The Claridge

"I live here. It's an old building with six floors and an elevator that makes it very accessible for me as a wheelchair user. The handicap accessible parking is very small and often filled with other vehicles, however wheelchairs and scooters make it through here quite well."

"As of the last contact i had with this hotel, it was primarily for low income people on disability, not working, and was not an appropriate venue for students or seniors with more than disability benefits. this is not a hotel for out of towners. the conditions may have changed since i last saw it, but be warned that this may not be for you. it provides a valuable community service, but may not work for many. update: it now provides small apartments (formerly SRO size rooms), for long term rental/leasing. new management, very responsive. still catering to lower income, designed to reduce homelessness, but could be considered by students, etc. the facility is formerly quite fabulous, traces of that remain. its part of the history of oakland."

"I have been living here for almost a year now and the bathrooms are disgusting majority of the time. I have bed bugs which I never had in my entire life until I got to the clairage. People have no consideration for other tenants. I wake up every morning and I have to spend a good while searching all six stories for one bathroom with the least amount of feces and urine so I can take shower. It's so bad that sometimes so have to shower elsewhere other than my own place because it'll be that unsanitary."

"The SRO units are small and you need to bring your own furniture, refrigerator, microwave, and other items. Smoking is allowed in the units and the only units with restrooms are the studios which are small (less than 250 sq ft). The rooms seem to be a little bit bigger than the studio but please keep in mind the studio I was shown was a corner unit. There is a communal bathroom and shower area on each floor for each sex and a laundry area in the basement with specific hours to do laundry. There is one elevator for all residents to use and guests are limited to visiting hours and overnight stay limits per month. The criteria for renting require a credit score of at least 550 with the first months rent, deposit, and application fee only payable by money order. I had no problem with any of these things and the person that showed the unit was pleasant but the area is extremely sketchy. The building was being renovated in stages it seemed but the fact that each time I visited (which was during the day each time), there were too many things that made me feel uncomfortable like loitering, and panhandling, amongst other things. They advertise on Craigslist constantly so I would assume despite having a year lease, people either are evicted a lot or once the lease is up they move. This building may work for some who these things don't matter or are in a jam and need a place to stay but I couldn't get past a feeling of moving in would have been a huge mistake and safety concerns."

"I currently live here now. The add on craigslist sales you a dream but the building speaks for it self. In desperation I signed my lease. Since then my experience has been getting worse and worse. There is constant loitering all day, which I can deal with. But the feces in the elevator and in hall ways is not okay. Be prepared to kill roaches constantly and have your apartment invaded by pest control monthly if they come. There are no kitchens or bathrooms in the apartments so you have to use a community bathroom. The bathrooms have 3 stalls but only one toilet works in the womens bathroom on the floor that I on there is no soap to wash your hands after you use the bathroom if you buy a soap dispenser some one steals it. The hallways are filthy especially if the janitor takes a day off, if you are not sharp be prepared to track that in your apartment. They have these radiator heaters so all your plants will dry out and dye, your nose will contanlty itch accompanied by sneezing and you will always be hot as HELL. I tried to turn my heater knob off but ended up having the largest mettle turkey pan i could find full of water. I had to dump heater water twice a day until the maintenance guy took the whole heater out and caped off the pipe. Since then my room still get hot but not as hot as when the heater was in the room. When I woke up this morning I seen a roach crawling up the wall by my bed. No matter how neat and clean I keep my apartment more and more roaches are starting to come in. I hear there are bed bugs in the building, I have not experienced them yet PLEASE GOD don't let me. Every time you have a guest they must turn their ID in no guest before 9am and they must be out by 11pm. Even though the lease says no one can spend the night more then 7 nights in a row they have a 4 time per month policy. Im very disappointed with my situation at this time. Still searching for somewhere else to move but the market is tough right now. As of today im going to buy plastic moving containers and pack up all my yarn and things so that Roaches don't move in and are visible so i can kill them. Im in constant panic mode. Every time a hair blows i leap out my skin is it a roach. Do not move here if you cant stand pest and filth. As far as staff I think everyone is cool except Wilma, She hated on the cable guy drilling a hole so that I could get internet and cable. I missed the super bowl and two weeks of online Spanish class because of her. I put a maintenance request in and they never drilled the whole. Another staff member told the cable guy it was fine he could drill the hole. When you come for a tour the apartment floors will most likely be clean. When you move in there will be another story!"