| Location |
| 801 D Street |
| (Central Davis, near the intersection of 8th & D) |
| Contact |
| Phone: (530) 756-4200 |
| Fax: (530) 750-3788 |
| Information Email: [email protected] |
| Maintenance Request Email: [email protected] |
| Website |
| http://www.scprent.com |
| Office Hours |
| Tues-Thurs 10am-Noon & by appointment |
| Managed by |
| Star Crossed Properties |
Viking Apartments is an apartment complex in the downtown area of Davis, located at 801 D st, just minutes from downtown restaurants, bars, and shops. It is a short walk or ride to campus, and there is a stop for the Unitrans L-line at the corner of 8th and D st. Viking is also less than a 5 minute drive from all major grocery stores in Davis, and it is within walking distance of the Co-Op. It offers one- and two-bedroom flats as well as two-bedroom townhouses. It is cat friendly Community, with on-site staff that manteins a high standard of living, maintenance request are handled quickly and efficiently.
Management Notices
Tours are available daily. Call for an appointment or stop by during office hours.
Mobility
=Public Transportation= Located at 8th and D st, Central downtown location, On Unitrans L line, which runs twice hourly.
=Bicycle= There are bike lanes, bike paths, and bike connectors on all of the surrounding streets, Short Ride from Safeway, Nugget, SaveMart, and Trader Joe's
=Pedestrian= Within walking distance of downtown, shopping, restaurants, parks, campus 4 blocks from Central Park, 3 blocks from Civic Center Park
=Parking= - Covered, Uncovered and off-street parking is available.
Apartment Amenities
Central heat/air Garbage disposal Frost-free fridge Extra closet space Cable hook-up Balcony/yard Wireless Internet for free through Instaconnect Water, hot water, garbage and sewer included
Complex Amenities
24/7 Laundry room service Off-street parking Covered Parking offered Covered bike parking Uncovered parking for no fee Quiet atmosphere Cats allowed Well Maintained Pool with Restroom Service request can be submitted online, in person or over the phone
Pictures
Apartment sizes and rents
Floorplans and prices [as of Fall 2016]:
| Apt Size | Sq. Ft. | Rent | Deposit |
| 1/1 Flat | 650 | $1,155 | $500 |
| 2/1 Flat | 850 | $1,425 | $500 |
| 2/1.5 Townhouse | 1250 | $1,655 | $500 |
Floor Plans
2/1.5 Townhouse 
2/1 Flat 
1/1 Flat
Click any layout to view full size.
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To see what other housing options exist in Davis, visit our Housing Guide as well as our Apartments page.
2006-08-05 10:10:34 a word of caution: based on the reviews at http://apartmentratings.com, it can be difficult to get your deposits back from Star-Crossed Properties (sherwood, cascade, viking), and for some reason a fair number of complaints have been posted at the same web against the owner Tom Cross. I am moving into sherwood so will keep you guys posted! ;-) —ChingChing
2007-01-02 09:37:37 I had to sue him to get my deposit back. Have fun! —ChapRes
2007-06-14 16:50:06 He didn't only keep all my deposit $500, but he also sent me a $2XX bill. "FOR PAINTING AND CLEANING" after i lived there for one and half year. —shun2112
2007-09-12 10:52:34 I just moved in, and so far I really like this place. Management is very nice and responsive, the units are older but have character (i.e., wood paneling in the living room, funky brown carpet), and I really like the balconies. Some of the cons include the fact that our unit faces west and gets a lot of sun/heat in the afternoons, and the way in which the entry is configured makes moving in rather difficult. We had to lift our 7 ft. couch up on end, tip it onto the stairs, and then over the stair railing. All in all, I love the location, parking is great, units are in ok condition (be sure to complete the inspection sheet!), our unit is sunny and large enough. I would recommend it if you don't mind missing out on a dishwasher and other such luxuries of newer complexes, and if you like having some character in your rental. —JillBenciWoodward
2007-09-22 02:00:11 I also just moved in on the first. JillBenciWoodward, I know what you mean about getting furniture in. We have a large couch too, and it was really hard to get into the living room with the large, inconveniently-placed pillar in the middle of the entry into the living room.
