| Location |
| 503 Third Street |
| Hours |
| 8:30am - 5:30pm |
| Phone |
| (530) 753-1000 |
| Website |
| http://www.davisca.com |
| Owner(s) |
| Dan Dowling, President/Owner |
| Debbie Stewart, Office Manager/Broker |
| Established |
| appx 1980 |
Dowling Properties has a fiduciary duty to the owners of the properties they manage... Keep in mind that most, if not all, of the comments below are made by tenants.
2005-10-07 02:13:19 This company refuses to repair anything, treats students like idiots, attempts to subvert property laws whenever possible and earnestly depends on students not knowing the law. Everyone in the building will play you like a fool, except a cute asian girl who acts like a human occasionally. The others in the organization are teaching her how to become a Slum Lord, though. — DavisWikiGnome
2006-05-01 12:02:21 They haven't cashed my April rent check yet and I just paid them for May. When I asked what the deal was, the girl told me it was a problem with the bank. Uhhh...yeah. —CoryUnruh
2006-08-05 11:16:13 Just so you know they do pay for every repair except when it is caused by you —CarlaKorn
2006-08-05 11:22:03 All of you have no idea what you are talking about. Right now there is only two people working there (not including the boss) and they are really nice and really busy. And you must be rude people if all you can say is stupid, mean things. —CarlaKorn
2006-09-20 07:31:08 Honestly, I never had a problem with them. I had to sublease, and they made the whole process clean and simple. House did have a lot of minor repair problems which either took forever, or were never fixed (the only major one being a smoke detector). So some good, some bad. I'm left rather indifferent. It has taken forever to get my deposit back though, so maybe I lean towards more saying you might want to find someone else. —ProtoGarrett
Reply: I work at Dowling Properties, and I am the one who handled the security deposit refunds. Because Davis leases usually expire at the end of August, all of the refunds for all of the tenants who move out must be processed all at once. This is a time consuming process, and one we are attempting to streamline. Please keep in mind that before we can process a refund, we must inspect the property and complete any necessary repairs and cleaning. It can also be difficult to find people to do the cleaning and repairs since all of the property management companies in Davis are all trying to do the same thing at the same time. —Carrie
5/16/2007 Reply to your reply: The fact that everyone moves on Aug. 31 does not negate the law that security deposits must be refunded within 21 days. All properties in Davis have to deal with this issue, and the more reputable ones do a good job of this. Most properties and/or property management companies plan ahead for this date (i.e. they contract out painters, cleaners, carpet cleaners, etc. from Sacramento or Woodland if they cannot get them from Davis).
I have not had a good impression of Dowling properties, nor have I heard good things about them. I am aware that they disgregard many (if not most) fair housing laws, and continue to do so. It is unfortunate that students are being taken advantage of for their lack of knowledge in this department. I would not rent from them unless they got some serious training. I am actually surprised they haven't been sued numerous times...luck of the draw, I suppose.
Also, if I were the person above, I would definitely not admit that I work there.
2006-12-13 22:06:55 They are like most property owners, never too quick to help you out. They did however fix all the windows on our duplex which was nice. On the other hand, they berated us for our lawn when it is in better condition than when they gave it to us. All in all, you have to realize that they are a business first and they act like it. Treat the head guy with respect and he'll give it back. Also, read your lease before complaining. Often you'll find it is not within the scope of the contract for them to fix everything. —JohnHumperdinkle
2007-04-04 13:52:04 At first, Danielle at Dowling was quite helpful on the phone. Checked into some places for me and even called me back the next day. I made an appointment to meet at a property and she did not show. I expected a call saying she could not make it. No call. Two days later I called her up and she flat out lies to me about the whole situation, saying that she was waited for me at the second property we were interested in and that she told me the property that we were supposed to meet at was in fact unavailable and that she had told me this and that we had agreed to meet at the second property. All of which was a lie, as the plan from the beginning was to meet where I waited for 30 minutes. Definitley good business practice to flake on, and then lie to a potential client. Good work! —tdh
2007-04-06 08:08:24 Dowling Properties has had a big change in the people that work there. I must say it is for the better and they she be given a new look. —MimiC
2007-04-06 08:22:41 I'm a current tenant, and I've never had any problems. They put in new carpet for me and I have never had a problem with repairs. By the way, they have had a complete staff turnover since September 2006, and the new people are trying really hard to fix any problems. —Tinafrog
