University Commons Apartments - Davis

University Commons Apartments is a relaxed college community filled with a mixture undergrads, grads, and a few families. UCA offers two bedroom, one bath apartments ranging from $1150/month-$1250/month with a $500 deposit.The property currently has one 3 bedroom, 2 bath townhouse for $1650, which eventually will include its own personal laundry room within the unit. Because of its high demand, the unit is rarely available. Utilities covered include water, sewage, garbage, and of course wi-fi. Cats are allowed with a $300 deposit [January 2010]. This complex was taken over by Storm Management in November 2009 and since then the property has gone and is still going through many renovations.

Visit our Housing Guide or Apartments page for more information on housing options within Davis.

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2005-11-16 22:50:01 dumb question...where's the study room? (I live here and I've never encountered a study room) —JuliaRoseFurman

2007-04-26 23:52:19 Can I recieve a current review of the place? I'm apartment hunting and I want to know how the water pressure, internet, AC/Heating, noise level, and parking is... —Apartmenthunter

2007-05-04 01:23:42 I just visited the place. The management doesn't seem like they really know what they're doing. Also, you can hardly get a hold of this place, they barely answer the phone. They're excuse is, "we open after 10AM". We definitely called at 11,12,1,2 and finally showed up at the place at 3. Their second excuse was "we were showing someone the apartments probably" I don't like management that makes excuses and that I can't ask questions and answer to me in a comprehensible manner. The place looks kinda run down, but yeah, I don't live here. I just looked around the complex and talked to the management. I definitely don't recommend starting your apartment hunting search here. —Apartmenthunter

2007-08-18 16:27:02 This place is actually nice. So close to campus and really affordable. Management is good too. —Glamfunk

2007-12-24 21:05:33 I have lived in this place for over a year and going on to two. There is definitely a noise problem as there will be people walking, talking, yapping in the wee hours of the night. The washer and dryer is bit expensive at $1.25 for each. The management is alright, they seem to be slack but are very nice when you talk to them. We go there frequently to ask them to fix some various things such as unclogging the sink, toilet or even replacing dead light bulb. The free wireless sucks though, don't ever rely on that. There is also no study room. The inside of this place is small, but the price is nice. You will feel crammed in the bedrooms for sure, but it isn't as small as university court. —acidicbase

2008-02-09 23:36:06 now that i've lived here for about 6 months and gotten a feel for it i feel justified commenting about it. it's not the newest place (kitchen appliances are rather dated) but i like the management, they're fairly friendly and prompt on dealing with any problems (and the workers around are really nice :) they gladly replace/fix stuff for us as soon as we ask even if the management isn't around). pricing is fair for size and the proximity to campus. i second acidicbase on both the noise (though the late night talking has died down for a month or two now) and the internet (instaconnect is entirely unreliable). parking is $80 for the year for those who wanted to know. —MiranPark

2008-03-13 13:49:59 A tad pricey but definitely a decent place to live. Appliances are a tad old and the plumbing is rather run down but the management is pretty nice and the workers who repair problems are the apartment's redeeming factor. Roof has leaked 3 times and every time, the help was pretty quick to come fix the problem. Apartments are fairly roomy compared to most and management is quick to assist with any issues that might come up (had the carpet replaced as an example). —pieguy

2008-11-24 22:45:06 i hate to burst your bubble above commenter wayne, but they were actually planning on remodeling/upgrading all the apartments anyway. i still hear the instaconnect sucks. maybe i'm just bitter because i have a huge hole in my bathroom ceiling right now where there is a leak from a burst pipe which makes me unable to shower. felipe, the worker/repairman though...is cool. very cool and awesome. —MiranPark

2009-01-23 12:27:16 this place SUCKS. there's always so much loud noise at the most randomest time of the day. They use the leaf blower like 3 times a week early in the morning, there are crows that make so much noise around 7 or 8am, whenever it rains the pipes outside make the most ridiculous noises. The appliances here are quite old, and I'd rather pay less money for a better place. —djturn2

