When we signed the lease it seemed too good to be true: it was. However, I will start with the positive aspects. The apartment is quite nice - even though it is a little overpriced. But, it is the price agreed upon. Now that the positive has been established, let us move on. The staff is pretentious and extremely unhelpful. I suppose they believe to be doing the work of a higher power or something, but we should all remember they are leasing mid-range apartments. They operate a lot of buildings and should be very experienced. This would be a great attribute, although experienced apparently means they are well versed in passing problems along to the tenants and absolving themselves of responsibility. I have only had the exalted privilege of conversing with the staff on a few occasions. Each glorious time I thought that the next time could not be worse. Imagine my surprise when I was proven wrong. However, I was able to discover a theme, which invariably went like this: "I have a problem with X." Response: "So." "Will you help me out?" Response: "No." End Scene. Repeat if necessary. In order to keep this review short, I will end by reiterating that the staff seemingly lacks the ability to understand concerns/problems that the tenants have and are entirely unwilling to offer assistance. Ultimately, renting this apartment from this company was a mistake and a thoroughly unpleasant experience. I cannot recommend doing business with them under any circumstance. As a side note, I suspect Joseph V. will write a response to this negative review and claim that I am being unfair/unreasonable. You, the reader, can believe what you will, just beware. read more

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! read more

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! read more

This company is extremely unhelpful and insensitive. Our apartment was broken into recently and not one person stopped by (except the maintenance man who just covered up the crowbar marks, rather than replacing the door, which should have happened but the company didn't feel like it was necessary.). There are no cameras and the staff has said that cameras would not prevent or help catch perpetrators, so they are not willing to invest. The front door does not always close all the way and lock, and they are unwilling to replace it for the safety of their tenants. Property has been stolen from the garage and their response was that it is beyond their control. Overall, if you want to feel safe and like the property managers care about their tenants, this is not the place to rent through. read more

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! read more

Terrible service. Staff is rude and they never return calls for repair. Fridge broke two times while living there and they were not apologetic for all of the food that wend bad. They take their time and have faulty appliances. Terrible and very expensive laundry - $2.50 wash and 2.50 dry - but machines are often broken so you have to dry 2+ times. read more

It was nice living there without any issues. The buildings are taken care of pretty well and the apartments are nice and kept up well, plus they are cheaper than most of the other places in the area given the good condition of the units. They were also good about being prompt with maintenance issues. The only issue I have is that their laundry room prices are kinda high. read more

AVOID. Stay away from this company. Management is greedy and lazy. They only care about your money. My unit at North Geneva was 80 degrees in the winter, the heating unit got dangerously hot (can't adjust it). No one should have to sweat in their own apartment in the middle of winter. There was also a break-in during the summer. Management would not do ANYTHING to address these problems and seldom would respond to other inquires. AVOID. read more

I lived at both Belden and Geneva properties over the course of 2.5 years. Tom and Joe are easy to work with and the maintenance staff is friendly. They always took care of any problems, maintenance requests promptly. read more

I have been living in a Lakeview Associates building for a month now, and so far, I have been really happy with them as management company. I live in one of their other buildings on Deming. They have been very helpfull. I had three repair requests the first week I moved into my apartment, and they were fixed right away. The office staff is always professional, and they treat me like a customer. They seem to care about their properties, and keep my building well maintained. read more

