Lakeview Associates, Inc

I’ve lived with Lakeview for about a year now, and I’ve been happy enough to re-​sign my lease. No, the rent isn’t cheap, but I think that’s mostly because of location, and the fact that you’re getting an apartment that is at least somewhat renovated. I’ve had a few issues that required maintenance over the course of the past year, and they were always taken care of quickly and without issue. As far as negatives go, laundry is expensive at 2.25 per wash/​dry, and the management has signed an exclusivity agreement with Comcast that means you don’t really have any freedom of choice for cable internet/​TV (you could go U-​verse but I can’t provide any insight as to how well that works here). Also, the decorations of the public spaces in my building are kind of gaudy – I’d rather have something bright and minimal than two-​tone walls and impressionist reprints, but maybe that’s just me. Rent increases seem to be pretty reasonable given the Chicago property tax climate and rental market.
Also, for what it’s worth, my interactions with the personnel at the leasing office have on the whole been totally fine. I had some reservations when I first signed my lease because I was left to count on verbal promises about a few things being fixed before move-​in, but that’s probably more standard industry practice than I’m used to.

I moved in to an apartment rented by Lakeview Associates this fall. They have been wonderful! I had a radiator that was hissing and dropping a little from the valve. Since it was thanksgiving week and not emergent I didn’t expect that maintenance would come out right away. They were able to schedule for the next day! The repair person left a copy of the work order for me as well. Very courteous and responsive.
UPDATE: After living here for a year I still can’t say enough great things about these guys! The ONLY reason I’m leaving is because I need a 2 BR and they don’t have any openings in my area. I’ve been lucky to have them this year.

I want to add a necessary update to my previous review, to drive home the fact of how good the service is that Lakeview supplies. I had a scare a couple of nights ago in my apartment that I was having a gas leak, and called the Emergency Maintenance line. Despite it being after office hours, I spoke to Benjamin directly and told him what was going on. Instead of making me wait anxiously an hour and a half for a gas company to come out, Ben came out to my apartment at 9:30pm (well past his office hours) and addressed the issue. As it turns out, I just had a pilot light out, which he relit. He then spent more of his personal time reassuring me that I was not going to by poisoned in the middle of the night by gas or have anything blow up.
Lakeview Associates cares deeply about it’s tenants and their well being. A landlord would not come out at 9:30pm to address an issue if they didn’t, nor would they spend the extra time talking to their tenants to make sure they won’t remain anxious or scared. They have a difficult job, but don’t expect much in return. Just treat them with common decency and respect, and you’ll have an agency who’s on your side. Gold star customer service.

We lived at 531 W Deming. Overall we had a pleasant experience except for a few issues with the building and maintenance.
The building is pretty basic and you get what you pay for. There aren’t any fancy amenities. All of the units in this building have dishwashers and a good amount of closet space. The apartments themselves are generally clean but the hallways can be kind of dirty and reek of smoke depending on what floor you live on. The location is great. Less than half a block from the 22 and 36 buses and a 5 minute walk from the 151 and 156 buses. A 10 minute walk from the L. There are great restaurants right on Clark Street and it is close to lots of bars.
Parking is a total rip off. We paid the same price for parking as we would if we lived in the Gold Coast. Laundry is also ridiculous. We paid almost $ 5 to wash and dry one load.
We also didn’t have water for 5 WEEKS! Every day they would send us updates saying that it would be fixed by the end of the week and it went of forever. The elevators are constantly breaking down. It’s rare that both of them are working. And if one is working, you have to push the door shut or else it won’t move.
The building managers are pretty easy to deal with and are responsive but it can take quite a while for maintenance requests to be dealt with.

A hillbilly affair with immature college students running the asylum. Informed a mere 40 minutes before my appointment, while enroute, that the place had just been rented. Benjamin and Kathlina were out of control jerks. Benjamin even suggested that, had I telephoned instead of emailing, I would have gotten an appointment sooner. There wasn’t even a telephone number listed! People complain about Über, but agencies like this need to be closed by the City. They would have complained about the call too.

