746 S LOS ANGELES ST, Los Angeles, CA 90014

Completely unresponsive and unkind. They definitely do not care about you once you're done applying. I was about to move in, but for the past week, no one returned my calls, texts, or emails, so I voided the lease. I even tried calling and texting from different phones, but still no response from the leasing office. Also, none of the utilities are covered, the building is extremely overpriced, and border's Skid Row. I did not feel safe walking here when I viewed the apartments. Do not expect any communication once you're done applying. I would imagine that it would be extremely difficult to get anything fixed here and if there was any crime in the building, they would not care.

Don't bother even touring the place. It is in the heart of skid row, the cockroaches run through the hallways and you'll be kept up at night by the screaming homeless people. This is not unique to the building, what is unique, is the terrible service and treatment you will receive from the staff. I paid rent on time, every time, but good luck speaking to anyone in the office about any issues. They happily take thousands of dollars a month from you but will not ever, and I mean EVER, answer the phone. The outrageous audacity of this management company to treat its residents like this is appalling. Whoever owns this building needs to fire Essex as their managing group immediately.

This is my first time writing a review of my place of residence. Usually I hate reviews of apartments because you usually only get the really good or the really bad. I wish I could say I was writing this review to highlight how great it is living at “Santee Court.” Instead I am warning you… do not be fooled. Moving here is the worst decision you could make. Before I start telling you all the reasons you shouldn’t move here I’ll highlight some of the good things about living here and let you weigh the pros and cons. Also it’s important to note I live in the 714 building on the corner of Los Angeles and 7th. PROS: -High ceilings – repurposed warehouse/factory space -Concrete Floors – Easy cleaning and sweeping -Larger square footage than similarly priced apartments in Downtown LA -Quick and friendly maintenance team -Large windows with tons of natural lighting CONS: -Washers & Dryers are shared. Usually not an issue but there is a serious mold/mildew issue with the majority of the washers to the point where I can use only 2 of the 6 in my building without risking my clothes smelling like musty mildew. -Sirens from 7th. 7th is a major corridor for emergency vehicles so be prepared to hear sirens all night and day. There is also a fire department located on 7th so be prepared to hear them every time the fire department is deployed. This is probably the least of my concerns at this building though as I have learned to just drown the sirens out and am unbothered as long as my windows are closed. -Barking dogs all night. Look I own a dog and I understand that dogs bark, but for hours on end? Santee Court management did nothing to rectify the problem and there were multiple nights when I was kept up all night by a dog barking and howling non-stop due to separation anxiety. The worst part of it all? The dog wasn’t even registered to the owner. Sporadically when they decided to leave the dog there, I didn’t get to sleep. This went on for months with varying consistency. Security could do nothing but go knock on the door of the vacant apartment. -Dirty common areas and amenities. The common areas are filthy, and I feel bad for the poor maintenance staff as I’m sure they are undermanned. Nobody moves to this building for the amenities they’re sub-par for the area and generally not well kept. I’m not expecting pristine and sparkling but there have been many times where I have been embarrassed when I had guests over because of how disgusting our building lobby looks. There is constantly trash or spills in the lobby, elevator and common hallways. -Stolen packages – I’ve had 3 stolen so far in my 9 months living here. One was a work package stolen from my doorstep; the others were stolen from the lobby. Recently management implemented a package room. Delivery to said package room is inconsistent and things are still sometimes left in the lobby. The package room lacks security, anyone with a key can enter. Yes there is cameras, but Santee Court made it clear when they introduced the package room that they would not be responsible for any items stolen from said room. If you’re constantly shipping/receiving you may want to invest in a PO Box or use a friend’s address for important items. -Incompetent security team. The guys are nice, don’t get me wrong. This security team is useless though. If you call with an issue it isn’t addressed immediately. Sometimes you don’t even get