All 25 tenant reviews.

“There is not much to say about this place that is good. I guess for the location the price is what makes up for it. Other than that, I seriously urge you to reconsider moving here. From the constant maintenance issues that are completed halfway (yes this is very true) to not running the heat in the winter.....this place is a nightmare. Always dirty, elevators never working, you can't get them to run the heat during the winter properly. They charge you an arm an a leg for electric costs in the summer and won't keep up their end of the bargain to properly heat the building with the boiler. Fitness room is so outdated and most of the cable machines are broken. Laundry room is horrendous as most of the times the machines don't work. The building has two elevators and one has been out for going on 4 months right now..... The thing that really petrified me was the leasing agents offering a "short term" 3 month extension lease due to Covid. I was a week late on getting that request in and they no longer stood by that statement. I ended up having to resign at this nightmare place for a year. Meanwhile, I am paying full priced rent for another 6 months and cannot wait until this lease is up to get out of this building a move somewhere down the street! SERIOUSLY RECONSIDER SIGNING HERE, THE $100/MONTH RENT YOU ARE SAVING BY LIVING IN THE CRAP HOLE IS NOT WORTH IT!!!”

“My boyfriend and I lived here from Nov 2010 - April 2012. We loved living here. -Yes you can hear the bar downstairs at first, but after a while honestly it just fades into the background and you don't even notice. This building is ON division st. If you want peace and quiet you are looking in the wrong area of downtown Chicago to live and this place wouldn't be for you. -loved the hardwood floors -I never could hear any of my neighbors unless they were in the actual hallway. -Crystal the building manager was awesome, super nice. Any maintenance problems were handled pretty quickly. She even got the building management to install all brand new washer and dryers and new gym equipment which was really awesome. -While we lived there, there were a few doormen that were all nice but the last one that was there was pretty cool. He was on point with making sure the line to the bar next door didn't block the front entrance to the building and whenever he saw me coming inside, halls empty or loaded with groceries, he jumped up so fast to open the door for me every time. -Yes the elevators broke down quite a bit but we lived on the 3rd floor so we took the stairs usually but the elevators usually were fixed pretty quickly. -NO PAYING FOR HEAT. best thing ever. yes radiators are loud but get over it bc you aren't paying extra for your heating bill and living in chicago it gets mighty cold. sometimes if it got too hot we would open the window for a bit and it would feel better but again, no complaints bc WE WEREN'T PAYING FOR OUR HEAT. -management signs for all packages and keeps them locked in a closet which i really liked and they make you sign for them when you pick them up. -when it was time to renew our lease, rent only increased by $50. we had a one bedroom and got a steal bc of the market at the time of move in and it was in the winter so our rent was ridiculously low for downtown chicago (i'm talking less than $1100 at the time). If we weren't moving out of state we would still be living there! Cons: -the building is old (built in the 1920s) so do not try to run a few appliances at the same time. if we were making dinner and had the stove and oven going with the tv on and tried to use our microwave our power would go out and we would have to run down the hall to the fuse box and reset them. no big deal since everything would turn right back on but just an FYI. it didn't bother us really. -if you have a car you are kind of beat - you can either pay for parking across the street or try to find parking on the street. All in all, my boyfriend and I really enjoyed this place. We talk a lot about moving back to Chicago and how much we miss our small but cozy apartment. If you can afford the rent it is definitely worth it. You are so close to everything - red line stop around the corner, jewel osco around the corner, 2 24 hour cvs' one block behind you on division street, one walgreens around the corner, chinese food, jimmy johns around the corner, RA's sushi on the corner, etc. Highly recommend living here. -Natalie & Joe”

“My son just moved in to our apartment on 14 Elm and staff has been very responsive. Wayne provided guidance on moving large furniture and was very cooperative and helpful. Chystal helped make sure the loose ends and details were taken care of. The apartment was clean and ready to move in. The location is ideal in the Gold Coast and there is lots to do.”

“Please do not make the same mistake I did!!!! I recently moved out of this building after spending 2 terrible years here...I'm not sure where to even begin....The elevators constantly break down in this building...the front glass door had been shattered more than a few times in the 2 years I lived there...there is a bar directly outside the front door so you get to fight their line every weekend when returning home....After recently moving out I received a call from a very unfriendly lady named Cathy in the corporate offices of B&A associates telling me I owed $200 for painting the wall in my living room ( which I had permission to do from their office manager who they conveniently fired before I moved out) since I didn't have my authorization in writing from the office manager I was told I would have to pay the $200 for them to repaint...even tho every apartment is repainted before a new tenant moves in...the sad thing is this happened to a hand full of others I knew who lived in the building as well...save yourself the hassle and the headaches....STAY FAR FAR AWAY!!!”

