Cal-Western Property Management - DRE#01191882

Negative experience: TL;DR Maybe Calwestern is for you if you dont care about building maintenance for years at a time lol Don’t expect a reply if your property manager is Casey S! I’ve lived in this building for a while and unfortunately the property management has been extremely difficult to deal with. When I first toured the unit, the showing agent was over 20 minutes late. Should’ve been my first red flag lol and it’s been a continuous pattern ever since. Communication has been basically nonexistent. They rarely answer the phone, the voicemail box is constantly full, and emails have gone unanswered since I’ve moved in 2021. I will even call the front desk only to be told that my property manager has stepped out (every single time lol). At a certain point you just kinda have to give up. We rarely receive any advance notice when repairs or maintenance are scheduled in our building. The only recurring issue we’ve been informed about is a yearly leak, but even then communication is minimal. The most egregious example of this would be the roof. For an entire week we had roofers disassemble and nail a new roof in - no notice, warning, or even a text letting us know. No advanced warning to let us know that contractors will be in and out and let me tell you the noise and disruption are unreal when they’re literally hammering over your head. Contractors also blocked everyone’s cars in making it impossible to get out because again, there’s no notice that we needed to cede the parking lot to the roofers!! I still have damages in my ceiling from where the new roofing is nailed in. The only reliable way to reach anyone seems to be the maintenance phone number, but when I tried using it I received a stern email saying this number is for emergencies only despite the fact that there are no other working communication channels. Maintenance has been inconsistent. In house maintenance has better turnaround which I appreciate, but the apartment already had significant damage when we moved in. Then again, they still haven’t replaced the smoke detector that I’ve been asking for since 2024 lol. For issues handled by outside vendors, there is little to no follow-up. For example, my bathroom fan and kitchen vent haven’t worked for years. Supposedly we have a garbage disposal?? The laundry room has been down since May 2025, an entire year(!) and when a new property manager came in we were told the “great news” that it was fixed and that she’s even seen other tenants use it! Except, that’s a complete lie. Unfortunately, when we checked, it still had the exact same problems as before, which makes me wonder if anyone actually verified the repair. At least I got an email? If you care about your building I would not go with this management company. If you decide to rent from them, welp might as well add property maintenance to your resume because you’re gonna be doing a lot of work trying to fix things on your own.

Negative experience: Fatal están bien mal quieren que uno haga la.aplicacion por persona paga do 45 dls y luego enseñar la propiedad??? Es una tremenda idiotez porque iba a hacer eso y si no me.gusta la propiedad?? Porque hacen eso?? Una de dos o quieren quedarse el dínero de la solicitudes o esconden defectos en las propiedades que rentan es absurdo y viendo las demás opiniones que bueno que no hice nada de solicitudes muy mal servicio.

Positive experience: Everything went smoothly but left some handy works which needs to be finished. They had 1 month time to finished all the work before they hand over the apartment. We did not have anyother choice because we gave final notice to the other apartment and did not have place to live. Broken cabinet doors in the bathroom. Did not pait cabinet doors in the kitchen and looks very ugly. I would say do not sign any agreement until you see the house or apartment is completely ready. Thank you all.

Negative experience: I encountered some red flags while dealing with this company, which led me to walk away from the lease: 1. They demanded the security deposit be collected prior to the signing of the lease agreement. 2. There were discrepancies between the advertised terms on Zillow and the conditions presented in their final contract. 3. The front desk staff displayed unprofessional conduct(eg. pointing) during my deposit handling. I’m relieved I didn’t sign the contract at the last minute.

Negative experience: Diana Cortez didn't showed up in a rental property. It's so far the worst experience ever. If you don't want to show up, stop your listing. To reply to the owner: Yes. It was confirmed, and I am one of the family on the site. There might only be 2 people making reservation - Their family is more than 2 people. Make sense?

