The Santa Cruz housing market is difficult enough for experienced renters. But for many students, standard requirements like earning three times the rent, having strong credit, or providing a rental history pose a major challenge.

“In a town where a lot of people don’t want to lease to students, [the Hilltop] is appealing,” said Faith Langteau, a fourth-year student who previously lived at the Hilltop. “If you don’t have experience, [landlords] don’t want to rent to you. They don’t want to add on co-signers. We applied to so many houses, but none of them ever worked. They would not take our application seriously.”

So when the Hilltop offers up leases titled “UCSC Housing” that are even conveniently structured around the academic year, it can seem like one of the few housing options within students’ reach. 

But hidden under the initial appeal of the Hilltop Apartments are several complaints and lawsuits. Just last month, 19 former and current Hilltop residents filed a case against the Hilltop.

The front entrance of the Hilltop Apartments welcomes students and community members into the housing complex. 

Housing for Students: An Investment for the UC 

The Hilltop’s draw goes beyond just the student population. In 2021, the UC Office of Investments acquired the Hilltop for more than $117 million.

“If you own real estate around a university, there’s only one thing that happens to its price over time. It just goes up,” said UC Chief Investment Officer Jagdeep Singh Bachher at a 2023 UC Regents board meeting. “Why are the rents going up? The real conclusion is simple. When we buy an investment property, we only have one objective. We have to make a return on that money.”

A one-bedroom apartment at the Hilltop currently costs $3,545 per month, while the Santa Cruz average is $2,700.

Health Hazards, Housing Issues and Negligence 

After starting their leases, many students experienced plumbing issues, poor management and even mold growing in their apartments.

One notable case was Izabella Stevens, a third-year student who lived at the Hilltop last year. She is one of the plaintiffs in the recent case. She described when both the toilet and tub in her shared apartment began spewing sewage water.

Within thirty minutes, the tub was overflowing with a black liquid appearing to be sand, hair and feces. Three hours later, a plumber arrived, but not before the water had flooded the bathroom and seeped into one of the bedrooms.

Although the Hilltop sent workers to clean and prevent water damage, Stevens said mold still grew as a result of the flooding. 

“They brush it off like it’s nothing. When you reach out to them about it, they go, ‘Crack a window open,’ but there’s no windows in the bathroom,” Stevens said. “It really made me feel crazy.”

Stevens and her roommates were eventually relocated to another unit. However, they continued to deal with maintenance issues, since their new unit had also previously flooded. 

Kiyo Leong, another student who lived at the Hilltop in 2023 had a similar experience. When they reported mold growth in their apartment, they were allegedly told by management that “mold was normal in Santa Cruz, and shouldn’t be an issue.” After repeatedly voicing their concerns, Leong was able to move units. 

“The mold got to the point where I didn’t feel comfortable staying there,” Leong said. “They relocated us to an apartment across the property. I couldn’t move all of my stuff, so I had to live between apartments.”

But Leong’s new unit came with its own set of issues. This time, instead of mold, the apartment had a silverfish infestation.

“When you used the bathroom, you had to be ready to have silverfish crawl up you at any moment,” Leong said. “They didn’t believe us when we brought it up.”

For most, the Hilltop Apartments are a temporary solution. There is a constant influx of students leaving campus housing while others are graduating or moving to different locations. The quick turnover allows for issues to go unresolved. 

“They know more students are going to move in. There are students that are always going to be desperate,” Faith Langteau said. “At the end of the day, they’re going to make money.”