“The last person to post is wrong! I have had no problem with the office staff and everyone has been so helpful and quick. Granted, the office is open mostly when most people are working, but if a note is left OR the night doorman is told, they generally take care of problems within a day. Taking into consideration that the apartment building is located right "on" Division St, do expect some noise from the bars (although I was on the 16th floor, so noise wasn't too much of a problem!) I've never had any problem with neighbors and noise carrying over from apartments. Yes, the building is old; the elevators do go in and out of service. For the most part, they get fixed rather quickly. All in all, I've had an enjoyable 3 years in the building and will miss the location and staff. I highly recommend this building to prospective tenants if they enjoy the good things in life (great location, friendly staff, respectful neighbors).”

“------, ------------ that runs this building only got her job because -------------------------------------. Since she took over this place it has been terrible to live in. She is terribly rude, will do nothing to help your maintenance issues, and will talk down to you and lie about anything related to money. Anyone in the building will agree on how much of a ----- she is. Oh, and did I mentioned the worthless door man? He will stare at you balancing your keys and groceries and refuse to open the door for you while he sits on his fat a$$. There are some great places to live in River North, but certainly not 14 W Elm. I bet ------ writes all the good reviews on here by herself. Also, the elevators break down weekly, and don't bring any decently sized furniture because it certainly wont fit in the elevator. Furthermore, don't plan on ever being able to solve a problem with them Management staff because even though they say they are open 8-5, they are not here at least until 9 and leave way before 4. So if you have a full time job don't plan on ever getting your needs met. When you do see them you have to battle the --------------------------------------. Finally, if the bar on the first floor doesn't keep you up, the bars around the building will, or the trash collectors and the men the power wash the dumpsters everyday at 5am. If that wont do it then the clogged and smelly trash chutes will.”

“I trully enjoyed living in 14 West Elm. The staff was always helpful and if you had any maintance problems it was fixed right away. The night security man Mike was always friendly and made you feel at home in the building. The building has a nice roof top where you can enjoy a BBQ, taning and view of Lake Michigan. The 2 bedroom apartment I lived in was large and with windows on 3 sides which made it very light and nice. Beautiful view over John Hancock and the city skyline from the windows facing south.”

“Maitanance staff are the best in the area, all problems are taken care of within hours. 99% of time are taken care of within first 12 hours. I been in the building over a year, love the area, the building is keept very clean, the manegment and staff are committed to provide the best and fast service to renters needs.”

“Just writing this to say that things have changed here. They have recently changed the entire management, and things are really good here now. I have had a few minor issues with my apartment, and it has been fixed within 24 hours. The girls in the building office is also really nice and understanding. I had to sublet out my apartment, and they helped me a lot. I can really recommend this place. Dont worry about the old bad reviews - things have changed.”

“I have to admit that I was hesitant a couple months ago when I saw a few negative reviews - however, I am very happy to say that I love living at 14 W Elm! If you are coming here looking for ultra-luxurious living in the Gold Coast, go elsewhere. If you are a reasonable person looking for an actual fair price in this amazing neighborhood, your search should end here! 14 Elm might not have a huge gym or a pool, but you do get to save literally hundreds of dollars (plus they do have a few nice amenities). SO convenient, and everyone I have met has been friendly and great. No complaints!”

“I loved living there because of the location and the price. I got one month free and only paid $700 first year and $730 last year for my studio. The elevator stopped once in a while and toilet stopped working occasionally during the winters, but they took care of the maintenance soon enough.”

“Was given a letter of eviction from SAM and told we were evicted so we moved out and then were contacted by a lawyer and charged SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS for the remainder of our lease. SCAM, I guarantee they had someone living in the apartment we had to pay for and were double dipping! Management is an ABSOLUTE nightmare. They waited so long to sue us that we no longer had the eviction letter... When having problem with the actual building management we tried contacting the upper management for over two months with no response and when we actually got on the line with someone we were told they would call us back and they never did! Never received packages, they would be sitting on the desk but no their problem it s the doorman (who was awesome when we lived in the building). Mold in the walls and allergy problems, broken elevator ALL the time, drunk people stumbling in and pissing in the stairwells.”

