I was very nervous to move into this apartment based on all the negative reviews, but I was in a desperate situation so I had no choice but to sign a lease or be homeless. However, after living in a BJB Property for six months, I can say that the negative and old reviews are outdated and do not properly reflect the current management team. I have NEVER had a single problem with management, my unit or maintenance. Everyone who i have encountered (Michael/Mike, Adam, Amanda...) have been very helpful and kind and quick to respond to my emails and phone calls. When I have had to call the office to ask a question, they usually answer on the first ring! Every maintenance request I have made has been taken care of almost immediately! For the record, I haven't had any serious maintenance problems. The building (Fullerton) is very clean and safe. They clean it regularly and really take care of the interior and exterior. It's just mere seconds from CTA train and bus stops. It really couldn't be a better location. Yes, it can get a little noisy outside on weekend nights from the tipsy DePaul students stumbling home, but that's not he building's fault. I won't lie: the rent is high, especially for a studio. But most of the utilities are included and I really couldn't ask for a better location. As long as they don't increase my rent, I can see myself living here for a long time! Keep up the good work, BJB! read more

Just moved to Chicago in the summer, and the BJB folks really helped make it a stress-free transition. We've now lived in two BJB buildings, Deming and Wrightwood, and we couldn't be happier with the condition of the units; the helpfulness of the staff; the responsiveness of the maintenance crew. These historic buildings have been redone, but not ruined by "upgrades." Very well-done. Check out our blog for more details, including photos of our two units: http://oinkety.com/bjb-properties-chicago/ read more

Lived at 1036 N. Dearborn for 3 years...ok didn't really live live there, pretty much just slept in my little hole of a studio when I wasn't back in the burbs with my boyfriend. So this will not be a completely thorough review. I stayed in a studio with a murphy bed that when folded down could reach my refridgerator...yes, it was that small! Water was included, so I just paid electric. I didn't have to put a deposit down. Every now and then the faucet in the bath tub would get stuck and my bath tub would fill up with water-after calling the 24hour emergency hotline no one came around to fix it until the next morning. Thank god it was a slow drip. When I moved out I forgot to change my address on my wedding registries to my new burb address. When i called the apartment manager they said they had received about 6 boxes but sent them all back since they didn't have the accurate phone number on file for me. (Which I still don't get because I had to give them my number so that I could buzz people in with my cell phone). I loved the location, the Gold Coast was very good to me-so many bars and restaurants to choose from within walking distance. Management and customer service sucks, so if you can do without that then you're golden. read more

DO NOT MOVE IN HERE. I lived here for an extended period of time - almost 3 years - and it wasn't too bad until the last year. I cannot count the number of times that elevators were out of service. What they fail to tell any of the tenants is that the elevators are out of service because cables have snapped! I've seen it with my own eyes, yet they fail to warn anybody. There are a TON of vacancies in this building right now. Nobody wants to live in a building with zero maintenance being done, and that is exactly what has happened here. The maintenance guy might come up to fix a few things, but hopefully you aren't there because he is an absolute jerk. Rude, always in a rush, and he loves to act as though every maintenance-related issue is the tenant's fault. The "fitness center" consists of a treadmill that doesn't work, another one that works as long as you don't mind running 12 minute miles, a "weight machine" that doesn't actually work, and a stationary bike. You'll need to find a decent gym if you want to stay in shape. The cable and internet are awful. I had my internet shut off last summer because I was using too much bandwidth - no advance notice, no call from the internet company, just shut off. Now, they block things up, so I wouldn't have been able to do anything illegal even if I had wanted to. It took me almost 3 months of going back and forth with people to get my internet back up and running. And it is S-L-O-W, so don't think about doing anything like watching videos or downloading anything from iTunes. The cable is actually not terrible, but you have no choice at all over what you get, so if there is a channel you want that isn't in the system, too bad. There is one decent "doorman" here, but the rest are idiots. Now you get to deal with a 12 year old at the front door on the weekends - have fun with him. He is about as useless as you can imagine, just like the rest of the building staff. The rent is very cheap for the area, but unless you are seriously strapped for cash, just do some searching or live in an area where you can actually afford a decent place, because 25 East Delaware is a TERRIBLE place to live. Oh, and yes, there are bed bugs in the building. Have fun dry cleaning every piece of clothing you own when your lease is finally over. read more

