Canterbury Apartments

Pros: Rumor has it this place was built to house the Lakers when they first moved to LA...haven't checked that out. Large, 2-bedroom/2-bath, bright (units in front of building - others are pretty dark). 2 parking spots, side by side. Wet bar in living room. Gas faux fireplace (owner pays gas but won't repair non-working fireplaces). Laundry on-site (not in-unit). Central heat and air (elec - old, odd filter size - have to cut one to fit).

Cons:
The Unit: Tub only in master bath - no shower.… Shower in guest bath loud for occupant of second bedroom. Overall unit not well-maintained. Old carpet, old mismatched fixtures, old, mismatched appliances (range and dishwasher different colors. Unit was not clean upon move-in (building manager says hard for cleaners to see to clean b/c landlady won't pay electricity when unit unoccupied!). Just really old and not upgraded - if you're looking for marble counter tops you're in the wrong place; however if you're coll with painted-over tile counters and rusted sinks that chip on first use, then you're in business.
The landlady: Really particular and disagreeable old woman. Uses the same repair people she's been using for years. Painter's always around and smokes - my unit smelled like smoke on move-in. Garage always smells like smoke. Landlady once let me go without hot water in the shower for over a week because she wouldn't call a plumber other than her usually guy who she apparently was having a tiff with at the time. Rules galore, e.g. I have to keep these cheap old white plastic owner-supplied chairs and mini table on my balcony...I'm allowed one flower or potted plant out there. Landlady is generally disagreeable and difficult to deal with especially when it come to upkeep. However she is not at all shy about raising the rent. Have also heard other residents discussing people who have been asked to leave for getting on her bad side. I could go on and on with specifics about my situation but don't want to give myself away. Know this...despite what she says, not all the units of the same number of beds/baths are the same. Floor plans ARE different. Insist on seeing the unit you will be renting. Make sure it is done to your liking before signing...she won't do after move-in stuff she promised before but wasn't done. Make sure you have EVERYTHING, dates, etc. in writing. Read More