“I have lived here for a year, and will probably renew my lease soon because I like the area and don't want to physically go through the move. I have had several problems with my apartment and the building, and I have paid attention to the way the management handles tenant issues. Honestly, I do not think the problem is the Property Management as much as it is the Management office in the suburbs. This building is extremely old and outdated, there are many issues with the heating, air conditioning, and plumbing that will continue to surface until the owners decide to renovate and actually make things better and up to standards for the area. The Property Manager is rude to the tenants and treats them as if the problem is THEIR fault, because he probably can't do much about it. They are very quick to overcharge you for anything they can to make a quick buck, and dont' give you anything in return. The trash chute is always backed up and smells up the floors. It is extemely loud if your window faces the alley, since it is a passageway between popular bars. You will hear garbage trucks all the time, and drunk people all hours of the night. The fitness room is a joke. Laundry is okay, but a couple of the dryers have never worked since I've lived here. The elevators have problems constantly, and the building maintenance guy lives about an hour and a half away - so if there is an emergency, there is no one to take care of it. The plumbing backs up too, and the water pressure isn't consistent. It is FREEZING in the winter because the radiators are so ancient, and they will try to charge you $200 to put in an air conditioner that was made in 1975 that will run your energy bill up and make you blow breakers when you flip another light on that is connected to the socket. Not to mention, the "Door Man" is extremely unprofessional and will keep track of your business, telling anyone who asks who visits you and your routine. Before I moved here I read all of the bad reviews and thought to myself "How bad could it be? I will be fine....I won't have any problems" and sure enough...I have. Sewage backed up and overlflowed out of my kitchen sink on and off for 3 weeks and I COULD NOT get them to fix it for 2 weeks. I had about $300 in damaged items from the water damage and they still will not even address the issue of crediting my rent for what I went through. You can't even get anyone to pick up the phone at the management office or call you back. There is no accountability for any of the problems with this place. Most of the tenants are young and the building management preys on that, allowing many violations to go by and poor customer service because they think its okay to screw us over.”

“Nothing works, Management is poor, the list goes on, YOU NEED TO READ...It is literally an adventure to try and take a shower, if you can even get hot water to begin with be careful because during your shower the water will go from normal to beyond scolding hot whenever it feels like it...Comcast couldn't get my internet in the room to work...My phone line for the 1st month was connected to another line in the building, so evertime my phone rang it was for someone else in the building...For the first several months my heater was broken AND THEY WOULD NOT FIX IT until after I had to ask them six times throughout the course of weeks (that was awful)...You can hear your neighbors and people down the hall having sex(So no little kids)...yes, its noisy outside from bars and fire-trucks, but that's city life...The apartment building leaks form every angle, the piping under both my sinks, the basement is always flooded, Its even had serious leaks in the lobby muiliple times and in the entrance way where everyone had to get wet as they walked in or out underneath the water coming from the ceiling (for weeks)...Then there is the AC I was supposed to get for free, it is now june 5th 2008 and they said I MIGHT be getting it tomorrow. Today is 90 degrees and I have had to endure hot temperatures for at LEAST 2 weeks. On top of that I have asked every week when we are able to get the AC and they told me each week that it would be the following week. ADDITIONALLY, when I signed up to get one they tried to charge me for it when my lease says its free. I asked management "My AC is free right?" and he replied "Why would it be free"...I just thought that was really rude...Then there is the door man, Im not sure exactly what he does and hes only here at night for a few hours........There is more to complain about 14 w elm but on the bright side I think my apartment is good looking and it is in a really good location”

“I've read all of the other reviews and it seems like they were all written by angry people right after something bad happened. I've had a fairly pleasant stay here and while it's probably one of the shabbier and less well-maintained buildings in the area, it's also one of the most spacious and cheapest. Pros: - Spacious. I took the floor plans for the apartments to an apartment-finder familiar with the area and she looked at them for a while and said "wow...these are huge." - Cheap. Water and heat are included in the rents, which are among the lowest if not THE lowest in the neighborhood. - Friendly staff. Sam and Chris (office), Mike (doorman), and Victor (maintenance) are always polite, helpful, and responsive. The one problem I ever had was when I accidentally poured some hamburger grease down the sink and that was fixed the morning after I put in the work order. I did have some backflow once (my sink started shitting bubbles from someone else's dishwasher) but that fixed itself and has never happened again. Cons: - Objectively, the accommodations are pretty shabby: -- Hardwoods floors are decent but old and badly scratched up. -- Kitchen is cramped - single-well sink, no space for a dish rack to drain into the sink, barely enough room for the oven to open. -- Water pressure is inconsistent in shower. Most of the time it's great, but sometimes it's really frustrating to stand there under a trickle. -- Bathroom is mold and mildew prone and needs to be cleaned often. -- Incredibly noisy. This is my biggest complaint. There's a bar downstairs and clubs on the same block so there is noticeable loud music Thursday through Saturday and some weeknights as well. Also, noise travels easily through the walls and I frequently hear the dysfunctional couple upstairs yelling at each other and the laughter from the loud parties next door. A lot of cons that are definitely annoying, but the space and the price are so great that overall I'm still pretty happy.”