I rent in Lakeview and deal directly with the 2850 Sheridan office. The maintenance gentlemen is very polite and helpful. He works hard and quick, does a good job, and makes sure he understands the problem before he fixes it. He is the only reason I have not terminated my lease early. That's where the positivity ends. - It takes 30 minutes for the shower to heat up, regardless of the time of day. - The water pressure is nearly non-existant. - The bathtub pools one-half inch per minute. - The kitchen sink leaks. - I tighten the cupboard door fixtures no less than once per month. - The "secured" front door can be open with a bobby pin -- I've tried it. - Only three out of five washers and dryers work at any given time. - The front desk doesn't ask for my identification when a package is delivered. - The "rooftop deck" fits three chairs. - The "fitness center" has two treadmills, an elliptical and a stationary bike. - The lobby is always dusty and dirty. - Other residents leave trash in the hallway and half-drank beer cans in the elevator. - The elevator is slow and unreliable -- probably because it was last inspected when Mayor Daly was in office. All of this, I've lived with for the past year. It's frustrating, but I can deal with it. I wake up at 4:30 every morning so I can get in the shower at 5:00. I do my laundry at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning while the rest of the building is still sleeping in from their Friday nights. I've sacrificed my Friday nights. I have instructed my family and friends not to send anything larger than a greeting card. I use the stairs. Most importantly, I count down the days until my lease ends. The thing I don't deal well with is poor customer service, and BJB has this in the bag. My front desk experience is the same, regardless of the employee on duty. When I call on the phone, they are rude and argumentative. When I visit in person, they are short and lack the helpful quality I expect. They should all attend a seminar on how to treat people. The entire front desk staff is -- quite simply -- rude. It's clear that my money is more appreciated elsewhere, so I've just signed a lease elsewhere to pay $800 more every month. It's too bad BJB couldn't train their front desk properly. read more

If I could give a newcomer to Chicago any advice I would say LOOK ELSEWHERE! I have lived here for just 5 months and I already cannot wait to move out of this apartment complex! Before I list all the poor things about this place I will say this is a great location. Very close to the lake and steps outside your apartment are a bunch of buses that are extremely convenient and helpful for getting downtown quickly. It is also nice to have a sundeck to which you are able to lay out during the summer time. HOWEVER:... They provide radiator heat to which is no control of the tenant. It is supposed to turn on beginning of October and stay on until June to maintain minimum temperatures of 66-68 degrees depending on the time of day. We have NEVER had consistent heat...NOT ONCE! We have made multiple complaints and the staff and management have done nothing but say "I don't know why it isn't working" or "We are working on it" They will not allow you to contact corporate directly and have not offered anything regarding rent reimbursement...solely space heaters that blow fuses frequently. When approaching the front desk every single staff have been rude and non approachable. I would highly suggest to look elsewhere as my roommates and I plan on moving out as early as we can! DO NOT LIVE HERE! read more

Alright- I know everyone usually goes online to review their apartment leasing agency only when they're angry, dissatisfied, or have a problem they can't resolve. I'd like to throw a good one out for BJB Properties. I've been renting from BJB for the last 4 years, all in the same quiet, lovely building on Sedgwick. I'm now moving for a condo with a baby on the way, but it's been a really good run here. I'll run through some highlights, and hopefully won't sound too much like a cheesy salesman. RESPONSIVENESS - I've never had a problem here that hasn't been resolved in more than 24 hours, and it's usually 12. Even when having to call our amazing 24-hour engineer, he arrived quickly and was really polite, as usual. I had an instance where my neighbor upstairs left a bathtub running all day and their bathroom literally crashed through the ceiling into my apartment. I walked into a hole in the ceiling, but an area that had been cleaned and patched as best they could- including a note that they'd be back with necessary supplies to finish the job the next day. Needless to say, they've gone above and beyond the necessary to make sure that I was never left hanging. PRICE AND AMENITIES - I rent in Lincoln Park. Next to the downtown neighborhoods, it's more affordable. Next to other neighborhoods, it can be outlandish. I've had a great rental rate here that has always been fair, and includes everything, minus electricity. By everything, I mean water, heat, trash, wireless internet (that has always been fast) and cable. This saves me about $150 each month, all in all. PEACE OF MIND - I couldn't put a price tag on this. Knowing I've got a great rental company who is attentive and thoughtful of their residents is a really great thing, and I think that sentiment is fairly uncommon amongst Chicago renters. Adam, Barb, Giovanni, and the whole crew are really great people to rent from. I'd recommend anyone check out BJB Properties. read more