Overall, I'm really happy with the apartment as well. It's nice and clean and there's a lot of room once you get everything inside. My only problem so far is the parking. Me and my roommate only have one reserved spot for both of us (we asked for two, but didn't get both), and while parking is usually pretty easy, it's different after 11PM (there's rarely an available spot, especially in the lot), which is when I'd get home a lot of the time if I drove places. However, this may have changed in recent days. I haven't driven any further than the Co-Op since I moved to Davis.
So far, the Viking Apartments get a high rating from me. —jamboot
2008-05-27 20:04:26 I just paid my deposit and the manager was really nice. He's actually a pretty cool guy. Also, he told us that parking is not limited, but that we should try to park before 8 pm 'cuz there are no spots by then.. He also said I could pay the pet deposit when I moved in, which was great.. The rooms were big and I never really used the dishwasher anyways, so I did'nt mind that they didn't come with one.. I love the location.. I mean, if you see where it is, it's surrouned by trees and quietness.. the roads around this apartment are really big too, which I like.. —YuJinChoi
2008-06-22 14:27:31 Does anyone have a sense of how noisy (or quiet) this complex and neighborhood are? My wife and I are considering the Viking complex. —Eliot
2008-08-01 05:54:22 Well I have lived here for a long while and I live downstairs on the east side apartments. The atmosphere of the complex on the whole is pretty quiet. The larger units upstairs may throw a party that is loud, but it happens about once or twice a year. The sound proofing is not all that great, I can sorta hear what is going on upstairs and rarely the adjacent neighbors. However one only really ever notices if it is very quiet in your unit and paying attention. The unit itself is decently sized and has a nice sized patio. They mention in the old brochure that there is plenty of storage space and it is true. The kitchen is a good size, but sometimes I wish for more counter space. This unit is east facing, so it it a pretty dark unit even in summer one probably would need to turn on lights at about 3:00 pm if you are say cooking. The bathroom changing area are very recessed into the apartment and one must turn on a light to bathe or groom oneself. The appliances are kinda old so be wary of them, they are working but one wonders for how long. The over all style of the place is sorta typical 70's style, brownish carpets at odd angles to linoleum and of course terrible faux wood paneling. Some problems one might face is roof leaking if someone upstairs is running their AC for too long. We have had this problem twice. This year and the year previous. Last year it was not fixed enough, so it was leaking again this year. Calling and getting a response is quick enough, one hears within the day, and for actual service it is about one day. Our unit did have the small brown cockroaches when we first moved in but after the baiting they have not shown up in the years since. One may get the occasional larger black cockroaches but they only stray in during the hottest and coldest months if one leaves the sliding glass door open. For some reason having the screen door in place is not good enough to deter them. The whole wireless internet is spotty and slow so I do not use it. In general reception in the unit is near impossible. Television, even with an HD tuner and powered rabbit ears is not really visible. The radio also barely works inside the unit. There seems to be a great deal of dumpster diving at this complex, so be sure to shred any personal information. All in all a decent place to live, I found it habitable enough for many years. This might be due in fact to the excellent location to campus, downtown, freeway access, and markets. —csy
2008-09-26 12:44:07 My wife and I moved out of our apartment this last august. We had been there 5 years. When we moved in we were green to the whole renting scene (it was our first place after moving out of our respective parents residences). Back then we payed the first months, last months rent plus the security deposit (a ridiculous sum of 1280 just for the DEPOSIT). We had no severe problems living there for the duration, but we encountered two huge probles when moving out.
First off, the new apartment manager stated that it we wanted to just "take up and leave" and not do any cleaning on the complex, we would get charged a flat $200 rate that would be deducted from our deposit. Since my wife and I were both pretty busy dealing with alot of other things that week, we agreed that that would be the best avenue to go with, so we alerted the manager that we would be leaving the apartment partially uncleaned and that we would pay the $200 rate. Well on the statement that came with our deposit refund the charge jumped to $350. There were no repairs stated, just cleaning.
