Thank you for your interest in our apartments!

The Blue Hills Studios offers Studio apartments and garages for rent at a great value.  I believe we provide our residents with the best value in the West San Jose/Cupertino area.  I hope I get a chance to rent to you!

We are located in Jose, CA.  We're located right between the 85 and the 280 freeways, we're just down the street from Apple Computer Company, and around the corner from De Anza College.  We're very close to Cupertino, Sunnyvale, and Saratoga.

Here's some information you'll find useful:
What apartments are coming available?
Information about our apartments
Video Tour
Our Pet Policy
Our Prices
Visiting our apartments
Applying to rent
Signing your lease

Find us on Google+!  You can also follow us on facebook and  Twitter.  

Once you've completed your application, please email me at propmgrjay@gmail.com to schedule an appointment to drop it by and tour the property.  I look forward to meeting you!

Video Tour

Follow me on Twitter or Facebook!

Current Rent Rates

The price of each vacancy is show here.

Prices are rising!  Get yours now to get the lowest possible price!

Unfortunately, I can only offer 12 month leases on most units.  No month to month tenancies (in most cases).  Once your lease term has completed, you may hold over on a month to month tenancy.


The security deposit is $500 + a surety bond (Value of surety bond is $1000)  

Refundable Security deposit = $500
Non refundable Premium for surety bond = $175
Total needed for deposit and bond (not including rent) = $675

If you'd rather not use a surety bond, you can replace the $1000 value of the bond by adding $1000 to your deposit for a total refundable deposit of $1500.

For more information about surety bonds, please read the article I've written that explains what they are and how they work.

 

RUBS is now an expense that will be added to the rent you owe every month.  For more information, read the article I have written that explains how it works.

Garages are $225 (month to month) and $200 per month for a 12 month lease that accompanies a 12 month lease for a studio.  You do not have to rent a garage if you don't need one. this is an option for those who need a garage.


Remember, we are in an expansion phase of the housing/rental market.  Supply is drying up, rents for vacant units are going up.  It's about to become harder and more expensive to find an apartment to rent. 

If you're expecting to be in the market for an apartment soon, don't delay.  Get your rental secured and get yourself a 12 month lease while you still can.

*All information subject to change without notice.

Future Vacancies

Available dates are approximate:

Odd numbers are located on the first floor, even numbers are located on the second floor.

Available Now!


Unit D10:  Ready to Rent!  $1650
Unit E08:  Rented!
Unit B08:  Ready to rent!  $1575  This is the last one at this price get it now!!
Unit C05:  Rented!
Unit D07:  Coming available approx. 3/21/16:  $1650

.


Check back here once a week or so.  Future vacancies will be posted here as I become aware of them.

All dates are approximate, and may change based on the actual date the apartment is vacated, and on the condition of the apartment when it is vacated.

There are two ways to receive automatic notifications about future vacancies. you can click the "like" button on my facebook page or follow me on Twitter.

Utilities/RUBS

One of the most common questions I'm asked is about who pays for utilities, the resident, or the property owner.  Here is the most current information available as of 10/1/15.

- All residents pay for the electricity directly to PGE.  All residents are required to have their own PGE account, and your lease requires you to keep it on and current.

- As of March, 2015, all new residents will be pay for water, sewer, and garbage with their rent, as rent, directly to the property, through a program the PUC has created called "Resident Utility Billing System", commonly referred to as RUBS.

- Currently, existing residents do not pay for water, sewer, or garbage.  During 2016/2017, I'm expecting to transition existing residents (slowly, a few at a time) to RUBS.

Every month, residents who are on RUBS will receive a statement from our vendor, "Yes Energy Management", that will notify them what their rent amount for the first of the month is, what their utility charges are, and what the total amount due as rent will be on the first of the month.  If the entire amount due is not paid in full by the first of the month, your rent will be late.  You can use this statement to pay exactly what you owe, and to try to modulate your resource consumption to try to reduce expenses across the property.

You can visit the Yes Energy Management website for more details, or you can contact me with additional questions.

Lynbrook High School seventh smartest school in the US

Lynbrook High School, the high school we are assigned to at the Blue Hills Studios, was recently named the "seventh smartest school in the US" by Business Insider and Niche.