The buildings are perfectly nice inside, but the management is awful. They take no responsibility for their buildings. Packages are regularly stolen and management provides no solution other than "send your packages elsewhere." As in, don't sent your packages to your own home. Every single one of the appliances broke in my building. In general, repairs are speedy, but not if you need an appliance replaced. I went 6 weeks without a refrigerator, and did not receive any compensation (trust me, I asked). They also lost my keys after I vacated, then insisted that I was a holdover and tried to charge me double monthly rent. Look elsewhere in Chicago. read more

Updated review on the 424 W Diversey location: Moving In: I was surprised at how much cleaning I had to do upon moving in. At surface-level, everything is sparkly and new. But the previous tenants in my unit must have done a lot of cooking with oil. I had to sponge off the cabinets/fridge/surfaces multiple times and mop even more. There was a black residue on everything that came off on my socks and bare feet until I got the floor completely clean. I was also peeved by the rush paint job that seemed to have been done between moves. There was wall color on the trim and trim color on the floor -- my partner and I did a lot of razoring of paint off of windows, floors, and bathroom tile. Once that was done though (moving in/cleaning up took about a week and half), I got the place up to my standards. It's now a beautiful place to call home. Noise Level: Neighbor noise varies throughout the day. My righthand neighbor gets up about the same time I do, so we're playing music, getting ready, and leaving at the same time. Not a huge bother. My neighbors across the hall are female and often yell or speak very loudly to each other. Not sure if that's cultural or they're actually fighting, but I have to tune it out on a regular basis. Outside noise is variable with the weekends (because of the Duffy's location below) but for the most part, you shut your windows and turn on a soft noise machine, and you can get a wonderful night's sleep. I've never heard noise from my upstairs or downstairs neighbors. My Unit: I LOVE IT. Studio space with three south-facing windows. Sixth floor. Need I say more? I get loads of sun, and there's just enough space for me to house a bed, long dresser, foldout table, and bookshelf. I love living small but functional and this unit appeals very strongly to my minimalist nature. Closet space is generous and the bathroom is big enough for me and the cat, which is honestly all I need. All my outlets and switches work (super important!), and the kitchen, while lacking majorly in counterspace is functional and recently updated. In the summer, I love my ceiling fan, and in the winter, I love having individual heat. I've never had any issues with bugs or rodents since living here July 2014. Tenants: Everybody in the building is really friendly -- they'll smile at the least and strike up a conversation at best. Everybody has their own agendas but is still nice and accommodating. You'll frequently see people holding doors or elevators for each other. Amenities: This is the best part -- and probably the part I take most for granted. Onsite laundry that has never broken down, salting of iced walkways, mail and package storage, trash and recycling right outside, super-fast maintenance, you name it. The minor complaints I have had in my apartment have been addressed in 48 hours or less and maintenance always leaves a note saying what they've changed/fixed. I love coming home to having things all in working order. Location: My other favorite part! There are so many grocery and convenience stores in the area it's almost overwhelming. At least 6 buses are accessible nearby and I often take the Brown/Purple el downtown to play. I love how close this property is to running on the lake and getting my shopping done. Management: I cannot say enough about how much I love Nicole Soto. She's helped me make extra keys when I have pet sitters come in, helped me get maintenance in the apartment, and just been a friendly face in general. Please, BJB -- honor her for the outstanding work she does at 424. Price: I definitely had sticker shock moving from North Carolina, where my rent was about $475/month. But paying close to triple that to live at this property has proven itself worth the money. At this property, I feel safe, close to everything, and honestly, a little bit spoiled. I'd love to pay something closer to $1000/month as opposed to $1165, but for now, I'll do what I can to make ends meet. Overall -- Four stars. Took off one for the inconvenience of cleaning multiple times upon move in + high price of rent. Other features are everything I expected from a recently reno'ed Chicago pad. read more

