Tenant Reviews for 477 W DEMING PL

Where to begin. We first looked at this apartment in May of 2017, it was the cheapest of the options that we looked at, not the best condition, but by far the best neighborhood. After a simple application process we were approved. Right away they asked for first months rent. It took me a couple days to gather this being right out of college I don't generally have that much extra cash on hand. The landlord hassled us for the money. Great start right? Not too long after we moved in we requested our name on the mail slot and the outside buzzer. Never happened. Not too long after that there were cockroaches! It felt like problem after problem. In addition to all these never ending problems the back of the building gets absolutely no sunlight. Don't be fooled by a middle of the day viewing. So a year passes - we agree to resign within the building but moving to a different unit maybe things will be better. The apartment never gets cleaned because the people before us moved out on the 1st and we had to be out of our current place that still had not been leased. There was water damage on the wall in the living space, the counter tops were destroyed as in they had no backing. We asked for them to be fixed and a different pattern was super glued on - is that a solution? Nope, but when we looked at the place the landlord promised new counter tops. We never got that in writing so go figure it was never done. In addition to that the water pressure was awful. It took almost 4 months for a new shower head to be put on. Also had asked for our name to be put on the mailbox and door buzzer in the new apartment, never happened. The bottom buzzer box actually broke so we were never able to use it. Fast forward to the end of the lease and our apartment is getting shown to future tenants. The backdoor gets left unlocked. Yup you read that right, all three locks as well - not just one ALL THREE. We are not given 24 hours noticed, most of the time same day and once the landlord even asked if I could show the apartment because I was home and people walked by. NOPE. We never missed a rent check, were never noisy tenants, just asked for the simple things. I would never recommend for anyone to live here, not a friend, family member or one day my children. In addition there is no 'roof patio' each unit has a back door that leads to a small patio - the only floor that can really benefit is the third floor because the first and second floor are blocked by the floor above- remember no sunlight as well. The heat in the winter as well, be ready for a sauna or nothing. The knob on 2 of the vents in our apartment were/are broke. Asked multiple times for them to be fixed, nothing. Also, be careful of the gap between the tub and sink in the bathroom. Had an item fall down there once - ended up pulling out 7 contact cases, 5 tooth brushes, toothpaste and some other questionable items. The maintenance man, in addition is nothing of that. He does not speak English therefor everything that needs to be done if you are in the apartment has to be translated on his phone. He smokes and the smell traces throughout the apartment after he leaves and does not take off his shoes, tracking mud and out right filth throughout the place. When we finally got a new shower head installed he wore his boots all over our bath mat, leaving clear outlined black footprints. DISGUSTING. Yelena the landlord, seems nice, at first. Then something goes wrong and she is unresponsive. Very unprofessional, generally only getting back to you when she needs something. The cherry on top. The apartment was never professionally cleaned by the landlord between tenants, so as a part of my nightly routine, I clean my feet with soap and warm water before getting into bed! Just delightful!

I stayed at this apartment for a year in 2016-17 and loved it. The owner and staff were super-attentive to any maintenance issues and the apartment is in a great location - right next to Lincoln Park, a mile from Wrigley, and a short bus or train to downtown and with grocery stores, shops, and restaurants all within walking distance. I would highly recommend for anyone looking to experience Chicago without all the crowded & noisy hustle and bustle that can come with city living.

I have lived in this location for almost 5 years now and possibly a 6th. I have a 1BD 1BA on the second floor, and have been satisfied for the duration of my time at 477. Management of the location has steadily improved since the building was acquired by Deming Place Associates a few years back. There was a problem with roaches a few years ago but this was eradicated by extermination and additional concrete pouring/restructuring in the basement. They've also renovated the common areas, removing dated, old carpet, and refurbishing the stairwell to it's original hardwood. One could not ask for a better location. The location is minutes from everything in Lincoln Park, DePaul, nightlife, trains, and the beach is less than a mile away. Right at the end of the block is Lincoln Park and lake events such as Air Show, etc. are a breeze due to being able to walk there with no parking hassle in minutes. I have had several repairs done on the unit in a timely manner including a new sink faucet that was leaky. The rent has steadily increased over time, but has not severely outpaced accounting for inflation or general expected increases. Overall I this has been a great place for me to spend my late 20's while saving for a home, and I would recommend this listing to anyone. The building is full of diversity; people from everywhere, single, married, families, young professionals, etc.

UGH! This has been my first place in Chicago and I'm SO excited to be moving in a month. Last summer there was a HUGE cockroach problem that took months to fix. I would be nearly harassing the landlord by asking when the exterminator would come. I was very near reporting the situation to the city. Overall, just a very cheaply built place. My unit was probably one of the worst because it was cornered by thick cement walls from the neighboring outpatient hospital. So this meant 0 sunlight and 0 cell service. You would seriously not know what time of day it was without a watch... it got a little depressing always living in the dark like that. Additionally, there is no AC which wouldn't be the worst if our window faced the street. But, as our windows are up against cement walls, we got zero airflow. Summers were absolutely miserable. We didn't even escape the heat in the winters because the radiators were always going. Even when we shut them off, heat from something in the basement seeped up through our floors. I've had a few lotions and detergents that have melted out of their containers from the floor becoming so hot. The landlord advertized hardwood, which was fake tile to look like hardwood (I didn't catch this because I was moving from out of town), and a 'terrace' which was basically a dark fire escape. The laundry room already only had 2 washers for the entire building. One broke months ago, and she has yet to fix it. I've given up on that as I'm moving soon. The building rented out a bottom, external unit to a gym. They seem to do a lot of deadweight lifts (and drops). So often, we'll hear huge 'booms' from them dropping enormous weights. It shakes the entire building and has knocked things off my walls. The landlord Yelena, who may actually just be the English-speaking representative (I'm not sure), is very rude and non-responsive. When I was still looking at new places in the area this past month, I made SURE to avoid anything posted by her. I was paying 775 in rent which was a decent deal for the location. So if you're absolutely desperate, maybe this could work for you. Otherwise, I really think you can find a better deal in the area.