Independent ōLiv Tempe review
ōLiv Tempe Review: Modern Student Apartments Near ASU
A current resident review focused on location, amenities, parking, fees, billing questions, and what prospective ASU renters may want to ask before signing.
Intro
ōLiv Tempe is a high-rise student apartment community near Arizona State University in Tempe. Public apartment reviews and star ratings can be useful, but they may not answer every question a prospective resident has before signing a lease, especially questions about parking availability, trash violation fees, resident charges, lease disclosures, warning notices, billing practices, and the resident portal.
This OpenCore review is independent and resident-led. It focuses on resident-observed details, fee transparency, lease disclosure questions, resident-reported billing concerns, and review-pattern analysis.
Our Weighted Score
Our Weighted Score
3.27 / 5
As of the organizer's review, the public Google rating appeared to be about 4.5 / 5. The resident-experience weighted score is lower because OpenCore used AI-assisted filtering to remove tour-only and visitor reviews, then focused on reviews from people who appear to have lived at the property. Reviews over three years old were also filtered out, leaving 33 useful reviews.
Quick Facts About ōLiv Tempe
- Address: 704 S Myrtle Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281
- Student apartment community near ASU Tempe campus and downtown Tempe
- Built around 2020
- High-rise building with rooftop amenities
- Unit types: studio through 3x3
- Rent range: approximately $1,219 to $2,030 per person/month
- Rooftop pool is on the 23rd floor
These facts might change as the report written on May 2026.
Location: Close to ASU and Downtown Tempe
The location is one of ōLiv Tempe's strongest selling points. The property is near ASU Tempe campus, downtown Tempe, Mill Avenue, restaurants, nightlife, libraries, and student services. For students who want a walkable location near campus and downtown, this can be convenient.
Questions to verify before signing:
- How noisy is the area at night, especially on weekends?
- How secure are building entrances and elevators?
- How does guest access work?
- Are there recurring elevator, garage, or access-control issues?
- What is the practical walking route to your most common classes?
Amenities and Building Appeal
ōLiv Tempe may appeal to students who prioritize modern interiors, furnished units, high-rise views, rooftop amenities, study areas, and proximity to ASU and downtown Tempe.
Resident-observed positives:
- Modern apartment interiors
- Rooftop pool on the 23rd floor
- High-rise views from some units
- Lobby and common areas that residents may find visually appealing
- Study and social spaces
- Community events and resident activities
Amenities should be verified during a tour and by asking current residents, because access, maintenance, crowding, and operating conditions can change over time.
Parking: Important Questions Before Signing
Parking is one of the most important issues for prospective residents to verify early. Based on resident observation as of May 2026, parking is approximately $150/month, parking tends to sell out around six months before the lease term starts, and the waitlist can be around 50 people with waits reported to exceed one year.
There is no resident-observed onsite guest parking. Nearby street parking is limited, especially on weekend nights. Students who need a car should ask about parking before signing, not after move-in.
- Is parking currently available for my lease term?
- What is the monthly parking fee?
- Is parking guaranteed in writing?
- How long is the parking waitlist?
- How many people are currently on the waitlist?
- Is there guest parking onsite?
- What are realistic alternatives if parking is sold out?
- Are there garage access, unauthorized parking, or garage-door issues residents should know about?
Fees, Lease Disclosures, and Billing Questions
This website was created after a resident reported a $50 trash violation fee that was removed/refunded after the resident disputed whether the fee was clearly authorized in the lease. The concern is not only one charge, but whether residents are clearly told about trash violation fees, resident fines, warning procedures, portal notices, and whether disputed charges can be separated from rent payments.
- Are trash violation fees charged at ōLiv Tempe?
- What is the exact dollar amount?
- Where is the fee disclosed in the lease, addendum, community guidelines, or resident handbook?
- Are community guidelines included in the signed lease packet?
- How are warnings delivered before a fee is charged?
- Are warnings sent by email, mail, written notice, or resident portal?
- Can residents dispute a fee before it is added to the payment balance?
- Can rent be paid separately from disputed fees?
- If a fee is refunded after dispute, does management review similar charges for other residents?
Google Review Pattern: Tour Reviews vs. Resident Living Experience
Google's public star rating can be useful, but prospective residents may want to read the review text, not only the average score. Some high-star apartment reviews may focus on tours, leasing staff, or front-desk interactions. Those reviews can still be genuine and helpful, but they may not describe long-term resident experience after signing a lease.
Resident-Reported Themes to Consider
Concern themes
- Management communication is the biggest repeated complaint: unanswered calls and emails, poor follow-up, and dismissive handling of serious problems.
- Security and safety concerns appear in reports about broken or unlocked doors or gates, non-residents entering, package theft, bike/car theft, people using lobby/gym/bathrooms, and residents feeling unsafe.
- Unauthorized or poorly communicated apartment entry appears several times, including maintenance or contractors entering units, locking doors from inside, or alleged stolen belongings.
- Elevators are a frequent issue: broken often, slow repairs, getting stuck, or feeling unsafe.
- Maintenance and property issues include flooding, fridge failures, hot water problems, bathroom leaks, electrical issues, broken gym machines, broken rooftop features/grills, poor AC, and cheap construction concerns.
- Cleanliness and smell complaints include sewer or methane smell, weed smell, trash smell, dirty hallways, trash piling up, and dirty rooftop/pool deck.
- Hidden-fee and money issues show up repeatedly: cleaning fees, move-out charges, deposit delays, high electric bills, unclear utility costs, and overpriced rent.
- Parking complaints include lack of available garage spots, towing problems, parking pass issues, and garage gate/security concerns.
- Noise and thin or poor build quality are mentioned negatively.
- Several reviewers claim positive reviews may be incentivized or fake, which can affect trust in the review profile.
Positive themes
- Strong location: close to campus, Mill Ave, downtown Tempe, walkable, and convenient for students.
- Rooftop, pool, hot tub, and views are mentioned positively by multiple residents.
- Amenities are a draw when working: gym, rooftop, pool, resident events, and food/events.
- Maintenance staff get repeated praise, especially Ruben/Rueben, Chris, Jack, and Bartz; several say work orders were handled quickly.
- Some residents like the apartment layout, condition, views, and overall building vibe.
- Staff are often described as friendly, helpful, polite, and supportive during leasing, move-in, subletting, or resident issues.
- Community and social atmosphere is a plus for some residents.
- Valet trash is seen as convenient by at least one positive reviewer.
- Some reviewers say the building is clean, lobby and hallways are maintained, and management communicates well.
Download Our Data Sheet
Download the filtered review spreadsheet used for this resident-experience review.
Download oliv review filtered.xlsxFAQ
Is this a real ōLiv Tempe review?
Yes, the review data discussed on this page comes from Google Maps reviews reviewed by the organizer as of May 2026.
How do you weight ratings?
OpenCore uses AI-assisted filtering to separate likely resident reviews from visitor, tour-only, or leasing-office reviews. Reviews older than three years are filtered out to focus on more recent resident experience.
Are you saying Google reviews are fake?
No. This page does not claim Google reviews are fake. It separates tour and front-desk reviews from resident-experience reviews to help prospective residents read reviews more carefully.
Why include review filtering?
Apartment reviews can describe very different experiences. A tour review may help evaluate leasing staff, while a resident-experience review may be more useful for understanding maintenance, billing, trash, parking, utilities, and move-out issues.
This page is independent and resident-led. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or operated by ōLiv Tempe, Core Spaces, Google, or any apartment management company. It does not provide legal advice or legal representation.