BEWARE!!! I moved into an apartment at the beginning of the month and I don't have heat! Yes!! No heat in one of the worst Chicago winters. They proceeded to knowingly let me move into an apartment without a functioning heating unit and will not fix it! I've emailed and called numerous times without response.When I do reach someone.. They can never give me an answer. I wish I would have known beforehand that I was going to have a slumlord in Goldcoast! I feel helpless. So I'm writing this to warn others! read more

BJB Properties - 57.6 and decreasing - Apartments Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have only lived with BJ&B for 2 weeks, but wow.. they're amazing! After looking for an apt. in Chicago and touring several different units with multiple companies, I knew right from the start of my apt. hunting in Chicago I was going to live with BJ&B no matter what. Their properties are extremely modern, clean and well put... but the staff is even better! I've had numerous problems since the move.... I've need a a new fridge (not even their fault it came from the manufacturer defected), getting my air conditioner fixed, and even a small miscommunication problem with the move-in/lease regarding a pretty big chunk of change... and it's ALL been resolved in a matter of just a few days. Not only has it been resolved, but they are always on the look out for their residents and my experiences with management has been great. My property manager, Anca, has been tremendous.. She is extremely professional and will always make sure the tenant needs are first in line. I've had no problems trying to get in contact with her and she even called me personally to make sure everything went smoothly a few days after I moved in. Who has the time for that?! ANCA! Also, I had to move in on a day the management office was closed (Sunday) and she even offered to drive my move in packet to their 24-7 office desk for me to be able to move in on that day! BJ&B is fabulous and I would definitely recommend anyone to live with them. They will do anything to make sure you feel at home. They have truly made an impact on my experience moving to the big city. BJ&B is where it's at!! Thanks BJ&B and Anca! Sincerely a very happy tenant, Holly P. read more

Wow. I can't believe all these negative reviews. I have lived in a BJB property in Lincoln Park since September 2010, and highly recommend BJB. I plan on living there until I graduate from law school and can upgrade to a one-bedroom. When I make that move, I'll definitely look at BJB's other properties. I pay $825/month for my studio apartment. The price is a bit high for the square footage, but it is in a great location and my cable and internet are both included in the rent price. The building was recently rehabbed, so it's nice and clean, unlike lots of vintage places with dozens of layers of cracking paint on the walls. I have new appliances (including a dishwasher), hardwood floors, and a really nice bathroom. It's a fresh, clean apartment that is very aesthetically pleasing, and I always feel safe. Moreover, the staff at BJB has been incredibly friendly and responsive to any problems I've had. When I locked myself out of my apartment, they came to my building and let me back in immediately. When my dishwasher wouldn't drain all the way, it was fixed within 24 hours. When the power went out on the whole block during the blizzard, they stayed up all night to monitor the situation with ComEd. The other day, a staff member knocked on my door to make sure everything was OK with my apartment and to see if anything needed to be fixed. A+, BJB! read more

Ok apartments, crappy maintenance, and not a lot of pride in the overall appearance. When I asked that they get painters who tape before painting (so there isn't paint on all the tiles in the bathroom and on all the mouldings), the property manager told me my expectations were way to high for a building like that... I live in one of their LP buildings - roof deck with views of the city and lake, pay $300-400 more than I should for an apartment that size...high prices lead to high expectations....get with the damn program! And the leasing agents are your best friends and will do anything to help you ...until you sign the lease, then they could care less! read more

I live in the W Deming building- I've had zero problems since moving in! I've been here a year. The building is newly renovated, clean and the neighborhood is safe. Only negative is that the "studios" are more like bedrooms. Its near shops, the El, restaurants and bars. Management, especially Adam, has been so nice and helpful. If there is ever a problem it's fixed within 24 hours- they even go above and beyond and do things like replace my lightbulbs and let me borrow their vacuum! Not to mention, as a woman living by myself I always feel safe with them in my apartment. I would 100% live in a BJB building again. After a year of being here, majority of people I know renting from independent landlords have horror stories. read more

