Apartment People

Working with Shilan was such a good experience. She was very knowledgeable about Chicago neighborhoods. I was surprised that we were able to see seven places in one day, she scheduled the showings very smoothly. When I decided on a apartment Shilan was able to negotiate a good deal with my landlord. I would use Apartment People again to find a new place.

Shilan showed up late and unprepared. I made the appointment three days in advance, and we came in from out of town with only one day to spend looking at places. She only had three properties pulled up and spent time searching online while we sat there. She hadn’t called any of the tenants ahead of time and not all of them gave permission for us to view it at the last minute (I don’t blame them). She did not have all the keys, she drove through exit only lanes, she was on a cell phone in a hands-​free only city, and she did not follow our criteria of needing to be near a grocery store. It was a serious waste of our time. When we told her that we were extremely disappointed with her service, she told us that she’s the best agent they have. If that’s the case, definitely go elsewhere!

I scheduled an appointment with this location. Only to be told to go to the Broadway location. On the day of the appointment I called to cancel. An agent from the Broadway location called me. I asked him why I couldn’t use the Franklin St. location since it’s much closer to where I currently live. It all didn’t make sense to me. Anyway, he told me that I could go to the Franklin St location and that he’ll call to make my appointment for 11:30am. I get there promptly at 11:30am and the receptionist coldly told me that all of their agents were too busy. I asked her why didn’t that guy tell me that instead of making the appointment? She was very aloof like she didn’t give a &*%$. I wasted my time coming down there when I could be home packing. I’ll never refer anyone to this company.

My review is 4 stars purely based on the customer service aspect of the agent I used at Apartment People, Anthony C. As a Chicago native, I appreciated that he was very well versed about the neighborhoods I was interested in (and didn’t give the glossy views that those out of town usually receive). My timeline for finding an apartment was extremely limited and Anthony went out of his way to help and answer questions.
I actually chose a unit from another source than the ones Anthony showed me, but if the occasion arises where I’d need to move again, I’d have no problem working directly with Anthony. I think he genuinely cares about his customers and seems to be very honest and straightforward about the units that he presents to you for consideration.

After speaking on the phone with an an agent I read the reviews here. Agent I spoke with was very short after I didn’t want to make an appointment. I said their website was difficult to work with. She just repeated twice that the apt I was interested in was already rented and did I want to make an appointment. She should have offered help with the web site. I had to ask several specific questions to find out what I want to know. She seemed annoyed at my asking and answered as briefly as possible. It seems they only want to deal with clients in person. I am not interested in a company with such an unfriendly agent.

Being from out of state I thought that using apartment people to find place would be suffiecent enough. But after reading a few too many negative Unilocal reviews I decided to book my own individual appointments with apartment buildings. I am really glad I did because apartment people only had one unit to show me in the neighborhood I was interested in. Now my expericene with apartment people was not at all negative, infact it was quite positive. It was their complex application process and fees that really scared me off.
Pros: My agent Alex Foster as great! She was very friendly and did exactly what Apartment people advertises. She drove us to the location (thank goodness her car was large I brought my mom and boyfriend to tag along) answered all of my questions to the best of her abiities and she was not pushy and never made me feel pressuered to rent the place. My only complaint was that she couldn’t give me any information on the current residents electricity use and I know that legally I am supposed to recieve that information. But she was very helpful in answering my random questions about Chicago, I am grateful for that. Also I really liked their River North location It was right off of the brown line and since I planned on renting near that area I just booked the appointment there for convenience.
Cons: Alright I already mention that due to negative reviews I was skeptical about going into the appointment (there are ALOT of bad reviews, can’t ignore that) Everything was fine until all of the fees I had to pay started being listed. BEFORE I was even sure I would be approved I would have been required to pay two months worth of rent (which was $ 2,400) Half of that was supposedly the security deposit. Then being that the studio was in a condo building I would have had to pay a move-​in and move-​out fee of $ 250 each (non-​refundable) I have never heard of a move-​out fee! And lastly the most ridiculous fee was an elevator fee of $ 250 or $ 275 (refundable) to make sure I didn’t damage the elevator on move in day. (Which we saw someone moving in and the freight elevator was completely padded floor to ceiling) All of this money was due before I would even know if I was approved for the apartment. As a grad student moving across the country I simply could not take this risk. Especially after reading others horror stories of them trying to get their refund back from apartment people. I am no Chicago apartment renting expert but compared to the application and lease I signed with another building this was strange and over priced.
Overall I don’t know if I would use this service again. Instead of advertising as a free agency I’d rather just be honest and say their commission comes from our deposit which is what seems like is the case. I ended up finding a cheaper great studio a better location with full amenities included and around better transit by simply using Domu/​Trulia/​Craigslist. My leasing agent was awesome and he was honest about getting a commission from signing me.
So i wouldn’t completely dismiss the service just be very careful with using a third party in renting a place, I would try to get in touch with the landlord yourself to make sure everything is on the up and up. But you’ll honestly save more money in the long run by doing your own search.