Secondly, they removed an entire month't rent from the security deposit, stating that we had never paid the last months rent when we moved in. Well, my wife and I both have bank statements that say the contrary (tnankfully our banks were able to pull statements from that long ago for us). We're still in the process of trying to get this resolved with them, but be warned. It's a decent place to live, but make sure you keep dutiful records of all payments. Tom Cross WILL try and rip you off when you move out if you don't have that information at the ready. —Oceaniax
2008-09-26 13:25:17 To add to the previous commment, I lived there just for a summer. It was okay, the free internet was good, the complex was pretty quiet. The apartment was kind of in disrepair, and there were bugs. But the problems came on move out, as Oceanix mentions. He mailed us a description saying we'd get our full deposit back (We were only subleasing for the summer, so they had absolutely no ability to charge us for anything, as they didn't even do a walk through). However, we never received the check. Upon calling him, he insisted that he had included a check and that we had deposited it.
Obviously, he had no proof of this, and only after weeks of back and forth partial communication, he said he would send us another check, but would take out 75 dollars for the canceled check fee. Has anyone else had this experience? It seemed very much like a scam of sorts that he was pulling, especially after reading these other comments. Just be careful, even if you're just subleasing. —VanessaZ
2010-02-16 16:18:32 I lived there '06 - '08 and on move out he refunded only 20% of our deposit! We had to sue him at small claims in woodland to get everything back. We were in our rights and knew how to stand our ground and the judge ruled in our favor and he was obligated to refund us 100% of our deposit. He is a scam artist on top of being cheap, he said he is an "employee" of the viking, when really he is the business owner...Good riddance I am done with this guy!!! —robox1187
2010-06-07 10:09:48 I have lived in the Viking complex for almost 2 years now and have had a very pleasant experience. The location is great (near campus, downtown, and the Co-op), it has an L-line bust stop right on it's corner, they have free internet, and management is very good about posting notices of intent of entry and responding when you have something that needs fixing. The neighbors are generally pretty quiet, and are also really good about leaving notes with information about when they are going to have a party or event that may have noise. I really have no complaints. Living there has been a very nice experience. —zwiki
2010-06-07 11:14:37 We are just moving out from Viking Apartments after having lived there for five years, and we have been very satisfied with the experience. We have two small kids, so it was great to have the pool, and the atmosphere was friendly. We needed the space, so getting the most square-footage for the least amount of rent was important, and the convenience of online reservation was why we ended up choosing Viking. The students who live in the complex can be a bit noisy, especially at the beginning and end of the school year, but for the most part, the noise level is not bad at all. Having lived in several apartments in California and Colorado, it seems that you rarely get all or most of your deposit back, unless you are really leaving the apartment in the same condition as it was when you moved in (which is nearly impossible), so I think the complaints about the deposit are off the mark. Tom Cross is a good guy and manages in a friendly and fair manner. Very convenient to downtown, shopping, and the UC campus (where I work), and North Davis Elementary (where my kids go to school). I'd definitely recommend Viking to anyone coming in to Davis. —sorensjt
2010-07-14 19:13:32 I just moved out of the Viking after living there a year. It was my first year in Davis and I had a great experience with the building and management. The apartment complex is the most chill place in Davis and you can't beat the location. Everyone who lives here is super nice and friendly. I ended up having weekly BBQs with my neighbors. I never once had an issue with anything in the apartment. I only had to deal with management on move-in and move-out, which in my opinion is pretty sweet. I had to move out in July before my lease ended and Tom, the manager, really helped me out looking for new tenants. He was able to turn my apartment over in a day, so new tenants could move in and save me some money on the July rent I was going to lose. This is a really great place and I am extremely sad to leave. —jd5000
2010-07-19 18:52:17 We lived this place for one year. We are family with one child. And we all love this place. We came to USA from foreign country. We rented this apartment online, so we couldn’t check it before. It was just like a gambling. But we won, because apartment is great. Tom Cross and his wife helped us a lot. They were always good and friendly for us. So we have been very satisfied with the Viking apartment. Whenever i knocked the door, Tom always helped me. One day, my bike’s lock was broke, and Tom gave me ride and he cut my lock and he saved me and my bike. He is a great guy for us. Also the location of apartment is great. You can go everywhere (campus, parks, downtown, shopping) by walking. We loved this place. If we come again in Davis, we will certainly live here again. —cece