2007-04-06 09:43:23 I'm a current tenant with Dowling Properties and have had nothing but great experience, the property manager Danielle is super nice and really helpful. —PM
I just spoke to their offices, and they assured me that they are not doing the obviously fake reviews all posted within minutes from the same computer from brand new user accounts. She said she'd speak to all the employees about it, and make sure that if it was somebody within the company with good intentions, she'd let them know that it winds up backfiring and making Dowling look bad. She even mentioned that I was the second person to call. The welcome guide for business owners is a good starting read for people looking to better represent their business interests on the wiki. The wiki community is friendly to businesses, but we do try to maintain fair reviews. — jw
2007-06-21 13:44:06 My friends and I were looking for a house on craigslist and there was this great house that was suppose to be available for Sept 1st. We checked out the house and loved it and we turned in the applications right away, besides the fact that Raul said that we HAD to turn it in the next day or else we wouldn't get the place. We paid the application fee and everything. A few days later when he was suppose to let us know if we got the place or not, he tells us that the owner of the house said that we have to move in by July 1st!! This is bull. Raul tried to make me believe that he told us that the place is available July 1st, but I assured him that he said Sept 1st. I even have a paper ad that says Sept 1st so he can't lie. He's trying to get us interested in their other places but the other places are shitty. Now I'm fighting for the $100 application fee and he said he would have to talk to the owner of the house about the fee. What a waste of my time. —KimH
2007-07-24 14:02:36 Tried for one of their properties. Didn't work out. Bad on followup. Had to call them and ask what was the status. From what I heard, they're above par for the course. —atwong
2007-09-29 15:01:28 It's important to know that property management is a business and dowling has been in it for years. They know what they are doing, they want their clients to behappy, but they have to cover their ends. Dowling properties is definately one of the best in town. Raul has been the best addition to the new staff. He's personal, he learns your name, and listens to your housing issues. They usually fix things in a timely matter and remain relatively fair with the security deposits, as long as you do your share of cleaning and fixing the damage you cause. —curlycueJEB
2007-10-04 11:23:58 I've wanted to join DavisWiki and start commenting (mostly because I live in downtown so I've had plenty of experience with a lot of the downtown merchants) and reading the comments here finally gave me the push to join. I agree with curlycueJEB. Raul coming on as the general manager has improved the business immensely. I've rented from Dowling for over a year now and overall I am quite satisfied.
I too ran into a huge mix-up when I signed my lease over a year ago as I had a lease signed to move in Aug. 1st but the tenant refused to leave until Sept. 1st. It was a huge headache and I did feel at the time that the problem was brushed under the rug. That being said, however, I have not experienced any additional issues and am overly satisfied with my decision to stay. After I moved in Raul became the general manager and things have only gotten better. I am treated respectfully and courteously any time there is an issue, even when it is an issue on my end. I've rented from numerous other places in Davis and what stands out with Dowling is that they are reasonable, fair and professional, and accordingly they do demand the same in return. —lawstudent09
2007-11-11 09:46:26 A friend told me they answered a Craigslist ad from Dowling. A reasonably priced duplex that looked nice in the pictures. The Raul dude pressured them into paying the $100 application fee if they wanted the duplex. After processing the app Raul told them it was rented and then showed them a bunch of over priced dumps. Total bait and switch. Any one else had an experience like that? They have these apartments on D street tight by 7th, the green ones we really would like to rent. Any one get there deposit back form these guys? Since all property managers are all charging one and a half times the rent for a deposit, in collusion I might ad, I am wondering how many of you renters have been ripped on deposits? The problem with Wiki is businesses putting up phony posts like they are satisfied customers. Some of the worst businesses in Davis pull that one. —LouisM
2007-12-18 22:38:56 Dowling Properties should consider hiring some competent staff. Raul is rude and takes FOREVER to get anything done. My current apt needed maintenance work and it took them 3 months to get a contractor out to our place! He never returns our phone calls! Whenever I go in to talk to him, he acts like he knows what I'm taking about without even listening, but really — HE DOESN'T!
It would be great if we can work with someone else other than Raul!