Fantastic experience: I am a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University and have been renting a 1-bedroom apartment in Palo Alto from Patricia Espinoza for the past year and a half. The entire experience has been outstanding! I originally found the listing on Zillow, and from the very beginning, Patricia was incredibly professional, responsive, and reliable. Whether I reached out via text, phone, or email, she was always quick to respond and very helpful. The rent was very reasonable for the area, and it remained consistent throughout the lease—no unexpected increases. That kind of stability and fairness is rare and much appreciated. I highly recommend Patricia and her company to anyone looking for an apartment in the Palo Alto area. You’ll be in great hands!

Fantastic experience: I've had the pleasure of working with Cal-Western Property Management Company, and my experience has been nothing short of exceptional. From the moment I engaged their services, it was evident that they are committed to delivering top-notch property management solutions. Their team is professional, knowledgeable, and responsive, ensuring that all my property needs are met promptly and efficiently. The attention to detail they demonstrate in managing my property is truly commendable. They handle everything, from routine maintenance to tenant relations, with the utmost care and diligence. One of the standout aspects of Cal-Western Property Management is their proactive approach. They anticipate potential issues before they become problems and offer practical solutions, which gives me peace of mind knowing my property is in good hands. Their transparent communication and regular updates keep me informed about every aspect of my property management. Moreover, their expertise in the local real estate market is invaluable. They provide insightful advice and have helped me make informed decisions that have positively impacted my property's value and performance. In summary, Cal-Western Property Management Company exemplifies excellence in property management. Their dedication, professionalism, and proactive strategies set them apart as industry leaders. I highly recommend their services to anyone seeking reliable and top-tier property management.

Positive experience: I rented through Cal-Western Property Management twice and have been satisfied with the prompt responses from the agents. I had to move from the first location in San Jose due to the passing of the condominium owner. I then returned to Cal-Western again when I located an affordable apartment in Sunnyvale, which met my needs. The staff at the office on Winchester were very helpful and seem to enjoy serving the clients needs.

Fantastic experience: Grace Salgado at Cal-Western is detailed-oriented and went above and beyond in a professional and friendly manner.

Fantastic experience: I worked with Mary Joy from Cal-Western for my home rental needs. My experience was awesome. Our need was urgent as we lost our home in a fire and in dire need for a place to stay and start rebuilding. Mary Joy was instrumental in helping us get in to the house quickly. She worked with our temporary housing agent and was able to get the approval done in less than a day. She also helped us get information on furniture rentals and moved the application quickly so we were able to move in with in less than a week. She was also a joy to work with with an everlasting smile on the face. Cal-western also has a website where we can do rental payments, raise maintenance requests quickly. I will recommend this company for anyone searching for a home.

Fantastic experience: Thank you Sara for reaching helping us get after hours in getting a Plummer to our apartment so quickly! You’re the best!

Fantastic experience: The locations are quiet despite the fact that it is next to the gas station. I like the area and the neighbors are all quiet.,,,, I feel very happy when makeila manayer as she attends to all my needs cal - western safe

Fantastic experience: My son rented a house near San Jose State University (SJSU) managed by Sara @ Cal-Western. I'm very satisfied with Sara as a property manager. She responded quickly when my son and his housemate reached out to her for help with an incident at the rental property. Sara also responded quickly and acted immediately to have a plumber come right away (in the same day) to fix the plumbing issue. I would definitely recommend Cal-Western as Sara is an excellent property manager. Further, the rental property on 7th Street in San Jose is right across the street from the SJSU campus, and so it is very convenient and safe to quickly get to school.

Fantastic experience: Sheila was incredibly helpful during my move in.

Positive experience: Service was great

Positive experience: If you’re a landlord and want an average property management group, this is the one. Wasn’t the worst, wasn’t the best. They don’t go above and beyond, or even go do their job, unless pressed at times.