2010-10-13 12:34:24 Overall my experience with the Viking Apartment management was great. They were prompt in making repairs and I got my full deposit back. The internet from Instaconnect is pretty slow but I guess that's what you get for free. —paigedavis
2010-10-26 11:06:08 I have lived at The Viking Apts for 3 years and have always had a good relationship with the management. This last year, Tom has taken personal control of the apartments and has done a great job of fixing up the place. It has always been comfortable and friendly here and it's central location is great for a bicycle rider like me. The few repairs that we have needed (this is an older building, and things need to be repaired once in awhile) have always been dealt with rapidly. Also, the bedrooms seem larger than a lot of newer apartments these days. I have no complaints about this apartment or the management. —BillWallace
2011-05-22 01:26:57 I lived here for the 2009-2010 school year. Overall, I had a great experience. Here is my summary:
Pros: +Internet is free +close to downtown +pretty quiet complex +right on the L line +close walk/bike ride to north/east campus/MU +very spacious apartment (2 sinks, 2 closets); perfect for 2 people +heater and A/C +night lighting in the morning/early afternoon +Had no problem with the deposit... got over half of it back +Very friendly manager (Tom Cross) +If anything goes wrong, manager/maintenence is quick to respond (within a day) +plenty of parking
Cons: -Internet, though free, is not reliable 100% of the time -away from north/south davis apts (where everyone seems to be located) -no vents in the bedroom for heater or A/C -can by noisy in the morning (garbage truck, train, gardener) -can be noisy at night (drunk people) [although walls are not thin enough to hear another apt]
Overall, I had a good experience with this apartment, and think it's a great place to live if you're not picky about location. —VegGirl
2011-06-08 15:02:23 Best apartments in Davis IMO —VincentB
2012-01-29 16:11:17 I am currently a tenant of this apartment, and I would not recommend living here! The location is good and the rooms are spacious but the management is completely unresponsive and I have put in 6 different repair requests and only had one answered ever! Most of the time I have been living here there has been no on sight manager and the owner of the property is extremely hard to get a hold of and goes as far as to change his number as to avoid being contacted by tenants. I have not tried to get my deposit back but I am a bit concerned. Be warned!!!! —TylerMcCurley
2012-02-09 20:08:01 I have had very limited contact with the management in my past 4 months living here—and not by choice! The on-site manager moved out within 2 months of my moving in and he was never replaced. The means that the 4 different repair requests that I have submitted have gone unanswered and I have never gotten a response from the "President." I love my apartment, it's comfortable and perfectly located but I will not be staying. I would even go so far as to say that I can't wait to leave. I wish this wasn't the case but I simply can't justify living in an apartment without any management and a raised rent for 2012-2013. —DanielleGradisher
2012-03-19 16:05:33 I lived here for the 2011-2012 school year, and I would not recommend living here! Management has switched a bunch of times in the short period i lived here, and the on-site manager was ALWAYS difficult to get ahold of, no matter who it was. The appliances are outdated, the bathtub drain is clogged easily, and my window screen broke halfway off without me even touching it. Also, the heater/AC unit was broken when I first moved in. I told the manager about it, and have not gotten any sort of further response. Also, the free internet was quite slow, and the walls are paper thin. Overall, these apartments are not worth the price. However, if you are desperate for a place that's close to campus and downtown, it could suffice. —Saintvicious
2012-03-25 23:12:57 I have lived here for almost a year and I will be moving out as the school year is about to come to close. I have never had a problem contacting management this past year. It has always been quick and responsive to my needs. From noise complaints to a clogged drain. I understand that management has had some hiring issues but I believe the landlord took a little more time to hire the right manager. Right now, our manager is, Rhea, and she has been pleasant to have around the complex. She is always visible, is constantly seen cleaning and tidying up the complex, and is quick to give you a “hello”. Pretty flexible on what time you need her. As for the apartment, I lived in the 1/1 flat and it is perfect just for myself. The complex is old but nothing really to complain about except trying to get large furniture into the apartment, such as a couch. I have swam is their poor and is always kept clean during the season. I wish I had more sun in my backyard to plant vegetables, so pick your apartment depending on how much sun you want. Too much sun can heat your apartment up quickly. Say, YES, to Viking Apartments! —KellyBosch
