Tag: Renting
Trash-talking the lowly garbage chute
When was the last time you paid any attention to garbage chutes?
If you don't live in a multi-story building, it was probably when you read ab [...]
Renters can be driven to distraction when driven around
"We'll drive you around" is a common refrain from Chicago's rental services. That's one of the few promises rental services make that they routinely k [...]
iMove’s outrageous moves on Rentenna
We've previously singled out iMove Chicago as one of the sleaziest of Chicago's rental services, a sleazy group that it isn't easy to stand out fr [...]
Is Downtown Apartment Company a lawyer-led scofflaw?
According to Downtown Apartment Company's (DAC) website, Benjamin W. Creamer, the company's managing broker, is an attorney who formerly practiced [...]
The best apartments in River North, Streeterville and the South Loop
We've completed our selection of the best apartments, rated on eighteen criteria, in the River North, Streeterville and South Loop neighborhoods.
[...]
Chicago locators looking for losers
Chicago's apartment rental services a/k/a finders a/k/a locators are constantly recruiting new leasing agents.
Who do the firms hire? They mos [...]
Suckers wanted for lucrative career leasing apartments
It's that time of year, kiddies.
Chicago's apartment rental services a/k/a finders a/k/a locators are once again beginning to blitz Craigslist [...]
Rent a high-rise apartment for 9 months and save
Many of Chicago's high-rise apartment buildings offer flexible lease terms ranging from as few as two months to the typical 12-month lease.
You [...]
Ditch the apartment finder and save $500
Chicago's ever-deceptive apartment rental services would like you to believe that their "service" is free to renters. It's only "free" in the same [...]
Short-term rentals in new apartment buildings via Airbnb
Crain's Chicago Business recently reported that Airbnb has been quietly growing its presence in Chicago, and currently has about 200 local listing [...]
A 30-minute commute from apartment door to garage door?
If you commute to work by car and plan to rent a high-rise apartment, you'd be well-advised to do a reality-check on rush-hour travel time from yo [...]
Does that apartment building have only one bookend?
The term "bookends" takes on a different meaning if you're visiting a furniture store or talking to the marketing staff at an apartment complex. [...]
What you can do about rental scams
It's a common story. A renter finds a bargain apartment on Craigslist, Trulia or another online site, communicates with a fraud artist posing as t [...]
Envisioning Chicago apartment locations
Maps are a fabulous tool for communicating a great deal of information about a property's location. A simple Google search, however, reveals that [...]
Flats Chicago – proceed with caution, renters
We've been following the progress – or lack thereof – on Flats Chicago buildings for some time. Our interest was initially piqued by what struck u [...]
Chicago’s rental services are sliming WalkScore
Misleading renters is the core competency of Chicago's rental services a/k/a apartment locators a/k/a apartment finders. It's about the only thing the [...]
What Chicago’s rental services won’t tell you
It's been two and a half years since we first published a list of twenty-five things Chicago rental services won't tell you but that you need to k [...]
Simpleton suckers wanted for leasing agent positions
Check out the real estate jobs section at Craigslist and look at ads for leasing agent positions.
One company is touting the ability for new l [...]
Can you trust your university housing office?
The Apartment People has been the subject of 100s of savagely negative reviews at Yelp from local renters.
That fact hasn't deterred the stude [...]
How to find a discount-fee rental broker
If you've been in the market to buy or sell a home at any time in the past dozen years you've become familiar with the concept of discount-fee rea [...]