We met John Yousef when we looked at our apartment, and everything seemed fine at first. Here's a quick list of things that have happened since.
- When we first arrived, John insisted the back door was unlocked with the key inside. I told him it wasn't (I was standing there trying to open it) and he argued that it indeed was unlocked, as if i don't know how to use a door. basically told me I needed to figure it out on my own. I finally got the combo for the lockbox for the keys.
- Upon moving in, we realized how poorly the remodeling work was done. The floors immediately began to split apart, most of the windows were unfinished. The bathtub was not sealed to the wall. There is still is a large gap under the front door that lets air in - Management had been notified about this 3 times over the winter and we were told to put a towel in it to seal the gap. In addition, most of the backsplash tile is broken, the dishwasher is improperly installed (backwashes into the sink - very loudly)
- I also was leasing a parking spot in back for $100 a month. There was no mention of how difficult it would be to open and shut this large gate, and there was a padlock installed on it. When I asked John for the combination to the padlock, he told me "there is no lock on the gate, just push it open". This was obviously not true as I was looking at the gate at the time.
- When the polar vortex came through Chicago, the basement was under construction, and not insulated in any way. The heating system that John had purchased for the unit was struggling to keep our tiny apartment in the high 50 degree range. The pipes froze, and when John showed up and we told him how awful the living situation was, he laughed at us and left.
- There was an old metal electric radiator that was constantly being left plugged in the back hallway, tipped over halfway down the stairs. We contacted management and were told to unplug it but the construction/maintenance workers kept plugging it back in
- On a Sunday, we noticed coming in that there was an open gas fire coming out of the pipes in the basement. There had been no workers in the basement since the Friday before. They had left an open gas fire in our basement for 2+ days and they told us that the workers responsible had been fired. We saw the same workers in the basement the following Monday.
- They frequently entered our apartment without 24 hour notice (as mandated by Illinois law) and never apologized or said it would stop, simply blamed it on "miscommunication"
- Building was sold to a private party, and I've still been receiving bills for the past 3 months from John/NXT even though I am paying the new landlord. They have not responded to my requests to stop being billed.
Overall, not a great experience with this organization. The work they do does not imply any sort of concern for their customers.
Note: Absolute Realty is now a part of NXT read more