2012-07-12 03:47:12 I spent 6 months in the Vikings from January 2012 to the end of June 2012..and in all the seasons..what a place! clean, quiet enough, close to downtown (5 minutes by bike), close to the university (10 minutes to reach the Silo by bike). I've been in a lot of apts during my stay in Davis..and I think it isn't easy to find something better.. and than there is Rhea, the manager, she's in the complex since few months..she a nice girl always working and setting stuff for the apts. she's very helpful and if you have any problem just tell her..She will solve Them! she would even wanted to fix the toilet seats at my place..even if I'm a 26 years old guy (and I could have done it by myself)! definitely an hard worker and a helpful manager! The vikings is the choice! If I'll have the possibility to come back Davis..for sure I'll go there! I had great time there! Have fun! —DanieleBencardino
2013-05-20 01:31:53 I just made this account to leave this comment because this has been the worst living experience in my 4 years at Davis. Been living at the Viking since September. First thing to note is expect to have broken stuff when you move in. Second is to expect to get that broken stuff fixed in about a 3 weeks of calling. Broken stuff for us included, but not limited to: the screen doors not locking/off track, the toilet not flushing/draining correctly, and the shower not draining correctly. When maintenance came over, they were very rude and didn't take off their shoes when asked. Some of the gunk sucked up from the shower drain was also left on the floor. The buildings also very old, so expect your electricity to go in and out as well.
Flash forward to today. I have been coming home every night to this http://imgur.com/a/AMBKg for the past 3 weeks. Those are roaches and they're everywhere! I first noticed them in the hallway, but they eventually make it into the apartment as well. It's disgusting and management has yet to call any form of pest control. In addition, we also have mice. . .
Considering this and other reviews of having difficulty getting your deposit back, this place is a total rip off. Sure it's close to downtown and campus, but I rather bike a little further than have to deal with constant flickering lights, roaches, mice, broken stuff. You definitely want to avoid this place.
Update 5/27/13 still roach infested
2013-06-20 08:30:18 The complex is fairly quiet and obviously in an ideal location, just on the edge of downtown it is close enough to walk yet affordable and quaint enough to feel like you have space and peace when there is something crazy going on downtown or on campus. However, I would choose this as a last resort. The owner Tom is super creepy and not helpful at all. He's is incredibly rude and unresponsive to everything. At first I thought it was just because we were college students (still does not make it okay) but I witnessed him being a patronizing jerk to one of my roommates parents and after living here for a year have heard him talk to several tenants rudely . Luckily Rhea now handles most of the issues that occur at the apartments and thank God I am out of here because if she left I am sure the complex would go back to the way it was, work orders in for weeks with no response, workers entering apartments with no permission (so not okay)the water randomly turning off (and/or brown) the wood paneling on the walls falling off, roaches, screen doors that never stay on track, I could go on and on and oh, yeah did I mention tom is super creepy? Anyway if you want an apartment that is basically falling apart and barely being held together by a nice young complex manager who slightly makes up for the rude and creepy owner then go for it but I bet you could find way better. —KelleyStevens
2013-08-07 11:40:05 Hello there, My name is Rhea and I am the on-site manager at Viking Apartments. I have been at the property for almost 2 years now and loving every minute. Never a dull moment at the property and I love my work. The property is ideal for me because of the location and the quiet neighborhood. I always let my tenants know that I am available if they ever have any questions or concerns. I try to get all maintenance requests fulfilled in a timely manner because I know how important it is to have everything in working order in your home. As you know, it is my home too. I look forward to staying at Viking Apartments for as long as I can. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have about the property and how you can become a future resident of the Viking Apartments. Thanks for reading! —rheascprent
2013-09-30 01:51:28 Still a real shit hole. Management is terrible; the worst in Davis and I have lived in all parts of Davis. Don't ever consider living here. —VikingResident
