We searched for months online, trying to find the right apartment that met all of our needs. We kept coming up short, so my boyfriend suggested we try Apartment People. We met with John R. who was an absolute blast to work with--so knowledgeable of every property we looked at and patient as we worked our way through the list. John happened to know of a property that wasn't even listed on the rental market yet and called the owners to find out they were just planning to list it. We drove over right away, fell in love with our dream home and applied that day. Within two days, the apartment was ours. We would have never found it without John. He has our highest recommendation. read more

Well, I haven't had my appointment yet and I'm already disappointed with the level of service. I filled out an appointment application about 2 weeks ago and opted to view all neighborhoods; all except west and south loop, streeterville, and gold cost. The website told me I would receive a call from a representative to confirm my appointment. A week went by and I still didn't receive a call, so I contacted them. I spoke with Beth (I believe) who told me I didn't receive a call because the Evanston agents only cover the Skokie-Rogers Park-Evanston area. According to her, they don't want their agents "stepping on each others territory." She listed off a few other excuses that she didn't seem too confident about before I decided to end the call. Am I wrong for assuming all of your locations operate under the company? It would've been nice if this were stated on your site or if someone could've contacted me to let me know. Or at the very least forward my info to the Lakeview office. Instead I waited a whole week when I could have used that time to search myself. I spoke with Beth again today and I just don't think this lady is cut out for client interactions. In short, she rushed me through the phone call (which was only 3 minutes long) and kept cutting me off. At one point she even said "I have another call on hold." I have an appointment set up through Bernard at the Lakeview Location, which sounds much more promising. I'll still go to my Evanston appointment and hope that I'll have a better in-person experience. read more

Apartment People made finding an apartment easy. I flew into Chicago for one weekend in July to try to find an apartment for September 1st. I was preparing myself for a stressful and frantic search, but John made the process so easy. We sat down and went through my preferences and ruled out some units, and made a list of four to go see. At one of the showings, John asked if I had considered renting a studio (I hadn't). He encouraged us to take a look at one, and that ended up being the apartment I chose! He was very friendly and helpful, and there was none of the awkwardness and ulterior motives that you might get from a true real estate agent. If I need to rent again in the Chicago area, I'll definitely be using Apartment People again. read more

They staff at Apartment People are friendly, courteous and very helpful. They answered all of my questions quickly and have made the stressful part of moving into a very pleasant experience! read more

Elise is hands down the most amazing person. My husband and I were moving from Philly to Chicago with a month to move after receiving a promotion at work and while we had been to Chicago to visit, we weren't able to fully come out with existing work and a pandemic on the horizon. Elise took the time to understand our budget, what we wanted (and didn't want) in a place, and was super professional and communicative along the way. Cannot recommend Elise highly enough!!!! read more

After moving to Chicago from Texas, I didn't know where to start. A friend recommended John Ruckdashel (completely apologize if I got the last name wrong) to help with my search. And boy, did John help out A LOT. All of the apartments John showed me were really nice. He even sent me an email of 8 apartment links with pictures and wrote a one sentence description for each of them. He listened to everything I asked for and I love that he gave me so many options to choose from. I'd plan on using John again and would highly recommend him to anyone. He's a great and genuine guy. read more

I found my current unit through the Apartment People two and a half years ago. This service made my transition to the Evanston area seamless. I would definitely recommend their services. read more

Horrible experience. I took an apartment that they found me when I was moving to Evanston. I was in a rush and didn't spend the time I should have (this is my own fault). The apartment had the worst landlords ever. I wrote to the Apartment People to tell them that, and the CEO, Ilene Collins, wrote me back. She said she was sorry for the problems I was having. I sent Ilene, THE CEO, pictures of the millipedes that were crawling on my walls and told her about the carbon monoxide in the building that was causing the smoke alarms to go off. This was her response: "your bug problem is normal for the area at this time of year. You may want to remind them to exterminate. It is not unusual for those type of bugs. They will just go away as the weather changes. I also had an apartment with radiator heat and had a difficult time adjusting at first. However, the day may come when you miss that good heat that steam heat provides". Millipedes are not normal, not anywhere, inside an apartment. And I said nothing about being able to adjust the steam heat. It was carbon monoxide. I had so many other problems with the landlord, that I moved out before the year was up. These people are terrible, and the CEO will tell you that millipedes "will just go away as the weather changes". Yup. read more

