Ventana Estates

Pros

• The property is very beautiful.
• The management and staff are great, and the maintenance workers are excellent.
• Maintenance was the only good thing about the apartment, and Joe and Tony are very sweet.

Cons

• The apartments are old and outdated.
• A roach infestation existed from move-in and persisted despite pest control.
• The building is humid and moldy, with leaks that raise health concerns for residents with asthma.
• Renovations were mishandled, with workers entering units without notice and residents being kept in place during work.
• The laundry facilities are poorly managed, with theft, broken machines, and homeless people using the area.
• Residents experienced vandalism to their vehicles, and management refused to provide camera footage.
• Management is described as demeaning, unhelpful, and inconsistent, including alleged double-charging and unclear fees.
• Fees (e.g., dog deposits and extra charges) are charged inconsistently and without clear justification.
• The pool and common areas fail to meet state safety regulations, and the pool area is unsafe.
• Pests extend beyond roaches to include scorpions and black widows; there were termite issues in units.
• Repeated maintenance problems existed (e.g., plumbing floods) that were not properly resolved.
• There were multiple management changes, leading to poor continuity and inconsistent policies.
• The overall experience is strongly negative, with a clear warning to not move there.

Review

The experience described spans three years of living in a property that looked promising at first glance but proved to be riddled with ongoing problems and inconsistent management. The writer was in a rush to find a place and, in a tight deadline, accepted a deal that checked many of the boxes: a manageable price, quick approval, and a unit they didn't even get to tour before moving in. In hindsight, that rushed decision set a pattern of escalating issues that never fully got resolved. The unit itself came across as old and outdated, a feeling that only intensified after the problems began to pile up.

From the moment they moved in, the reality of pest problems dominated the experience. There was an explicit guarantee that there would be no bug issues, but roaches appeared on the very first night and kept multiplying. The front office manager at the time, Dawn, did make an earnest attempt to address the problem, bringing in pest control. Yet the initial response was only a spray-and-go approach, and within a few weeks, the roaches were still present. This led the resident to seek their own pest control solution, only to discover that the complex's approach should have been comprehensive - testifying to a system that favored temporary fixes over building-wide treatment. Dawn eventually orchestrated a building-wide effort to treat all apartments, a move that helped for a time but still did not solve the root issue. The result was a cycle of temporary improvement followed by relapse, largely because the problem wasn't consistently and comprehensively addressed across the entire building, particularly in Building E where the issues persisted.

Humid, mold-prone conditions compounded the pests' nuisance. The unit was consistently humid - recorded at 40% or higher on a smart thermostat - creating a breeding ground for mold and further impacting health. A major incident involved a leak from upstairs that turned the kitchen wall black and mushy, a disturbing sign of water damage and potential health hazards. The family has serious health concerns, including asthma, which makes mold and humidity not just an aesthetic nuisance but a significant safety issue. It took weeks to secure approval to replace the kitchen, and the process required the family to endure the upheaval of renovations. Worse, while renovations were underway, the workers were not always held to proper access controls; residents reported that workers had walked through the home unannounced, inspecting and moving fixtures during the project without proper apologies or clear communication. The renovation job extended longer than anticipated, leaving the family to return to halfway-done changes and uncertainty about when, or if, the project would be finished.

The maintenance and common-area experiences added another layer of frustration. The laundry facilities were described as a joke: clothes went missing, washers and dryers performed poorly, and the area sometimes harbored homeless individuals who used the space to sleep and linger. Theft and tampering became a recurring concern, with reports of gum, cheese, and soda being placed on vehicles, suggesting a broader sense of insecurity. Management did issue notices about ongoing vandalism and misbehavior by residents, but actionable steps to curb these problems seemed inconsistent. In addition to pests and humidity, the resident faced a termite issue in their apartment - an alarming detail that hints at broader structural problems within the building's walls and infrastructure.

Interwoven with these physical and logistical challenges were a series of management changes and alleged mismanagement that colored much of the experience. The property, Celtic Property, underwent multiple management shifts over the years, and the tone of the reviews suggests a pattern of fluctuating service quality. Early praise for Dawn's responsiveness contrasted sharply with later criticisms of several managers, including Elena Martinez and an associate referred to as her "assistant." The reviews describe a management culture that could feel dismissive or belittling, with instances of alleged double charging and a sense that staff were operating with inconsistent information about fees and policies. There are specific complaints about a $250 dog deposit, an extra $150 charge described as "extra charges," and disputes over whether such fees were warranted or properly communicated. Some residents reported being told mixed messages via emails and phone calls about what needed to be paid and by when, along with accusations that staff resorted to aggressive or unfair tactics when residents pressed back on charges.

