| Do you allow pets? |
Yes. There is a small addition to
the monthly rental amount. This of course does not apply to permanently contained
pets such as fish or birds. All dogs must be escorted through the rear
apartment doors. Under no circumstances will we allow pet owners to transport
their pets through the front lobby doors. This policy reflects the right
of others to come and go from their apartments without fear of encountering an
unknown
or aggressive animal. If you want to learn more about our policy for
pets, please read the Pet Agreement
addendum that would be attached to your lease. Return
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| What are some typical apartment features? |
 |
Every apartment is unique, however almost all units do have hardwood floors, ceiling
fans, intercoms with security door buzzers, circuit breakers, miniblinds, cable
TV jacks, high-speed fiber-optic cable Internet jacks, and major kitchen appliances.
Almost all buildings have on-site laundry, bicycle storage racks and storage lockers .
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|
| I have a month-to-month tenancy. If I
give notice, can I leave in the middle of a month? |
| | When you have a month-to-month tenancy,
you are required to give a 30-day notice to the landlord that you are terminating
your lease. While the notice has to be given at least 30 days in advance, it must
call for the termination of the tenancy on the last day of any whole month. The
notice can be given more than 30 days in advance, however the effective date of
the termination can only be the last day of your chosen month. It makes no
difference when you are able to move from your apartment. Under the law,
you are not allowed to a pro-ration of the rent for the number of days you actually
live there. Your obligation to pay rent for the whole calendar month arises on
the first day of each monthly term. Barring a written agreement with the landlord
to prorate rent on a daily basis, you are required to pay rent for the entire
month the first day of each month, even if you do not remain beyond the first
day. |
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|
| Are utilities included? |
 |
Lee Street Management supplies heat and both hot and cold water. You will be responsible
for your own optional utilities such as
electricity, cooking gas, telephone, cable TV, and Internet services. |
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| When is rent due? |
On the first day of the month. No
alternative arrangements will be made. Rent received after
the 5th day of the month must include a predetermined late fee.
Unfortunately, any lessee who has not paid rent by the 5th day will
also be eligible for eviction
proceedings. Please read your lease for more details.
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| Do you rent private
parking spaces or garages? | Yes. However, we have more apartments
than spaces, so there is a waiting list at certain seasons of the year. If a space
is not available immediately, we can recommend a local parking garage that should
be able to help you. Parking fees will range between $75 and $100, depending
on whether you rent a space or a garage. We do not provide snow removal. For more
information, see our Parking Space or
Garage Rental Agreement. Return to Top |
|
| How is the street
parking? |  |
If your hours are typical, meaning you get home by 6 or 7 pm, you will likely
park right in front of your building. If you go out in the evening or return late
at night, you might have to look
around a little. The majority of our residents would probably not rent a parking
space even if we offered one to them. It is not really necessary. Additionally,
it is much cheaper to leave your car parked in front of our building all
day than it is to pay daily parking fees downtown. |
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to Top | | |
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Will you consider
an applicant with a bad credit history?
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|
| Do you permit leases
with terms that are more or less than 12 months? | Yes. It
depends on the individual circumstances. We try to be accommodating. Return
to Top |
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| Is this building/area
safe for walking around? |  |
We cannot provide a recommendation about any particular neighborhood or building.
This is Chicagoland. While we do our best to anticipate the safety
needs of every resident, it is impossible to predict what events
may or may not occur that are beyond the control of any property manager.
Whenever someone moves to a new or unfamiliar neighborhood, it
is always a good idea to take a walk around the
area and measure your own level of comfort. Talk to your potential neighbors.
They are most likely to give you an honest assessment. We live here with our family.
We love it, especially the beach. | |
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|
Is the rent on a new lease negotiable? |  | | Very,
very rarely. If an apartment is a good value, it will likely go to either of the
first
one or two applicants. If one of our apartments were less desirable by virtue
of size,
view or other uncontrollable characteristic, we would have already adjusted the
rent accordingly. If you want to shop around, please remember, we cannot
hold an apartment without a deposit. |
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| Who handles apartment
repairs and maintenance? | 
| We do. Whatever
you need. You may either fill out our Online
Maintenance Service Request Form or call our office at 773-465-7500 and
leave a message. Be sure to tell us your name, address with apartment number,
telephone number(s) and a brief description of the necessary work. Don't forget
to tell us about problems in common areas such as hallways or laundry rooms. If
you need more than one or two repairs, you may also write a list and fax it to
us at (773) 465-7755, from your work the next day, or drop it in our mailbox.
| In case you were wondering... All
of our courtyard gardens were designed and created by Amadeo.