John R worked diligently with me to find the right apartment in Evanston. He was punctual, courteous, and friendly. We met at his office where he showed me some nice units that fit my requested profile. We then viewed 5 apartments in the matter of an hour or so-- the way in which we visited each one was efficient and well organized. When I wasn't sure about one of them, he graciously showed me another unit in the same building at a later date-- all for free! Thank you, John and Apartment People. Great way to see a lot of places at once, and a great experience! read more

The office is really nice and in a great location. Our apartment person was Melody who I felt went above and beyond to help find us an apartment! She was always really nice, open, and honest with us. We were difficult people to find a place for and she found us the perfect one, unfortunately this fell through, but she helped us find a replacement. If something is wrong or needs to get done Melody can do it. The other staff here are really nice. The receptionist is really on top of things. read more

Fantastic company Fabulous people. We use them REGULARLY FOR 30+ years. All of the folks there are great and Especially John R. who is the finest, most polite, hardest working fellow I have ever met. Use them! You will be happy!!! read more

This was by far my best experience with apartment renting agency. We were searching for a place off season which can be challenging sometimes. John took amazing care of us! Within 3 day of walking through their door- not kidding, just walked in, 20 mins before they closed- we got super cute and well priced place. It was great and painless! Thank you AP & John!!! read more

We decided to try these people out, mainly because we are super new the area as well as needing to find a place fast. The staff member we worked with was amazing. She found us at least four different places that met the criteria we were looking for; cost, location, extras, allows pets (cats, that aren't declawed). We were able to see three of the four apartments (one had a 24 hour notice) and each place had its own uniqueness, and they were all within our budget. I know from talking with our staff person that there were more apartments that we could have seen, but they would be lacking on a few of the things we wanted (dishwasher, full size oven-those kinds of things.) In the end we were able to find a beautiful 3 story walk up that is just amazing, hardwood floors, and newer appliances. Everyone we have interacted with has been extremely helpful. The only negative aspect I had was the hours they are open on the weekdays, I understand that they do not want to be showing apartments that late, but it gets to be difficult if you work or go to class most of the day. I would still recommend them to someone who is looking for an apartment out here. Keeping in mind that they are a business, and while you might be able to find something you like more on your own, they have recourses that the average person wouldn't. If we have to move again while we are in Evanston, I plan on going through them again. read more

I gave it three stars and here is why. 5 stars go to the man who showed me 6 apartments in 1 day when I only expected to see 1. His name was John R. and was a pleasant man who genuinely seemed to enjoy his job. I give the processing department 1 star, however. They were disorganized and rude. I was receiving calls every day asking to confirm information i had given numerous times. I was told I needed a cosigner, then told i didn't need one, then again, I was told I could not pick up the keys until a cosigner had signed the lease. They changed my lease term on me twice, and when I argued that this information had changed, the lady on the phone became rude and defensive. All in all, it's a good service to use to find an apartment, but expect the rest of the process to be utterly confusing and disorganized. I would suggest apartment people invest in better communication. read more

I started my apartment search with a lot of needs/wants: We have 2 large dogs and a cat, so I'd been facing a lot of flat-out rejections from landlords on my own. John was super helpful and understanding, very personable and patient. He showed me a lot of really great places, two of which were 2-3 bedroom, single-unit, freestanding HOUSES under $1300! How great is that? Especially when I was searching in the fall. I decided to apply for a house, but wanted to keep looking just in case... While it may have been silly on my part, I did put down half a month's rent with the implication that it was refundable. While the form I signed did specify (in very small print) that the deposit is not refundable if you change your mind, I still feel the agent should have made that abundantly clear verbally as well. BE SURE YOU ABSOLUTELY ARE COMMITTED TO A PLACE IF YOU APPLY OR YOU WILL LOSE ALL YOUR MONEY! I'd give John 4 stars, since he was great, but the processing department was rude, pushy, and not very flexible - I'd give them 1 star probably. Ultimately, I found a really great place that meets all my needs and wants through craigslist. No pet fees, no application fee, fully refundable deposit, awesome landlord... I will be staying away from agencies from now on. It's probably best to meet the landlord directly and be able to negotiate for yourself. If you do use Apartment People, just be aware of their deposit policy! read more

I worked with Apartment People to look for a studio in the Evanston area. The staff was very friendly and helpful. They provided all the information for which I was looking. I would recommend Apartment People to anyone looking for an apartment in Evanston. read more