I would NOT rent with Dowling again and STRONGLY recommend not renting with them if you are looking for a good landlord/property manager. —AggieAlum
2007-12-19 00:43:18 Dowling Properties is by far the worst property management company I have ever dealt with to date. They really do treat students like crap. I am not even sure if I should legally be paying rent under our property's condition. The biggest problem, it seems, is that they just do not care. I hope they make a turn around soon because I am fed up. I will most likely not be living in a property managed by Dowling again. —PattyCakes
2007-12-26 08:45:22 Everyone in the office gives the impression that they don't care. Basic repairs take weeks of phone calls and argument. It seems like the manager, Raul, has to ask permission from the owner, Dan Dowling, for everything that needs to get done, which only makes the process longer and more stressful. There shouldn't be so many arguments about repairing apartments, just get it done and get it over with. —Pattie
2008-01-02 15:09:22 Dowling Properties is absolutely horrible. They "accidentally" deducted close to $100 incorrectly from our security deposit, and made getting our money back such a nightmare to deal with that my roommates and I finally gave up. Daniel Dowling treats students like crap, and it's very clear that he thinks he can take advantage of students. As our lease period ended, he did a walk-through with a family interested in leasing and he was actually being polite and very well mannered, so apparently he is capable of pretending to be a good person if necessary. The office staff used to have a new person hired/fired every couple of months making it impossible to get any problems dealt with. At least now Raul has been the property manager for a decent period of time. He's often rude, but at least he's consistently around. I would seriously avoid signing with this property management unless you look forward to a lease period full of arguing about your rights as a tenant. —SarahElizabeth
2008-01-08 15:48:00 Dowling Properties has treated me and my friends totally fairly over the last two years. If they keep your deposit, it is because you did some damage or didn't pay your rent - or for some other good reason - think about it!!! We pay our rent on time, keep our place neat and clean and if there are any repair issues, Raul is always there to answer the phone and give us immediate attention. We think the company is great and has always treated us with courtesy and respect - and also most fairly. We all agree that we would do business with them again. Great job, Raul! Keep up the good work. I'm sure your property owners appreciate the good job you do for them in protecting their properties. —Dino
2008-01-08 22:12:41 I signed a lease with Dowling properties starting this year. I love the house and the rent is reasonable. The place I rent is unusual, I believe, in that I've not dealt with Daniel Dowling, but Mary Dowling. She has been beyond easy to work with. When I went into the office to say that our washer leaked and our dryer was broken, she called me quickly and arranged to have them replaced. When there were problems with Sears getting the appliances delivered, she sat on the phone in a 3-way call with me and the company until we could get the problem solved. —AllieStevens
2008-02-01 06:49:27 I had rented a commercial property from Dowling years ago, and moved out eventually in part to his refusing to repair leaky ceilings, shorted-out light fixtures, and generally keeping the property in disrepair. Among some of the downtown business owners/renters, he used to have a bad reputation. Maybe people change, but not in all cases. —LisaB
2008-05-06 18:06:37 This company has been great to my roommates and I. We've been dealing with Raul, and he has earnestly done his very best to get us a great house. —Rennie
2008-09-14 02:02:07 We called Dowling because some of our lights in the house didn't work and Raul came with light bulb replacements THAT SAME DAY and showed us how to do it and everything! piece of cake and very awesome! —okn
2008-09-24 18:59:23 If you looked up Dowling Properties, the definition would be "SLUM LANDLORD." Debbie and Raul do not respond. They are rude and stupid. Dan Dowling is a jerk if you'd ever had to deal with him. I would NEVER recommend renting from this property manager. —mvvang
2009-02-07 11:24:02 I have LOVED renting from Dowling Properties!!! The whole process was easy since day one; we called them up, they drove us around to different properties, we fell in LOVE with 316 I st. (#4) and signed the papers the same day. And anytime ANYTHING gone wrong, I just call Raul and he comes by and fixes the problem that same day :D For example, there was an issue with my outlets and Raul had an electrician come and they worked by the time I got home. Another time our garbage disposal stopped and again, Raul had it fixed by the time I got home. Ive had other property managers tell me they'll get around to it or I have to wait a week but that has never been the case with Dowling! Im currently trying to sublease my place and Raul even made it available again on their website which will help out a lot. Raul is an incredibly nice person who really cares about his tenants. He's a hard worker and gets things done very quickly, its nice to have those qualities in a Property Manager, thanks Raul and Dowling Properties!!!! —peanomorf
2009-03-10 17:37:34 Raul, the manager, is a nice guy and does the best he can, but I think they have him waaaay overextended. So in the end, it seems to me it becomes difficult for him to get anything done. The owner is a total cheap skate. From what I've gathered their philosophy seems to be take on as many properties as possible to generate monthly income and do as little as possible of what they're supposed to be doing, taking care of properties and tenants. Property owners who hire Dowling to manage their places are essentially throwing their money down the toilet. Sometimes they respond and address issues in a reasonable amount of time, but for the most part they don't respond when attempting to contact them at all, and try to pass the buck as far as they can for as long as they can. Wouldn't in the least bit recommend renting from them. —davisfugitive
2009-03-12 13:15:24 I rented from Dowling Properties beginning September 1 and then my roommate and I had to sublease the place beginning March 1. Raul took care of us for the most part, and he was always great. He would fix everything we needed him to, and was always really nice and friendly towards us. During the subleasing process, he walked us through the whole thing and didn't seem perturbed by our millions of questions about everything. He even answered his mobile after hours. We couldn't have asked for more. —seedflavin
2009-04-20 20:57:32 So get this. I call Dowling because I'd like to see a property they're managing. Whoever answers the phone hands me over to Dan, and then Dan just goes "Hello" and then the most UNPROFESSIONAL conversation of my entire live ensues.
