1st Chicago Apartment Rentals

I never thought I’d have to write this review, but moving out made me change my mind.
Things were just fine for the past three years, even after having one building sold out from under as and being forced to move to another property owned by the Schirm Firm. Move ins here are always hectic, and painting took several days longer than I thought it would last time, so that we were living out of boxes for a while. The building manager is great, though, and works really hard. The buildings are cute and vintage.
The bad stuff started happening when we bought a condo and needed to break our lease. We signed a break lease form, chose a move out date, and paid the fee a month in advance. Things looked good because there were tons of showings scheduled right away. After the first day, we were told a new tenant had filed an application. It was approved shortly, and we were told not to worry about posting the place on Craigslist or trying to arrange more showings ourselves. The new tenant signed a new lease, which we were told was good for us. Great, right? Sadly, no.
A few days ago we were sent a «reminder» about our rent being due in a few days. Rent that we didn’t think we had to pay, because we thought that the place was rented out for August 1. Turns out, the place was rented out for September 1. No one ever told us this little detail.
The people in the office have always kinda treated us like we were little kids (we’re 29 and 31), but it was never mean-​spirited, until that moment. I was emailing back and forth with the office people after finding out the bad news. I wanted to find out why we were never told, even when I said I was able to leave a few days early for them to get painters in for the next person. Nobody ever said, «oh wait — but you still have to pay for August.»
Instead of getting a straight answer (and I was not rude in my asking!), I got straight up lectured by one of the women who works in the office:
«We re-​rented your unit as soon and as early as was possible. Sure, it would be lovely to be able to break legal & financial obligations at any time and expect the rest of the world to ensure it plays out to our every advantage, but in the real world, that’s a sophomoric and completely irrational notion.»
and:
«It’s clear you are trying to get everything you want in a perfect sky-​blue-​sky scenario, and regardless of your own actions you expect us to make it all perfect for you. Contracts bind 2 or more parties to an agreement. Get it? Got it? I’m done.»
After this, I asked several times if I could speak to an owner because I was told that the office people don’t «make the decisions,» and after asking several times, got told I could call and leave a message if I wanted to but the owner may or may not get back to me. Eventually an owner did send us a contract for somewhat of a «deal» (basically, we got a refund of like 10 days worth out of the month, but we also effectively extended the time in which we were renting the apartment) which we took, begrudgingly, because damn are those office ladies rude.
In the end, they get to take their time working on the apartment for the next person — a courtesy we never really got in their buildings. I don’t know if the whole situation was caused by negligence or if they didn’t tell us on purpose. I don’t know if they ever really wanted to rent the place for August 1, or instead pushed September 1, offering the new tenant a freshly redone apartment. Either way, it was an unpleasant end to what had been a pretty good run.

This management company is great. They have always been very responsive and helpful. The apartment we live in is so great — feels like a home!

The building was clean. Maintenance requests were met quickly, however often a bit sloppy repairs. Had slight pest problems but they were dealt with quickly by professionals. That was appreciated.
What eventually got me though, was selling the building out from under all the tenants when my lease was due for renewal. I had no idea the building was even up for sale. For billing themselves as a «Family company» it’s not a very family friendly thing to do.
Glad I’m out.

Be assured, your rent will be raised every year — without any improvements.

I had seen a sign for the schirm firm so I looked on their website and found something that looked good so I contacted via their website. No response. Therefore I believe the negative reviews. If you dont respond to someone trying to give you money every month that says something about how they will respond to you once you are there. No thanks!

I have now stayed in two apartments managed by this company over a 4.5 year period and I have little to nothing to complain about my experience with them. The best part is their professionalism and how they treat their tenants. Everything is to the letter, they are very responsive and on point with meeting your needs. The janitor at my building (Daniel) is a really good guy, friendly and most importantly efficient. Call him anytime and if he can’t come to your assistance immediately if you have a problem (he lives in the suburbs), he gets back to you first thing the next day. The only «issue» I had with them is that they wouldn’t let me off the hook now that I have to break my lease to take a new job in DC. I thought they would allow me to «walk away» considering how great a tenant I have been all this time not to mention that I also sent them new business. Sometimes you have to be willing to bend the rules in favor of delighting a very good customer. Don’t always focus on the now but take into consideration the lifetime value of the customer. But I’m not mad, a contract is a contract. I would still recommended them anytime