2009-01-26 18:26:14 Major noise problem. djturn2 is right about the various noises around this place. The crows are berzerk during the early hours and yes, the water running through the pipes during the rain is very annoying. Worst, people around the place seem to like to play music REALLY loud; in fact, there's music blasting as I type this. Instaconnect is unreliable, although it does have its good days -don't rely on it though as you might find yourself stuck w/o internet on days when you have a prelab to do or w/e. Aside from that, the management is nice and the maintenance people are very good. Given its relatively affordable price and proximity to campus, its a bearable place. Don't expect anything spectacular though. —localRenter

2009-03-11 10:24:17 The room is very nice and large. I place is better than I thought from the look outside and the price is reasonable. There's no problem occur to me while staying —cooooo

2009-03-17 10:15:16 This place is a joke. The grounds of the complex are shittier than all hell; I feel like I'm living in a refugee camp when I walk through them. Also, every fucking morning I am woken up by blasting Mexican music combined with either a skill saw or a hammer banging incessantly into mine or somebody else's wall. It seems they are doing construction of some type, but the only things I have seen produced are shitty compilations of raw lumber that look like something a teenager building a skateboard ramp might make. That is to say, these apparent renovations are not making the place look any better (even worse?) and at the expense of the renters sleep. I concur with the person who posted qualms about the drain pipes being excessively loud. I don't know who built this place, but clearly they were building for the deaf or creatures without ears. The internet here may be free, and that is for a reason. They should have to pay me to use that shitty hamster-wheel run system they call internet. Don't be surprised if a "system error" occurs multiple times a week for hours on end and you can't access the internet. And when it is fixed, your back to slower than dial up. It literally takes over a minute at times to load a simple html page. So when they say free internet, don't take that as a kudos, take it as if there is no internet because it is almost impossible to survive as a student of this system. The location is good, I'll give them that. However, that is no reason to rent here. There are plenty of apartments with nicer grounds, nicer buildings, and equally as convenient, if not better, locations. Moreover, the price is not right. Search around and I guarantee one can find a much more suitable place worth what they charge. This place is not worth it, seriously. The lady in the office is very nice, but don't be fooled, she is not management. Click on the link above and read for yourself the "rave" reviews this clearly incompetent management has gotten. I have two instances from this past year which really sum up the competence and scruples of this management. First of all, me and my roommates had picked out an apartment our freshman year. There are different plans, and we were assured that the plan we wanted was the plan we were going to get. Even on the lease was the apartment plan we were supposed to get. Then the day before we moved in, University Commons called us and said our apartment would not be ready until the day after we had planned to move in. This normally would not have been a big deal, but I was already in town with truck bed filled with my shit. So we had to settle for another plan with no compensation or anything. Then we saw the apartment we were supposed to move into and the place was literally trashed. It ended up taking them over a month to clean that apartment out so that someone could move in. Move in the next day my ass you lying sacks of shit. One more horror story. An international student lives in this complex and said person had made arrangements prior to coming to Davis to get an apartment here. However, the person needed a roommate to make the price reasonable and the management promised a roommate and not to worry. Well, no roommate was obtained and the person had to pay full rent, i.e. the management would not take responsibility for their inability to be reliable and trustworthy. Fuck this place, it is by far one of the worst experiences of my life. College is supposed to be fun, exciting, and all sorts of other good adjectives. If this is really true, then University Commons is the antithesis to college. My advice, SEARCH AROUND. That was mine and my roommates mistake. Please do not commit the same blunder we did. —cps

2009-05-10 23:52:54 The instaconnect wireless sucks. It actually worked okay before, but now it just disconnects people all the time, not to mention the really slow speed. The apartment is pretty old and the rooms are a bit small for the price. But I'm fine with it because it's close to campus. I'm not sure why they had the construction work either because it doesn't seem like there is much of an improvement. And yes, it was very annoying to get woken up by the construction workers. The walls are pretty thing, too.