The rent and policy disputes extended beyond the dog deposit. One resident claimed a court victory after challenging a double charge around January and February 2025, but the experience still left them shaken by what they perceived as unfair treatment and a sense of staff using shifting authority to press fees. The same resident recounted a pattern of rapid email communications with new demands or changes - sometimes at 8 a.m. - which contributed to a sense of instability and a belief that some staff did not maintain consistent, transparent processes. The pool area and general upkeep were also called into question; according to the reviewer, the pool and park failed to meet state requirements, and the sand in the playground did not seem to be regularly refreshed. The implication is that, even where some amenities existed, they were not reliably maintained to state standards, raising concerns about safety and quality.

Against this backdrop of ongoing problems, some maintenance personnel stood out in a more positive light. The reviewer singled out Joe and Tony for their kindness and dependable service, describing them as "very sweet" and well-treated. These mentions suggest that, despite systemic issues, there were individuals within the maintenance team who delivered at a higher level of professionalism and care. The sentiment, however, was tempered by the broader context of miscommunication, inconsistent policy enforcement, and health-and-safety hazards that overshadowed any single positive interaction with maintenance staff. The overall impression remained that the property presented as "very beautiful" on first glance, but the day-to-day reality did not live up to that initial appeal, particularly once management changes occurred and the resident's experiences grew progressively more burdensome.

A separate strand of the narrative reflects a personal family experience that underscores the ongoing perceptions of neglect and mismanagement. The reviewer's daughter lived in the same complex and faced continuous problems. From the moment of move-in, roaches reappeared, and plumbing issues caused recurrent floods when using the dishwasher. A dishwasher that was already malfunctioning at move-in was later blamed on the resident, a claim that felt unfair and unchecked by solid documentation. The daughter also encountered issues with the laundry facilities and with the management's handling of access and accountability, including requests for keys in response to complaints. This personal account reinforces the sense that, for some residents, even routine maintenance requests became battlegrounds for disagreement and stress, eroding any sense of tenancy stability or trust in management.

Taken together, the combination of persistent pest infestations, humidity and mold concerns, structural repairs that disrupted daily life, unsafe renovation practices, unreliable laundry facilities, frequent theft and vandalism in common areas, and a recurring pattern of inconsistent and sometimes unfounded charges create a strongly negative overall impression. The property does appear visually appealing, but the lived experience described across three years - marked by health concerns, safety worries, and feelings of being unheard or unfairly treated by management - paints a cautionary portrait. For those weighing their housing options, the message is clear: if there are feasible alternatives with better pest control policies, upgraded building infrastructure, consistent and transparent management practices, and assurances of health and safety compliance, those options would likely be worth pursuing. In the end, the emphasis remains on avoiding a move into a complex where management turnover, unresolved repairs, and ongoing pest and mold issues create a difficult, stressful living environment that can take years to finally resolve, if ever.

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (0.4 miles)
• Walgreens (0.6 miles)
• Walgreens (1.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2 miles)
• Bashas' Pharmacy (2.2 miles)
• Walgreens (2.4 miles)
• Walgreens (2.6 miles)

Parks

• Skyline Park (0.9 miles)
• Eastmark Great Park (6 miles)
• Greenfield Park (6.6 miles)
• Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch (7 miles)
• Ashley Heights Park (7.5 miles)
• Desert Sky Park (7.7 miles)

Places of Worship

• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (1.2 miles)

Restaurants

• Lin's Grand Buffet (1.2 miles)
• Sonic Drive-In (1.3 miles)
• Fat Willy's (2.2 miles)
• Rubio's Coastal Grill (2.3 miles)
• What the Hell Bar & Grill (2.8 miles)
• Someburros (3.4 miles)
• Carrabba's Italian Grill (3.5 miles)

Physicians

• ENT Specialists of Arizona, PC (1.5 miles)
• Marc Community Resources (1.8 miles)
• Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center (2.6 miles)
• East Valley Pediatrics (2.6 miles)
• Stripes Primary Care-a (3.6 miles)
• Allen Family Medicine (3.7 miles)
• Banner Imaging East Mesa (3.9 miles)

Cafes

• McDonald’s (2 miles)
• The Human Bean (3.4 miles)
• Over Easy (4 miles)
• Starbucks (5.9 miles)
• Dutch Bros Coffee (6.5 miles)
• Starbucks (6.6 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Superstition East 12 (2.5 miles)
• Superstition Springs 25 (3.6 miles)

Transportation

• Falcon Field Airport (MSC) (6.7 miles)
• General Aviation Center (7.2 miles)
• Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA) (7.5 miles)