Out of the six apartment buildings I lived in over the course of the last decade, OLiVE DTLA is by far the worst residential experience to date.

While numerous issues have been experienced and I was waiting to address them in a review upon moving out, the nature of problems have convinced me to speak out earlier and warn others to consider alternative living arrangements.

First, my car was broken into while parked in the subterrain garage on December 16, 2024. Despite $1,400 of property stolen along with important taxpayer documents, the property management team refused to assist police with reviewing video footage. In fact, the then-lead property manager informed both police and me that OLiVE had to “protect privacy rights over property rights” and redirected me to review the lease stating OLiVE had no responsibility for lost or stolen property. The LAPD denoted how unusual her response was as no one accused OLiVE of bearing responsibility. Rather, they simply wished to investigate a motor vehicle break-in and property theft.

Second, despite having security on-site and in close proximity, packages have been stolen from the lobby whenever the delivery system has been down.

Third, apartment appliances are at the end of their life cycle. My washing machine broke down four times before maintenance replaced it.

Fourth, despite assurances from property management that I could move-in and not have to pay the pet deposit as my health care provider was traveling for the holidays and my certification form expired the prior month, I was charged the pet deposit. Management refused to refund it. The management team dodged emails and inquiries for nearly four months before they made her decision. Misleading tenants regarding the reimbursement timeline paid for a documented service animal is the antithesis of professionalism.

Fifth, despite a new property management team, core issues above are still unaddressed as noted in reviews on Yelp. Further issues being non-permitted cars parking in handicapped parking spaces; car break-ins and property theft in the garage; etc.

Last, when I raised concern that the lease is not compliant with the Servicemember Credit Relief Act and asked it to be amended to meet the statutory protections afforded to military service members who need to break leases for military orders, which the law dictates only requires a 30-day notice rather than the 60-day notice in the lease, I was met with outright hostility by the property management team and informed their legal reviewed it and said it was fine. If you are military and consider renting here, be sure to send a copy of your lease to JAG and the California State AG should they give you any difficulty with breaking lease for orders.

I’ve had a positive experience living here overall. The building is clean and feels safe, which is a top priority for me. The location is incredibly convenient—it’s very close to the shuttle bus station and metro stations, making it ideal for students without cars. However, one downside is that the utilities are shared across the entire apartment, which makes them quite high compared to other places. Despite that, it’s a great option for those prioritizing accessibility and safety

it's average

Olive DTLA is in a great up-and-coming location downtown called South Park. The area is very new and has a security and cleaning service that patrol the streets. The apartment itself is great. It has a business center, pool, and gym. There are tons of community events.

The units are fairly nice and fairly priced for DTLA. You won't be in the super cenral part of DTLA, but it's a quick walk to the Pico Metro stop. About a 10 minute walk to the grocery store.

We've had issues with the complex shutting off water frequently due to pipes or something. Gets annoying but that's the only thing I haven't liked about living here.

Overall, I've been very happy with the building. I get to be in DTLA and close to everything here while paying slightly less than other buildings since we are on the outskirts/most recently developed areas. Metro is about 0.3-0.4 miles away, which is convenient. When there are service requests for any issues with the apartment unit, the response is extremely fast. The biggest issues have been the lack of transparency from management regarding problems with the water. They have now had to shut the water off at least 5 times (from 8am-5pm) over the last few months and haven't provided reasons for why, despite being asked multiple times.
Otherwise, amenities are great and location is convenient.

Most of my experience at OLiVE DTLA has been pretty good. The amenities are great - nice pool, sundeck, jacuzzi, full-sized gym, clubhouse for working. The building is great in that regard. My place itself is a studio, small but efficient. Overall that's fine, but it is pretty expensive for what I have. Unfortunately, there was recently a massive water leak two stories above my apartment. Nothing of mine was damaged, but they had to tear out a significant portion of my walls and ceiling. The construction has been slow and poorly managed - they did not cover any of my furniture or other items when doing the demolition, leaving everything covered in drywall dust. Management is "working on a credit" for some sort of free rent... TBD on if it's significant enough to make up for the giant hassle.

Overall, downtown was great for first year life as many of your classmates will choose to live in this area. But, it can be a gross area that is still up and coming in some senses. I'm moving west next year, but don't regret living here.

I have been living at OLiVE DTLA for about 8 months and have very few complaints about my experience. Management has been very responsive to any requests I've had, and the maintenance team is usually prepared to fix things within 24 hours. The only complaints I do have is that utilities can sometimes fail on us (this last week hot water has not been guaranteed) and other issues like fire alarms going off at 3AM have been annoying. Other than that, great place to live.