I recently moved to chicago and heard through some friends that apartment people was the place to go if I wanted to find something great. The person I worked with, Rachel Larson was AMAZING!!! She took the time to get to know me a little better versus just showing me a few places then calling it a day. Rachel called me and said she found me the perfect place. Once we met up we headed to the apartment and once I saw my unit I was sold. She was rite, it was perfect and I move in next week. If you read this review and need an apartment please ask for Rachel, you will not be disappointed, she is great!!!

BEWARE BEWARE BEWARE.
I wish I could prevent everyone from using this AWFUL service. I just moved to Chicago with the «help» (more like headache) of Apt People because I just got a job and had to make a quick move from another state. I figured AP would streamline the process for me and make my life easier. They accomplished the absolute opposite!
They didn’t have keys to the house we ended up renting, which means on move-​in day we realized all the lies they told us! No dishwasher, no parking space included, etc. Complete BS.
Such a bad experience. Just use Craigslist or Padmapper — you can do it alone, even if you only have 2 weeks.

Met with these people once. Had a phone conversation with them where I told them what I was looking for. A one bedroom apartment with a max of $ 1,xxx. The individual on the phone told me they would compile a list of apartments that match my criteria and we could view them on the weekend.
I come in on a Saturday after driving an hour and a half from my residence in the suburbs. When I arrive they hand me a list of studio apartments to go see. They tell me my price range is not good enough so all we can see are studios. Granted I am searching at the lower end price range of what you can find one bedrooms for, it would’ve been nice if they informed me they would only show me units that didn’t match my criteria before I made the hour and a half drive.
I left their office without seeing any units. Luckily, I already had my own viewings set up for 1 bedrooms with private sellers that I had set up on my own that day. Would’ve been a complete waste of a my time had I not done that.

My lease ended on April 30^th… people are not supposed to be «showing» the aparment two months prior to me moving out. It clearly states that says that in my lease with KASS MGMT One day I was in the shower and a guy from Chicago Apartment People just walked into my apartment. No knock, no phone call, no nothing. He just walked on in. Obviously I bugged out. My girlfriend was sleeping one day when again… another «broker» from the same company just walked on in with some clients. I told Kass about it… and they told me that there wasn’t anything they could really do about it… in someways they are right. the brokers are supposed to get in touch with me before showing the place off. The lease says that anyone showing the apartment must give 24 hours notice. Most of the time I was lucky to get more than a 2 minute heads up. The brokers that did give me fair warning I was more than happy to have over. The ones that didn’t call, called at 8pm asking to show that night, or at 9am on a Sunday morning, took the heat they deserved from me.

Okay, first review since moving to Chicago and I’m excited to say that it has been a good start! That good start while elusive, was made possible solely based on the hard work of one Willy Tellez at Apartment People. Willy took the time and attention to listen to us when we communicated the sorts of places that we would like to live in and in the specific areas we desired. He listened when we said that we were under a HUGE TIME CRUNCH, and that we needed to find something quickly. Admittedly, I now understand that we had the luxury of looking for a place to live during a slow time of year, so if you’re reading this in or around June, I bet you might find discrepancy, as agents are usually booked to the gills around that time, but I’m telling you that this man’s professionalism is top notch!
Anyway, we had come to Chicago the weekend before New Years and hit the ground running on Saturday morning, before the holiday on Tuesday. Willy had quickly lined up a place for us to check out, which was helpful since we were staying in a hotel (read: pricey) and I know that landlords can sometimes be not-​so-​quick to get the keys over to the agents, but after seeing that first place, I was starting to realize that we had quite a bit of work cut out for us in such a short amount of time. Feeling a bit discouraged after the first viewing, Willy assured my girlfriend and I that there was still plenty to see and that there was still time to «get in» before the holiday. His positive attitude came on the heels of a horrible experience with an apartment search in Miami, so it was comforting to us a great deal.
That afternoon we had appointments set up with another agent that more resembled the cliché used car salesman than a real estate agent, and later on we met directly with owners at a couple of other places, and nothing compared to the ease and level of service that Willy provided. I mean it. He doesn’t try to quick talk and get you into an apartment just to make a sale, he listens to the words coming out of your mouth and understands them. Incredible concept! I know! At our second meeting with him not only did we eat «freshly» baked cookies ;) but after lining up a list of places to visit we went to best place first.
It was it. A gold Leed certified building in River North within our price range. A pool, gym, indoor basketball court, lounge and mini cinema? a tequila bar downstairs? A perfect place for people new to the city to easily access and explore this next stopping point in the journey. I couldn’t think of a nicer welcome; thank you Chicago, and thank you Willy Tellez!