Dan: Hello Me: Uh, Hi. I was interested in seeing the property on 123 whatever street. Dan: Okay. Well how many people do you have? Me: Oh, it's just me. Dan: It is a 4 bedroom house, you know. (he says it real snotty like.) Me: OH. No, I have 4 people living with me, but it will only be me seeing the house. Dan: So you're going to make this decision for everyone? Me: ... what? Dan: So you're going to be the only person to see the house and make the decision for everyone? (who is this guy, my dad?) Me: Well, I'm the only one who gets a weekday off. The other roommate is my boyfriend and the other 2 live in Oregon, so they're not coming down. Dan: Because I only show a property once. There are 500 students wanting to see places and I can't be showing each one 3 times. Me: Well fine, it'll still just be me. Dan: Okay, well when did you want to see it Me: How about tomorrow, what times do you have? Dan: Whenever, I have all day. (What happened to those 500 students that wanted to see places, huh? I'm not even a freaking student.)
I have NEVER experienced the gall of such a person! I was ready to just cancel the appointment because he was being so rude! 30 minutes after the phone call I STILL wanted to punch him in the face! Hell, I'm STILL pissed. I'm going to entertain his appointment just so I can see if this guy is really that big of a dick in real life.
HOME OWNERS, I would NOT use Dowling because they're so rude and unprofessional to renters that they cut your potential tenants in half with their attitude alone! The rest of the staff might be nice, but Dan, as the owner, should be an example to others. He is anything but a business man.
My brain is still reeling from the audacity of it all. —metal.lace
- Dude, get a grip. This doesn't sound like that bad of a conversation. Maybe I'm missing the tone, but he sounds pretty reasonable to me. Most landlords/property managers do not want to deal with tenants moving in and out a lot, so they try to make sure that if you take it, you'll stay for a while. He's probably reluctant because he's worried your other friends will bail when they ultimately see it. It happens. As much as landlords suck all the time, tenants can suck even worse when they want to. As much as you think you're interviewing him, he's interviewing you as well. —condemned2bfree
2009-07-14 15:53:49 I have had a really BAD EXPERIENCE renting from this people. They are extremely rude and unprofessional. The people in the office are occasionally human, but rude and condescending for the most part. They would call me on my phone and leave messages with a tone of voice that not even my father would use to talk to me, I am not being oversensitive here, some of them are rude, specially to women. Sometimes I call their office and they can not even answer in complete sentences and will take a long time before they address any problem. Avoid this place if you can; I couldn't because I was on a very low income, but I got out as soon as I able to. —ddx2
2009-08-26 23:17:13 I am honestly SO surprised by some of these reviews. I recently lived in Davis for 6 years, going through undergraduate and graduate school. I rented from several different management offices while in Davis and Dowling Properties were BY FAR the most attentive and caring property managers. I lived in an amazing apartment on 316 I street. At one point our AC was not working properly, which in Davis summer heat can be unbearable, but Raul IMMEDIATELY sent out an AC repair man. When the repair man alerted Dowling Properties that our current AC unit was not working properly, Dowling Properties quickly replaced the AC with a BRAND NEW UNIT! In that same month, my roommate and I thought that our garbage disposal was broken. When we called the office, Dan Dowling responded to our phone call and drove over within in 5 minutes to fix it himself. To have an owner of a property management business show up personally to fix a garbage disposal says A LOT about how this management company treats their tenants.
When I moved out of the I street apartments, I was having a hard time relocating a classic car I owned because it would not start. Dan allowed me to keep the car on the I street apartment property as along as it took me to find a means to tow the car to a different location, even though I no longer lived at the apartments. I share this story because I feel that many people are mis-representing Dowling Properties on this website. I would take some of these posts with a grain of salt...I have only experienced and heard great things about Dowling Properties. —ErinCo
2009-09-01 08:12:52 I have rented with Dowling for the past two years. Raul, the general manager, is very personable and has remembered my name and address every time I walked through the door since day one. I only have personal experience with Raul within Dowling so I would say deal with him for your property. He is busy at times, but that's because he's the best and gets it done in a timely manner.