a response. I hope I can share some photos so you can see some of the response I have got from this security team. It’s got to the point now that if I have an issue most of the time I don’t even let security know anymore I just go handle things myself. -Transient issue – In case you didn’t notice… You’re in the heart of Skid Row. Know what comes with that. I am a 6’ 4 male so I feel comfortable in the area. That being said I wouldn’t be comfortable asking my sister, mother or girlfriend to watch my apartment because this area is very dangerous at night. A suggestion, turn off your citizen app if you do decide to move here. I’ve lived in downtown for over 3 years. Got my first gun pulled on me not too far from the entrance to my building a few months back. Keep your eyes on the ground for Orange Syringe caps, they’re like warning signs that there’s used needles around. Also watch out for poop, no not just dog. Stay alert. -That “cute” alley. It’s not so cute after you realize it’s coated in dog piss by the end of the day. Rainy days watch out for the splash. Sunny days, watch out for the smell. -Parking situation – There are 2 paid options. One with the adjacent Joe’s Parking and another in a parking structure on Maple between 6th and 7th. Joe’s parking is more expensive but also adjacent to Santee Court building. The lot is unsecured and anyone has access to it, but the convenience probably makes this the superior option. The parking structure on Maple is only $50 a month but prepare to dodge all sorts of crazy on your way there. There’s even a shuttle from the garage at night. If that’s not telling I don’t know what is. -Car windows broken. If you do decide to park on the street just know that I see a smashed window on Los Angeles in front of the 714 building about once every other week when I take my dog for a walk in the AM. -Roaches. The first time I turned my sink on a family of roaches scurried out. I thought maybe the unit had been vacant for some time. Turns out this building just has a roach issue. No leaving dirty dishes in the sink and a constant supply of roach bait has curbed the problem but inevitably I have identified numerous places where they are living in the walls. -Dirty gum on floor. This one isn’t too big of a deal but when I moved on I spent hours scraping chunks of dirty used gum off the concrete floors in my unit. Kind of gross but not too big of a deal once it was done. Seems like a lot huh? Well I haven’t even got to my main 2 issues. SEE BELOW -Basketball court at all hours. This has been my running issue for 9 months. Let me start by saying that when I toured this building it was self-guided. I loved the place and moved my stuff in about a week later. Hours into unpacking I start hearing a sudden loud thud that sounded like construction. It was literally shaking my unit, what could it be? Come to find out there is a basketball court above my unit. Livid I rushed down to management who told me they would work on a solution. The solution was over a week later telling me I could move into another unit… I just paid thousands to pack and move my belongings once, I didn’t want to have to budget an additional move. No concessions were offered, nothing. The response was very shoulder shrug. This left me with such a bad taste in my mouth. Little did I know this would just be the start of my journey. People come and play basketball at all hours. It wasn’t until nearly 8 months of living here and complaining that they finally decided to put a lock on the courts (although they are inconsistent about locking the lock, so it’s also somewhat useless). If you live on the 5th floor of the 714 building prepare to hear basketball at all hours. I have over a dozen correspondences with the leasing office regarding this issue. I have contacted security so many times that I just go ask the people to leave myself as sometimes security won’t come for over an hour. If you are okay with being awoken in the middle of the night, early morning hours a couple times a week then this is the place for you. -Management – Really good at saying what you want to hear. Piss poor at resolving issues. I won’t waste my time here but the one time I contacted the Essex Corporate office regarding management they sent me right back to the exact people I had just complained about. Don’t worry they corporate doesn’t care either. SUMMARY: Do yourself a favor and keep looking. The extra square footage is not worth it. There are nicer buildings, in nicer areas that are comparably priced downtown. If you want to pay $2,300 a month to feel like you live in the slums of hopelessness and despair then this is the place for you. If you want to feel frustrated and ignored this is the place for you. If you want to boil over to the point of writing 1,500-word reviews, move here.

