Barcelona Resort Apartments, Aliso Viejo CA

Barcelona apartments is a really good place to live with resort lifestile.the complex hace two pools and green areas.

Rented from this community for amenities like multiple gyms, sauna, pilates reformer, Racquet ball court through shared access at the sister community St Moritz. Found out today trying to access the sauna and gym that has the decent equipment that we no longer have access. Didn't receive any notice of the change to access or losing amenities. I asked Barcelona office if they were going to be adding a sauna, updating gym equipment options. She said they plan to do renovations but she doesn't know when and didn't know if we would get a sauna.

Came to tour and Erin made the experience so great! She is so friendly and welcoming. I really loved the community! The pool is HUGE. If you are looking for a cool spot in Aliso Viejo get in touch with Erin she will make all of your dreams come true.

I previously resided in Barcelona under old management from November 2018-April 2020. The prior Community Manager was aware of my need for certain accommodations and graciously complied without a formal process, so new vent covers and a new air intake grille were installed (they had decades of paint that would capture and release airborne particles, aggravating my health conditions). Once a month a new air filter was provided. I recently moved back to the complex (under new management, Greystar) on July 20,2023.

The big mistake I made was renting a unit sight unseen. The AC unit is 32-yrs old (in-service date 12/5/1991) and after multiple repair attempts over 8 days (and 53 days since move in) is still not adequately removing humidity, not cooling and cycling as it should, and is drawing excess energy consumption. SCE shows daily energy consumption in this unit at 46kWh when it should be less than 16kWh, resulting in astronomical electric bills. The first bill from SCE for 13 days was $210.16. The second SCE bill for 29 days was $449.17. First 42 days electric = $659.33 for an 895 sq ft apartment. Does this sound right? These bills alone should be obvious to management that my AC is not working properly! Anyone with common sense would replace the compressor, especially if their tenant has medical reasons for needing specified air quality. The heat and high humidity are aggravating my health conditions. I have not slept one night for more than an hour. All previous accommodations I was afforded during prior tenancy were denied by new Community Manager and further repairs denied.

I officially requested Reasonable Accommodations (my medical conditions quality as a Disability). Form provided by Leasing Manager was returned to her. Instead of complying with ADA Laws surrounding reasonable accommodations, Community Manager engaged legal counsel. After two weeks of no response from their attorney, on 8/31 I finally received a letter. Attorney instructed me to provide a “reliable” signed letter from my PCP. 10 days has passed since the signed letter was returned to Greystar and their attorney. No action has been taken. Compliance with ADA Laws is not negotiable. I am left with no alternative but to open a case with OC Fair Housing Foundation. Rather than management making the requested accommodations, they would rather engage in a contentious relationship, litigation, and rack up hefty legal bills (legal bills that far exceed the cost of my Reasonable Accommodations request). Based on my own personal experience, the community does not comply with ADA Laws, even though their attorney says they do.

Greystar’s sister property (St. Moritz) handling of the top floor 1-bedroom units with the AC compressor issues. Their assistant manager informed me emphatically that they are replacing them on a case-by-case basis with the resident simply bringing them a copy of the excessive electric bill and verifying the AC compressor is one of the older 32-year compressors. They want their residents happy, comfortable, and wish to have a long-term relationship to lower turnover. Now that is what I expect from a “luxury” apartment community.

Bring your own shower extension arms if over 5’4”; otherwise, you have to squat to shower. You’ll be told the shower head height has to be uniform in the community. Then raise them all. Come on, was this place built for dwarfs?

Stairways to units used to be cleaned weekly and was a nice amenity to keep dirt and pollutants out of the home. If you want clean stairs regularly, you will have to sweep and wash them yourself. Sidewalks are no longer blown off as they used to be daily either. I had to invest in my own leaf blower to keep the walkway free of debris.

No security at this property. Manager response is that it is not Greystar’s quote “duty to provide a safe community”.

Garbage dumpster by my building is frequently left to block access to my private garage (leaving me no access to get in/out). Area is a red curb zone with a fire hydrant which is a city code violation.

Lived there for a year, great place! Has beautiful views, awesome amenities, and its close to Laguna beach, amazing restaurants, and shopping all around it!

Third rate, inefficient, selfish arrogant management. You can see my review below before I moved in.but what transpired between then and now is another story which I will update soon.

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I recently had the pleasure of interacting with the management team of Barcelona Apartments, and I must say, they left an indelible impression on me. From the very first moment I reached out to them about moving in, they demonstrated a level of kindness and accommodation that is truly commendable.