I know this is supposed to be a review for the apartments on Belden, but I did not see an option for Racine, Deming or Commonwealth. So, this will do!
I am surprised by some of the less than stellar reviews about Lakeview Associates. I have rented from Lakeview for 4 years and have lived in 3 different buildings. Ben and Joe have been nothing but helpful with a number of issues. In two of my places, the shower was clogged the first day I got there and they sent a plumber over there the same day. When one of the laundry card machines ate one of my $ 10 bills, they credited me $ 15 for the inconvenience.
I know reading a five-​star review about clogged shower drains and a faulty laundry card machine may seem contradictory, but the point is Joe and Ben took care of these issues almost immediately. That is not something everyone can say about their landlords here in Chicago.
Last year, I resigned my lease in my studio apartment and 3 months later, my boyfriend and I decided to move in together. Lakeview Associates allowed me to cancel my current lease if We found another place we liked that that they owned. If we didn’t find one we liked, Ben and Joe let us know we could absolutely find someone to sublet. We ended up finding a two-​bedroom place we loved and are in our second lease for the place.
The young women that showed me a couple of the places were extremely friendly and very willing to answer the large number of questions I had. Joe and Ben are extremely responsive via email and have returned any email if have ever sent to them within one business day. Again, how many landlords in Chicago can say they do that?
Lakeview Associates are also very up front about the fact that they own vintage properties. However, all three places I have lived in have had updated appliances and renovations recently completed. There is definitely still a vintage feel to all three apartments, but they do make that known to you up front.
I have told many people that until I end up buying a place in the city, i will continue to rent from Lakeview. The only downside to Lakeview is the fact that you cannot have a dog. That would be the only other reason we may eventually have to leave the building. Otherwise, we see no reason to stop renting from them! Absolutely LOVE the places on Racine, Deming, and Commonwealth. Highly recommended!

I’ve lived in a property managed by Lakeview Associates for the past year. The building is beautiful, well maintained, and in a great location. I’m pretty surprised by some of the other reviews concerning management. I haven’t had any problems like this and have actually found the management team to be incredibly accommodating and flexible. Any maintenance concerns I’ve had have been dealt with within 24 hours. Many of their properties boast utilities (heat!) included, which is amazing when dealing with midwest winters. Overall, the company’s prices are reasonable, apartments are cute and homey (especially if you’re into vintage flare,) and the employees are friendly and accommodating. If you’ve searched for apartments in Chicago, you know how frustrating it is to deal with rude and uninformed brokers who can barely keep in contact with you. You can avoid all that by working with a company like Lakeview. Check them out!

