Cottonwood Grove

We lived here for a little over 8 years and I must say the last 3 years were the most pleasant. Cindy is a true asset to the place. She is easy to work with-which I can not say about the previous 3 landlords. Many of the complaints I've read are pretty common complaints for apartments. Noise, neighbors, parking etc are common whether you live in a apartment or a home, however I found Cottonwood to be peaceful with a community feel. The area is beautiful and safe. The apartments are above the largest in the Fresno/clovis area. The garage is included in rent-where as other apartments only have a carport OR you have to pay extra for a garage. The kitchens are awesome with plenty of cabinets and storage. There's a good sized linen closet in all apartments. The bathrooms have additional cabinet space. The fridges are HUGE-full size fridge and freezer-most apartments are small in this area-I have toured MANY..washer and dryer are included-not a stacker-full size washer and dryers. ALL maintenance was taken care promptly. AC, and a breaker issue-i didn't know how to fix got taken care of the SAME day-within a hour of my call. I suppose you have to live in other apartments to really appreciate it here. The pricing is marked for the area, but still lower or the same as other surrounding apartments that offer less for half the size. In my time here, we utilized the clubhouse for a graduation party and used the rental that is available to resident guests. On both occasions, Cindy was a amazing host. If I were looking to rent in Clovis again, I would not hesitate to go back to Cottonwood Grove. I love it there.

It's nice to have so many trees. They make it feel like a park. The noise level is good. I rarely hear my neighbors. These are smoking apartments and my neighbor is outside on his patio smoking often. With the health problems associated with second hand smoke I don't think it is a good environment for children, and the smell is a problem for my girlfriend. She won't visit because it flares up her asthma. The garages are super small, and there isn't much storage. Parking is very limited. Don't park anywhere with red paint or the police will be called and you will be cited $135, or even worse towed which costs $300. It's crummy to have to walk in groceries from the street. I have found maintenance to be polite and efficient. I don't use the pool, hot tub, or club house so I can't comment on those. The best part is the location.

Don't be fooled by the pictures. Those are all old, when the place was new, or are of the model which is full of upgrades. Today the place is rundown. The appliances are cheap. The grounds look like they were nice once, with the river and all, but now it is an awkward place for weeds and trash to accumulate. They seem to do a better job cleaning up in the summer though because its rental season (but don't be fooled). I have had a few issues with the older children of neighbors who live at home making drama in the neighborhood, but its been a few months since the cops have been out. Be careful where you park, and tell your friends too. There are far too few spots for the residents and the complex has a contract with a towing company to drive through and remove vehicles from any inappropriate spots. The experience of walking out in the morning to find your car is not where you left it, and then to find out it is all the way across Fresno (near the 99) is frustrating. I have found it is just best to plan on parking in the street and walking in so I don't waste time driving around looking for a spot, and then have to go outside anyway. I have not had any trouble with that but a friend had their window smashed and belongings taken. The staff have always been very nice though. They don't seem to have much say in what gets done. I suppose that is how things go with corporate ownership. The manager is helpless until the next level up says so. Overall, I think it is ok if you are on a budget and want just the basics. If you are looking for a place to call home, or want the extra attention to detail and service, this is probably not your best choice.

The best part is that its in a great school district, but I would keep looking if I were you. They have recently made numerous improvements to the signage and exterior of the units, but it's all cosmetic. Don't be fooled by appearances. They look good, but the problems are deeper. The appliances are terrible. No ice maker in my frig, the washer, dryer, and stove are the most basic units available. The worst part though is the security is terrible. The club house is locked up after hours, so unless you are home during the day forget it. The kids and I tried to use the pools or Jacuzzis a few times but we have given up because the chemicals are always off. If it's not slightly green and slimy, it smells like it is over chlorinated. I'm afraid they are going to get sick. There not nearly enough parking available for the tenants (and they are diligent about towing - which I should have realized by all the signs). Even if you are lucky enough to find a parking spot within the complex, they are dimly lit. I've had my windows smashed twice, once inside the complex. I don't think it's safe. They no longer fill the river with water, and that is a pity, so instead of a nice bubbling brook there is an empty concrete and stone riverbed. I will say the trees have been the best part. They provide a great deal of shade in the summer, but it was still more to cool this unit than it was to cool the previous place I rented a few miles away which was almost twice the size. I am sad to say I live here, and hope I will not have to much longer... I think if you look somewhere else, maybe even pay a little more for rent you will be much happier. Learn from my mistake.

I lived there for 4 years from Aug2012 to April2016 because my daughter goes to Buchanan which is a very good HS. The owner(s) have let it deteriorate over the yrs. They cut down on maintenance like pest control and last March2016 had to fumigate 10 buildings. They are also repainting the place but that can't hide the facts that the place is old. I had a 3 BR upstairs (3 BR are all upstairs) and the stairs and the balcony are all wobbly. I have noticed the same conditions in other units because of the repairs done once somebody moved out. In the last 2 years I have seen a lot of repair done on vacant units. I guess the owner is trying to recoup his maintenance costs on the back of the people who moved out. I was shocked to find out that after living there 4 years, they charged me 400$ for repainting the apartment and 175$ for rug cleaning. First the rug is already old when I moved in and when I lived there we always took off our shoes at the door. A habit carried over from our last house where we had laminate and tile floors plus I believe it is a clean habit to have. The rug when I moved out needed to be replace completely . For a rent of 1798$/month I would not live on a such old rug. The bathroom in the master br had mold on the wall when I moved in. I tried to scrub it off but it was encrusted into the wall. I believe that the place need a repaint job, not because I was a bad tenant , but because of the high rent they intend to charge , it better be clean. I just bought a house 1/2 block from Buchanan HS with real hardwood floor. Beside if I didn't thrash it, wouldn't the paint job be counted as usual wear and tear ? I believe the mgt is cheap and cheesy. I would advise anyone moving in to really document the state of the apartment with pictures and written documents less they be docked with unwarranted cleaning charges the same way you take pictures of a rental car before taking possession in case you rent from some cheap and cheesy car rental company. For 1800$/mo it is better to rent a house if you have to live near Buchanan. If your kids are not going to BHS, there is no need to pay the premium rent at Cottonwood Grove. They have tried to spruce the place up with granite countertops on the vacant units to justify the high rent they intend to charge. But the place is basically old ; the repairs and maintenance have been skimpy for a long time.

I have lived here for over 8 years. When we moved in the manager was amazing and so was everything. They kept up the property and apartments. 8 years later, 10 managers later, and about 50 assisant managers and maintance later this place is HORRID! She, the manager, is on a power trip, nothing is their fault, they cant fix anything because its not in the budget, parking is bad, dont call to get this fixed cuz theyre clueless, our cerpets are disgusting, paint pealing, the tile is cracking, the pools are always green, and they raise rent every year! I suggest buy a house or rent somewhere else!!!!