In response to other reviews, I have only been treated professionally and with respect by anyone I come into contact with in Dowling, but at Acadian and King you are asking for some misery. Unlike other places who try to steal every dollar from your security deposit, I am going to receive my full deposit within a week. Keep it clean and damage free and you have no worries. —LongNguyen
2009-11-16 14:28:15 i got my full deposit back from dowling, but not without some anxiousness and nail-biting. mainly this had to do with mr. dowlings personal interactions with me and my roommates. he has an unusual way of.....being. the way he says things can sometimes be very intrusive or insensitive (i totally relate to the person who posted their conversation with mr. dowling.) raul was always nice, the other office staff was a little weird too. the whole place just has a weird vibe but i guess if you dont plan on going into the office much its not a big deal. be cautious when you rent from them, my apartment had a bad roach problem but it states really explicitly in the lease that they dont take care of pests. basically, if youre going to rent from dowling make sure to cover your a**, fill out the move in/move out form REALLY carefully (dont leave anything off, im serious) and just generally be on your toes. I was told that if i didnt trash the place, i should get my full deposit back but i was anxious about it the whole time nonetheless and returned the house back SPOTLESS, way cleaner than when it was handed over to us. BE CAUTIOUS!!!1 —sheila65
2009-12-16 14:43:39 I have been a tenant with Dowling for 1.5 years now (10 years of rental experience in Davis) and I am a really happy tenant compared to many past experiences in Davis. Everything I have approached them about has been resolved in a very timely manner. —heeshes
- A removal has been made of the original address listed in the following post, memory holed from the entry history. The only thing removed was the number and street name, and the rest left intact, reposted.
2010-03-14 12:53:56 living at [address removed for safety concerns] - if you are trying to get this house next year DONT! it's super fucked (everything is falling apart) and one of the doors doesnt lock and dowling is taking their sweet time replacing it (4 months). if we all get raped and murdered at night you'll know who to blame. ALSO right now we are currently waiting for raul to call us back because our plumbing is clogged and no plumbers will come without his permission. WHAT THE FUCK CALL US BACK YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE.
NEVER GET A HOUSE FROM THESE PEOPLE THEY ARE SUCH LAZY BUMS —AliciaEdelman
- Alicia, ground floor doors/windows that don't lock are considered uninhabitable conditions under California law. That's grounds for breaking the lease and moving out, or for having the repairs performed by a third party and deducting the cost from the rent, among other options. Read up on it and get yourself out an uncomfortable and potentially dangerous situation: http://www.caltenantlaw.com/Habitability.htm . —TomGarberson
2010-04-20 16:17:26 I'd echo what many above have said re: Raul. He has come through for me several times when things went wrong with my apartment, going above and beyond the call of duty. Make sure that if you're renting with Dowling, he's your contact. He is very professional and a great property manager. :) —soledad101
2010-05-12 20:54:25 Let me start by saying, I don't live at this house its my boyfriend. Its that bad!!! That I've been affected by this horrible company that I'm writing this complaint to warn anyone even thinking about renting from dowling. 1. First off, the house was not ready to move in while promise. The previous tenants had moved out the day before they said we could move in. So, my boyfriend and his roommates were homeless and living on friends couches for several days. 2. The people they had to come clean the house after the other tenants moved out did a horrible job! There was mold everywhere and all of the cabinets had dirt in them (all the cleaning people focused on was the kitchen...which definately did not look clean.) They came back a second time, only after my boyfriend made a huge deal about the conditions! 3.The house smelled of cat piss!! WHY!!! the previous owners cat, thats why! And dowling refused to replace the carpet!!! 4. There are holes and nails in every single wall of the house! And if you think I'm exaggurating, then think again. 5. They don't give 24 hour notice when they are going to show the property usually! (this is least horrible thing) 6. They refused/ignored demands to replace the garbage disposal, broken washing machine, and ant problem!!!! only until a week after they started showing the place to prospective tenants did they fix it!!! we lived with that for 4 months before it was fixed!!!! 7. but the worst of all!! they didn't give 24 hour notice of showing the place!!! and while me and my boyfriend were sleeping in his room they proceeded to open the door let the prospective tenants look around!!!! while they had been previously told by another roommate who was home that we were indeed sleeping. THEN IT HAPPENDED AGAIN!!!! This time they proceeded to show them the whole room, attached bathroom, and closet!!! AND THEN A THRID TIME!!!! BUT THIS TIME THE OWNER OF THE COMAPANY UNLOCKED THE DOOR TO SHOW PEOPLE THE ROOM AND PROCEEDED TO IGNORE THE FACT THAT WE WERE SLEEPING AND CONTINTUE TO SHOW PEOPLE THE ROOM!!! WE HAD TO BUY ANOTHER DOOR LOCK SO THEY WERE UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR AFTER IT BEEN LOCKED!!!!