As I write this I am slowly being driven mad by the loud and incessant beep of the smoke detector in the unit adjacent to mine. It has been going off for 29 hours, and despite 3 phone calls, maintenance has decided it just isn’t important enough to address on the weekend.
Prior to this past day, I might have rated the apartment higher. Maintenance is fairly responsive on weekdays, and all told, it’s a reasonable price to pay for living in a great neighborhood,– if you can tolerate the quirks that come with living in a vintage building. (The sign on the outside says «recently updated» or some such nonsense. That’s a lie. There is absolutely nothing updated about them.)
Some things you should know:
Smoking is allowed in your room. If you are a smoker, the prospect of living in a cancerous cloud of ash might seem appealing to you. To you fellow non-​smokers, let me warn you that you can occasionally smell your neighbors’ cigarette ash in your room as it settles on your clothes, bedding, towels, and everything else you own. To be fair, I didn’t smell any cigarettes the first ten months I lived here. Since I first smelled it shortly after the 1^st day of my 11^th month, I suspect a new neighbor moved in. Your luck may vary. (Since I assumed smoking was not allowed in the building, I reported the incident to Lakeview Associates. I was told that smoking is allowed in your unit and that there was nothing they could do. Glad to know they value the smoker’s right to smoke over everyone else’s right to fresh air!)
Speaking of things settling on all of your stuff (and lungs), let me also warn you that the DUST LEVELS IN THIS APARTMENT ARE INSANE. You can see a fresh coat of dust on surfaces within hours of cleaning them. If you have even light allergies to dust, I would highly recommend you look elsewhere. I bought a HEPA filter and ran it non-​stop. It helped, but it only slowed the constant snowfall of dust.
The apartments are hot! The stoves have three pilot lights. That’s three open flames in 320 square feet, year round. In the winter you have no control of the heating. The radiators have valves to control the flow, but you are forbidden to adjust them. They must remain at full tilt because the old radiators cannot handle the increased pressure if you constrict the flow. If you cause a radiator to crack by using it’s built-​in adjustment mechanism, you are held liable. The result is unbearable heat. I kept my window open or cracked through the majority of the third coldest winter on record in Chicago. I only closed it when the temperature fell below 0 °F. For the summer, I had to buy a roll-​around A/​C. It’s a 10,000 BTU unit and just barely keeps the place cool enough.
The elevator is ancient. I think it worked for maybe ten days of the first three months I lived here. It has since been fixed and works 90% of the time. It’s not a huge issue if you normally take the stairs, but there are those occasions when it comes in handy. Just be aware that you can’t count on it.
The laundry prices are at extortionate levels. $ 2.25 per wash, $ 2.25 per dry. My sheets and towels take two rounds in the dryer. I dry my clothes on a drying rack in my apartment. It’s a good investment if you move here.
The apartment was disgusting when I first moved in. They claim they clean them before you move in, but I saw no evidence. I spent an entire day scrubbing the kitchen cabinets of the brown, sticky ooze covering them. I think it was a combination of many years’ worth of cooking grease, dust, and adhesive from the veneer.
On a positive note, the apartment is usually pretty quiet. Sometimes the people in the building next door host parties that can be loud though. Delivered packages are left out in the open beneath the mailboxes. I’ve ordered several things and nothing has been stolen or disturbed. There is a new grocery store a couple blocks away called Mrs. Greens. The prices are high, but the quality is generally good, the selection is good for Lincoln Park, and it’s really convenient. There is a little family-​run dry cleaner in the apartment building. They are super nice, reasonably priced, and fast. Can’t get more convenient either. There are plenty of great restaurants, bars, and shops nearby. Oz Park, Lincoln Park, the Lincoln Park Zoo, and the Lincoln Park Conservatory are all a short walk away. The 22 and 36 bus stop is a block away on Clark. It’s about a 25 min ride to downtown. The Fullerton ‘El’ stop (Red/​Brown/​Purple lines) is 0.6 miles away.
In conclusion, I would recommend 2256 N Cleveland to a friend, but would make sure they know what they are getting themselves into. The dust and heat are bad, but manageable. The elevator should be considered a luxury. The laundry prices, though annoying, should be viewed in light of the relative affordability of the rent for the neighborhood. The cigarette smell could be a deal breaker if it keeps up, but I’ve only smelled it briefly four times in the three weeks since it started.

Absolutely deceiving. Their photo’s DO NOT in any way represent the actual apartments they show. So unless you have an extra day to waste looking at places you would never even consider moving into, don’t waste your time.

This is my 2^nd year in a studio at 620 W Belmont. It’s large, for a studio. The main reason I write this review is for the maintenance. I called yesterday because my heater wasn’t turning on. The maintenance guy was here and had it fixed within 2 hours of my call. Nice guy too. I’ve never had to wait more than 24 hours for help. Tues morn after Memorial Day I called and they were there in 5 hours. Great service!

I have been living in the 522 Belden unit for approximately 9 months and have had no major complaints. I have had to call three times for maintenance issues, but seeing as this is an old building and mostly original, it’s to be expected.
What I like about the unit/​management is that any maintenance calls are handled reasonably quick (a day or two). The apartment is clean and well maintained but maintains it’s old school feel. Lot’s of built in storage, but having downsized from a much larger unit I shared in North Center I needed to buy more.
The only complaints I have of the unit is the fact that there are no drawer’s in the Kitchen (I think they were sacrificed to install a mini dishwasher. The radiator’s are set too high (the thermometer I have commonly registers in the 80’s when they turn on even though I have the windows open with the ceiling fan on).
My advice is that if you don’t require brand new renovation or all the modern conveniences (full size fridge and appliances) this is a good place to live.

