Devonshire Apartments

The exterior of the place looks very out of place compared to the other buildings in the same area. It is old and kind of looks like a motel from the outside. The inside of the apartments is okay. The biggest issue I had living there was dealing with the family of landlords. It can get frustrated sometimes.

Pros:
- Best thing about place (for me) -- right next to the Devonshire Little Store!
- Has the basic amenities, such as dishwasher and granite counter-top.
- Has a relatively big parking... lot.
- Relatively well-maintained. Even though the building is old, it is kept fairly intact.
- About a 5 min drive or 15 min walk to downtown San Carlos
- Rent is slightly cheaper for an apartment in that area. But then you get what you pay for...Also, expect a ~10% increase in rent annually.

Cons:
- Very noisy. It is right by a busy road (San Carlos Ave), you will hear cars pass by all the time. The windows and closed doors do not provide much noise cancellation.
- The layout of the building structure is poor, it transmits sounds very very well. You can hear people walking up and down the complex very clearly even if you are inside the apartment with doors closed.
- Almost every unit has a balcony, but the balconies face the parking spaces of the apartment complex, so no one really gets to enjoy them, pretty much everyone just use them for storage.
- Have to deal with a whole family of landlords. The apartment complex is owned by a family, and they are very particular about a lot of things the tenants should and should not do. They would routinely come and inspect the apartments. They will for sure let you know if there is something you did that they don't like. Hard to a get peace of mind living there sometimes.
- Very unrealistic expectations by the landlords. When I moved out, they gave me a list of things to do in order to get my deposit back. The list pretty much sums up to the expectation that I will leave a brand new, move in ready apartment for them.

Summary
The place is okay if you are able to deal with nosy landlords and noisy traffic sounds. Read More