“My experience with the maintenance has been great. Things are fixed promptly and correctly the first time. The old doorman was great too and helpful with packages and any misc. problems that might have come up. There’s a new doorman now, but he’s too new for me to form a good opinion (not to mention I rarely see him). The apartment really is in an absolutely amazing location. Anything worthwhile to do in Chicago is within walking distance or accessible via the Red Line stop not two blocks away. Newer thing they set up recently that has been real helpful is a website to setup automated rent payments and maintenance requests (although most other apartment complexes I’ve been in have had this kind of thing for years).<br><br>Everything else about the apartment is just horrible: the absolute worst place I have ever lived in my life.<br><br>Parking is just a nightmare and/or expensive. If you have a friend coming up from out of town, don’t even think of having him/her try driving unless they want to pay an arm and leg to park. I got lucky and found some parking for about $180 a month, but the going average I found was about $200 to $300 a month. This apartment complex has no parking available to its residents. My parking spot is in another apartment complex’s garage about three blocks away.<br><br>The heating and air-conditioning is just ridiculous. You have to pay the management to get barely functioning air-conditioning units. If you get your own, you have to still pay the management to allow you to put it in your window. There is no central air. The heating is done via radiators which get extremely hot during the winter. It’s been so hot that I’ve actually had to open the windows during the winter just to cool the apartment down since there is no way to turn down the heat.<br><br>The elevators are barely functioning. I’ve actually been in the elevator going down to do my laundry in the basement stop on the first floor and then literally drop to the basement. During the spring through early fall, the elevators break at least twice a week. Combined with the people continuously moving in or out, it just makes getting in and out of your apartment a nightmare. Then again walking up and down seven floors to my apartment is good exercise I suppose. I’d feel sorry for the people on the 17th floor. Without question, the elevators are very dangerous.<br><br>The management is the most unhelpful set of people I have ever experienced in all of my years living on my own. Just getting a package is like going for a root canal. They’ll tell you that they can’t give you your package when you get home from work at 5:30 PM and to wait for the doorman who gets there at six because they don’t want to be bothered from their work (if I told one of my coworkers to take their problem somewhere else ‘cause I was too busy, I’d get fired). If the doorman actually shows up, he’ll tell you to come back after an hour after he does his walkthrough. The old doorman was a great guy as said previously, but I never see this new guy.<br><br>For the price I’m paying for this place, it’s just not acceptable. I’d go find another place one or two blocks away.”

“When I first moved in, I thought the apartment was pretty great; great location, pretty decent price, nice place. Then I started to have a lot of problems with the management. The heat was never on in the winter in our apartment. We actually had to go down twice to get them to turn it on. The noise isn't too bad at night from the clubs, but the walls are paper thin so you can hear pretty much everything. The doorman, and maintenance guys are great. The people in charge of the building, however, are not. They never answer the phone, don't return your phone calls about servicing the apartment, and sometimes sit in the office, but refuse to answer the door. I would not recommend this apartment to anyone, even though it's a great location, because of the horrible experiences and management. Beware! They seem really friendly at first, but are horrible. Also, if you don't like the smell of smoke, this apartment building is not for you.”

“OFFICE PEOPLE ARE INCOMPETENT”

“I have lived here for 2 years. When I moved in, the staff was very nice. then came the new girl ---------. She sends nasty grams to the building, treats you like total crap, does not return your calls and has a massive attitude problem. --- is super nice, but she is such a -------------- that his niceness hardly makes up for it. <br><br>The place is loud. The heat uncontrollable. good luck when you want your A/c installed- you will wait for ages(and if they catch you putting one in yourself without paying them, they fine you). The elevator seems to break once a week. Everytime I do my laundry I end up going back down to find my clothes are still sopping wet in the dryer. The bathroom is in horrible condition. The kitchen is small. I have seen roaches.<br><br>Wait, why did I stay here for that long?<br><br>Oh - because the location is great and the rent has been cheap. it goes up every year and is no longer worth it. Move on - other biuldings right here are much nicer, quieter and could never have a bigger ----* working in the office.”

