Hillside Apartments

I would never recommend Hillside Ranch Apartments to anyone. Out of the five different places I’ve lived, this has been by far the worst experience overall. The only positive thing I can honestly say is that I liked my actual apartment. Unfortunately, that’s where the good ends. The biggest problem is the front office staff. While they will answer the phone and respond, they are not helpful when it comes to actually solving problems. Any time I had an important concern, I was met with attitude, dismissiveness, or outright rudeness. Instead of trying to help residents, it often felt like they were inconvenienced by having to do their jobs. There was very little empathy, understanding, or effort to resolve issues in a fair or respectful way. They do host resident events, which may make the property look good on the surface, but those events don’t make up for how poorly residents are treated when it comes to things that actually matter. It feels like a lot of effort goes into appearances rather than genuinely caring about the people who live here. To be clear, maintenance was not the issue. Maintenance staff were consistently kind, professional, and helpful, and they did their best whenever something needed to be fixed. Unfortunately, even great maintenance can’t make up for an awful front office experience, and the front office is what truly made living here miserable. This place had potential, but management completely ruined it. I’ve lived in several different apartment communities, and none have left such a negative impression. Save yourself the stress and frustration and live somewhere where the staff actually treats residents with basic respect. Hillside Ranch is not worth it.

A decent place to live with decent people, but they have too many hidden fees. My rent was $865/month and I was charged much more than that due to other fees. Also, when I moved out, they told me some bullcrap about a "parking sticker" that I got at the beginning of the year, even though I don't drive and don't have a car, but they still wanted to charge me $75 for "losing it". And even after I moved out completely, I'm still getting charged for things that weren't my fault. I wouldn't lease again, even if it is closer to the university. Shame.

Our daughter lived at Hillside her Senior year and loved it!!!! She always felt safe, huge plus for this mama bear. We moved our son in last summer, he is a Junior, nothing but positive experience for him as well. The few maintenance requests have been fulfilled with no issues and we're addressed quickly. Parking has not been an issue either. He loves the community feel he has there vs where he was prior. We have been very happy with our Bobcats experience at Hillside!!!

If you take anything away from this review, let it be this: do your research before signing a lease in San Marcos. I know firsthand how difficult it can be to find housing in a busy college town, but I strongly recommend living anywhere but Hillside or any other Greystar-managed property. During the 2024–2025 lease year, my girlfriend and I lived in a two-bedroom unit at Hillside that was infested with bugs for the entire year. I won’t go into the full horror of that experience here — you can read more in my girlfriend, Kailee’s, detailed review — but suffice it to say, the conditions were pretty rough. As a current law student, I’m more motivated than ever to hold negligent property owners like Greystar accountable. Too many college students and young renters are taken advantage of by large management companies that prioritize profit over basic human decency. This past year was a nightmare of constant maintenance issues, repeated pest “treatments” that never worked, broken appliances, and endless frustration with management. My girlfriend and I spent countless hours on phone calls, emails, and cleaning out our cabinets for “treatments” that never fixed anything. Please — do your research if you do decide to sign a lease here. Don’t be fooled by the glittering, spotless model apartment they show you on the tour. Ask to see an actual unit you’d move into. Read the contract carefully. Question every fee and charge. Look into where your rent money is really going. If you’re unsure where to start, I highly recommend using a local apartment finder — it’s completely free (which surprised me) and made all the difference for us. Our new place has been a night-and-day improvement, simply because we took the time to find help and research property management reviews. If you want to understand who you’re dealing with, simply type “lawsuits against Greystar” into Google. The results speak for themselves. Take it from someone who’s lived through it: save yourself the time, money, and stress — put your energy into a different complex. There are far better and more honest options in San Marcos. Finally, if you’re part of a fraternity or sorority, spread the word. Greystar relies heavily on Greek organizations to fill its units. One chapter warning others can make a real difference.

My daughter is starting her 2nd year living there. She has had no issues. She loves the convenience of the location and easy access to the bus. She has a lot of friends at Hillside and feels safe.