You’re convinced you’ve found the perfect apartment–the right space, the best location. But early one Sunday morning after you move in, you wake up to the sound of running water and discover that your toilet bowl is overflowing all over the bathroom floor.
You phone for help and the call is picked up by an answering machine whose tape announces the offices are closed until Monday morning and then informs you, cheerfully, that management checks “periodically” for messages. You don’t know exactly what periodically means and, after you’ve waited for three hours or more to hear from somebody who can help you, you’re convinced that it probably means once every weekend.
It’s almost as bad when you’re connected with an answering service except, in that case, a sympathetic human voice assures you she will try to locate somebody and, on your second, third and fourth calls continues to assure you that she’s trying to locate somebody. That’s about the time when you may decide that your apartment isn’t so perfect after all.
These things happen and, when they do, it’s usually because some unlucky tenant failed to check into building maintenance policies and routines before signing a lease. Competent maintenance and timely repairs are important parts of what you are paying for when you pay your rent and the proper time to check them out is while you’re still shopping for space.
Sue Levine, property manager for Heritage Hill apartments in Naperville, was named 1995 Manager of the Year by the Chicagoland Apartment Association. Her maintenance staff was Maintenance Team of the Year in 1996. Levine suggests that prospective tenants begin a visual inspection in the parking lot of any apartment community they are considering.
“The parking lot is where most people begin their tours of the complex,” she says, “and it’s a good place to start checking out the premises.” She notes that the lot should be clean–free of trash, auto parts and junk cars. She believes it’s also a good idea to return to the lot after dark to make sure it is well-lighted and all the lights are in working order.
Levine says another important clue to maintenance is the comments of current tenants.
“If you’re inspecting a property, stop and chat with any residents you might encounter in the parking lot or other public areas,” she suggests. “Ask them, not only about their experiences with service, but also how long they have lived in the community. You can be pretty sure that, if a tenant has been around for two or three years, they are satisfied with the maintenance routines.”
Mary Herrold is leasing and marketing director for Woodfield Gardens, a 692-apartment community in the northwest suburbs. She agrees it is important to talk to other residents about service policies and also to make a visual inspection of the parking lot, grounds and other common areas to see that everything is clean, well-groomed and free of litter.
Be sure to check out the garbage disposal area. Everything should be properly contained in closed dumpsters or recycling bins and the area should be free of trash, litter and spillage. Are the hallways and stairwells free of debris, toys and trash?
Ask to see the laundry room. Is the equipment clean and in working order? Are the folding tables clean and free of empty detergent and additive containers? Is there standing water, spillage or other evidence of neglect? All of these are signs of adequate maintenance or lack of it.
Herrold stresses, however, that the condition of the offices and the attitude of the management staff can be equally important.
“The management office should appear clean and well-organized,” she says, “and, just as important, employees should be cooperative and show enthusiasm about their jobs.”
She feels that the condition of the model apartments is also significant, noting that “if they can’t get the model right, they probably can’t get anything else right either.”
“You should also ask to see the actual apartment you will be renting,” she adds. “We make it a point to show prospective tenants these apartments and we always make sure they are in a sparkling condition before we show them.”
The appearance of the actual space you will be leasing is obviously of prime importance. If the apartment hasn’t been well-prepped, if you notice flaking paint or plaster, missing receptacle or switch plates, cracked or stained plumbing fixtures, ripped, stained or worn carpeting, that’s evidence that somebody is not doing his or her job properly. It could very well be a sign that general maintenance is sloppy. At the very least, you should ask for an explanation and insist that the space be put in proper order before you sign a lease and move into it.
Visual inspections will give you your first clues to the attitude your property manager or landlord has toward maintenance and service, but it’s also important to ask questions so you will have a clear idea of the management policies and how they will affect you as a tenant.
Randy Walsh is a rental agent for Regents Park by the Clinton Co., a high-rise in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood. He says the two most important things a prospective tenant should determine are: (1) the size of the maintenance staff, and (2) how they handle emergencies. “If you know how many maintenance people the building has, you can decide for yourself whether you feel that number is adequate for the number of apartments they must service,” he says.
He notes that the way management handles emergencies is even more important. He believes that 100 percent efficiency in emergency situations requires a service person to be on the premises and on call around the clock.
“If there isn’t anybody to answer the phone in case of an emergency, you have to leave a message and depend on a machine or an answering service to relay it,” he says. “Then, somebody may have to be called out of bed or away from a social event and travel whatever distance to get to your apartment.” It can be a long wait if you’re really in trouble.
Emergency service is certainly of primary importance but you’ll also want to know how your landlord or manager handles routine service calls, because you’re apt to have a lot more small problems than emergencies. How are routine requests handled? Does an office staff member simply fill out a work order and put it at the bottom of the stack? Do they work on triage–most important requests first? If you’re an impatient sort you’ll want to know.
Herrold says that her maintenance supervisor, Njazi Salihu, fills all typical service requests within 24 hours. The only exceptions are repairs that require a special part that must be ordered or something seriously time-consuming, such as replastering and repainting a ceiling. You might not always get service that is that immediate but you shouldn’t expect to wait for weeks or even months for a minor repair either.
Walsh and Herrold both stress the importance of providing an orientation for new tenants, to provide them with information about the appliances and mechanical equipment in their new apartment and to show them where the circuit breakers or fuse boxes are located and how to shut off the water, gas or electricity, if necessary.
Walsh says that a staff member at Regents Park will do a walk-through with new tenants to introduce them to their space and answer any questions concerning it. They also provide use and care manuals for all the appliances.
Herrold, managing a much larger complex, has her maintenance staff schedule periodic orientation sessions at which time new tenants are served refreshments and given a rundown on mechanical equipment, service policies and maintenance procedures. She thinks that, in buildings or complexes where this is not the custom, new tenants should insist on an appointment with a maintenance person or management staff member so they can become familiar with the apartment equipment and appointments before the move-in.
There are other details of maintenance that can be important, too. Levine suggests that you inquire about routine preventive maintenance. How often are the mechanical systems of the building checked? That could be important if you prefer not to have your building’s furnace go out on a frigid winter night nor to be stuck in an elevator for an hour or more while waiting for the repairman to appear.
Considering Chicago winters, you will probably want to know about how your landlord or manager handles snow removal problems. Are the sidewalks and passageways shoveled promptly? If there is a parking lot, do they contract with a snow removal service that will get it plowed quickly and efficiently?
The smart consumer will make an effort to get all, or at least a majority, of these concerns clarified before signing a lease. Maybe, all of them aren’t important to you. If you’re a laid-back type, you may be willing to settle for less than perfect maintenance (and a lot of tenants do), but at any rate, you’ll know what to expect.
