broke, we had to keep our food in a vacant apartment on another floor for almost a week. We were told we could move to a larger unit when one opened, no problem, but now we're told we'd need to extend the lease. The street-facing windows on Jones weren't replaced, despite us only learning that after moving in, so the street noise is loud. I'm glad the rear-facing windows were replaced. We were told when signing that we'd only pay electricity, cable, and internet. In our third month, with a new manager, we got a $240 bill for water, hot water, sewage, trash, and fees. There are two of us in 500 square feet, with no dishwasher or disposal and just one small closet. The rent is already outrageous without all the extra charges. The building isn't worth the rent, especially with the poor service, maintenance, and upkeep.

That view was worth it every day and night, and this was the best apartment I've ever lived in. My fiancee and I stayed at Nob Hill Place for more than two years and loved it. We were close to everything, but tucked away enough to escape the city noise. The property managers were friendly, responsive, and made us feel respected and heard. Maintenance requests were handled within 24-48 hours. For instance, when our oven stopped heating beyond a certain temperature, we had a replacement in our apartment that same week.

The location at Nob Hill Place is hard to beat, and I liked that the office used to be open on weekdays. But maintenance has declined since I moved in almost nine years ago, and it seems the live-in management and maintenance staff are gone. My latest request was made in early February about a smoke alarm that kept beeping. I've asked repeatedly, including yesterday, and it's still going. That's unacceptable and dangerous, especially for the rent I pay.

We were here for almost five years, and the residents were all nice. Nob Hill Place is a small, pleasant spot at the top of Nob Hill, with a very walkable location. The apartments are typical for SF, though: older furnishings and small rooms if you're not used to living in the city.