Tenant Reviews for 5550 N KENMORE AVE

The units are full of roaches!!! I even spotted roaches in the common areas and lounge area. They have pest control come out weekly and call it "preventative services" to make it seem like they don't have an issue. They won't let you out of your lease and basically tell you that you should be grateful that they're exterminating and that you have to live with roaches/you don't deserve any accommodation. I'm in the process of talking to lawyers, CDPH, IDPH, the alderman, and a few other partner organizations. The elevators smell nasty all day, everyday. Laundry is a scam. The machines charge $1.75 to wash your clothes for 10 minutes. The roaches come in to your unit from the other units, even if you keep your unit clean. Even their own exterminator said that he doesn't know how long it would take to get rid of the roaches since it's a big building with over 100 units. The staff is rude, unaccommodating, and lack empathy/compassion (Except Robin and the maintenance guy). Parking is 185 for a small lot in the alley where all the homeless people hang out. I wish I could've gave this place a 0. I guess the 1 star is for the view. Save yourself a headache.

This is building is a sh** hole with a facelift. The entire structure should have been gutted and renovated. The building is infested with roaches and insects that bite. I sustained numerous bites throughout my year lease that resulted in my having to seek medical attention on several occasions. IT'S A GOOD THING THAT I'M A DOCTOR!! I first complained about the couches on the first day that I moved in. Within the first week, I saw a mouse. There are mice in the heating system. You can hear the running back and forth throughout the apt. The building management hired one incompetent extermination company and then another incompetent service for the insects. They stated that I must have brought the insect in with me or in my mattress. It was a brand new mattress!!! Of note, my neighbor had bedbugs and the building did not inform me or the tenants that there was a bedbug infestation. Staff The office downstairs is rarely opened during the stated hours. The only reliable employees are Robin and the head of maintenance, Stefat. They both take the time to know the tenants and respond in a timely manner. In regards to Stefat, they clearly rely on him to the work of 5 men and he somehow manages to get everything done. He should be the head of the office downstairs since he does most of the work and manages the property. It was clear the office doesn't appreciate him. Noise Let's set aside that there is always construction going on since they are renovating units. The walls and floors are thin! You can hear your neighbor speaking next door and their footsteps above you. Safety My apartment, as well as numerous apartments, were not equipped with smoke detectors. The building only sent out a notice that resident should inform them if there wasn't present, ONLY AFTER THERE WAS A FIRE IN ONE OF THE UNITS. That apartment was not equipped with a fire detector and the fire department wasn't alerted until the resident had to call them themselves because they could no longer contain the flames on their own.

Great building. I have lived here for three years. Affordable studio with a lake view. Maintenance is very skillful. Unfortunately management is rather rude and falls behind on work. If you can handle that it is a great place to live.

Very reasonable price (studio around $600), clean, new, whenever you need something fixed - it gets fixed!! Nice management. They take a good care of the building. My family/friends love my appt. :) I love it even more. :)I'd recommend this place to anyone!! 1 block from the beach, 1 block from Red Line and bus! Great area!! Parking can be a nightmare. But it's doable. :)

This is a decent building that is ruined by some of the people that work there. I have a guest that comes 2 or 3 times a week since last year and the lazy 'security' person at the door on weekends still gives them a hard time everytime they come over. I only have a cell phone, so I can't buzz anyone up, instead my guests, that BTW the other security people know and have no problem buzzing in, have to call me and I have to come down and let them in when a certain overweight security person is there. He really enjoys being a figure of 'authority'(cue the Cartman clip, "you will respect my authoriti") and mindlessly enforcing rules. Use your head man, there is a huge difference in keeping people safe and being a jerk. Besides that, parking an abolute nightmare, which is made worse by the restaurant that valets and uses all of the available parking that is meant to be utilized by residents. If you don't have any friends or drive a car then, YES, it is a great building. If you have a car or freinds, you might weant to skip this one.

This is a great apartment building. Marica and Dragan are great building managers, but tough on keeping the building safe. It's one of the few apartment buildings which has studios and one bedrooms mad for people who use wheelchairs, which is great. I paid 600 for a studio because of funding, but i think most range around 700-800. Get on the waiting list.