2013-10-28 12:01:01 Before you had moved out, I got our exterminator company out to take care of your bug situation after having read about it on Daviswiki and they came out right away to fix the problem. They contacted your roommate personally and I had also followed up with you to see if the situation was taken care of to your liking. I was told that either your roommates were not aware of the issue or that the bugs were gone. I'm a little confused as to where the actual problem lies but I am more than happy to take care of any situation on the property as long as I'm notified . I wish you all the best! —rheascprent
2013-11-09 05:13:23 I've lived in Viking Apartments as an undergrad at UCD for 2 years. It's a great location (close to campus, downtown, Farmer's Market, the Co-op, Grocery Outlet), and while the complex is older compared to others around Davis, my apartment was fully functional and very comfortable. Some cons: Management needed some reminders to respond to us in a timely manner, but my roommates and I have gotten what we needed. The free uncovered parking and street parking run out at night, so I had to time your parking just right, but I've had a car for 2 years at Viking too and it was manageable. However, it was overall a great college experience. You live at the heart of Davis community, the apartment is clean and spacious, neighbors are friendly, rent is reasonable. I wouldn't ask for more. —EdithYuh
2013-11-26 12:26:37 This was seriously the worst living experience I have had. Here's perhaps the shadiest thing they did, and I'd be happy to send anyone the full e-mail conversation, but I'm scared he might be shady enough to sue if I included it here. I paid $632.50/month my first year, which was different than the $650 my roommate paid. Before I even began living at the Viking, I asked Tom, in an e-mail, why there was a discrepancy between my lease and my roommate's. He said "The rent is correct. He may be rounding off? You may want to discuss with him...Send a check for $907.50. $25 app fee, $250.00 1/2 deposit, & 632.50 Rent." However, after my first year, I got a new roommate, and we were paying a different amount ($672.50 each), and suddenly, Tom realizes my old roommate and I had been paying the wrong amount all of the first year. The total was supposed to be $1295 between us ($647.50/person), but my lease said $1265. Therefore, according to my lease, together, my roommate and I were overpaying, and if anything, Tom owed my old roommate money. Nevertheless, he said I was underpaying for all of the first year, and that I owed some +$150. When I showed him the lease that I had signed (I had signed it in London, scanned it, and sent it over), he had the nerve to say, "I never signed this lease." In other words, not only was he trying to come after me for an error in numbers, he was trying to come after me for a lease that didn't even exist. During this conversation, he had the nerve to try to settle a deal with me by charging my new roommate (who had nothing to do with this conversation) or getting me to tell people to live here. Obviously, I did not have to do either when I sent him the e-mail conversation where he did the math, telling me that what I saw in the original lease was correct.
I should have seen the signs from the beginning. When I first moved in, Tom never gave back the previous tenants their deposit and "transferred" it to our account. This was because I moved in with someone who was originally subletting the apartment from the previous tenants, which meant that our apartment was never cleaned, repainted, etc., but we also weren't allowed to fill in a damage form, so the extra $500 deposit was basically to shut us up. In other words, for the 2 years I lived in these apartments, I lived in a place that hadn't been cleaned for at least 2 years prior to living there (4 years by the time I left). Not only did they take all of the extra $500 from the previous tenants, they also took part of the deposit that my roommate and I had put down. In other words, they charged us >$500, even though they basically saved money with us by not having to clean that apartment, replace the carpet, paint, etc. for 3 years. Tom might come on here and say that we didn't bother cleaning our apartment, but we left it in better condition than the way I received it, not to mention, there was no need to clean a 4-year-old carpet, scratched walls, etc. when it was all going to have to be replaced. Our apartment came with a giant pool table (the previous tenants not only left a mess, they also left a bunch of stuff including the pool table). In a heated argument with Tom (story above), I told him he could have it instead of me paying that +$150, and he wrote down on some unofficial document "Tom gets pool table," but he still wanted the +$150. Originally, I thought I would throw it away or sell it to screw him over, but I thought I should leave on a good note, so I left it there, and I think that could have been in part what they charged us for. Even if it were a rightful charge, it's not a >$500 charge.
