Diridon West - San Jose, California

Ali K. N.

Ever since Hines took over and renamed this complex Diridon West, it has been a complete disaster. If you see any positive reviews, they are from the previous management. The current management is a nightmare, and their behavior is outright unethical. For instance, they have been offering people money to remove negative reviews—a clear sign they know how badly they’re doing. I recommend running as fast as you can. Even if the apartments are cheaper, you will pay for it in other ways. Here are just a few examples:

Storage Theft: Our storage unit was emptied without any notice, and all our belongings were gone. When we confronted them, they claimed the unit wasn’t under our name. We escalated the issue to Hines’ VP and CEO to recover our belongings, and even then, valuable items like my PhD diploma were destroyed. Losing our belongings felt like outright theft.

In 2024, there was significant leakage in the basement, leaving over a foot of water covering the parking area. Residents had to navigate through the water daily, and the flooding remained unresolved for weeks. When I went to the office to ask them to inspect the situation, they refused—perhaps because they didn’t want to get their shoes wet. (See the attached photos and judge for yourself.)

Unjustified Cleaning Fees After Move-Out: After we moved out, we cleaned the apartment thoroughly and returned the keys, yet we were charged a $300 flat cleaning fee without explanation or an itemized list. I wrote to the manager asking for details and evidence, but the reply was rude and simply stated that we had to pay. I wrote to their San Francisco office and then they returned the $300!

Rude and Unresponsive Staff: The staff always appear unhappy, respond with frowns, and rarely reply to emails. You’re forced to go in person, only to hear them repeat the same unhelpful responses. For instance, they removed all guest parking. When I asked where guests should park, they kept saying, “street parking,” even though there’s no street parking available. They refused to even acknowledge the issue or apologize. Additionally, the front desk staff, particularly a blonde woman, are consistently rude and unpleasant to interact with.

Ongoing Garage Door Repairs: They have been “fixing” the garage door for over a year. Each time, they demand all residents move their cars by 7:30 AM, disrupting hundreds of households. Despite requests to postpone the work to a reasonable time, such as 9:00 AM, they ignored us. During one repair, a staff member yelled at residents in the parking lot. When I said I would report it, the employee responded, “Do whatever you want!” I felt threatened and considered calling the police. That staff member is still employed and seen around the building.

Package Theft: Packages have gone missing from the property, and management’s only solution is, “Call the police.” A few days ago, our $700 package was stolen. It took four visits to the office to get them to check the security cameras, only for them to say they couldn’t do anything. Under the previous management, thefts never happened, and the staff were much more helpful and proactive. Now, they don’t even pretend to care.

Inconsistent Parking Policies: A neighbor was denied a parking spot for their new car, despite being a long-term resident. Meanwhile, management was offering parking to new residents. It’s clear they prioritize new leases over treating existing residents fairly. This is a terrible way to treat residents.

Trash Room Issues: The trash room smells horrendous on weekends, because they’ve reduced the frequency of trash collection. The stench often spreads to the hallways, making it unbearable to step outside.

Diridon West is an overpriced, poorly managed complex that treats its residents with disdain. The staff are unprofessional, unhelpful, and unethical. If you value peace of mind and a supportive living environment, look elsewhere.

YouNeverThought

I recently toured Diridon Apartments in San Jose and had such a great experience, I had to share it! From the moment I walked in, Kayla Retzer made me feel incredibly welcome. She was not only professional and knowledgeable, but also genuinely friendly and attentive—answering all my questions and walking me through every detail of the property with patience and clarity.

The community itself is beautiful—modern amenities, clean common areas, and a location that’s hard to beat. But it was Kayla who really made the visit stand out. Her passion for the community and commitment to helping me find the right home was clear from start to finish.

If you’re looking for a new place in San Jose, I highly recommend checking out Diridon Apartments—and be sure to connect with Kayla Retzer. She’s the reason I felt so confident and excited about potentially calling this place home!

Yvonne B.

Delaney and Kayla are outstanding humans, empathetic and straight forward. They are friendly, accommodating, and professional. We just moved in and can breathe a sigh of relief because we have experienced amazing management and integrity of the staff. The amenities are wonderful. We hope to make Diridon West our home for many years. Please come by for a tour if you’re looking for a safe space to call home. I’m so glad we did!

Rana C.

We just moved into Diridon West after a scary experience at the Vespaio just down the road from them. The difference could not be more stark.

Delaney and Kayla at the leasing office are prompt, professional and empowered. They take calls in the best interest of the renters without the usual run-around of "I'll run it up the chain". The space is well designed, well maintained and strictly monitored, which makes us feel safe. The rest escalation is 1% which allows us to consider staying here long-term.

As an example of their ability to respond authentically to our needs: we needed a move-in cleaning done to exceptionally high standards since my partner is allergic to cat dander. They offered us the option of getting in the cleaners we trusted and reimbursing us for the expense.

We hope for this to be a long, fruitful stay here.

Jesse L.

Garage gate seems to break every month. Reports of theft. Previous false fire alarms. Items stolen from cars.

Apartment itself is good but it seems there are issues beyond management’s control. Expensive for an apartment to have these issues. Price is similar to Santana row apartments and that’s a much nicer and safer area.

Ronald W.

I've lived at Diridon West for 9 months and have had a very positive experience. The staff is friendly, professional, and responsive. The complex has top-quality amenities, various floor plans, and high-tech features. It's ideally located near downtown San Jose and multiple mass transit options. Everything you need is just a few steps away. I highly recommend Diridon West.

Kajol J.

Kayla has been nothing but helpful to my first experience of moving in to an apartment complex. I had a million questions about moving in instructions to which she gladly answered promptly. If you are looking to move into An apartment, you will have the best experience with Kayla. 10/10 grateful!!

Minhyuk Y.

I lived in this place for 15 months. Like many of the reviews left, this place was perfect until Hines took over management in January 2024, but now it has turned into a disaster. The daily protests by former employees in front of the apartments symbolize Hines' unethical management.

I am currently experiencing problems with the return of my security deposit, which has been a month since I moved out. According to California state law, the security deposit must be returned within 21 days of moving out. However, it has not been returned even after a month.

The most absurd thing is that they have not even replied to my two emails regarding this matter. This is illegal, and if a lawsuit is filed, they are required to return double the deposit amount, but I cannot understand what they are thinking by holding out.

Information about the claimed amount was not provided through emails or any other means, and I had to check it through the website portal after a month. I found out that $220 was charged for cleaning and $218.75 for painting, which I was only able to confirm after a month.

Again, according to the law, 'Security deposits MAY NOT be used for other costs, such as (1) damages that were already there when the tenant moved in; (2) unreasonable or unnecessary expenses; or (3) ordinary wear and tear.' There is no reason to paint other than for ordinary wear and tear, yet they are trying to charge for painting claiming 'damage.' Moreover, I emphasized that there were no issues according to the law multiple times before moving out.

Also, if the security deposit is not returned within 21 days, a 'good faith' accounting must be made, but their attitude only reveals malicious intent. It seems they are boldly holding out because people find it too troublesome to go to court even though they are illegally charging amounts and not returning the deposit.

This is the worst management. I am considering legal action. I would absolutely not recommend them. Do not be deceived by their kindness to attract new tenants. After moving in, they will not even reply to you while engaging in illegal activities when you leave this apartment.