“I won't go too much into the details about my experience with the management at 14 west Elm, but it's sufficient to say that I don't enjoy being lied to, and then being called a liar myself. I'm a very nice person, but that didn't get the repair I needed done, so after a year of asking nicely, I was fed up. The management team (--- especially) didn't appreciate my candor, probably for good reason, but hey, after a year of cleaning up ------ toilet water, I was done. Then, I was blamed for the problem! After another few arguments, they even had the nerve to say I was lying about the whole thing. Oh well, shady people are everywhere, especially in Chicago, so if you like being treated like you don't matter, but still pay a ridiculous amount of cash, 14 West Elm is the place for you!”

“**Update**<br>When I wrote this review things weren’t that bad. Since the management has become about 10 times worse. It is very obvious now that they don’t care about the tenants at all. --- in the office will insult you outright and is very rude. I have had many issues with him and he is very condescending and no one should have to deal with someone who has that sort of attitude. I can see by the most recent reviews that I am not the only one experiencing such problems. I can no longer recommend this apartment with good conscious.<br>**<br><br>The location cannot be beat. The bedroom and living room layouts are very functional. The kitchen is very small and you can barely turn around in it. The appliances are half sized and very old. The bathroom is very very small and the bathtub is short. The moldings, hardwood floors, arched doorways and bay windows add a lot of character that really gives the apartment a lot of gorgeous character. <br><br>I have been having problems with my asthma and allergies for the first time in several years. The air circulation in the building is very poor. If someone on the floor lights up a smoke or is cooking, you can smell it. The area is of course loud on weekends, but I dont really mind that. I think it gives it some nice atmosphere and makes you remember that you are indeed in the beautiful city of Chicago. <br><br>Package delivery is a nightmare and the office dubs it as "not their problem" because hey dont get paid for it. The door man (He rocks) sorts the packages 5 days a week when he arrives at 6:30 pm. UPS, and FedEx can be delivered directly to your door but with USPS you are out of luck. <br><br>There have been some very distasteful letters mailed out by the staff regarding some problems with younger tenants. <br><br>Parking lots around the building vary from 250-300 and street parking is a nightmare. Over all this is a decent apartment, I wouldnt really recommend it, but I wouldnt not recommend it either.”

“The management team is so rude and doesn't seem to care about the reported problems. They always blame you first. I've lived here for about three years and never had any problem until this team came. I'll move out when my lease ends this march. The only good things here are the location and the nice and helpful maintainace guys.”

“This building is a disaster. Very loud on the weekends, very very loud outside my window. Right in the alleyway and the trash truck comes at all hours and dumps beer bottles from the clubs next door. I hardly get any sleep here. I can’t control my heat (no one can) and it’s very hot in my unit pretty much all winter long. The building is dirty and the worst part, I have to say, there is no ventilation. It smells like smoke and trash. Anyone with allergies and smoke issues, not a good place! The people who live here don’t seem to care at all about keeping it as nice as possible. It’s sad. Seems to be that most of the people here are young 20somes who go out and get trashed on the weekend and bring their drunk friends back. Had I known all of this, I would not have come here. I am out of here in April and I cant wait to move into a professional highrise where this would simpy not be tolerated. Numerous letters have gone out to all the tenets on these issues. <br>On a last note, the location is great. Sam in the office is very nice and helpful and that has made my stay tolerable.”

“04/21/2005<br><br>Its a great location to live, bus line and lake shore, the heart of Rush Street if you like a lot of action, Great place to be for the summer you will enjoy your self. but! we know the loop is noisey. (That is why its call the City where all the action is. )The property Manager is also great, takes care of the tenants, you will always find the Manager very happy going never upset, so it is very very nice to see some one always happy it said alot.”

“Loud! Hot! SMALL! Dirty! AND TOO EXPENSIVE-<br>However, the staff is very nice and they try to accomodate. <br>Could be nice place if they put a few dollars back into the building from rent, who knows where it goes. For a few dollars more you can do much better in this area”