To make things worse, I left the cable internet box there because the previous tenants had done so, in hopes that the next tenants would take it over like we did. I get a call from Comcast saying the box was never returned, so when I call the Viking, they say they threw everything away, so I got screwed over another $100. Stupid me for trusting shady them.
Lastly, Tom gave me a bad recommendation for the apartment I currently live in. He had the nerve to say that I violated the pet agreement by not paying the pet deposit. We had $1000 for our total deposit when the minimum was $500. I think a pet deposit was under $500, so in total, we had the normal deposit, the pet deposit, and some extra.
If you don't want to read all that, here's the summary. The apartments aren't great quality, especially when they haven't been cleaned for a while. My cat could easily bring back a rat or mouse each night, and there were definitely a lot of bugs, so there are pests in the vicinity. Also, what everyone says about getting screwed out of your deposit is correct; he did it to the previous tenants and to us. He will also charge you for fees that you do not owe. Finally, he will be bitter about all of it and make your life difficult. Don't move here. —ManojDoss
2014-04-14 18:30:12 I have lived at the Viking for 2 1/2 years with my boyfriend in a one bedroom. Overall, I really enjoy living here. Overall complex: It is a mix of older couples/families, graduate students and some undergrads. Occasionally we hear music or people having a party but it's not often. Overall a quiet complex. I love the proximity to downtown; we can walk to the farmer's market, bars, and restaurants in 5-10 minutes. Be sure to move your bike every so often and ensure that they don't flag it for removal. We didn't notice that our two bikes were flagged (they did give us a few weeks but we didn't see the signs they posted—only by the laundry room and mail boxes, not on resident's doors— and we drive to work so we don't go check on our bikes all the time) and they gave one to charity and the other to another resident in the building. Luckily we were able to get one back. We also had a tire stolen off of our bike here, but that's a problem everywhere in Davis. Rhea is a great manager, she is attentive but also not overbearing. Tom responds very quickly to maintenance requests and we have not had any major issues in our time here with anything breaking. The laundry room usually has at least 1 washer and dryer that aren't in use. Machines are old but they work fine. Parking has never been an issue (I pay $10/month for covered assigned parking), but there is also parking in back and along the whole street.
Apartment: There is wood paneling on one wall of the living room but I actually think it's funky and like it. The kitchen has plenty of cabinets and is wide enough for multiple people to cook. They also just installed microwaves in the hood unit over the stove so that will increase counter space. The carpets were not new but in good condition when we moved in, as was the linoleum. I really like the layout of the bathroom with the double sinks and vanity separate from the toilet and shower. For couples living in a one bedroom I think this is a must! I also really enjoy the patio and the big sliding glass doors in the living room and bedroom which allow a lot of sunlight in. I don't know if they still advertise the apartments as having central heat and air but the one bedrooms definitely do not! We were told they did which was one of the reasons we chose the Viking and then were quite upset upon move-in (we rented sight unseen because we were moving from the midwest). There is a wall a/c unit in the living room and none in the bedroom. We do fine with fans in there, though. There is a thermostat on the wall for a 'central' heating system but the only vent is in the living room too. This hasn't been an issue either since it doesn't get very cold in Davis in winter. I really like the storage here: there is a small coat closet in the entryway, 2 closets in the bedroom, and a linen closet in the bathroom. They also cleaned our carpets after our second year here upon request.
Overall: Would definitely recommend this complex to those who are looking for good closet space and reasonable rent close to downtown. They do allow up to 2 cats with a small pet deposit. The pool is nice in summer. I would be staying at this apartment if it had more storage and a dishwasher! Unfortunately the one bedroom gets a little tight for 2 people after a couple of years.