So, last week, these jackarses put a new key under my door with a notice saying they were changing all of the building’s apartment door locks within 4 days. Creepy. Oh, and if you happened to be out of town when they happened to decide to do this, you’d be locked out of your home… and charged $ 75 to be let back in.
Lakeview Associates routinely violates the city tenants’ rights ordinance by showing occupied apartments without notifying the unit occupants. They know it’s illegal. They don’t care.
Words have yet to be created to properly describe the condescending and pompous attitude «Mr. Congeniality» exudes whenever a simple request is made of him. Even on this page, you can enjoy a little sampler of his style by reading his management response to a reviewer.
My neighbors are quiet. My heat works (for now). The elevator’s iffy. They do not require a security deposit. The building DOES have, um, multi-​legged residents at laundry level. Photo of one recently-​dispatched tenant is in the gallery section.

Lived here from May 2010-​April 2011.
Pros: Anytime I had a maintenance issue, it was taken care of very quickly. This ranged from leaky faucet to broken blinds. Everyone was always friendly when I called. Even walked me through how to light the pilot light under my stove.
Also, I lived in Lincoln Park and the location was great for the price. Came with an assigned parking spot off the street (not included in rent) which was nice because I have to commute to work. Only 2 other units in my section of the building so quiet and lots of privacy. My packages were always left behind the locked door.
Cons: It is vintage through and through. Older plumbing and wiring, smaller appliances, no AC, radiator heat but cleaner than a lot of other «vintage» apartments I’ve seen.
The laundry is expensive and I was on a third floor walk up, plus down an alley, then into the basement — I usually waited for someone to go with me (kind of scary!). Creepy bugs (those house centipedes-​LARGE centipedes-​and spiders) but that comes with living in an older building.
Since I’ve started renting I’ve had 5 or 6 different management companies and they are definitely closer to the top of the list!

We lived in a building on Commonwealth for 3 years. The location kept us there but the management was terrible. By the end of our stay, cockroaches were coming into the laundry room and my guess is they’re slowly making their way up. Also, our elevator broke all the time and the sign in the elevator says it hasn’t been inspected since 2002.
The employees in the office has no sense of customer service. We would call with a maintenance request which would be ignored until we called a second time.
The worst was our treatment during our last month in the apartment. They would drop in to show the place with no warning which I understand. However, they came in on a Sunday morning once when I had just gotten out of the shower. I stopped in the office and politely asked that they call if they’re coming in on a weekend so we can be sure to be appropriate. They promised they would but continued to barge in unannounced. Also, when we still had 3 weeks left to live in the apartment and were paying full rent, they made us take all of our decorations off the walls and move our furniture so they could paint for the new tenants (most companies wait til you’ve moved out to paint.) This is not a company that cares about its property or its tenants.

I’ve lived in my fair share of apartments, have had 7 different landlords, and I feel like I now know what’s good & what’s bad. As far as landlords go, these guys are always fast to respond when there is a problem, and the building (620 W Belmont) was always very well maintained, so I’ve got no complaints there. The price was a little steep, but the best I could find at the time, and the rent did not increase in the 2 years that I lived there.
My only major complaints are that the laundry is freakin’ highway robbery in these buildings… you end up paying amost $ 6 to do one load of laundry, and that’s erring on the side that the machine does not eat your money. They do not reimburse you when the machines break, which happens often, so be forewarned. And, they use that stupid CardMate system, which seems to be more error-​prone than regular old quarters.
My apartment happened to face into the LVAC gym, which, I know is no responsibility of the landlord, but DAMN was that annoying. 8am dance classes every Sunday woke me up like clockwork, and they never turn their lights off (read: insanely bright light entering your bedroom at 2am).
Upon the end of my lease, I was moving out a few weeks early (though paying the full lease), and the management was insisting that they had to come in and clean/​patch holes/​paint for the next tenant while I was still living there. I knew it was against Chicago tenant rights for them to do this without my permission, & after having a decent tenant-​landlord relationship with them for 2 years, this really irritated me. I spoke to my lawyer & got confirmation that they could not do this, so just watch out.