This place has taken a steadfast nosedive since I've lived here, mostly within the past year to 18 months. Security is completely useless, and non-existent at night when problems occur. For as much time as they spent staring at their phones, they rarely answer them, and refuse to intervene in or document disputes. Package theft is a regular and constant occurrence. Amenities have grown decrepit in the 5 years I've lived here. All public areas have gotten older and dirtier, despite constant construction (beginning early mornings). Unit sizes are NOT AT ALL the sizes advertised. Harassment from transients and strung-out homeless is regular. ALL buildings in the complex have roaches and regular plumbing problems. Usually only one elevator of every two works at a given time. Worst yet is the community. I've watched this place devolve from a fun, friendly and diverse community of artists, entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals to mostly unemployed/Section-8 scumbags or Air BnB guests who take over public areas, hang out and party all hours of the night, let their dogs ---- and piss everywhere and bark all day, and cause trouble for other residents. There was a meth lab broken up here not too long ago. Just after a resident was severely beaten by her "guest," one of several she received a night. Management is negligent on all these issues, lowering rates and apparently approving anyone in an effort to keep their revolving door occupancy as high as possible. If you're looking for the fun, inspiring and upbeat community this place used to be, look somewhere else. It's gone.

I wanted to take the time to provide an overview of the pros and cons I have experienced living here over the last ~8 months. **Positives**: friendly, helpful leasing staff who live in the community. Janitorial and maintenance staff work hard to maintain a very challenging property. The buildings (Santee Village is the only structure with in-unit laundry) are historical and architecturally distinct to give them a cool industrial loft vibe. Tenant turnover seems to be relatively low and many people have lived here for several years. Top floor units have good views and there are some great local businesses just steps away. **Problem Areas**: Physical security is a huge issue here, audio/visual security is far too limited for the proximity to skid row, package theft has been a repeated problem with very limited support from building management. In one instance, it was determined that a resident was stealing these packages and no steps were taken to inform or support the theft victims. The property is owner operated, and there is a total lack of interest in investing in better security for this property. There is no concierge support or ability to have packages securely delivered on site. The alley that connects the building is constantly contaminated with pet waste and there is a disregard for the people who have to clean this up on a daily basis. The amenities are mediocre at best in comparison to the growing number of similar properties in DTLA. For example, the pool area has no landscaping, looks out over skid row, and has fatigued furniture with stains and tears with an unobstructed view of a tent-lined street. It appears as though the property owner has no interest in maintaining a high-quality offering for their tenants to enjoy. Given the pricing is comparable to better managed properties nearby, there is a real opportunity for Essex to do a better job operating this property. Also, FYI, if you are on the southeast side of the building you will directly face the Skid Row fire department, which dispatches constantly and rivals the worst nights in NYC in terms of constant blaring sirens. Lastly - during the COVIID-19 outbreak, in-person tours are still being conducted, putting the leasing staff and tenants at risk. Other apartment building have switched to a virtual model which I strongly recommend Essex adopt for the safety and well being of our community. **Summary**: It is on you to accept that you are moving into a property that is directly adjacent to Skid Row which is going to come with real implications. That aside, these buildings are very cool at their core and if they were managed and maintained at parity with other buildings in the neighborhood the living experience could be so much better and worth the money.

The grounds are filthy - covered in animal and human excrement. Management is unhelpful. Security is nowhere to be seen. It's very noisy (homeless yelling at all hours and it's right next to a fire station) and the amenities are filthy . I advise to stay away - You'll be happier living somewhere else .

Roach infested, Leaks everytime it rains. Dog and human feces everywhere outside.,. plus right next to a fire station so sirens all night long.. what a nightmare. so glad to have moved on. I reported roaches over 20 times and tried to sue but a big gamble taking on such a large property company so didn't go through with it. every time it rained although not often it was like living under a water fountain about 10-15 different places in the ceiling that the water came in.. Stay away from Essex property group.

My husband and I have lived here for 6 years and we love it. The management is very responsive and professional. The grounds are usually very clean. The security keeps our courtyard safe and free from skid row inhabitants. The Santee Court Market is wonderful and very convenient. We are most impressed with the courtyard, rooftop basketball and pool/jacuzzi. You can’t beat the price per square foot - we have a huge loft that would cost at least 2x more a block away.

I've lived at Santee Court for close to a year now. This place has just gotten worse and worse. With the prices going up downtown, you'd think the area would be getting cleaner, safer, nicer... NOPE! Not at Santee Court anyway. In the year I was here, I've seen a man stabbed, a woman almost raped (he was only saved because we called the police and the man assaulting her was trying to rob her first), and a crazy person shot by police. All on Los Angeles street. within a block of my building. The last straw was when I was personally just about attacked by a homeless addict in the courtyard this weekend. I had to get into my building quickly to avoid the man from grabbing me. He then proceeded to bang on the door until I pulled my phone out to call the police. Also, my neighbor's car had been broken into just this last week. This place has a bunch of amenities, but if you can't feel safe walking to your car or even through the courtyard, what does it matter. There's security, but the crime is so bad here. The homeless are basically drugged out all the time or crazy, which makes it hard for the unarmed security to do anything about it than to try to "reason" with them that they have to leave. The security here are nice enough and do their best, but the city doesn't do enough to clean up the homeless and drug problem to keep local residents safe this side of downtown. I've witnessed so many altercations. Also, my rent went up so much in the year that I've been here. And the surrounding street parking is now like $4 for less than an hour at all of the meters surrounding the place??? That's almost double what it was last year. Which is a huge inconvenience. Not to mention the awful parking enforcement! About seventy dollars for an expired meter! Last year, I had close to $600 in parking tickets from the downtown area for minor infractions or being outright wrongly ticketed for a parking violation that I did not commit. It's like the city thinks they can milk the, so called, downtown revival for all its worth, without using that money to clean up the areas that really need it where residents live. Plus, the increased cost is hurting the people who live and work down here that are driving the revitalization in the first place. I'm glad I only signed a six month lease, so I can get the heck out of here as soon as it's up! Rental rates are way overpriced down here anyway. In fact, that's becoming the case with buying, too. Most of the real estate listings in the area are asking for way more than the property is valued at. Basically, everything is becoming overpriced without any additional value. I really thought this place was making a comeback, but the declining safety, rising cost of everything and overall inconvenience is not worth living down here. Maybe I'll try again after the city makes a better attempt at cleaning up the streets. Santee Court is definitely not worth it right now. I would recommend staying northwest of Spring if you just have to live down here, but even then it's still overpriced.

This is a great complex. Since I left Chicago many years ago I have rented in a various apartment complex, this is one of the best. Phil, Sarah and Hannah are always helpful and friendly in the office. Whenever I have had a problem in the unit maintenance was done quickly, although I have only had to call 1 or 2 times. I have been living here since July and when I walk my dog, day or night, I have never had a problem. I have not seen any drug deals going down. This complex is in a very urban area of DTLA and might not be for everyone but I feel the area is safe and like it. All of the units are lofts which I like very much. Parking is also included in the rent although it is offsite, they do have a shuttle that will pick you up or drop you off at night. This is a great place to live.