So I just wanted to remind you that if you needed another reason to rent here, residents living here are assigned to Lynbrook High School, seventh smartest school in the US, and #1 in California, where almost 50% of students earned the top score of 5 on AP exams in 2014.

Contact me today to schedule your tour, and secure your new home before it's too late.  These vacancies wont last much longer.  Get yours before it's gone!

Christmas Tree Safety

Please remember if you use a live tree to celebrate the holidays, never let your tree dry out.  If it begins dropping needles, dispose of it immediately.  Dry trees are an extreme fire hazard that will destroy your home in less than 60 seconds if ignited.  Please watch the short video below for more information.  Please have a safe and happy holiday this year!

Unit A14

Unit A14 has rented and is no longer available.  It faces South, has a view of the pool area, and is located very close to the laundry room.  It remains shaded by a large tree most of the day.

Schedule a time to submit your application now!  It will rent very quickly!

Now scheduling tours for 10/7/13

Update 10/14/13:  All my vacant units and projected vacancies have been rented and are no longer available.

I'm currently scheduling tours of the property, and of unit C16 for Monday 10/7/13.  The unit should be ready to rent by 10/17/13, and will rent quickly.  Email me right away to schedule your tour.  Make sure you arrive with a completed application and holding deposit so you can secure the apartment if you decide you want to rent it.   It will rent quickly at this price, so don't wait.  Contact me to schedule your tour right away!

Decorating your apartment for the holidays

I found some tips on decorating your apartment for the holidays on movingtoday.com and thought and pass along some of the helpful information.

First things first
Before you buy that first string of lights, it’s important to do some legwork that’ll save you time and trouble. Find out from your apartment community manager what is and is not allowed, especially in the common areas such as outside your door or your patio.

If you get the OK from your apartment manager to decorate, start planning what you want to decorate with and where it should go:

• Take a look at how much room you have. This will determine what you can do, where you can do it and will narrow down what you need.
• Once you know how much room you have to work with, you can decide the size of tree to buy, and whether to get a real or an artificial one.
• Pick a theme. This will help you with your decoration shopping.

Think safety
Just because you can plug twelve items into one electrical outlet doesn’t mean you should. The key to decorating successfully is decorating safely. This means:

• Don’t overload electrical outlets.
• Keep your live tree watered to reduce the risk of a fire.
• Don’t hook up holiday lights with frayed wires.
• Don’t put holiday candles near flammable items, such as your tree.
• Don’t buy an artificial tree that’s not flame-retardant.
• Don’t leave holiday lights on when you are not there to monitor them.

I sincerely hope you have a safe, and very happy, holiday season.





 .

Floor Plan

Below is a floor plan of the studios available for rent at the Blue Hills Studios.  Please keep in mind that some studios are laid out in reverse, meaning the kitchen, closet, and bathroom are located on the other side of the living room in some units.

Open House Saturday

Come by and check out the open house I'm hosting on Saturday, 9/14/13.  I'll be providing tours of unit C04 and answering questions about the property and about renting here from 11 am to 3 pm.

Unit C04 has already pre-rented, but since the new resident hasn't moved in yet I'm going to take the opportunity to use it to show you what my future vacancies will be like.

If you can't make it by 3 pm that's ok, just email me to schedule a time to come by.  I'm almost always available 24/7 by appointment only.

If you're hoping to rent here, don't wait.  Make arrangements to get your application and your holding deposit submitted right away. These apartments tend to rent quickly and I'd hate for you to miss out on the one you want.

Here is a map to the property.  When you arrive, park in the parking lot along Rainbow Dr and follow the blue balloons to the pool, and call me (408-446-3077) to let me know you've arrived and I'll meet you at the pool.

I look forward to meeting you and hope I get a chance to rent to you!

A13

This unit is available to rent.

It's located on the first floor, faces south although it remains completely shaded all day, and is located near laundry, and the pool.

It has a larger stove/oven than the rest of the apartments here, a little less counter space as a result, but some extra shelves and a cabinet in the closet the others don't have.  It does not have the bar/table space next to the refrigerator the other apartments have.  It does have newer cabinets and countertops than most of the other apartments.

Watch the video below to see what the kitchen looks like.

 

B15

Unit B15 has been rented and is no longer available.  It is on the first floor, faces south, and is a corner unit on the South West corner of the building.