As a new NU graduate student, I worked with this office when I first arrived in Evanston and had to find an apartment in August. I ultimately did not rent through them, but I do have a few things to say about my experience: PROS: Simple online appointment setting process, productive apartment viewing tour, and courteous agents. This is a good way to get out and see a range of options around Evanston. If you go out on tour, you'll feel like you're getting a lot done in a couple of hours. CONS: Difficult to get in touch with agent during the actual process-- to be fair, I was searching during one of the busiest times of the year. Also, you're pretty much at the mercy of your agent when it comes to any and all properties that they work with in town. For instance, you will NOT be able to apply for a unit that's available without your agent walking you through the process, even if they are not responsive. And time is of the essence, especially if you're interested in a more popular unit size or location. It's understandable given the nature of the field, but definitely something to keep in mind. It can get awkward rather quickly if you're not limiting your search to what they do for you. OVERALL: You need to go into it with a strong idea of what you want and what your dealbreakers are, and stick to your guns. Take a good look at the area, do your own research, find out what every building in the neighborhood is and make sure that you're comfortable with whatever is there. If you're searching remotely, you may want to have an honest contact check it out for you. Awareness is key. BOTTOM LINE: A great way to see what's out there when you first start looking, but the downsides outweigh the positives, especially if you're not solely working with them in your search. read more

Worst Experience !!! Please don't go there. I saw an apartment and was told by the agent that its in good shape. I was okay with the utilities and rent. I applied for it and got a call next day from the owner. She told me the apartment has a heating issue and won't fix the windows for the same. She wanted to rent it out to someone who has no issues with faulty heating in the winter. To add to that, the tenant is responsible for heat bills in that apartment. I wouldn't have applied for such a place had Apartment People told me this issue while touring that place. Lost my precious money for nothing and it hurts badly !!!!! read more

Leasing agent misled me to think the apartment was heated after leased was signed I find out that heting is my responsability. Called the apartment people and was told that the agent was no longer wotking there. Buyer beware! read more

Apartment people was very helpful in our search for an apartment in Evanston. Diana O helped filter through and show us places. She was very responsive and helpful, and guided us through the application process too. Great service! read more

You're better off figuring it out for yourself. Trust me. Just call supervisors of buildings or whatever you need to do--don't ask for these peoples' advice! The woman I had didn't know what she was talking about *at all* and I feel like I got tricked into living in a bad neighborhood. Also, she had no taste and kept showing me apartments that looked like they were in the middle of the ghetto. I gave her a huge price range, so it was totally ridiculous that she took me to these awful places. Anyway, there's plenty of nice stuff in Evanston and you will easily find a great apartment. Going to these "experts" does not save you a dime and certainly doesn't ease your search. read more

Rude staff if its your business to help people you should have a better attitude so you can make your commissions!

I wish I could give NO stars! These people are terrible!! They tell you one thing over the phone when you're making the appointment (like, sure we have apartments in your price range with parking) and then call you back a day later (after you've cleared your morning for their appointment) saying they have one apartment to show you with zero parking options! Bullsh*t. YOU ARE THE WORST!!!!!!! Stay away! read more

I have been to two apartment people locations and this one is definitely the better one. Last year, Melody helped me and my boyfriend at the time a wonderful apartment that fit all of our needs. We loved working with her and she really was amazing. This time however, we ended up working with John. He helped me and my now husband find a place that perfectly suits our current needs. He helped us look through a bunch of places and informed us that if we apply for a place that uses the apartment people credit check, if we were to be declined, we can apply for another place that also uses the apartment people credit check for no additional fee. We ended up applying for a place, but we got declined. After getting declined for a place I looked at in Evanston, we decided to expand our search radius to Chicago, so I called the lakeview location to make an appointment a week in advance. When I got there, I had to wait over 30 minutes /after/ my scheduled appointment time to see someone. As soon as I got there, everyone made me feel like I was unwanted. Once I sat down, the leasing agent (I think his name was Eric but I could be wrong) brought up my file and immediately started treating me as if he was too good to be in the same room as me. He went over a bunch of places and kept going on and on about how I probably wasn't going to get accepted for any of them because my credit wasn't the best. Halfway through my appointment, he actually ended up passing me to a different leasing agent who essentially told me the same things. I spent almost three hours there just to feel like I was being degraded and didn't look at a single place. In the end, I went back to the Evanston location and told my leasing agent from there (John) about what happened at the lakeview location and he was nice enough to show me all the places I wanted to look at including the ones outside of his territory. In the end, he found us an amazing place and we're in the process of finalizing the lease and payment. I give John and the Evanston location 5 stars and would definitely recommend people go there if possible. read more