I have not moved out yet, so can't comment on that process or how much I get back from my deposit..I am a bit worried because our apartment was not repainted before we moved in because the previous tenant moved out the morning we moved in, however they did clean the entire place before we moved in. Carpets were still wet so we had to spend our first night in a hotel but other than that and the bike situation we haven't had any issues. —MarissaWoodall
2014-09-20 15:41:18 I can second (or third) what everyone says about the deposit. I just had 95% of mine taken. The most annoying part to me is that they tell all residents that a normal cleaning + carpet will be around $300, which is reasonable. This way, people like me don't complain on their way out and then the viking inevitably takes the extra money. My roommate and I spent a whole day cleaning the place. It wasn't spotless, but I'm certain it wasn't worse than how apartments normally look upon moveout. They just don't want to admit how much a normal cleaning costs to avoid confrontation. In the scheme of things, losing at extra $150 isn't the worst thing, but it leaves a sour taste. The reason we moved out in the first place is because our rent was being raised for the fourth consecutive year while other places in Davis are similar prices as when I moved in. We found a 2bd/1.5 bath townhouse almost as large, with a dishwasher, 5 minutes further from downtown for $200 less each month.
Aside from feeling jobbed about the deposit and rent, living here was pleasant. The location is great, the townhouse apartments are super spacious, parking is easy and it's pretty quiet. At various times our toilets, AC, oven, cable, front door and patio door were all broken (it's a pretty old building), but management was always prompt in fixing things. The demographics seemed to shift more heavily towards undergraduates the four years I lived there, which resulted in a shortage of bike parking.
You will like it if you move here, you'll just be paying a premium. —KevinWilliams
2014-10-01 10:21:02 @KevinWilliams, Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. First I would like to apologize for the miscommunication we had that would cause you to distrust our company. Along with any inconvenience this may have caused you. My main goal of being in on-site manager for Viking is providing excellent customer service when moving out such as cleaning checklists and pre-move out inspections meetings. I am discouraged that you feel that it was not the best service you received as we had met before you moved out and spoke about the process of moving out and the estimated costs for cleaning. I am glad to hear you that you feel that we took care of your maintenance requests promptly. We wish you the best on your new home and will use your helpful feedback to improve customer service. —rheascprent
2017-08-04 14:31:35 Nice place to live as long as you don't mind the UN-friendly staff and old broken down living. The only thing they have going for them is the close location to campus. But it's up to you if you're willing to deal. —Anomonomonomynous
2018-10-03 18:57:32 I lived there only 3 months. Despite the brief stay and after I left the apartment in the same condition I received it in, Mr. Cross initially kept 295$ of my security deposit. It was spent on carpet cleaning and general cleaning. I spoke to the onsite manager, with the response that this is the minimum charge and that this is their standard procedure when people move out. No matter how short they stayed or how the apartment looks like when they leave, it will be professionally cleaned for (at least) 295$ I was told. I was also told that I should direct my complains towards Mr. Cross. I tried to call several times, but couldn't reach him. I politely reached out via email, but received no answer. Since I did not want to invest the time to go to court, I went to the Yolo Conflict Resolution Center in Davis and asked for help. They were pretty quick, filed a case and invited Mr. Cross and myself over for a conversation at the Davis Community Church. We both had to pay 50$ for attendance. We had to sign a confidentiality form, so I will not comment on what happened during the mediation. The outcome, however, was satisfactory for me. Even though I got insulted by Mr Cross, I feel that he and his onsite managers don't seem to be horrible people. Yet, they are genuinly overwhelmed with their responsibilities. The place is close to campus, the apartments are old and in an according state, but indeed clean. If you're willing to cope with some chaos and a hell of a lot of hustle to communicate issues (they tried to charge my July rent twice) and if you are okay with a default 295$ charge for cleaning when you leave behind a clean apartment, you can get an okay apartment here for a decent value. —postdoc
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