terry_jones•2mo agoProlific Poster

Tried moving here without visiting first. Big mistake.

I flew into O'Hare on a Friday and signed a lease on a place in Logan Square from a video tour. Got here and the heat doesn't work, my neighbor blasts reggaeton at 3am, and I'm paying $1,800 for a so-called 'renovated' unit with a stove from 1987. Learned my lesson the hard way. Anyone else get burned by a rental sight unseen?

3 comments

3 Comments

seth6832mo ago

Wait, did you actually sign a lease for a place in Logan Square and it's costing you $1,800 a month? That sounds steep even for today's market unless you're on Milwaukee Ave or something. The whole "renovated" thing is such a joke with these landlords, they slap some gray paint on the walls and call it good. I get why you did it though, moving here blind is tough when you're trying to lock down something from out of state. But next time, maybe ask if you can get a real time video call walkthrough where they show you the stove and the heat vents. And always check the building's heating situation before you sign, those old radiators can be nightmares. Hope you can get out of that lease or at least get them to fix the heat fast.

hall.nina2mo ago

Yeah the "renovated" thing got me too, I started filming the faucets and baseboards on my phone before signing anything.

the_robin1mo ago

Honestly I've been burned by that "renovated" thing too. My last rental had that word in the ad and the "renovated" bathroom was just a new toilet seat and a layer of paint over some nasty tile grout. The key is to get them to show you the actual model numbers on the appliances during a video call, not just pan past them. Also try asking for a copy of the most recent utility bills for the unit, that'll tell you if the heat works or if they're hiding something like a broken boiler. And man, check the local noise ordinances before signing, that reggaeton at 3am is a nightmare I've dealt with too, some buildings have quiet hours written right into the lease.