He works very hard to maintain the beautiful landscapes
we all enjoy. We are lucky to have him on our staff. |
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|
| Is the security deposit negotiable? |
| |
Only under some extraordinary circumstance might we consider accepting a security
deposit that is less than one month's rent. Typically we require a deposit
equal to one, or one and one-half month's rent. If a prospective tenant has a
weak application, a larger deposit (except
in Evanston) may save the day. If there is a way to balance
a strength against a weakness, we will try to find an agreeable arrangement. It
just depends. |
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|
| What about public transportation? |
 | |
Within a block or two of each apartment there is CTA Bus and Train service, RTA
Busses, Commuter Trains and taxi stops. Bicycle
and hiking paths are also nearby. Sometimes it is more difficult to find
a parking space at your destination than to find one when you return home.
You may discover that being so near to public transportation is a greater consideration
than whether or not you can get a parking spot at 1am on a Saturday. |
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|
Will I find adequate shopping? | Yes. The shopping alternatives
are excellent. There are several brand-new grocery and retail stores and hundreds
of specialty shops of every imaginable variety
and size. Return to Top |
|
| Is there a good selection
of entertainment attractions? |  |
Yes. Within between 1 and 5 miles of each building, there are at least 50 movie
screens and a dozen live stage theaters. There are museums
for adults and children, parks, golf courses, nearly a dozen indoor recreational
facilities, restaurants,
several professional and college
sporting teams and events, and of course, the beautiful Lake Michigan. If
you like fishing...the
lake is loaded. |
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| Can you discriminate
against me for any reason? |
|
It is a violation of the Chicago Fair Housing Ordinance (FHO
REG. 420.100) to impose different prices, terms or conditions
relating to the sale, rental or occupancy of a dwelling or to
deny or limit services, privileges or facilities in connection
with the sale, rental or occupancy of a dwelling because of the
membership of the actual or prospective buyer renter, or tenant
in one of the Protected Classes (see Reg. 100(26) above).
Prohibited actions under §5-8-030(A) of the FHO include,
but are not limited to:
Using different provisions in leases or contracts of
sale, or in terms and conditions of occupancy including,
but not limited to those relating to rental charges,
sales price, security deposits, the terms of occupancy,
down payments and closing requirements, based on a person's
membership in a Protected Class;
- Failing to perform, delaying performance of, or
otherwise discriminating in the maintenance or repairs
of a person's dwelling based on that person's membership
in a Protected Class;
- Failing to process a person's offer for the sale,
purchase or rental of a dwelling or failing to communicate
an offer accurately based on that person's membership
in a Protected Class;
- Limiting the availability of privileges, services
or facilities associated with a dwelling because of
a person's membership in a Protected Class;
- Using different qualification criteria or applications,
or different sale or rental standards or procedures,
such as income standards, application requirements,
application fees, credit analysis or sale or rental
approval procedures or other requirements, because
of a person's membership in a Protected Class;
- Denying or limiting a person's services or facilities
in connection with the sale, rental or occupancy of
a dwelling because that person failed or refused to
provide sexual favors, see Reg. 420.170 below;
- Discriminating against a person in connection with
a real estate-related transaction because of that
person's membership in a Protected Class;
- Discharging or taking other adverse action against
an employee, agent, broker or salesperson because
he or she refused to participate in a discriminatory
housing practice;
- Employing codes or other devices to segregate or
reject a person because of his or her membership in
a Protected Class;
- Refusing to deal with certain brokers or salespersons
because they, or one or more of their clients, are
members of a Protected Class; and
- Denying or delaying the processing of a sales offer
or an application made by a person or refusing to
approve a person for purchase of or occupancy in a
dwelling because of that person's membership in Protected
Class.