"Eek! Methinks not" doesn't even touch on this place Yelp.... This is literally the first review I've ever written for any company, organization, or business EVER (if that says anything). There are so many issues, I don't know where to begin. So, we'll start with my move-in. I came about 1/2 way through the lease, and had to fill out the special and thorough paperwork to be added to the lease, which is totally understandable. Upon submitting my paper work (which included 2 paycheck stubs, SS#, DL# etc), it was just never to be found. Anywhere. Good thing there wasn't any personal information on the paperwork or anything... After settling for just paying the lease for the other roommate since it was too difficult to add me to the lease, about a month later, we heard of multiple units being infested w/ bed bugs. The management company did pay for the extermination (a sign of being slightly responsible? I think so...) but apparently wouldn't help the ppl in the units move their things to avoid avoid other tenants getting bed bugs. Clear concern for tenants... Now that we are obviously moving out (which is not a new concept for BJB. I'm pretty sure their turnover is less than a year), they have NO leniency on the moving date. My current roommate and I have one homeless night with an apartment's worth of furniture because we cannot move into our new place until the 1st. These are just the big things. I could go into detail about the completely incompetent front desk workers, the strong smell of cigs and cat pee in the hallway, their inability to update any unit, the attempt to make the apt complex look "luxury" by fixing the lobby and ignoring the rest of the building, the elevator breaking every other week, and the complete irony of their bi-annual "tenant appreciation breakfast". Please, take my advice and stay away. My roommate and I honestly feel bad for people signing leases in the lobby. read more

BJB owns quite a few buildings in Lincoln Park / Lakeview. Being a big management company/owner is both and advantage and a crutch. I'll start with the good. Usually the buildings include Internet and cable in rent. They advertise HBO too, but it's HBO and not much else. No Bravo, E! or Spike - although they do have three gospel channels and four infomercial channels. And since they are paying for the service you have no control over how fast/slow people come to fix your cable when it's not working. (3 stars) No deposit fee - just a non refundable move in fee. Which when we first moved in was nice to not pay a deposit plus first months rent but should have alerted us that it was a sketchy company. (4 stars) Rooftop Deck. (5 stars) Building maintenance is bad. When calling to request maintenance they have no system established to confirm it gets done. I also called to confirm that maintenance was done, they told me it was, and I came home to find the request undone. They were supposed to fix a fan and fireplace in our unit and it sat undone (with multiple calls) for three months. (1 star) The apartment itself was beautiful and unique. Yet all the problems we had during our year with BJB made the experience a negative one. We had no heat on our first floor for the entire stay (55 degrees in January 08 is NOT acceptable) and they never really offered any sort of suggestion/option to remedy the problem. (1 star) I'm sad to leave our duplex and two bathrooms, but not sad with all the unobliging exchanges with management. Overall I give it two stars. Advice: Inspect your apartment top to bottom. Check windows to see if they seal well and if all the appliances work. Request that all things to be fixed before move-in through a written certified letter. Good luck. read more

I live at one of their properties where somehow there are always only four working washing machines (out of 6). This building has probably 100 people living here. Do you see the problem?? Why don't they just get new machines? It baffles me. Will not be recommending anyone to live in one of these buildings (or at least mine). Also second the person who said buildings are poorly insulated. Our energy bill is insanely high for living in a shoebox. We keep our heat at 69 at the highest and have put plastic over the windows and it's still above $200 every month. Not sure which buildings these other great reviews are living in....? read more

I have been with BJB for over 3 years now and I would never want to rent anywhere else. I started at 828 W Fullerton but upgraded to 629 W Deming Place 2 years ago. Everyone is friendly, helpful and efficient. The front office (Adam and his staff) are amazing! Whenever I put in a work order it is done right away and they even let me print documents our when my printer goes down. They go out of their way to make sure that the building is running smoothly and even put out a memo I requested asking the residents of the building to not smoke near the building. Where else can you find all of this? The maintenance here in 629 Deming is amazing as well Giovanni and Jose are always friendly and efficient. I needed shelves in my apartment and a new faucet for my sink. Giovanni made the shelves himself and installed them the next day. The faucet was fixed the next day as well. The maintenance man in 828 Fullerton Ior (I hope that is how you spell it), is amazing as well. It was mine and my girlfriend's first apartment together and he made sure that everything went smoothly while we stayed there. Overall BJB has been amazing to me and my girlfriend. I would recommend this company to anyone. read more