This is my 2nd 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! read more

Whether you'll be happy with Lakeview Associates depends, in part, on what you require in a home, where you've lived before, and what your expectations are from a property management company. Here are the facts. You decide. 1. Properties and units: Their pre-war, vintage properties and units are generally in decent shape. The units have hardwood floors, crown molding, vaulted ceilings, good square footage, etc. If you like pre-war or vintage buildings, you may like what Lakeview Associates has to offer. The kitchens, however, are generally stocked with sub-par appliances, cheesy lighting, and cheap cabinets. This may work well for post-college young adults or tenants renting for the first time; however, families or those with more discernable taste will be disappointed. 2. Visibility of management team: The management team at Lakeview Associates has a hands-off style, which is to say you generally won't see them in your building, unless they are showing a property to a prospective tenant, handling a crisis, etc. 3. Management's Personality: I've lived in many large cities around the world, so I am an experienced renter. As other reviewers have pointed out, the management team at Lakeview Associates generally exhibits an amateur-like, condescending, arrogant attitude toward its tenants. From the bitchy tone in their voices on the phone, to the actual action steps they take (or not), the team is generally a "difficult" bunch. The main office people are adversarial, exhibiting an "us against you" approach, leaving tenants truly feeling like guests in their own homes. Calling the management office is a dreadful proposition. Their schizophrenic hypocrisy (in smiling and saying hello when they see you in the building, especially if they're showing a unit), and then taking an arrogant, unhelpful, and disinterested tone on the phone is just infuriating. 3. Repairs: Despite Lakeview Associates' generally lousy, difficult, and unhelpful attitude, they are relatively quick to dispatch a handyman to the unit to evaluate what might need fixing, or to schedule a contractor for more extensive repairs. The management team obviously knows the line between putting forward a "difficult" or "put-off" attitude and acting as a slumlord. 4. Right of entry: In all of the properties I've rented before around the world, I've never come across such an absurd "policy" and lack of respect for a tenant's time and privacy. The management team at Lakeview Associates maintains that, when you call them with a repair order, you are, at the same time, giving permission for them to access your unit at their convenience, with literally no parameters or windows of time provided. They will tell you "they'll get there when they get there" and that "they can't possibly give you any window of time" nor can they call ahead of time to let you know they're on their way, because they just don't have the time or resources to extend such basic courtesies. You will literally hear two raps on your front door followed by a voice calling out "Lakeview" and then the turning of your deadbolt lock. Local real estate lawyers have confirmed that this is a violation of law, despite what Lakeview Associates maintains. Experienced renters will find this infuriating, invasive, disrespectful, lazy, and amateurish. 5. Elevators: Some buildings have a passenger elevator and a freight elevator. In the time I lived in one of the buildings managed by Lakeview Associates, the passenger elevator was out of order at least once, sometimes two or three times a month - month after month. Fixes are the basic minimum, never a complete overhaul, which it desperately needs. From Lakeview's point of view, a broken elevator is not considered an "emergency" and repairs sometimes took a week. Younger tenants who don't mind climbing stairs are okay with this; older, more experienced renters find this level of dismissiveness unacceptable. 7. Signs: With a hall monitor's control-freak mentality, the management team loves to hang 8 1/2 x 11 laminated signs in the commons areas and lobbies. Most of the lobbies have no fewer than 5 or 6 multicolored signs, like a grammar school hallway. Most of these signs containing "barking" orders and reminders. If you're in your early 20s, rent from Lakeview and have a blast. If you're an experienced renter, if you have a family, or if you have New York standards, stay aware from these amatuers. You'll only frustrate yourself. read more

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. read more

I lived at N Geneva for 2 years and they were great. The rent increases were reasonable. The staff was friendly and were flexible. And most importantly the maintenance. They would fix any issues the same day or next. Only thing that bothered me was the front door to my apartment. It had very thin panels in the door. noise wasn't a issue for me but could be depending on your neighbors. read more

Nice vintage properties, but it kind of stinks that they charge you to apply and move in -- like it doesn't cost enough to move in already!

Terrible costumer service. I currently rent from them and they could not be more rude. Recently our buzzer that allows the post man to get in and deliver our mail broke. I found this out because the post office left a note on our building's door, I did not notice right away until I was expecting a package. After seeing the note but not reading it I decided to take a look at it once my package was late. The note said for Lakeview to fix the buzzer and then contact them so we can get our mail. So I called Lakeview to inform them, they had no idea so they said they would fix it, which was nice. However, I called them the next day to see if it was fixed and he said yes so then I asked if they contacted the post office so we can get our mail, he told me that apparently it is my job as a renter to handle it, even though they are a management company so one might think they should manage this situation. They even had the nerve to take down the note which the post office left which had the number to call once the buzzer was fixed. Luckily I had already called the post office when I first notice the note to see where I could pick up my packages so I had their number in my phone. Never the less the management company should have FULLY handled the situation and not half assed it. And the guy who I talked to was rude and very condescending. read more

i love lakeview, and it's because i rent from the surf office. i lived with the belden office for a year, and it was awful. they will charge you cleaning fees for things the lease states they will do for free. they'll send a maintenance guy....three weeks after you file a complaint. the shower at our apartment was clogged about 3/4ths of the time we lived there, and we found out it was because the pipes had burst...did lakeview try and fix it? no. they're also supposed to paint your walls for free before you move out, and sure, they might do half...but then they leave the other half undone and wait until you've moved out so they can charge you for the repainting. and if you attempt to get an explanation for these ridiculous fees, you'll get the run around until they finally just forget about you. so, lakeview is fantastic...if you work with the surf office. it's all about the surf office. avoid belden at ALL COSTS. read more