The management is nice, though, and will fix any problems you have, except the internet. I'm always told to call the internet company, but those people are never around or they put you on hold. And when you finally get through to them, the internet is okay for a while and then becomes shitty again. -_-; I recommend getting your own internet service and taking the costs of that into account when looking for a place because this place's internet just won't cut it. —chompie

2009-07-21 11:09:50 How are the neighbors here? Are they okay with throwing kickbacks/parties? I like to invite my friends over, play some music, and have fun. Nothing huge, but I like to play music and stuff. Would this be a good place for that or is everyone really lame about partying? —johny

2009-08-05 09:15:47 Yeah they're pretty lame about parties. I had a few get togethers a while back.. and people from OTHER apartment complexes came over and knocked on our door to tell us to turn it down, on a FRIDAY. And it gets insanely loud at the oddest hours too. They decide to mow the lawn and cut the weeds at like 7 in the morning when everyone's still sleeping. I have like a family living upstairs of me who always makes hella noise, the husband is always screaming and yelling like a madman, and the children are always running and stomping. It gets pretty annoying. That's why we're not living here next year. —djturn2

2009-08-20 23:28:16 I do not like being awoke by lumber noises at around 7-9am when most people are asleep. All the construction work seems to disappear over night because the apartment still looks bad.

The air condition is so crappy even after changing the filters that my roommates and I stopped using it. The management acts all nice, but they are a little slow: they promise to fix something from your apt, and you have to wait 2 weeks. This has been consistently the case since there were some problems in my apartment. But to be fair, the manager does try to get the apt back into shape. —WengFF

2010-02-18 01:46:41 I am most likely going to be living here this fall. Have they changed their policy about pets or are they still not allowed? —snsdgee

2010-04-05 22:02:50 Does anyone even know when the manager is in his office anymore? As for the guy above me, they allow some pets. You just need to tell them and put down extra money for security deposit. —SebastianNg

-Sebastian, I do not know if there are regular office hours anymore but I do see the office open more frequently nowadays. Usually on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. I know they are open around when rent is due though (funny how that is...).

2010-07-01 14:32:42 Undoubtedly one of the worst apartment complexes in Davis. This distinction is not at all attributed to the dilapidated outlook of the complex, but the exorbitant rent charged to live in this little slice of depression. Rent will be increased by $20 for next year, apparently. The management must reason that the shoddy "renovations" that have been undergoing at all hours of the day over the last few months merits a rent increase. If you consider a slather of paint and a few (literally) tacked on boards as renovations then by all means, increase the rent...

Would-be renters should be aware of a few features before loaning their soul and hard-earned cash away. When it rains, you will go insane and restless from the never-ending sound of water coursing through the pipes and drains. In what can only be described as an avante-garde architectural move, the designers of U-Commons brilliantly decided to place drain pipes directly adjacent to rooms so that when rain comes occupants will be completely in tune with Nature - throughout the whole night. One should also not be surprised if a neighbor or roommate is heard because there is little separating you and everyone else.

Also, I imagine the designers originally envisioned apartments that would act as both living space and makeshift incubators. During those interminable Davis summer days the internal temperature of U-Common apartments reach unnatural levels, and the lack of suitable ventilation creates an atmosphere ripe for suffocating inhabitants. Seriously though, these apartments need a window in the kitchen or somewhere else. Trust me, these apartments are unnaturally hot even when the outside temperature is fairly cool - it is really unlivable in the summertime (unless you like suffering in an environment that fringes on suffocating its occupant).

The only thing U-Commons has going for it is its location. Despite the location the price does not warrant living in such miserable place. If you harbor low standards and won't mind wallowing in a depressing, jail-like room then I happily recommend this place. However, if you bear any shred of dignity and care in your living space, then I urge you with strong conviction to avoid U-Commons. Do not let its "free wireless internet" banner or convenient location swindle you into a contract because you will surely regret living here.

***Also would like to note that each unit is allowed one parking permit. Thus, only one person can park in U-Common's back-alley slab of concrete, and at a price of what I fuzzily recall to be $60...(forget about street parking too as it is impossible to find a spot during the busy school year. Many from the surrounding complexes park on the street and freshmen who think it cool and acceptable to bring cars don't help either) —blastoff

2010-08-02 21:07:11 I just moved here 5 months ago and don't understand why the guy above me(blastoff) is hating so much. If this is the sane guy that live next to me then I am glad he is gone. The apartments are nice inside. my apartment kitchen hallway and bathroom was beautifully tiled in ceramic not plastic flooring and the kitchen had all new appliances. the deposit is only $500 which was half of any other. And the Managers have been there every day. There is always a maintenance guy around and they even helped me with furniture and moving big items in. Levon the manager was very helpful and even gave us his cell number. Most parking are slabs of concrete and who needs a car in Davis anyway.The pool is great and they even had a BBQ with some amazing tacos for the tenants.The places are a little older but are great on the inside and the upkeep is nice. Believe me.. this is a place where I feel I am a tenant and not a student. SoBlastoff take the stick out your ass. —JackStorm