To be perfectly clear, I was living at the BJB-owned property at 2244 N. Cleveland Ave, this building is located in Lincoln Park off of Fullerton. (The address on this listing somehow changed to their Dearborn location???) read more

See all

My experience with BJB, SUCKS! Worst management I have encountered. They do not keep up with their buildings. We have had a broken door, yes door so have been using only one lock for the past 2 years. We have also asked that they re caulk the bathtub. That still has not been done. My question is why go to every unit ONCE a year to not fix a damn thing? My newest issue with them is trying to get a hold of someone in their office. What??? The receptionist is useless sends you to voicemails. I need to get a verification so that I can move into a better property. Hello! Yes people they have one individual who does this task.. and she can not seem to do it. Also the property management group we are moving to said they have dealt with this issue time and time again from BJB. Soo BJB when are you going to improve your management? Once the units are 1700 and you can not seem to rent them? Do not rent from them unless you want to over pay for their units and deal with terrible management. read more

Do not trust their online application process. Request a paper application. Disorganized, unresponsive company and the website does not work

I live in 4100 N. Marine Dr. Chicago. It's bjb properties company. It's have no security at all. I have parking spot in that garage. It's resident garage. I paid 165 per month. this building Have a thief. This is second time for me. It's happened and happen again. And the building doesn't have a responsible foe any thing happened. Today I found a thief sit into my car. Then they called the police. All you need to know is they do nothing. in one month it's happen with 9 cars. The first time they told me the catch camera can't use. And bjb won't responsible for anything happened. I think everyone should know that before decision to live in bjb properties read more

Moved into 2850 N Sheridan 5 months ago. Since the move in date one of the two elevators has been broken half of the time. In addition to the elevator either the side door or the entrance door or sometimes both are out of order. On the brighter note the lobby is clean and when something breaks in the apartment it gets fixed quickly. Note to the management- you should probably give the residents some what of a discount for having to deal with "your vendor's parts not being shipped in time" for you to fix the elevator or the entry door systems. read more

WARNING, for those considering living at a BJB property, I currently live at 2244 N Cleveland. Someone ransacked the Christmas packages in our building (not the first time) and management took no action simply stating not our problem and have your packages booked elsewhere. Also, if you have noise issues with your neighbors, they take no responsibility to resolve the issue but to simply sublet. For the high rent prices, they are unprofessional and provided poor service at best. I recommend living elsewhere. read more

I have a great experience with BJB properties. Im a new student of IIT and I move in 211 E Delaware on September, but after a while I decided to get closer to my school and they helped me a lot to find sub lease. At all they are so responsible and helped a lot. read more

Outstanding property manager and great experience at 25 E Delaware! Katie was efficient, excellent and sweet every step of the way. Highly recommend renting here if you are looking for a convenient place to live in downtown Chicago! Anudeep read more

I currently reside at xxx W. Diversey and will be moving to xxx W. Diversey in June. I am staying with BJB because I am confident that I am getting value for money. When I first saw my apartment at xxx, the previous tenant moved out without removing the furniture or cleaning. It was basically a huge mess. When I moved in, the place was freshly painted and cleaned. The management company is very responsive and polite, especially Anca and Adam. Like a previous reviewer said, you usually see reviews from dissatisfied customers. I am satisfied and would like to share that with everyone. BJB isn't perfect, but then again, who is? I recommend BJB for value, the convenience of having some amenities included in the rent and the responsiveness of management. read more

It varies from property to property. I've lived at both 2828 pine grove and 2850 N Sheridan so I'll do both. 2828: one star. Covered in cockroaches. Literally saw them once a week in my apartment, and found them littered about the lobby every week. Management tried many times to fix it, but the whole place is seriously infested. Lots and lots of ants too, one even crawled over me in bed. 2850: four stars. Not a single bug. Relatively nice facilities, great rooftop. Hallways are starting to look nice as the renovation finishes. Both locations are awesome though. This is the perfect spot, but avoid 2828 at all costs. read more

Drew took over as property manager my second year of living at BJB and things seemed to go much more smoothly. We were much better informed about things happening in the building as well as the staff seeming more competent and all around better employees. The gym and laundry area were renovated and the roof top views are amazing! Lived here for two year and did not have any major problems. read more