DO NOT!!!! I REPEAT DO NOT RENT FROM THESE PEOPLE!!!! NOT EVEN AS A LAST RESORT!!! unless you want your privacy invaded, unsanitary conditions, and to be ignored!!!
oh- i forgot to mention the deposit was $3,300!!! this is a 3 bed/2 bath house!!! what the hell!!! thats a down payment on a car!!!!! —Fsn247
2010-07-14 15:22:16 Read the comments below. Dan is the rudest person that I have ever met. They flake on appointments and just treated us like dirt. Deal with them at your own risk. They are crooks! —lynnbramwell
2010-08-04 16:45:10 Raul Zamora is a great property manager. We use Dowling and really enjoy Raul advocating for us. He takes great care of our property and puts the time and effort in to find the right tenants for you. Very Professional! —EricPavlina
2010-10-14 00:50:09 We signed on with Dowling properties to help us manage what we feel is a nice property in a good neighborhood. Raul was great in finding a quality tenant in a short amount of time in a non-peak rental period. Raul and the staff at the office have all been very pleasant and prompt in their communications with us. We are very pleased with their services so far. —CecileUmphress
2010-11-19 19:22:37 Dowling properties is great! They are always available to help us and are very nice. If we have a problem, they usually fix it within a few hours. Raul and John are always friendly and professional and try their best to make sure everyone is happy. We currently rent one of their houses and just love it. I really enjoy renting from them because I know that I can count on them! I wouldn't rent from anybody else. —KatieMcGuire
2010-11-28 21:50:47 I've been living in an apartment owned by Dowling for 3 months now and I have no complaints so far. No matter where you move you're going to have something not working properly, especially in places which aren't new. But John and Raul have both been very nice and prompt on anything that needs fixing. Both of them have never been anything less than super polite. We do have roaches sometimes but then again Davis is notorious for those. I hope that the rest of my lease time goes as smoothly. The reason why I came on this review page is that I was hoping they didn't try to finagle away deposits like my previous landlord did. It seems like nobody has had that complaint. Did everyone else find that the amount of their deposit refunded was fair? Thanks! —AliseMuok
2010-11-29 18:19:49 After three months with Dowling, i am DONE.
Jon is a douche who knows nothing and doesn't take you seriously until you start quoting from civil codes. My apartment was infested with black widows and bedbugs when i moved in and they have done NOTHING, claiming it is my fault. When i moved in to my apartment, after paying a $2400 deposit, there was still hair left in drawers from the previous tenants, as well as cat poop and litter. After talking to Jon about it, he said "Oh well, it is easy to clean, right? You can do it in an afternoon." Raul is a jerk, and don't even get me started on sexist, self-absorbed, asshole Dan. He insulted me multiple times in a single conversation when i was trying to follow up on a policy clearly defined in my lease about parking spaces that was and still is being ignored. If you want something done they will NOT do it. After doing my legal research and clearly proving my apartment is uninhabitable, they started going through the motions to help clean up the problems such as the pests, spider webs, leaky pipes, ect., however, now they are once again ignoring me.
i have never been so insulted in my life and i would not wish this on my worst enemy.
Dowling can burn in hell. —aphrodite
2010-12-20 12:14:14 Dowling properties is a hot mess... They'll try to take advantage of you if you're dumb enough to let them. They also do not follow proper procedures when dealing with issues. If you are one of the unfortunate people who have to deal with these people, you should absolutely speak with the general manager Raul. He has gone above and beyond for us in situations. He is also very professional, funny, kind, and above all NOT OUT OF HIS MIND. —JimBoy
2011-02-09 18:35:59 I am pleased to be working with Dowling RE & Raul,thanks to his quick actions, I am pleased with the immediate on site attention and his follow through to assuage my concerns. All in just 16 hours of event notification is excellent. —ScottFrazier
2011-03-19 12:07:20 Avoid Dowling. Bad management, barely ever repairing anything, high deposit needed, and at times very rude staff on the phone. —greensea
2011-03-24 14:27:19 Our experiences with Dowling Properties have been great, and we haven't even moved in yet! The General Manager went above and beyond to help us out (working with the property owners to allow us to have a pet). We are looking forward to moving in and having a good year with the helpful employees of Dowling properties. —UnionME
2011-03-30 09:30:08 Whatever you do, don't give these guys any money before you look at their lease. Their MO is to take a $500 holding deposit which they will apply to your security deposit once you sign the lease. What they don't tell you is that the lease is entirely owner friendly (there is no clause providing compensation or releasing the tenant from the lease if they fail to deliver the property, for example). I can't comment on their maintenance or anything because we couldn't sign a lease like theirs, but I know you should be weary of signing a lease with them or giving them money. —jadeeyes1113
2011-04-11 12:47:27 Please note, I am NOT a tenant and have never been one. Mr. Dowling, prefers to buy properties in nice communities and then turn them into rentals (illegally) and intentionally rents to trash to destroy neighborhoods that were once quiet. Then if you complain and you are a homeowner, he will threaten you, and have his assistant and even the trashy renters threaten you. This man, is evil, vindictive and money hungry. He intends to destroy people's livelihood. Do not rent from him or buy from him, or deal with this person. He is Vile and will attack you in any way he can. He is a crook and lethal. Please take this advice, please this man is not a good person, he wants to destroy anyone in his path. This man needs to be taken out of business, he is the devil in a suit.