I had a great experience with Apartment People. They were great with a follow-​up after I set an appointment online. The office was welcoming, warming, and very organized. Lynn worked with me specifically. She is AMAZING. Before heading out, we sat down and talked specifically what I was looking for. She scheduled 3 – 4 places and we headed out. We viewed various apartments and after each, discussed likes and dislikes. Throughout the whole afternoon, she gave me a brief tour (i just moved from CA) of the nearby areas and suggested a ton of fun places to visit!
I fell in love with a unit and we quickly pushed an application in the very next day! Glad to say, mine was accepted and moving in end of September!
Really grateful for them! Definitely made my move to Chitown much easier!

Stopped by their location in Lincoln Park with my girlfriend. They had four people doing nothing but handing in a paper form at the door. Waited about ten to fifteen minutes to talk to the realtor — not a long wait.
My problem with them is their customer service. These are the details: We defined every aspect of a rental apartment (maximum rent, bedrooms, locations, dealbreakers, central A/​C, etc.), essentially making it very easy for the realtor.
In the time that it took them to give us a call back with one apartment a week later, my girlfriend and I had found and visited eight potential locations.
The apartment the realtor recommended was 1) over our price budget 2) did not meet all our requirements.
All this would put them at 3 starts. The 1 star comes because of these two reasons: 1) the their extremely unprofessional attitude. 2) The lack of respect for customers. After setting up a time to look at an apartment, I called the realtor to let him know that I was finding a parking spot. His response is, «Oh, sorry the guy with the keys is an hour away». His tone, attitude, and lack of care was unbelievable.
Needless to say, we decided to do the search on our own and found a really nice place. The realtor has not called back to see if we are still looking for an apartment three weeks after the incident.
Stay away. Use someone else. Don’t use these people.

I was in Chicago and I had two days to find a place, I was super lucky to get Trish, she was like an angel sent from heaven a total Saint, she did her research very well and every place she showed me was great it was like if she knew me. Amazing, it was very hard for me to pick, she didn’t get bothered with my silly questions, which I had a lot of them and truly a great human being. I don’t know about all the other apartment people, but Trish rules! she deserves like a gazillion promotions to apartment queen overlord or something.

I’m a landlord. Richard, the agent brought me a great tenant, although the responsiveness of the office has been really slow. Seems like after all parties agree to work together, the sales agent steps out, which is disappointing.
I called the office after 2 days and found out no steps had been taken to prepare the lease. I communicated with the tenant to make sure she wanted the apt and wouldn’t find anything else.
It’s now been 3 days. They are supposed to messenger the docs to me with checks, still no data.
I have to call the office tomorrow to keep this process moving.

I moved to Chicago for the first time in January. I randomly chose apartment people to help with my move. The agent was nice and appeared to be honest. The only exception is the landlord is kind of shady — I suspected this before signing the lease. I asked the agent about him, and she assured me he was honest. He is evasive and not present, he does not live on the premises like he said and he does not return all my emails in a timely fashion (within 24 – 48 hrs). He has not followed through on a promised washer and dryer, he keeps telling me its coming. The property is dirty most of the time and my stairs are constantly icy, I actually fell down the stairs the other day and really hurt myself. As a result I had to stay in bed for two days.
In addition, I had no idea that the smoking was allowed inside the apartments — it was banned in doors where I am from. The tenants below me smoke like fish and now I am exposed to carcinogens on a daily basis and my lungs are hurt. — If I knew about this it would have been a deal breaker — the agent knew I did not smoke. When the agent was asking me about things I wanted I specifically said NO garbage cans outside my window. To my surprise there are garbage cans outside my window — as if she did not even check. I am unhappy with this experience and I can not wait to move.
The moral of the story is the Apartment People do not know or check the details of properties they list and once you sign a lease you are on your own.