I've lived at 1036 N Dearborn for a little over 2 years now. The only reason I'm leaving is because I'm moving out of state. Lets start with the pros.... When I was hunting for cheap apartments in the Gold Coast area this was by FAR the biggest bang for my buck. So look no further if you want to spend under a grand on an apartment. This was the only place that came with a dishwasher, huge walk in closet (you could literally but a twin bed in there), big bathroom with a tub, a SUN DECK with an amazing view ,and a small fitness room (and I mean small-maybe 4 machines and some free weights- but if its storming out and you want to go for a little run its nice to have around). The staff is very friendly. Mike has always been very helpful. The maintenance staff is speedy and professional. Every service request I've had (besides one, see Cons) has been acknowledged and handled the same day if not within the same hour. Paying rent is the easiest thing you will ever do. Once you set up your profile on their website it takes 2 clicks and you're done. I pay $8 for my cable. Recently BJB has started hosting happy hours for their tenants (you can bring a guest too!) along with discounts at certain businesses. If you like them on Facebook they have occasional contests (best decorating, cutest pet, etc) which gives a nice community feel. Now onto the Con and you probably saw this coming......roaches. My first summer here I had a straight up epidemic. I would see them all the time. The office sent up someone right away and would follow up with treatments and they eventually went away. After that I would see maybe one every 6 months or so which is not a big deal. But recently I saw a massive roach and I mean HUGE, almost 2 inches long. I wrote the office immediately, along with three follow up emails and two calls to the office and they still have not done anything. What the heck? NOT OK. I acknowledge that this is an old building in the city but holy shit at least pretend to be taking care of this. That is literally my only complaint. I've really enjoyed living here and will miss my little apartment dearly. If you're looking for the cheapest option in a great area this is your best bet! read more

Horrible neighbors, unresponsive management - never rent with bjb. There have been several instances I've felt unsafe, I have a right to peaceful living but none of this matters to bjb. read more

I've lived at 1157 W. Diversey for almost a year now & have had great responses from both building management (Adam & Barb) when I've been locked out, had questions, or lost quarters in the laundry. Byron responds quickly to maintenance inquiries and requests. The location is excellent! Can't hear our neighbors. Great that almost all utilities are included with rent. Cat friendly! Internet included! BEAUTIFUL view from the roof! Only (small) cons: drafty windows, heat can sometimes be slow to get up to our floor, Internet can go out some times, laundry equipment is a bit dated, rooftop deck still hasn't been renovated (fingers crossed for this summer!) Overall feel like it's a good deal for the historic building, location, utilities, Internet, & services provided! read more

I live at one of the BJB Properties 211 east Delaware building, I've reside here for the past 2 years and since Katie Bernhardt took Over management everything changed the building got so many updates from the walls painted to the floors fixed even the hallways smell so nice! She brought color and life to the building and I love how diligent she is when you ask for anything. As a resident that makes me feel home again, Love the management! read more

I would not really recommend that anyone live in a BJB building. I just moved out after living at 420 Surf for almost a year, and overall the experience was more disappointing than anything else. All of the appliances are cheap and break often, the buildings don't seem to be very well maintained, and the people who work there are not helpful at all. Not to mention our serious centipede infestation that we had despite living on the 8th floor. To put it simply: BJB are clearly just trying to make as much money as possible and don't really care about the experience of their renters after they have them committed to a lease. The reason I did give them two stars is because it's not like you'll be absolutely miserable in one of their buildings, but it probably won't be an entirely pleasant experience. If I were you, I would look somewhere else! read more

At 18 E. Elm Street ("The Elms"), the physical space served my basic needs. Nothing glamorous, relatively priced for my location in Goldcoast although I paid higher than advertised price (no argument on my behalf because I needed something fast). Pros: building maintenance was very reliable; building management was accessible and responsive; cleaning crew maintained lobby and other facilities on consistent basis; no problems with doorman and mail always arrived promptly; rent/bills were easily transacted via electronic bank withdrawals; washer/dryer reliable; and no down-payment. Cons: apartment equipped with outdated appliances; cockroach and ant problems; toilet water-flow is weak; hot water is not hot enough; and a big pet peeve of mine...lousy internet service. Objectively, I would give "The Elms" a 3.5 out of 5 stars because it provided me with safe, clean, and convenient living quarters. However, I believe there are better alternatives and I would not renew my lease for a second term. read more

