Maintenance & Construction

I could never recommend Cal-Prop. We signed a commercial lease in July of 2023 in La Mesa. We're on our 3rd property manager. There have been so many clerical errors, forgotten charges added to our bill because of their poorly managed accounting, terrible upkeep of the property, and they are slow to react to maintenance requests. 1st manager - Louis. 2nd manager - Melissa. 3rd manager - Kurt. Do they care I'm picking up trash, liquor bottles, & human feces most days? Seems not. Do they care that the property is eroding and looks derelict most days? Seems not. I wanted to be a long term tenant but it's not worth the inconsistencies from the management team.

I normally don’t write extensive reviews, but my experience with this property management company was troubling enough that I feel a responsibility to share it fully — for the protection of future tenants and property owners. From the day I moved in, the unit had major unresolved issues including water intrusion, mold, plumbing failures, leaks, and a nonfunctional wall heater. For more than six months, management repeatedly told me these repairs were scheduled, only to later deny the conversations ever happened. It was dismissive, deceptive, and felt intentionally misleading. The VP, Melissa Y., was directly involved in many of these discussions. She repeatedly assured me repairs would be completed, then later acted as if those conversations had never taken place. Long-term neighbors confirmed this was a pattern — Melissa often avoided communication, did not follow through on major repairs, and according to several tenants, failed to relay urgent concerns to property owners. Maintenance staff and neighbors also told me the building owner — a man in his 90s who lived locally — was completely unaware of many of the ongoing issues because tenants’ reports were not being passed on. Tenants said they had to approach him in person for anything to get addressed. Based on these conversations, it genuinely seemed like both tenants and the property owner were being taken advantage of. I was told the unit would be “ready to go” before move-in, but it was anything but. When I arrived: The window screen was on the floor The bathroom drain plug was sitting on the counter The carpet hadn’t been vacuumed The walls were marked and scuffed The blinds were broken And there were signs of black mold All of this was documented on the Statement of Condition, yet none of it was fixed during my tenancy. Throughout the year, I dealt with: Mold and water intrusion Multiple plumbing failures A leaking, cracked toilet tank Broken blinds A failing wall heater Clogged sinks Outlets that didn’t work Due to the habitability concerns, I previously filed a formal complaint with San Diego Building & Safety as well as the California Department of Real Estate, both of which substantiated the issues. Based on what occurred at move-out, I will be filing additional complaints due to the lack of required coordination for the move-out inspection, and the unreasonable, unsupported deposit deductions that violate both the lease and California Civil Code §1950.5. After a year of dealing with this, I began searching for a place closer to work. The day after another property manager completed a reference check, this company issued me a 10% rent increase — despite no other tenant in the 10-unit building receiving one. The timing speaks for itself. Before moving out, I requested and signed for a move-out inspection. No one ever contacted me. No inspection occurred. I moved out after thoroughly cleaning the unit — carpets shampooed, walls wiped, and appliances scrubbed — yet I received only $800 out of my $2,000 deposit. They charged me for: A toilet replacement (even though it was cracked at move-in and documented) Blinds (already broken and listed on the SOC) Carpet cleaning (despite the SOC stating the carpet was not new at move-in) After pushing back for weeks, they refunded the toilet charge — but only because I provided overwhelming documentation. The property manager even sent photos claiming the unit was not clean, showing dust on the refrigerator, dust on the ceiling fan, and mold in toilet water — which naturally forms when a unit sits unused, especially in a building with documented mold issues. It’s also worth noting: the overly positive reviews for this company do not match the experiences I had or the experiences of my neighbors. Many long-term renters hinted strongly that those “positive” reviews were written by people associated with the company. If you value honesty, proper communication, and basic habitability, avoid this property management company. Both tenants and owners deserve far better.

MUCH improved with the Team of Melissa, Kurt, & Eric. Very responsive and on time.

For the most part, my experience with this property management team has been positive. Whenever I’ve had an issue, they’ve been responsive and it ultimately gets resolved. I appreciate that they do follow through. The only reason I’m giving four stars instead of five is that a few times I’ve had to wait longer than expected for a response or resolution. Overall, though, they’ve been reliable, friendly and helpful.

Pretty bad service overall. Answering emails and phone calls felt like an optional task from all our property managers (we had 4 over 8 years) and all of them lacked organizational skills as well.

Trusted property management & rentals

Michael was super professional and easy to work with. I ended up renting somewhere else, but he was friendly, helpful, and great throughout the process.

I had to be out of my apartment on very short notice and needed a new place immediately. I called Cal-Prop and talked with Kurt, who was so friendly and helpful in walking me through the available properties that fit my budget. He answered all my leasing and application questions and then worked to schedule a couple tours for me. The next day, I toured a couple apartments in City Heights area that Jaime was the manager for. There was never any high-pressure tactics and I really felt that the people I talked with just wanted me to find a good place to live. They told me what to look out for in apartments and common scams that are on Craigslist. I wound up renting somewhere else, but Cal-Prop really helped me out and they will definitely be my first call if I have to move in San Diego again.

Kari is always such a great help. I had lost my key once I had gotten back into town from a two week trip in Europe. Even with the time change she was able to get back to me instantly and get me a new key within first hour that I got back in San Diego. Thank you again Kari!

Albert and Ashley were a pleasure to work with! They communicated clearly, were helpful and made the entire application process smooth and stress free. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I’m really enjoying my new apartment and appreciate their excellent service! Highly recommend

Great experience. Always quick answers to all questions.

I've had Cal-Prop for over a decade now and they are great. The management pretty much runs on autopilot and I rarely need to get involved but sometimes things go sideways for whatever reason and I do. They raise rents, deal with repairs and new tenants when needed. Highly recommended.

Great managers

Tyler was such a big help getting our new door and garage locks set, along with updating our cabinet shelving when we moved into our new apartment.

Maintenance is easy to report on the online portal and Tyler was quick to unclog the shower a couple days later. Thanks Tyler!

Kari has been so amazing and responsive whenever I’ve had an issue. I locked myself out of my apartment, and she was there so fast to help me get back in! She has been so sweet and professional.