Pros: friendly staff, great location of buildings (I lived at 524 W. Belden), cat-​friendly, maintenance alright.
Cons: rent greatly exceeds the quality of the apartment; «vintage building» that includes cockroaches on the third floor, numerous house centipedes, a tiny-​black-​ant infestation that lasted about 2 months (and i rarely even ate at my place), laundry located in the dungeon basement (needed to go outside and through the alley to get there, laundry EXPENSIVE… $ 2.25 per load? really?), heating operated by building so expect to keep your windows wide open in winter.
Basically, the place was okay, but the rent ($ 1085 and rising) for a 500 square foot one bedroom apartment with no dishwasher, awful laundry, no ac, and cockroaches was not worth it. I’d recommend one of their less expensive places, and check for cockroaches before you sign.

I have been living at 620 W Belmont Ave for the past year. Despite the great rent rates in the Lakeview area, I decided to resign a lease with Lakeview Associates. They are so helpful! The building is always clean and well kept! The other apartments I looked at were slightly cheaper, but not nearly as well kept for the rent. The location is amazing for the price.
On top of great pricing and well kept buildings, the leasing office is very helpful and dependable! They always are friendly.
Overall, I will continue to rent with Lakeview Associates because of the location and the building maintanence.
Only complaint would be the laundry is very expensive! Other than that, everything is exceptional!

I am writing this review not only as a former tenant of Lakeview Associates but as a business associate as well.
I lived in their building at 429 W. Roscoe for a year and a half and the only reason I moved was because I got married and at that time they did not have any 2 bedrooms coming up for rent in the neighborhood we wanted to be in. I have worked in the rental industry for the better part of 20 years and I can tell you they are hands down the best company I have ever dealt with both on a personal and professional level. All of their buildings are stunning, well maintained, well priced and the maintenance in my opinion was outstanding.
Joe & Ben at the Belden office may be the best property managers I have ever worked with, it is not easy to manage that many units and buildings and they are on the top of their game!
There are alot of properties to choose from these days but if it is true vintage elegance and quality that you want then this is the comany for you, AMAZING!

I didn’t realize you can review a landlord! Prior to living in my Lakeview Associates apartment, I’ve only rented in buildings where my landlord was downstairs which was a pain in the ass. My roommates and I had to walk up to our place quietly as not to disturb him and the heat never got fixed so we moved out after a year. Then I got my own place on Belden and I would have to say renting this apartment is by far my best experience in an apartment.
The apartment I rented was in good condition when I picked it out. I liked everything about it. However when I got the keys to move in, something looking newer and different. I asked the guys in the office and they told me it was vacant for a couple weeks prior to my moving in so the company put new tiles all over the bathroom wall and replaced the sink plus put new tiles all over the kitchen walls and refinished the floors in someway that made them look brand new. That to me was really cool.
I had a clogged drain, stopped in the office told the employees there and they took care of it the next day. My circuit blew, couldnt find the breaker or fuse and the emergency service they use told me over the phone where it is and that happened at like 8:00 at night.
The guys in the office are all nice, the maintenance guys I see in and around my building are cool too. My advice, if you’re looking for an apartment be sure to check out Lakeview’s stuff.

Places are nice if you like vintage. The company is TERRIBLE. Do not live in these buildings unless you dig condescension, accusation and tricky fees & deadlines that a close examination of your lease will reveal are NOT legit.
My neighbors toilet overflowed all over her apartment and she called for maintenance and was told her issue was «not urgent.» Hello water damage and ruined electronics. Mine started acting up the next day so I called, they came out and then called to tell me not to put kitty litter in the toilet. I do not put kitty litter in the toilet. Somehow they turned a clear plumbing problem into my fault.
Currently they are charging me $ 150 to abandon my lease even though that charge is not in my lease and when I inquired before signing, I was told there was no charge if you find a subletter (which I did and they wont let me sublet).
This company is TERRIBLE. They are unfriendly, irresponsible and will take advantage of you if you do not constantly review your lease and wag it in their faces. Jerks.
**Update on the sublet sitch: Looked in my lease where it says, and i quote, «Landlord must accept reasonable sublet candidate from tenant with NO ADDITIONAL FEES.» They had the audacity to continue to argue with me, telling me I had to resign and pay the $ 150, until I directly quoted the lease. Then he goes, «sigh, ok just come down and fill out the paperwork.» These people are predatory.