I am a returning Chicagoan, living on the west coast. I made a visit to my beloved city in April to figure out which neighborhood I wanted to live in. Staying in Streeterville, which is adjacent to the Gold Coast and River North, I instantly fell in love. While many other areas of the city are gorgeous, well-​kept and suitable, I had my heart set on the Gold Coast and its adjacent neighborhoods.
After considering relocating to temporary digs and then setting about to find a place, I decided I would take a stab at finding something more permanent by tapping into my family resources to be my eyes. I figured, with the power of the Internet, it should be possible.
I found out about Apartment People through the Chicago Reader. I called about a listing and the place was rented within days of the ad, which was not surprising, since it was a bargain for that area. I spoke with Aaron, who was very professional and understanding. He immediately offered that there were two other units available in the same building. I was thrilled!
My sister said she could get down to see the units the next day. I left word in the evening with Aaron, hoping that he could accommodate an immediate request. Not only did he accommodate it, but he even had another unit to consider in a building across the street. So I now had 3 units within my price range to see immediately, one day after contacting Apartment People. Sweet!
My sister saw all three units. She knows me well, I trust her judgment and after looking at listings for months, I decided that now was the time! I printed out the application forms, emailed them in — and the processing dept. responded the very next day with an offer from the Landlord!
As I sit here, I just signed the lease on a fantastic little gem located right in the exact spot that I wanted to live. I literally have anything I could possibly want within a mile of where I will be living. I am beyond the moon! I really could not be happier. I am celebrating by listening to Frank Sinatra sing «My Kind of Town.» There is nothing like having a place to live that you know you will love. And to be able to do that on your budget and on a long distance basis — well, it just don’t get better than that!
I know that I could not have found a new home without Aaron, my sister and the efficiency of Apartment People. I would not hesitate to use them again at any time.
My kind of town, Chicago is … INDEED! What a nice welcome home!
Had I known about Apartment People, I would have started with them. Save yourself a lot of aggravation and time and use these professionals to help you navigate the apartment hunting landscape. You’ll be glad that you did.
Thank you, Aaron and the team at Apartment People — for making my dreams come true!

I’m relocating to Chicago this summer, and had heard fantastic things about AP. I was in town last weekend and called a couple weeks ago to schedule an appointment. I had informed them on the phone, and via email, that I was from out of town, and only in town for the weekend — so we’d need to see apartments that day.
They scheduled me for Sunday at 3:30. I assumed I would show up at AP’s office, and they would take me on a few pre-​scheduled apartment viewings based upon the specs I listed over email.
Nope. I arrived, and no showings had been scheduled. On top of that, since it was Sunday afternoon, we couldn’t get in anywhere. They knew I was only in town for the weekend — I even re-​confirmed that via email when I saw the time I was scheduled — and they didn’t take the time to schedule anything ahead of time.
Basically, instead of looking at a few apartments, I got a lecture on how difficult my specs are (which isn’t true, considering I saw 15 other apartments that weekend — but, he’s the expert here), and how wonderful it is that I’m going back to school. Thanks. I knew that.
My rep, Bruno, was really nice and knew a lot about the area. Unfortunately, he didn’t do his job at all. I left the office annoyed, tired, and without seeing a single apartment.
I think AP might work if you live in town, but I would never, ever recommend for anyone relocating. What a terrible and annoying experience.

Theory: Apartment hunting is fun!
Fact: Apartment hunting is no fun.
The whole process of finding an apartment turned out to be stressful and time consuming. I really did go into it thinking it would be kinda sorta fun. Nope.
My boyfriend and I were looking for a 1 bedroom in the Gold Coast. We scoured craigslist and would do walk-in’s of the leasing offices of buildings we liked. We weren’t really having any luck — of the places we really liked, we were pretty much priced out once you added in utilities, parking, and move-​in fees.
We randomly stopped in Apartment People and were greeted by the affable Kyle V. We let him know what our absolute price point was with everything included. He really listened and took note of what our priorities were. Listings were e-​mailed to us many of which were private condo listings that we would otherwise not have access to. Shortly after, we booked a day for him to show us 5 listings that he pinned down. He was pretty much spot on with the selections!
Had we not ultimately taken over the lease of an acquaintance — we would definitely have went with one of the apartments we saw that day with Kyle. He truly is great at finding your ideal apartment and is really friendly to boot. His tagline should be: Kyle the Apartment Whisperer.

Thank you! I move in today. Roscoe Village here I come. I even have a date set up.
This is a professional organization.
They are helpful and don’t stare at my chest when they talk to me lol.
You made my dreams come true. Thanks Apartment people.