My daugther lived in Rogers Park for two years. She had a pretty good experience while she was living there, but... In May, she was laid off due to Covid. Her property manager assured her that if she signed a new lease, which wouldn't start until Aug, that it wouldn't be hard to break the lease if she needed to in the future. In July, her company closed permanently and she was not able to find a new job. She decided to relocate to another state. When she contacted Andrew, her property manager, he said she could either sub-let her apartment, or if she could prove she lost her job due to Covid, they would let her out of it completely. She jumped through lots of hoops trying to get her company to give her something, and when she gave it to Andrew, she thought she was good. Not so! She was told that she was going to be considered a skip if she moved and she would have to continue to pay until it was re-rented. But Andrew made it seem like it was all good, and they would probably re-rent it right away. Two months at the most. They never outright told her that they denied her request to terminate her lease. Two months later we could find no advertisements for her apartment at all. It has now been 6 months and there has been no effort on their part to rent her unit. For several months we've tried to contact BJB to find out why her lease wasn't terminated when she gave them proof of losing her job due to Covid. No one will call us back. We have left messages and sent multiple emails and no one will communicate with us. The only time we got an email was to tell us we need to pay. We have decided not to pay until we get some answers. If anyone knows how to get someone to call us back, we'd love to get this settled. But, don't believe them if they tell you you can break your lease for any reason. read more

This is an awful property management team. Dino the main property manager is consistently difficult to get a hold of and although his assistant Devan does follow up with the inquiries, rarely is action taken to actually resolve issues. There have been countless issues with internet connectivity which were not addressed for over 2 weeks after I moved in. The building "comes with wifi" but only 3 devices can be set up total and it barely works in the corner units. And it took multiple weeks for them to get maintenance over to my apartment for repairs that needed to be fixed when I first moved in (it took several phone calls and emails). There were also issues with security and roof access that I have reported over and over the last 4 months that I have lived here and THEY STILL ARE NOT RESOLVED! I would not recommend working with their Lakeview team if you can avoid it. read more

As a prospective tenant, you would think my business would be a priority for the leasing agent I was working with. A week ago, Adam and I began emailing back and forth to schedule a showing. He asked for dates and times and I provided several but stated that I could not do weekdays this week. His response was "Can you do Monday?" It was obvious he didn't read my prior email. If felt very unprofessional and neglectful. We finally settled on a time for a showing but we also mentioned several different BJB locations throughout our conversation. Yesterday, I realized we never decided on which location to meet at so I email and texted Adam. Well, guess what? It's well after our scheduled time and I've heard nothing back. But after reading some of these reviews, I can't say I am surprised or disappointed. read more

I love my apartment! I have lived in three other buildings since moving to Chicago and have been very successful with this complex. The apartment has been rehabbed and is very nice. I've only had 1-2 small issues (clogged drain, ect) and someone was there the next day to fix the problem. The building is beautiful and they have a cleaning lady clean the lobby once a week. Potential downfalls (depending on your preferences): 1. the hallways do smell here and there but it's not a putrid, gagging smell. Just smell a little funky. It doesn't bother me because I don't live in the HALLWAYS! 2. It is a bit expensive, however my rent includes everything except electric. When I think about dealing with the idiots at comcast every month, I prefer getting my cable/internet through the building. I've been there for 8 months and I've NEVER had issues with the cable or Internet. read more

One word. Shithole. I lived in 451 which is the building connected to 443. I lived here two years and only b/c I didn't want to move again. Pros: 1. Close to buses 2. No security deposit 3. Free internet/heat/cable/workout facility 4. Nice views off the rooftop deck Cons: 1. Hike to the red/brown line 2. "cleaning" fee assessed after you move out 3. Heat--ok in winter. Cable--SUCKS! I had to get comcast. Workout facility---stuff keeps breaking 4. elevators were under construction for 5months.....though it was suppose to be 3 months. the elevators were always breaking down. one time all THREE were not working. 5. the plaster literally fell off my entire wall in my closet 6. OVER PRICED!!!! 7. moldy airconditioning units---must have been installed in 1978 8. absolutely no street parking. fun walk from the nature museum in -40degree winter weather. Good luck. read more