[10-Oct-2016] This is a review for unit 617A Green Ave, San Bruno, CA owned by an elderly married couple living in another state. The unit is an in-law unit on the bottom floor of the main house at 617 and is accessed from the side yard/drive way.
A few things, Pros and Cons:
Pros:
1. Close to BART, Downtown, and Caltrain.
2. Affordable (you get what you pay for).
3. Street parking is available.
4. Has washer/dryer hookups.
5. Has a garage and driveway to park.
6. Can paint the walls.
7. Neighborhood is nice.
8. One landlord is nice (the husband)--this landlord defers to his wife (see below).
Cons:
1. Has mold issues on one side of the house. Landlord painted over the mold in some areas with anti-mold paint; it did not address the issue. We had a mushroom on the window sill at one point.
2. Windows are single pane and tends to condensate; or one is double pane with a pane missing. Some of the window screens are missing or damaged.
3. The entire in-law unit was likely never built to code (e.g., electrical lighting wires dangling on the ceiling). The shower drain gurgles when you use the kitchen sink.
4. Landlords do not use internet and are only available by phone or snail mail.
5. Has a really really old refrigerator and stove vent (era 70's or 80's probably).
6. Bathroom is lower than the outside driveway, it tended to infiltrate water during rainstorms. Landlord sealed it up with caulking, but the water may come in from a different hole.
7. There are no fire/smoke/CO detectors/alarms.
8. Landlord went on long vacation and did not pay utility bills...the upstairs tenants and I almost ended up having to take over the PGE bills (one meter for the two units).
9. Landlord forces us to pay a "processing fee" for the utility bills and are bad at record keeping--to their advantage.
10. Landlord makes the tenant pay a separate bill for the gardener (via landlord), does not pay gardener regularly (or on time), and doesn't provide receipts.
11. Landlords only take cashier's check/money order or direct check deposit into their account at their bank (really annoying). They also add a late payment if it's 5 days late. They usually provide the bill anywhere from a few weeks to a few days before the due date.
12. Blinds were really dirty when we moved in. Some blinds are damaged.
13. There are pest problems--mainly ants and possibly rats.
14. Previous tenant had cat(s)--beware if you are super sensitive.
15. When we moved out, they implied that they'd prorate the rent--it was not the case. We had issues getting our deposit back, ended up doing two walk through and going over every single bill we paid along with every deposit slips (keep those). The landlord did not keep track of what was paid or did not check before our walk through.
16. Oddly, floor boards were used for the kitchen splash back (walls).
17. One landlord is hard to deal with and difficult to understand (the wife)--she takes care of the finances.
Ending note:
1. The landlords did significant work to the main upstairs unit (fixed water leaks and other) when we moved out. Other repairs may have been done after we left.
2. Advice for others: Take pictures when you move in and out. Keep all records. Know your tenant rights.
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