Frequently Asked Questions

Leases
What happens if I leave my lease early (break my lease)?


Utilities
What utilities or other expense are covered?
How do I start or transfer PGE service into my name?

Unit B05

This unit has rented and is no longer available.

Unit B05 is on the first floor, faces North, and is located near the pool, laundry room, and my office.  This is a great unit for residents who want to live near the laundry or who want to live near me.

Unit B10

This unit has already rented and is no longer available.

I'm expecting B10 to be ready to move in around July 15.  That date may be a little flexible because of the 4th of July holiday, but I'm going to work hard to have it ready to 7/15.  It's on the 2nd floor, faces South, and is a corner unit, on the South East corner of Bldg B.  The kitchen is in the South West corner of the apartment, bathroom in the North West corner, and closet between the kitchen and the bathroom.

This is the last vacancy I have for June/July 2013, and is being offered almost $200 below market value.  My normal rent rate for studios right now is $1200, but because of the rent control laws in San Jose, this unit will rent for $1007.77 on a month to month rental agreement.  This until will be eligible for and will likely receive an 8% rent increase in August 2013.

Secure it now with a holding deposit and completed application before it's too late.  If you're application is not accepted, I'll give your holding deposit back to you.  Your holding deposit should be a cashiers check or money order for $500 payable to the Blue Hills Studios.

Superbowl coming to Santa Clara in 2016

The San Jose Mercury News is reporting the San Francisco 49ers new stadium in Santa Clara has been selected to host Super Bowl 50!  That's really exciting news!  Full Story

We are located approx 11 miles from the stadium.  Google Map

Calabazas Library Opening Announced

Yesterday I noticed a banner on the library announcing a grand opening celebration on June 8, 2013 at 11 am.  Great news we can finally expect our neighborhood library to be open in June.  I've been here for 3 years and we've been without a local branch the whole time so I'll be so nice to finally have it open.

How to make a plant pot from a plastic bottle

Price Change

Price Change Effective Today at Noon:

Studios: $1200

Refundable Security deposit = $500
Non refundable Premium for surety bond = $175
Total needed for deposit and bond (not including rent) = $675

Total needed to move in = 1 month of rent + security deposit + bond

You don't have to use a surety bond!  If you'd rather not use a surety bond, you can elect to replace the $1000 value of the bond by adding $1000 to your deposit for a total refundable deposit of $1500.  Read this for more information about surety bonds.

Garages: $225  (if you do a 12 month lease on the garage, the price is $200).

Information about Bed Bugs

When you inspect your bed, a bed bug infestation may look like this

The wall plate over an electrical outlet is one of their favorite places to hide, especially the one hidden behind your bed.  Make sure you pull the bed away from the wall to inspect it on a regular basis.  The small black spots on the wall in the photo are the fecal spots bed bugs leave behind, and are a good indication you have bed bugs.

The spots do not always come from bed bugs.  The fecal matter that roaches and flys leave behind can look similar to bed bug fecal spots to the untrained eye.  If you see any spots like this on the walls in your home or especially on our sheets, pillows, or mattresses, let me know right away and I will identify what pest it is and come up with a plan for remediating it.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TREAT BED BUGS ON YOUR OWN!!!  Report the problem to me, allow me to resolve it for you.  All you will accomplish is making the problem worse, which will result in the treatment being more expensive than it would have been otherwise had I been notified promptly.

Bed Bug Facts

I'm sharing this information with you hoping you'll vigilantly be on the lookout for these uninvited guests, and immediately report to me any instances where bed bugs are suspected in your home.  Remember, the sooner we detect bed bugs, the quicker, easier, and cheaper it will be to eradicate them.  They longer they're in your home, the harder they are to get rid of.  If you have any questions at all about bed bugs, please email me.

Price Change

As of today, prices for studios are as follows:

$1295 monthly rent
$500 deposit (refundable) + bond (non-refundable $175)

Painting

You may notice some paint samples on a couple of the garages.  We're in the process of picking colors so we can paint the property.  We have a vendor lined up to do the painting, and we hope to start painting before the summer begins.  We intend to paint the entire property, including all buildings, balconies, and covered parking structures.

Feel free to have a look at the color samples.  At this point I can't answer any questions about which colors will be chosen, but I'll update this as soon as I can after the colors have been chosen.