Fantastic experience: This review is specifically for Grace Salgado, who was our property manager for a little over a year. She was extremely easy to work with, always prompt when responding to any calls, texts or emails. We had a few repairs during our stay and they were taken care of within a few business days. The property we stayed at was beautiful and well-taken care of. If we ever needed to rent again, I would definitely reach out to Grace and see what she has available.

Fantastic experience: Michaela Coppock manages a property for us. She is professional, responsive, intelligent, pro active and conscientious in looking our for our tenants and for the property - she represents Cal Western well!!! She's the best!!

Fantastic experience: I had the pleasure of working with Grace Salgado as my property manager for almost a decade. Every request was honored in a timely manner, all repairs were done including pest control, plumbing and heating issues. I would absolutely use their service in the future, especially with Grace.

Negative experience: Very frustrating to work with. Our agent Cathy was outright obnoxious, hard to communicate with, a liar, and awol. Please avoid if you can.

Negative experience: Won't fix the laundry machines for weeks at a time. Accuses tenants of causing paint to peel. Generally rude about everything.

Fantastic experience: I came to cal western management in search of renting with no hesitation I was greeted and helped in time I found my desired place of rental Casey from cal western management was honest which helped with my decision I haven't had a issue I love my place of rent and what needed to get fix was done in a proper time I'm very satisfied with management so far price reasonable quiet area and no pest so far its a winning situation for me so good luck to those who read this

Fantastic experience: I have been renting from Cal Western for almost 10 years maybe even more. when im moving from one place to another they manage both. It makes finding a new place so painless, and convenient. In my experience with my prop manager (Michaela) she is supper professional and polite. she is quick about getting things set up, fixed, or confirming you have been accepted on a rental. I highly recommend the Cal Western property management. Quick, & professional. The front desk ladys are always supper nice and welcoming. Thank you Michaela and cal western.

Fantastic experience: I pick up some stuff that they had to get rid off chairs an file cabinets

Negative experience: Bad service.

Fantastic experience: I have been renting from Cal Western for almost 4yrs now. I am moving from one apartment to another they manage both. It makes finding a new place so painless, and convenient. In my experience with the different managers they are professional and polite. They are quick about getting things set up, fixed, or confirming you have been accepted on a rental. I highly recommend the Cal Western property management. Quick, & professional.

Fantastic experience: Machaela is great! She made my move-in experience easy and welcoming. She also helped me to navigate some maintenance issues that got fixed quickly.

Fantastic experience: great service, great people

Fantastic experience: Buscas casa de renta esta es tu mejor opción yama y encontrarás tu nuevo hogar

Fantastic experience: Great Managment company

Fantastic experience: So far so good. We are tenants and so far have been at the property for over a month. Grace the property manager has been nothing but a pleasure to talk to. Had to put one work order and it was handled ASAP. They also have an app that makes it easy to pay rent.

Fantastic experience: Tenant at a property that is overseen by Marie ruiz. Since we've moved in she has been more then helpful. Request are usually taken care of within 2 days. Very easy to communicate with and is very responsive. Ps. Loving the unit.

Fantastic experience: My friend has lived on their properties for over 21yrs

Negative experience: I just call at the office for one question and the lady AGUSTINA was so despicable and rude . I wondering if this kind of people have to be from the desk to assist people ,renter or any person who needs any information. She was ...( give you address, adreess address, )OMG she didn't let me talk. Bad experience,

Fantastic experience: Marie Ruiz was very pleasant to work with! Not only was she very responsive and answered all my questions she was extremely nice! She is very efficient and always willing to help. :)

Negative experience: I wish I could basically give 0 stars for this. Anyway, I made an appointment to view a place spent $25 on an Uber to get there. Once I got there Nobody was there. I don’t know what her deal was but Patricia Ramirez never showed up. The neighbor basically told me about the one bedroom in the back. The outside of the place was dirty as hell. I wouldn’t have wasted my time to come had I known she wasn’t going to show. I also had other viewings scheduled that day. I could have prioritized those over this had I known she wasn’t going to show. I say for y’all interested in doing business with them don’t bother. They’re a huge waste of time.