I agree with a previous review stating the unprofessional way they answer the phone, «hello» should be your first clue. The first time I ever called the office I hung up because I thought I reached a wrong number! When I moved into my apartment, there was a long list of things that still needed to be done. They installed a new refrigerator but then didn’t sand down the cabinets above so I couldn’t even open the cabinets, no drain stopper in the bathtub, kitchen sink leaks (actually had a pipe burst under the sink once and flood part of the kitchen), and there was more. The best part of the garden unit is that it’s infested with centipedes. They were nice enough to have it exterminated (even 3 times in 2 weeks because it was that bad when I first moved in) BUT then the only difference is your finding dead centipedes everywhere instead of live ones. NOW LET’S GET TO THE ICING ON THE CAKE THAT HAPPENED THIS MORNING 7÷21÷11 @ 8:15am… I just got out of the shower and was in the process of getting ready when my maintenance man unlocks my door and walks right in!!! He didn’t knock or announce himself! I screamed which made him turn around and walk out but what the hell was he doing in my apartment anyways. I usually leave for work a little earlier so did he think I was already gone and it was OK to come use my bathroom or something? COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE! I have never been so upset and embarrassed in my life! I wouldn’t recommend renting from this company if the apartment was free! AND make sure to keep your doors chained at all times so the maintenance men don’t walk in on you naked!!!

My husband & I lived in a one bedroom off of Eastwood and Lincoln Avenue. When I was first looking, they took the time to show me a number of apartments until I found the right fit. The apartment was VERY clean when we moved in & the floors were shining they were so well finished. Anytime I had an issue, which was rare, it was fixed quickly. The heat is included & our place was nice and warm all winter long. The only thing I wish they had was more updated appliances like a dishwasher and air conditioning. The apartments offer a good deal and utilities included.
We are moving out b/​c I’m expecting and we need a two bedroom. Most of their apartments are one bedrooms or studios. Otherwise, we would stay.
Many of their apartments are in the Lincoln Square/​Ravenswood area which is a charming & great area!

Hubby and I have lived in our Wrigleyville apartment since October of 2008. We have not had one problem with this company and have had a very positive experience thus far!
After reading the other reviews, I do agree that they should answer their phones more professionally as opposed to just «good morning!» but at least they’re friendly. I’ve dealt with both Mary and Marcia in the office and they have both been very helpful to me. They respond to emails and calls right away and offer to call back if they don’t have a quick answer.
Here’s a few examples of their exceptional service over the years:
–When I first signed my lease Marcia was in constant contact with me to help complete the process. She even came and dropped off some paperwork to my office in the Loop because she had an appointment in the area anyway. What service!
–my rent check once got lost in the mail. I sent it about 7 days before the actual rent was due but it still didn’t reach the office in time. Mary told me that since we’ve never been late before she would see about waiving the $ 10 «late fee.» It was waived!
–Lubo, our building’s janitor, has always been able to be reached by cell phone when I need him. He will always come to fix things and even replaced the lock to the laundry room door when I asked. His snow removal efforts after the Blizzard of 2011 were the best in our neighborhood! He got rid of the huge snow drifts in front of the doors and cleared the entire back porch stairs the day after the storm. It was amazing!
–They always post friendly signs warning us about using the back porch stairs in bad weather and are always keeping us up to date about changes.
I’m trying to remember everything because I’m sure there are some things I’m leaving out…
Anyways. I didn’t give them all 5 stars because there are a couple of negatives, including a big headache with my first security deposit.
I Fedex-​ed my security deposit to them and it got lost. I don’t know how it happened because it had a tracking number and everything. This was a large amount of money and I had to issue a stop-​payment through my bank, and then have a NEW money order sent. So now I was out $ 2400 total (plus the fees for shipping and the stop payment) because the bank makes you wait 30 days before they refund you.
Fedex confirmed it was delivered but the leasing office claimed to never have received it. 1^st Chicago Apartment Rentals didn’t reimburse me for the costs of the stop-​payment or the shipping fees I had to incur to RE-​ship the new money order. They also never really tried to find out what happened to it. The fact that they only want a money order for the deposit is what caused that whole mess to begin with. Just take a check and I wouldn’t have to overnight it to you (they required it be over-​nighted, which costs money too!)! Once I got over that headache though, everything went well.
I agree with the other review that complains about the rent being raised every year (mine also has gone up every year). It’s a big bummer since it’s already kind of high in the first place. I’m a little nervous about eventually leaving them due to reading bad reviews about the process and the fees.
However, I guess I can overlook that when I remember that everything in my apartment has always worked properly and that the building is extremely well-​maintained.
Overall, big kudos to 1^st Chicago Apartment Rentals for their amazing janitor, customer service, and quality apartments :)