— Great that they had "amazing tacos," that's just wonderful. However, this still doesn't discredit the glaring problems of UCommons: units have very bad ventilation and drain pipes do get bothersome during rainier months. I've lived here for well over two years and the aforementioned problems are valid and should be carefully considered by would-be renters. Any reasonable UCommon tenant would honestly attest that units severely lack proper ventilation. The management and maintenance are pretty good but that only goes so far. —blastoff

2010-08-03 15:10:19 I just moved in here, and really have had a good experience. Levon is a good manager that has helped me a lot from knowing the neighborhood to helping locate furniture. what I like as well was the low deposit and no App fee.I have a huge patio and have entrance through the back as well so storing my bike is safe and easy. Ok! they are a little old and it does get a little hot...BUT i asked for a extra air conditioner in my room and it was done in three days Felipe the maintenance guy is really cool and did the work very well. In my experience with college apartments (i am a senior now) University Commons is a good place with managers that seem to have a motto "if you have a problem let us know". Like most places if you don't say anything then nothing will be done. Parking is a little scarce(one per apartment) but for the money its way less than Davis parking. All in all I give this 7 out of ten which is good in my point system. Also the new ceramic tile is awesome and the appliances were new as well. I heard the new management have been here under a year and they seem to be right on top of things. —Teocagley

2010-08-23 12:46:15 5/10—Some of the apartments are ancient, but some are brand new, so I guess what kinda place you'll get is hit and miss. I'm not sure why, but the management decided that one doornob isn't enough and has two on each door. It's a pain in the ass because you gotta put down everything you're holding to use two hands to open it. Anyone know why they did this?! I don't know if its just me but the tile is kinda a pain in the ass too—gets dirty really fast for some reason even though we have a no shoe rule. The windows here are shitty too. The management used to pretty much absent all the time, but they are much better now. Plus they got an email that's they seem to check often.

Repairs come the same day most of the time, Felipe is a rock star, fixes everything up real quick. I also live right above the shop right now and the machine noise is really loud and usually lasts all day, kinda a pain when studying for finals. To reiterate what everyone's been saying instaconnect is really shitty—its really slow and can go out for hours very often. No study room and laundry is expensive ($1.50) and shitty (dryer doesn't dry loads that are a decent size, takes your money regardless). No ventilation in any of the rooms either.

It's pretty cheap for being close to campus but the prices increased, and the managers are pretty relaxed and seem to want to help you out. Cheap deposit too. The AC and heater is pretty old and inefficient, so we never really used them. That pretty much hits on everything I can think of. There are a lot of better choices out there in my opinion, but this one is cheap and close to campus if that's what your after. Everything else nearby is pretty expensive. —BrianBusemeyer

2010-08-30 13:17:36 I lived here for about 3 years. The place is kind of bad, but tolerable enough for me to stay for three years.

Anyway, the management has changed over the course of my 3 years and I have to say that the current management is much more competent than the previous ones. It's hard to get a hold of them in person, but call each number multiple times and you'll probably eventually get one to talk to and they'll send someone over right away. I usually call them up for packages and if I get into a situation where I lock myself out (which is very possible with the locks they use here. Seriously, one of my roommates locks himself out at least twice a week).

Laundry is expensive. When I moved out and IIRC, it was 1.50 for washing and 1.50 for drying. If it's not dry after the first drying, just bring it to your room and hang it on something. It's not worth a second dry. Also, there used to not have a lock in the room, which I'm guessing is part of the reason why it got so expensive since there would vandalism and douchebag doing something like putting buckets of paint in the washer.

I didn't bother with instaconnect. Paid internet is definitely worth it. I think I got 12Mbps from Comcast for $20 a month, which came down to $7 per person. Are you really going to save the cost of a dinner for worse internet?