Fantastic experience: Cal Western has been my management company for over 11 years now and I've had no issues with them. Any maintenance problems I've had have always been addressed and resolved in a timely manner. Marie is so kind and professional.

Fantastic experience: The staff at Cal-Western have been very responsive to all my requests and extremely friendly. I'm thankful for their assistance in helping me get into my new home!

Fantastic experience: A professionally run organization.

Fantastic experience: Had a great experience when I moved in. Fast response.

Fantastic experience: Coming to Cal Western when I was caught off guard.Was a real Blessing. Not only did they have a place,for the time I needed it. Its a really nice place in a wonderful neighborhood. Everyone I talk to shares the same exciting experience's. Should I ever move. I will surely look on the Cal Western Listing.

Fantastic experience: I find Michaela responds quickly to my email or phone call. She is always courteous, knowledgeable, and efficient. Whatever the problem I am confident she will handle it.

Fantastic experience: Excellent company I can recommend

Fantastic experience: Gracie has been very responsive and does a good job.

Fantastic experience: I am very happy with my representative.

Fantastic experience: Professional, efficient, responsive to my questions. Would use them again.

Fantastic experience: Cal-Western have been great and responsive property managers for us for 20 plus years.

Fantastic experience: Grace was wonderful, from the moment we attended the open house, she was very welcoming and helpful in answering any and all questions we had. Then, during the rental application process, she was easy to communicate with and contact. Overall, this was a great experience and we are very happy with our new home, thank you Grace and thank you Cal Western!

Negative experience: Many years, many problems. Just gave up and hired a new property manager. Cal 'western still owes me $50 from my account. I have sent an email several times to my former agent with no response. $50 isn't a lot of money but it's the principal of the issue. Tenants moved out in May 2019. I severed ties with Cal Western in July 2019.

Fantastic experience: Best company ever.

Fantastic experience: Great support and help. I am getting their support for more than 3 years now, I would highly recommend using their service.

Fantastic experience: It's an exceptional feeling when you know the place you reside at is in a beautiful neighborhood with a good sense of security and serenity Cal Western Property Management response to inquiries and remedies any concerns promptly I would definitely recommend them to anyone that is looking for Quality when it comes to your living needs

Fantastic experience: We have been with Cal-western for quite a few years. They have always been there for us and have always responded to our needs.

Fantastic experience: This property management company is always very responsive to requests for service, and the workers are always pleasant and friendly. They do the work when they say they are going to do it, and they do a very good job.

Fantastic experience: Unbelievable management! High quality. Promises always kept. Willing to take extra steps to make job perfect. Highly recommended.

Positive experience: The work done by the Cal-Western team and partners is fantastic. The workers are friendly, informative, and professional. The only improvement would be better response to emails/questions and followup. For instance, our recent issue was around the high use of water thought to be caused by a water leak. After further investigation, it was discovered that the sprinkler systems had perhaps simply been incorrectly programed. It would be great to know if this was indeed the problem and whether or not the issue has been resolved.

Positive experience: I have a section 8 tenant in one of my duplexes. She has been there for close to 20 years. As of recent she is letting the property go to a point that it’s just awful. Cal West is my property person and I don’t know if they’re having any luck getting her out of there or not . Does anyone know what it takes to get rid of a bad section 8 tenant.

Negative experience: VERY UNPROFESSIONAL. Should be ZERO, not one star. They set up a tour/viewing of a unit then did not show up. I had to take PTO from work and waited an hour outside the unit with my wife and two-year old son. Did not bother to contact me. This shows how much they don't care about other people's time and effort. So if you want to work with very unprofessional people, this company is a top choice!

Fantastic experience: For nearly 20 years, Cal-Western has done an excellent job in managing my properties (maintenance, virtually zero vacancies, and high rents) as well as providing accurate and timely reports. My main contact is Casey, and she's the best! Now i just have to figure out how to clone Cal-Western in Reno where I am on my 5th property management company.