See
Lee Street Management's Equal
Housing Opportunities Policy. |
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|
| Will you allow me
to attach a satellite dish to the roof or to the side of the building? |
 | |
No. Your lease will only allow you the exclusive use of the inside of your apartment,
not the outside or any of the common areas. Every apartment has optional high-speed
fiber-optic Internet/cable access. This service provides worldwide
access and should adequately cover your television
viewing and computing needs. For a better understanding of Internet services please
see our Glossary of Internet Terms. For
security reasons, it is our policy to immediately remove any private property
that is attached to or stored in any common area. We regard such property as abandonded. |
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|
| Can I operate a business
out of my apartment? |  |
It depends. We will not permit any business that involves customer traffic, any
form of inventory, physical labor, frequent
deliveries, dangerous materials, disturbances or external signage. These restrictions
however, will permit such enterprises as computer consulting, telephone-sales
or nearly any form of individual professional
enterprise. |
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|
| What if circumstances change and I
need to move into a larger or smaller unit? |
 |
No problem. If you are a good tenant, we will do everything
we can to accommodate your needs. We will release you from any obligations under
your old lease and create a new lease for the new unit beginning on the moving
date. |
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|
| What
if circumstances change and I must vacate the apartment prior to the expiration
of my lease? | We will release a tenant from their
lease if they suffer an unforeseen hardship or other significant change of circumstance
and if they are able to find a suitable sublessee for their unit. Tenant
is responsible for continuity of rent flow for the duration of the lease term.
Except for the slower winter months of December through February, it is most likely
that one of us will be able to find a sublessee for your apartment. It is our
policy to seek financial judgments against any lessee who breaks
a lease prior to the end of his term, resulting in a vacancy for that unit..
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| What
if I just decide to buy a condo or a house before my lease expires? | Well,
we can't blame a tenant for wanting to become a property
owner. Our position however, will remain pretty much the same as above. You
should know that all financial institutions will take the current address shown
on your credit report and mail a "Verification of Residency" form to
the owner of that property. (Our name and address is provided to your lender by
the Title Company via the Cook County
Recorder of Deeds.) On that form we will state our determination to hold you responsible
for the balance of your lease. It wouldn't take much to torpedo a mortgage loan
application if it seemed the only way to keep an apartment from sitting unexpectedly
vacant all winter. This happened once. Return to Top
|
|
| What rate of interest you will pay
on my Security Deposit? | The rate of interest we must pay
on your security
deposit is determined by the City
in which your apartment is located. For Chicago the rates are:
| Prior
to July 1, 1997 | 5.00%
| | July 1, 1997 through
December 31, 1997 | 3.42%
| | 1998 January
1 through December 31 | 3.38%
| | 1999 January
1 through December 31 | 2.63%
| | 2000 January
1 through December 31 | 2.71%
| | 2001 January
1 through December 31 | 3.10%
| | 2002 January
1 through December 31 | 0.83%
| | 2003 January
1 through December 31 | 0.52% |
| 2004 January 1 through December
31 | 0.42% |
| 2005 January 1 through December
31 |
1.01%
|
| 2006 January 1 through
December 31 |
1.71%
|
| 2007 January 1 through
December 31 |
1.68%
|
| 2008 January 1 through
December 31 |
1.26%
|
Determined
by the
Chicago
Department of Consumer Services
(312) 744-9401 |  |
For Evanston,
the rate of interest due
on security deposits had been permanently fixed at 5%. In 2002, the City
Council approved an ordinance that will cause the Evanston rate to mirror the
rate determined by the Chicago Department of Consumer Services. This new rate
is effective beginning October 1, 2002.
We offer a variety of Security
Deposit payment options such as an immediate rent credit, an equivalent increase
in the dollar value of your Security Deposit, a direct cash payment, or an accumulated
interest payment upon moveout. Return to Top |
|
| What is the minimum
temperature that must be maintained in my apartment per City Ordinance? |
For Chicago the heating season begins September 15th and ends May 31st.