Please take this advice do not do business with this person, he will try and destroy you and your family, he is heartless. P.S. Take note also, Dan's assistant is nasty and evil to deal with as well, this company will eventually go out of business for how they treat people. What you sow is what you reap! —Nathanmack
2011-04-20 13:56:24 I have to agree with above comment. As a recent small business owner who first rented from and then gave partial ownership to Dan Dowling, I did not heed to advice of every other business owner I talked with. I should have stayed away. I can not speak for his tenants, but when there are this many issues with one bad and most conclusions are that he is evil, you should not ignore the warnings. I don't think he is evil. Shrewd and uncaring for people and has a nasty track record. Good luck to those of you who try and do business with him. Those of you who have commented to his positive side (that aren't an actual associate of Dan Dowling) should count yourselves lucky. I, for one, am glad to be rid of the bad juju. —MichelleFisher
2011-04-21 11:24:58 I'm a current tenant at a Dowling Properties apartment. I've found them to be helpful and reasonable and very responsive to my calls. I can't recommend them highly enough. If you pay your rent on time and treat the property with respect you won't find a better landlord. —MarshaRichardson
2011-05-16 18:25:05 The only person at Dowling I've dealt with is Raul. He has never been anything but friendly, professional, and willing to go above and beyond to be of service. —AllisonJoy
2011-05-24 20:29:23 HI everyone I have lived in Davis For 6 years now! And have been through all the property managers and aparments here in town. We love Dowling Properties they have great rentals at a reasonable price, very friendly when you go in and pay rent! Also when there is a problem Dan Dowling and his staff is always there to help and get someone out to your place as soon as possible. Thank you Dowling Properties!!!! —HannahSilici
2011-09-02 14:13:35 First off, I just want to start off by saying I never really dealt with anyone else other than Raul Zamora and he was nothing but courteous, professional and hard-working from day 1. We never really had any problems but when we did, he was able to take care of it usually within the same day. He always gave us notice of work going on around the house days in advance so that we could make accommodations to our schedules according to the work. Also, he worked with us until the very end to make sure everything was satisfactory. Definitely recommend Raul to anyone looking for housing help. —JakeCarr
2011-09-03 16:00:10 I had a great experience working with Raul Zamora this past year as he was always professional and did his best to work out any problems we had with our house. He was also very good about giving my roommates and I notice about when any maintenance or construction was going to occur. After a year of working with Raul and living in a Dowling house I would recommend talking to Raul if you are looking for a place to rent in Davis. —ScottRust
2011-09-03 20:09:06 Never had a problem with them. The house was pretty old, but they took care of all the major issues soon after we moved in. They also gave advanced notice before coming for repairs. I only dealt with Raul and John and they were always very professional and straight forward. You will also get your whole deposit back if you follow their cleaning guidelines before you move out. They were very fair at the move out inspection. I didn't have any deductions. —Remil
2011-09-03 22:42:49 Raul is like the "Don Draper" of Dowling properties. This may not make sense if you don't watch Mad Men, but i will clarify. First off: go watch Mad Men. Second: Raul is like Don, because without Raul working for them, Dowling properties would be just another lifeless property management company that takes advantage of college students who know no better. Raul adds the human element to your rental agreement that is often absent when a college student rents a house. Raul was always fair and carried out all his work professionally and promptly. I would recommend Dowling properties because of Raul Zamora. —ostrow12
2012-03-22 07:36:43 There are so many one shot accounts praising or hating I feel it's my duty to actually leave a review of this property company. For college students I'd say these guys are a C- but for adults maybe a B-
I stayed in a downtown property for about a year that was managed (not owned) by Dowling. The property itself was pretty old/run down. It definitely did not look like much from the outside though internally it was fairly nice. The outlets were 2 prong and not grounded everywhere outside the kitchen, the bathroom definitely needed some new fixtures and our toilet was not installed properly but each apartment seemed to have different needs. The one next to me was much newer and had the bathroom recently renovated. Upkeep of the surroundings of the property wasn't amazing but I also had come previously from a Tandem property. Tandem has teams practically hand cutting their grass. Dowling has Jon.