Fantastic experience: The Technician arrived promptly and solved the problem and replaced the Sprinkler alarms efficiently. Great Job Cal Western Property Management Co. and Team. Thank you.

Fantastic experience: My family'a property has been managed by CalWestern Property Management for ovee two decades. We are very grateful to them for their care and attention.

Fantastic experience: They do a great job and are reasonably priced.

Positive experience: Sorry for the delay on this I was out of town for a stretch and didn't do a good job of keeping up with emails. Overall I have been somewhat happy with Cal Western for the most part. When I need to know something about the property it is communicated to me. Things like repairs are handled and most everything is taken care of. The one item that kept me from giving five stars and almost had me rate Cal-Western at two stars or lower is you suck at keeping the rental price at the appropriate level, as was told to me that you would do when we first signed up with you. I guess that is partially my fault for trusting what I was told you would do and not keeping up with what rental prices in the area. Now with rent control as it is, the current tenant will be paying a very low rental rate for the rest of the time they live there. You DON'T even deserve ONE star when it comes to that. Unfortunately you are causing me to lose a lot of money over the years because of that.

Fantastic experience: Well satisfied with the services &helps. :)

Positive experience: Cal-Western stepped in to manage my property when was out of state due to a family illness and subsequent death. It was a tremendous relief to know the property was being cared for, rents collected, problems dealt with, while I had other priorities to deal with. My property manager communicated any issues and dealt with a few sticky tenant situations with grace and effectiveness. I've never looked back.

Fantastic experience: Very good service. I dont have to worry about my rentals at all. I love the communication back and forth. The best part is the statement at the end of the year, print and give to my cpa to do my taxes. My representive Michaela is wonderful.

Fantastic experience: I highly recommend Cal-Western Property Management. CWPM has managed our townhouse in San Jose for 21 years. Shelly Mincy is our property manager and her service is superior. Her communications are timely and accurate and she is always pleasant to work with. She does a great job maintaining and marketing the property while keeping costs low. CWPM provides a profitable outcome and peace-of-mind for the owner, as well as a comfortable home and fair rent price for the tenant. The low turnover rate is a win for both. Thank you!

Negative experience: This company does not care about the people they serve. The care hotline transfers you from one number to another. Disappointing that they dont hold their staff accountable.

Fantastic experience: Very pleased with the services provided by Cal-Western Property Management.

Negative experience: Have been renting with Cal-Western for 4 months. 3 of 5 requests were just ignored. 2 resolved - first one just because was quite urgent and I insisted to send a plumber ASAP, second was resolved only 1,5 month later after several reminders. Much more easier to fix small issues yourself.

Positive experience: Cal-Western is a well organized property management company. As a property owner I would not use an owner-broker outfits with a single person or a family owned. There would be not enough accountability or supervision.

Fantastic experience: Very satisfied!

Fantastic experience: Julie was great to work with. She took care of everything and got the house sold in no time at all.

Fantastic experience: Superb service provided by Tong Vo and the whole team!

Fantastic experience: Been working with Cal Western a number of years now and seems to be going well. Love not having to worry about the property anymore knowing they have it handled.

Fantastic experience: I’ve been a tenant at one of the properties Cal-Western manages for 8 years . Casey, my property manager is very responsive and has great communication with us. Whenever we’re in need of repair, the team is on site within a day or two. We also use the online portal for making monthly payments, which is extremely convenient.

Positive experience: Cal-Western has been managing our apartment complex for over 15 years. The staff is efficient, professional and available. They respond to tenants' requests and problems in a timely manner. We have a cooperative working relationship with them, and payments to us and vendors are always made in a timely manner. I would definitely recommend them to anyone seeking help with property management.

Fantastic experience: Julie is a responsible and excellent property manager. She keeps on top of the work and knows the laws in detail.