Every step of the way, they were patient in addressing my questions and concerns, making sure I felt comfortable and well-informed. What sets this management team apart is their genuine care for the residents. They took the time to understand my specific needs and preferences, and they went above and beyond to match me with an apartment that was a perfect fit. Their dedication to ensuring that I had a positive living experience was evident in their every action.

I had initially booked a one bedroom apartment, changed it two BR later and then back to one and eventually two BR. David was exemplary in his professionalism and dealt with this whole thing with a smile on his face.

The complex is huge and well maintained and I am hoping to have a very pleasant experience here.

After being 10 min late to see the apartment, The man at the front desk refused to show my wife and three kids the facility. The man told us our only option was to reschedule for tomorrow. He said he was “too busy with corporate work” to fit us in. ” We drove up from Carlsbad to see the place! So rude and unprofessional!

In a shady town, where deceit was rife,
There lived a landlord, a shyster in disguise.
With a crooked smile and a sly, cunning mind,
He played his games, leaving tenants behind.

He'd promise paradise, a cozy abode,
But it was all a façade, an elaborate code.
His properties adorned with false allure,
Like a spider's web, ready to capture the unsure.

He'd charge exorbitant rent, draining pockets dry,
While neglecting repairs, watching time go by.
Leaky roofs and broken locks left unattended,
But behind closed doors, his wealth steadily ascended.

Beware, tenants, of this shrewd, deceptive man,
For his greed knows no bounds, as much as it can.
He'll twist the law, exploit every loophole,
To exploit your hardships, and leave you in a pothole.

Evictions were his dagger, cutting deep,
He'd forge documents, his conscience sound asleep.
He'd rob the helpless, the vulnerable souls,
Making profits soar, as their misery unfolds.

But justice can't be fooled, truth cannot hide,
And karma's swift sword will swing back with pride.
The shyster landlord's reign shall crumble and fall,
Exposed to all, his empire's facade will stall.

So let it be a lesson to one and all,
To fight the shysters, standing tall and strong.
To protect the rights of those who dwell,
And bid farewell to the shyster from hell.

For tenants deserve a safe and fair place,
Where their dreams can thrive, not a constant chase.
So let's unite, against the shysters we defy,
And reclaim our homes, beneath a brighter sky.

Services waining since the Greystar takeover. The previous management company had their issues but ran a tight ship with the cleanliness of the property. Clearly not a priority for Greystar.

Just spoke with David in the leasing office (see his response below) to ask about the stairwell clearing they always provided. A lot of people battling through spider webs, and nests of spiders. It’s that time of year and without a decent level of maintenance, you get them all over the place.

Anyway, David’s answer was something along the line of “Yeah but your rent doesn’t go towards these services, it only goes towards your rent”. Which is a pathetic answer quite frankly. Just speaks to the indifference these “managers” have for residents.

Bottom line is - looks like we have to clean the external stair well ourselves as David made it very clear they aren’t responsible and that he couldn’t care less

To Expensive, too many wack rules. The rooms are nice and big. Not worth it. Only stayed 2 years. Lots of police activity. Lots of kids would steal things from the stores down the street, and then jump the walls by the 73 toll road into the complex.

Right now all of these apartment complexes are raising their rent every year. Their rates are crazy high to begin with.

I have lived at Barcelona since 2017, and I would be lying if I said that my time here has been all rainbows and sunshine. There have been a lot of issues with past management and the lack of communication or care taken by them regarding issues that severely impacted my ability to enjoy living here was staggering.

If I had been writing this review just a few months ago, it would have been one star only because I couldn't rate negative stars.

However, since the new management has come in, there has been a noticable and welcome change in how communication is handled and the degree to which the new manager Rita demonstrates that she cares about our satisfaction and concerns. If I were rating her alone, I would have given 5 stars, but I am reserving my reaction as a whole until I see how well the change in management continues to roll out. Believe me when I say that moving the needle with me from wanting to rate this property as low as possible, to giving things a fair and even shake and grant the benefit of the doubt to the new management is a huge win for the new management, and Rita in particular. I look forward to seeing what new and welcome changes are made to show our community that we matter to the management and that they are willing to communicate with us as well as Rita has done this far. She is a very welcome change to the staff and I look forward to seeing how things are handled moving forward.

My fiance and I will be moving in next week but I am giving this place five stars because of David. He has been so helpful and amazing through our whole search process and he has been very patient with us. I am so excited about moving in. I did read the bad reviews before checking this place out and he clarified a few things. People that get towed, get towed because they park in the incorrect areas. A lot of people only write their negative experiences but I don't think any place is actually perfect. This complex is massive but the surrounding areas are beautiful! The views of the canyon are breathtaking. Thank you David D.for all your help and for your kindness:)