Jon is the reason I'm okay with the Dowling property company. If there was an issue he would respond and often do it himself, like cleaning out the leaves and trash that acculmulated under the outside stairwell. When it's something serious there is a handyman on staff though I don't think I ever needed him, some of my neighbors did and had a favorable impression. Jon was the person I could count on to respond, to work with me when things went crazy and because I knew he was handling us I wasn't as worried about the security deposit. Others have told me that when Dowling does the exit review you get screwed a lot more but I actually was suprised that out of a 2400 deposit we got back almost all of it. Again though that's because Jon was very good about telling me exactly what to do. I admit I didn't actually do all of it but he warned me that they will charge for dusty blinds, top of the fridge being dirty etc etc Stuff I probably would not have thought about too much because again, coming from Tandem, I had been a bit spoiled.
This leads to why this place isn't such a good choice though for college kids. Unlike other property companies, they do make you pay for most repairs if they occur while you live on the property. Again it's not entirely fair since I came from Tandem where someone could take a sledgehammer to a toilet and get it replaced without so much as a sniffle. The deposit is also VERY steep. Dowling properties does charge the full legal limit (two months rent) so it can be stressful worrying about getting that deposit back. There also is no off hours emergency contact line. I locked myself out of the apartment once and knew I'd have to call a locksmith because I wasn't going to hear back from anyone at the office until the following Monday. So basically if you want someone to replace lightbulbs for you, these aren't the guys. You'll need to handle pests yourself, even mice, and in general be a lot more careful about property "ownership" than college students tend to be. However they weren't slum lords.
In short if you find a property you love (and mine was in the best location possible so it was worth a little more work on my part), and if Jon is still working here, don't be scared away completely. Just make sure you work with Jon. My few experiences with Dowling himself were awkward at best and insulting/intrusive at the worst. —OliviaY
2012-06-29 10:55:35 My experience has been positive with Dowling so far. I have mostly dealt with Debbie and she is super responsive and helpful. Jon is always polite and cheerful. Dan gave me a good deal and is supportive of my small business. He was also very honest about pricing in the Davis area when I first looked into renting (I was new to it and he took the time to explain it to me). I love the building and I do my best to keep the space in good condition for the benefit of my clients. It has all been fair and I am pleased with the space I have downtown. —CateKendall
2012-09-14 14:18:06 I rented a townhouse for 3 years. Around 6 months before I moved-out, the property management changed and Dowling Properties took over the management. We were pretty unhappy with the previous management... they were very unprofessional. I'm glad we could enjoy some months of good management on that place. Jon always replied to our emails and phone calls. Any problem we had in the house was promptly solved. I liked to live in this place a lot so did my job maintaining it very well. The new owner and Dowling properties always told me how nice the townhouse was looking. Jon guided us about the move-out cleaning and we did exactly what he said. In the end, I got my full deposit back ($1,575). Here is the thing... when I moved into that place, it was disgusting. There was dog hair everywhere (walls, ceilling), the refrigerator was dirty, it was really disappointing. I'm sure the previous tenants didn't care at all and they probably paid for their lack of care. I'm also sure that the money they lost was from their parents, because they were undergrads (I actually met them) and they probably didn't have to work for their money. That's what happens in Davis a lot, so be aware that some complaints of deposits not returned are just a result of this kind of situation. Just take care of the place as if it was your own. There is no way any property will not return your money if everything is like it's supposed to be. —franindavis
2012-09-14 15:57:41 When I was frantically searching for a short term place to live practically at the last moment, Dowling Properties was one of the places I contacted. Although I did not end up renting from them, Jon was the only manager who did not attempt to push me into a year-long lease. Practically every other property manager (excluding my current place of course) tried to push their year-long leases on me. Jon even pointed me to other resources not related to Dowling Properties where I could find short-term leases. Probably would rent from / 10. —hankim
2014-10-21 23:14:02 We are renting a Dowling property and thus far it's been easily the worst experience we've ever had as renters. We have two children, 8 and 5, and we are living with rats. (I'm listening to one scratching from beneath the floorboards now.) From the house not being ready (clean or repairs completed) on our move in date to the rat filth we unwittingly inherited, our three months in a Dowling property have been incredibly difficult and stressful, in large part because we do not feel respected as human beings (much less tenants). Judging by what we've learned from the neighbors, other Davis residents, and the posts here (the ones not left by Dowling employees trying to tamp down the bad publicity), we are by no means the first to have a bad experience with Dowling. Be smart, and steer clear. —BryanE
2015-09-01 18:40:45 Had a pleasant experience living in a 2 bedroom apartment on 720 D St. It's a very quiet neighborhood, the location is a 5 minute walk from downtown, the full kitchen and kitchen/bathroom counters have been remodeled, and management is responsive to e-mails and phone calls. Best part is that my full security deposit will be returned as we didn't break anything. The only downside I would say is that the outside is not kept very clean - there are spiderwebs in the corners of doorways and mailboxes look like they haven't been cleaned in a while. —ykraiina
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