1^st Chicago Apartment Rentals is also called the Schirmm Firm. My husband and I have rented from them for a few years now. Before we were married, we lived (in sin! *gasp*) in a 2 ½ room apartment by Damen and Winnemac. Once we were about to get married, we decided that we needed more space. It wasn’t time for our lease to be renewed, but they told us that we could move to a bigger apartment in any of their buildings with no fee to break our lease… we just needed to move to another of their properties. Well, we found an excellent one bedroom about a block away. We have been here long enough to renew here too. Our building manager, Branco, is extremely responsive and very nice. Branco keeps the grass and landscaping looking beautiful. During the winter, he’s on top of the snow removal and putting down a lot of salt to prevent ice. He puts up notices when they are going to do their quarterly pest checks or annual water heater cleaning or any other kind of building service. He’ll even help put in your a/​c, if needed. We LOVE our apartment and Branco. The price is extremely affordable and in a great neighborhood (Ravenswood). I plan to stay with 1^st Chicago Apartment Rentals as long as possible.
The two women who work in their offices are also lovely, knowledgeable and very helpful. I would recommend 1^st Chicago Apartment Rentals to anyone.

These people are harassing me. Unilocal needs to remove «owner comments» IMMEDIATELY or face another lawsuit.

They don’t answer their phone by saying the name of the business; that’s the first clue that something’s shady. When I rented from them, they went by KLC Properties. Their Web site refers to them as 1^st Chicago Apartment Rentals and The Schirm Firm. Other Unilocal property management firms listed for the same address include Capital Investments (which was the name listed on the placard on the apartment building where I rented), Carey Wm T Enterprises, and Homestead Properties.
Their Web site says that tenants rent from them for an average of 8 — 10 years. Here’s a guess as to why: when I rented from them, lease renewals for leases ending April 30 went out in January or early February with the expectation that they be returned by February 15^th. I remember being told that people were already calling to see apartments. Seemed rather high pressure and was probably untrue.
At least one of their janitors entered my apartment illegally. I discovered the problem when I filled the sink with a bleach solution to clean it and left for work. When I returned, the stopper had been removed. I also had a janitor pound on my door one morning with a prospective tenant. I waited to see whether he’d try to enter illegally; no one had called to tell me my apartment was being shown. When I heard the keys in the lock, I guessed the other entry wasn’t an isolated event.
When I locked myself out of my apartment once, I waited for two hours after calling the answering service, then called again and waited for another hour for the janitor to show up.
The apartment above mine had a leaky bathtub for at least four years. When I reported the problem, I was met outside my apartment by a janitor and a man I’d never met before. The man, who was apparently Bill Carey (one of the owners), walked up to me, stood about six inches in front of my face, and said, «That’s steam damage. You have to open your window when you take a shower.» When I got my lease renewal that year, it included a rider that «Tenant must 1) open bathroom window during or after each shower…3) notify landlord ASAP of water leaks or water damage.» Why? So they can blame it on you and make you afraid of moving out because you think they’re going to charge you for water damage you caused? I notified them «ASAP» and they ignored my request for four years.
There were more incidents of non-​responsive management, but you get the idea.

I live in one of their buildings now and they’ve always been extremely quick to send someone over and fix any problems I might have. The building is very well-​maintained and the couple they employ to take care of it are very helpful.

I used to live at an apartment in Ravenswood managed by this company (also First Chicago Apartment Rentals and The Schirm Firm), and as far as my building goes (they manage a lot of buildings in the Chicagoland area) I was very happy with the management company.
The superintendent /​janitor, Richard, was a great character and always friendly and helpful.
When I dealt with problems in my units such as mice and cockroaches, they were quick to respond (although sticky traps are not a good solution and only made the problem worse). I have heard some horror stories of apartment management companies, and fortunately they are not one of them!