Fantastic experience: Julie is an excellent Real Estate Agent. I had an out of state house where I no longer live. Julie worked very hard and efficiently helping me to put my house on market. The home sale transaction went very quickly, smoothly and successfully. She has given a tremendous ease and reduce a lot of stress for me as a seller.

Fantastic experience: Thank you Maria, you honestly made my stay extremely pleasant. Honestly everything went smoothly, any issues were takin care of within 24h and that was a welcoming change. I will be using your guys service in the future when I plan on staying in bay area again

Fantastic experience: I have been a renter with Cal-Western for 8 years at different properties and with different agents and they have all been exceptional by providing a kind experience with good customer care. Cathy you are an amazing person and agent, thank you for all that you are!

Negative experience: Take a really long time to get back to you, if they even get back to you at all. I called and left a voicemail in addition to emailing them. Heard back a week later when all the properties I wanted were already taken. Need some organization and professionalism.

Fantastic experience: Stacey is the best manager ever and very understanding of peoples situations and always willing to help.

Negative experience: The experience with Cal Western is pretty bad. I was assured there were no pests but there are all kinds of bugs, from harmless to roaches. The other big deal is the contractors they use will shut off the water in the entire complex for hours at a time (6+) without giving any notice. In the past 3 months the water has been shut off 12 times. Why do they need to shut it off every month? Contacting my property manager is a joke. He is never available, he never responds to my phone calls (ever), and responds about 15-20 days late (or not at all) to my emails. Each issue I've reported to him I've had to repeat to get his attention. The laundry room dryer has been inoperable 97% of the 2 years I've rented here, which means you have to go offsite to do laundry. Repeated calls to have it fixed have resulted in a technician coming out, fixing it, not notifying anyone, and then the dryer works for one cycle then breaks again.

Fantastic experience: I have rented several units from Cal-Western for 6 years and would recommend them 100% based on their service, including response time on any call, plus friendly staff!

Negative experience: My opinion as a REAL tenant. They rarely fix or maintain your property and when they do its after months of avoiding you and they NEVER respond to complaints. All while routinely raising rent whenever they are able. All around it has been a horrible experience dealing with them ever since they were hired on by the land owner.

Fantastic experience: I am a first time renter with CAL Western Property Management. I have always lived in a family owned home and I had to transfer up to San Jose from Los Angeles for a job opportunity. I had a lot of worry, fear, and anxiety about renting because I’ve heard countless horror stories from bad property management companies. I looked around really carefully before choosing a property management company to call. I read the reviews on YELP and other sites as well. Even though some reviews were negative there’s always two sides to every side of the story. I called them up and arranged to see one of their properties. Upon arriving, the realtor led me around the apartment and made sure I was aware of everything I would be expected to maintain and what they would take care of. We ended up looking at two other properties, but I was already settled on the first one. It did have a missing appliance that I was assured would be replaced, and two of the light bulbs needed replacing before I moved in. Otherwise, the apartment was spotless. A week later I moved in and the missing appliance and the lights had been fixed. I’ve been living there now for about 3 months, and am extremely pleased with the apartment. My neighbors are kind and considerate, and I enjoy the monthly reminders that come to my email to pay rent. I also had a ton of questions to which they answered every one. So far, so good. Will update with any other news.

Fantastic experience: Since moving in we have received excellent service from Cal Western; from maintenance issues to the ladies up front, everything has been just wonderful. They treat us with respect and the open lines of communication make it easy for us to contact them whenever we may need to. I hope to remain with CWPM for many years to come...and hope others take my advice and hire them as your property manager!

Fantastic experience: Len Stromfield of Cal-Western Property Management in San Jose has been our property manager for many years. Len has demonstrated over the years that he is responsible, experienced and professional in handling all aspects for our rental property from gardening to solving maintenance concerns, finding suitable new prospective occupants & negotiating rental agreements. With Len at the helm we have never been concerned about our rental property. Len and Cal-Western Property Management have done a consistently reliable job of managing our rental property.