There apts are falling apart - the toilets run & leak it smells like the sewer!! management is nasty , terrible , rude may i go on , you get the point . rent is way too high for the apts they are renting the apts are way to small!! , yeah i know this is evanston but come on . in one apt building 6 people moved out in a 2month time period . if that's not telling you something then i dont know what else could be said - dont rent from them it would be better to sleep on the street then in one of there crap shack's . thank god my aunt moved out :) read more

Initially, I was unhappy with their call-in service, but when I set up an appointment with one of their agents, Heather, she was genuinely nice and helpful with my apartment hunting process. As a result, I moved relatively quick into my new apartment. Thanks Heather! I'm satisfied with it. In general, it's highly advised to look around more and compare different plans either by talking to people or look up reviews online. Talk to a lot of property management companies is very important because you really get a good sense of the rent range for different areas and would have a larger bargaining leverage. Look up Craig's list as well cuz you might find some good deals. Also, just bike/walk around different neighborhoods and contact the landlords of the building you like if they are leasing the apartment. Evanston is a fairly pricy place to live, but if you do your homework and put in enough effort, a reasonably priced and decent apartment should not be a mission impossible. Good luck! read more

Overall my experience with Apartment People in Evanston was very good. The staff is very professional and friendly. Summer is a very busy time of the year for them, but they helped coordinate my apartment search very well. John Ruckdaeschel was very friendly and professional. He and the other staff seemed very knowledgeable about the Evanston area and I'd recommend them to a friend. read more

The agents lie to you point blank. I ask specifically about soundproofing every apartment and was assured things would be quiet. I was greeted with paper thin floors and neighbors who don't understand what an appropriate volume is. To add to things the tub repeatedly backs up while I am out leaving a nice layer of filth for me to clean about once a week. Clearly this free service is completely doing the landlords' bidding as they pay for everything. Avoid at all costs. read more

I am relocating from New York to Chicago for a position located in Evanston. I had only 2 days to find an apartment. Apartment People was recommended by HR rep. I called to schedule an appointment and gave all my details over the phone. I was told to come in at 9am. I arrived at 9am and parked my car at a meter. When I walked in, no agent was assigned to me and it was obvious that none of the information that was asked over the phone was relayed to him. After waiting 10 minutes and then spending 30 minutes going over what I was looking for and my price range we were on our way but not before he told me to make sure that I had 2 hours in the meter. He showed me places that were higher than my price range and his explanation was that I could afford more. That was not the point, if I wanted to pay more, I would. When I would ask questions regarding crime in the area, type of occupants in the building, he would state that due to the Fair Housing Laws, he could not answer those questions. He was unaware that I have 4 attorneys in my immediate family alone. This had nothing to do with Fair Housing Laws, it had to do with him wanting to protect himself in case that if I moved in to an area that he deemed as safe and was attacked, he could be liable. We return to the office after about 1 hour and 45 minutes after I didn't see anything that I liked. He then told me I should check my meter and the office gave me additional quarters to feed the meter. To make a long story short, I did not get an apartment through him after he rushed me out of an apartment because his 2pm appointment was coming. Lastly, to add insult to injury, I received a parking ticket. $30 for parking for more than 2 hours. The office told me to feed the meter for more than 2 hours. I was coming from out of state and didn't know they had this rule. The cherry on top was when the 2pm appointment came in and the staff all said, did you feed the meter because they're really ticketing today. Her response, "Oh, I parked in the free lot that you directed me to." I looked over and of course my agent saw that I heard her response and he states, "I don't know why I didn't tell you that." Ridiculous, I would never refer anyone to this office. I hope that those of you that are reading this have a better experience than I did. Very disappointed. read more

My experience was horrible. I have used them in the past, but never had an experience like this one. The agent i was given was sorta helpful, but did not know enough about the apartment i applied for. I asked them about the owners requirements upfront, and they said i would be fine. When i called to check on my app they said they left a voicemail that was never left, telling me i had been denied. Welp, my credit got hit and the landlord was so unprofessional, she didn't even try to work things out with me such as ask for last months rent , that i could have easily provided. When i talked to processing, they said they would try to talk to the landlord for me, even though the landlord had me call her a few days before that! Now the middleman BS! I thought why cant this person just call me up like they did before? Needless to say, i lost over $100, and my credit was hit only to end up with nothing. Your better off searching by yourself. Save yourself the time, money, and the useless hard inquiry dent on your credit report that will last a whole year. STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE.. read more