As for the apartment itself, no AC or heating in the rooms. They only exist in the living room. When we moved in, the place was really old, but they fixed it up....while we're still living there. It looked and worked really nice afterwards, but I came back after that summer for my roommates to tell me about the disruptions and dirtiness of the construction they had to live through. There is also the noise problem, but that comes from the fact that they used thin walls and that the management assumes that people would be awake at 9am.

All in all, this place was ok. It's not the best place to live in, but it's not horrible either. Management needs more of a physical presence and they need to try to get central AC/heating in here. The price is reasonable for what you get. It's very close to campus and insides are ok despite the fact that the outside still looks bad. I would recommend that if you're looking for apartment to also check out the apartments down the block (like Wake Forest, Sherwood, and La Casa). They seems a little better for about the same price in my opinion. —SebastianNg

2010-11-09 12:17:15 I don't recommend living in this place. It is crowded and looks poor everywhere. Room layout is horrible and wall is very thin. You can easily hear another person in other room talking. It is hard to find the staff. The office is often closed even when it is supposed to be open. Street parking nearby is another nightmare. The free internet here sucks, don't rely on it. In the end, be prepared to lose your deposit. —Jia

2011-05-19 18:51:03 This place has been pretty good. PROS: Been in Davis for 7 years and they are the best management I have dealt with yet. Peter is amazing. Staff overall is very helpful, prompt, and always have a great attitude. Also our apartment's temperature stays pretty stable. Barely had to use the heater all winter, and thus far heat hasn't been too bad. We're upstairs and in the middle so we could just be well insulated. CONS: The InstaConnect is useless. So expect to get DSL or Cable. So far within my apartment it's like I don't even have the bedroom door closed noise wise. But if you have roommates you can say hey I need to study/sleep it's not a problem. Only real complaint is the fact my bedroom is just opposite of some frat boys who can be a bit noisy on the weekends. But again for the price it's not bad. OVERALL: I'd recommend this place as a pretty convenient/reasonably priced place to stay. If —MandyB

2011-06-15 19:51:50 The new management has a shady practice with the security deposit. They say they are not held responsible for my security deposit and will not help me get back my money because they're a new management. They also do not pick up the phone directly. My roommate and I lost money to security deposit. I felt scammed. Avoid like the plaque. —WengFF

If that's true, you can sue them for triple damages. You're entitled to a refund of your security deposit. Get a lawyer — they love security deposit cases because the manager will also have to pay for the attorney's fees.

2011-12-05 14:46:26 This is my first year living here, and so far I have no complaints. In fact, I think the management is outstanding. Peter is almost always in the office from morning until about 5 pm Mon-Fri as usually the case in other apartment complexes so I'm not sure why people complain about that. He also leaves a note on the door letting people know that he might be around the property, in which case, you can always reach him on his cell phone. If there are ever any issues, management always sends someone right away to take care of it.

On the subject of renovation, I think it's normal to expect to 'hear' renovation. How can a complex improve upon itself, trying to making facilities nicer for YOU who are renting it, w/o working on it throughout the day? I mean, this type of work does take time and make noise, and there's probably going to be someone home to hear it at some time in the day. Let's be real... 9 am is NOT that early, haha.

Look, if you're super picky and have really high standards... don't move in here. If you're not, it's a seriously great place to live with very friendly staff, for a cheap price and RIGHT next to campus— with a POOL! —LoseTheDeville

2014-05-02 14:52:17 I really enjoy living here. The manager Peter is very helpful and quick to provide assistance. He makes it very easy to communicate with and truly wants to help everyone feel comfortable living here. I've also noticed that he knows everyone on a first name basis. That makes it so much easier to ask for help when needed. I cannot stress how helpful he is. He really does care. He is even helping my roommates and I find a temporary roommate for the summer. He also provided us with furniture which was a great plus. Thanks Peter! —universitycommonsreview

2014-05-08 16:26:08 I've lived at this place for almost a year and renewed for another year. It is a nice and peaceful environment. The people here are nice too. The manager, Peter, is the best. If there's anything me or my housemates needed he tried his best to help. He always made sure everything was okay. We didn't know much about the whole apartment stuff but he was able to break it down for us and made sure we understood. Honestly, he has been a great help. —comfyliving

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