The minimum temperature that must be maintained in each unit is: 65°
between 7:30am and 8:30am
68° between 8:30am and 10:30pm
63°
between 10:30pm and 7:30am For Evanston the heating season has no fixed
beginning or ending dates. The minimum temperature that must be maintained
in each unit is: 65° between 6:00am and 8:00am
68° between
8:00am and 10:00pm
60° between 10:00pm and 6:00am. Return
to Top |
|
| Do you offer any
moving assistance? |  |
No. Each new resident is responsible for his own moving help and expense. This
includes the inevitable few hours of waiting for the utility company to come and
hook up the telephone or cable TV. We require that all moves must be done through
the rear doors to the apartments and never through the front lobby doors. |
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|
| Why are Eastlake rents
so much lower than rents for identical apartments in Evanston? |
 |
Eastlake Terrace begins on the Chicago (south) side of Calvary
Cemetery, which doubles as the border between Chicago and Evanston. Unfortunately
for Evanston residents, there is a significant difference between the Chicago
and Evanston real estate property tax base. Evanston residents must bear the financial
burden of an unusually large number of tax-free, tax-dependent or tax-exempt City-service-consuming
organizationse and entities, such as:
|
- Over one hundred religious institutions
- Northwestern University
and its hundreds of tax-exempt land-holdings
- Over fifteen Foreign Consulates
(none of which support the Evanston Community.)
- Fourteen Missions and/or
Shelters
(attracting the needy from the entire Chicagoland area.)
- Dozens of subsidized
(educational and housing) facilities for the maintenance of mentally or physically
handicapped persons (persons not necessarily of the Evanston community.)
- Not-for-profit
tax-exempt organizations (that do not necessarily support the Evanston community.)
- Public
housing projects and programs that attract and support poor from the entire Chicagoland
area.
- Forty-eight facilities offering subsidized Housing for the Aged
(persons not necessarily of the Evanston community.)
- A smorgasbord of
other community services not equaled by any of the surrounding communities (but
used by residents of surrounding communities.)
A Park Ranger Service
maintaining the public beaches used by, but it supported by, residents of all
surrounding communities. - Substantial Crime and Gang activity requiring expensive
law enforcement.
- A Public School system that must support a very high
child-per-household ratio (and the eastern one-third of Skokie students.)
To
compound their operating expense burden, Evanston has a relatively tiny base of
sales-tax generating retail operations. (Compared to such sales-tax generating
behemoths as Skokie's Old Orchard Shopping Mall. or Lincolnwood's Lincoln Town
Mall.) In order to support these groups, Evanston's municipal real estate
tax rate is nearly the highest in America. This sky-high tax rate adds a burden
of several hundred dollars per month, per apartment, to rental rates there. Evanston's
municipal fees for water, sewer, electricity, telephone, cable TV and waste hauling,
etc., are higher as well. We have many residents who have moved from our Evanston
buildings to our Eastlake buildings for that singular reason...they don't want
to support services they don't need or use, with their hard-earned dollars. In
the few cases where our tenants have moved from one of our Chicago properties
to one of our Evanston properties, they did express a preference for the public
schools there. Lee Street Management however, cannot provide an opinion regarding
the quality of public schools within either public school system. Since Eastlake
is the border between Evanston and Chicago, our Chicago-side tenants comment that
they can take advantage of all the benefits and the atmosphere of Evanston, while
letting the Evanston residents underwrite the (unnecessary to them) social programs.
Best of all...on Eastlake, they can live right on the Beach.
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| Should I buy renter's insurance? | Yes.
It's relatively inexpensive and it protects you from loss or damage to anything
inside your residence. Our
insurance will not cover losses from fires, tornadoes, theft, floods and so
on. Homeowners usually buy homeowner's insurance. It follows that renter's should
buy the same protections. Return to Top |
|
| Do you rent to students? |
 | Yes.
We accept applications from students just as we accept applications from any other
category of apartment seekers. The qualification
criteria are the same. |
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| I'm considering a
new roommate. Does Lee Street Management need to be involved? |
Yes we do, but only toward the end of the selection
process. Finding a suitable roommate is a very serious undertaking. The
change in your lifestyle will be dramatic, and it won't make any difference if
the person is a stranger or a close friend. A
wrong choice can be disastrous
for you and for us. That is why our lease prohibits any additional person from
moving into your apartment without express management approval. If you have a
minute, please review a few suggestions we've prepared that we think might help
you find a compatible Roommate.
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|
| Can you answer specific
questions about the Chicago or Evanston Landlord Tenant Ordinances? | Yes.
This website includes a FAQ Summary of the Chicago
Landlord Tenant Ordinance and a FAQ
Summary of the Evanston Landlord Tenant Ordinance. If you would prefer
to form your own interpretation of these laws, you may read the verbatim text
of either the CLTO - Chicago Residential Landlord
Tenant Ordinance, or the ELTO - Evanston
Residential Landlord Tenant Ordinance. Return to
Top |
