I've lived here for a while, and while the location is great and the staff are friendly, the quality of my apartment does not match the price. Maintenance requests are slow to be addressed, sometimes requiring multiple visits for the same issue. A leak under my sink took several attempts to fix, and damage left by the previous tenant wasn't repaired until six months into my lease. I also did not recive a full set of keys until several months into my lease. I never feel like a priority. The apartment itself has outdated features that tenants are expected to deal with, as per the lease. The floors, walls, and windows are low quality and poorly insulated, showing significant wear and tear from past residents. The biggest frustration is the heating system--electric baseboard heaters that don't self-regulate, meaning you have to manually turn them on and off, leading to an average utility bill of $120 per month. The outdated AC unit, which hasn't been upgraded since the 1990s, is inefficient and expensive to run, costing over $100 in the summer, ontop of the already overpriced rent. Overall, everything feels inconvenient for the tenant. If maintenance were more responsive and the apartment features were updated, this could be a much better place to live. Until then, it's hard to justify the cost. read more

I have been living at one of the Ashton Realty Group properties for over a year now and I have had such a pleasant experience with the management team and the property itself. Management is so responsive and respectful! The apartment itself is in great condition with almost brand new appliances. The process of applying, resigning, and general maintenance could not be easier. They also go out of their way to help tenants if needed. For example, I got locked out of my apartment and within minutes I was able to talk to a staff member and get help. In the heart of Lincoln Park, you can't really ask for much more. The area feels extremely safe and management knows their renters well, so it feels personable! I can definitely say I am happy to have resigned for the coming year! read more

I had a poor experience renting from Ashton Realty Group (the Wrightwood buildings). I was certainly fooled because they treat you wonderfully during the tours and lease signing process. At the beginning of my tenancy, we did not receive mail for around 4 months, and the communication surrounding that issue was unclear and poor. I always paid my rent early, but they accused me multiple times of paying my rent late (they only accept rent payments by check via mail to a lockbox address) and charged me late fees without even checking the receipts, which was a massive headache. I also had a leak in my ceiling which was never properly checked patched up or checked for mold--I was told "no, no mold, no worries". Right.....! My rent was increased approximately 12% after my first year living there. Given the treatment I received as a tenant and the small unit I was living in, there was absolutely no way I was resigning. Upon moving out, I was often given less than 24 hours notice for showings even after requesting at minimum 24 hours. Ashton Realty Group cares about your money, not you as a tenant. Horrible communicators. Seriously, stay away! read more

My studio apt with Ashton Realty is my oasis in the city, I love how much character there is in this apartment--wooden floors, working fireplace!!, yet they have new appliances (stainless steel fridge, huge awesome gas stove), the balcony is amazing and so necessary for sanity during covid. Plus there's a gorgeous tree that grows right out my window--bright green in summer and blushes red in fall). Even though it's right off of Clark I never hear traffic, it's like I'm in the countryside. I love this part of town--across the street from Colectivo, a few blocks from The North Pond/Lincoln Park and just a tiny walk past that to the lake. The staff has been very responsive in regards to maintenance requests and communication (I love the main maintenance man, Mark, he's a hard worker and a gem of a human being). Heather has been great too, and helped me out in a pinch with some parking stuff. They also are fair with rent, taking on some of the increases themselves because they know it's not fair to jack rents up as high as some people do/despite taxes going up. Really grateful to live here. And did I mention there's parking?! You have to pay but it's worth every penny not struggling to find street parking for an hour with a foot of snow... read more

See all

I've been patiently waiting for my lease and my sublease to be over to write this review. First off, I want to thank Raul (the maintenance man) for always being friendly and quick when there was an issue. I wish I could give 5 stars just for him, but I'm reviewing the overall business, so here we go. The owner, John...words can't even describe how awful of a person he is to deal with. Reading some of the one star reviews before I signed my lease, I thought to myself, "this has to be exaggerated, no one's THAT bad". However, I was wrong... Upon moving in, the apartment was left in the most disgusting state I've ever seen. Thick dust everywhere, urine still on the toilet, dirt in the sink and shower, the list goes on and on (please refer to my photos). I brought the issue up to management, a little distraught, as I was new to the city and my moving people were literally coming the next day. I was instructed I would need to talk to John (the owner) upon move in, they would get someone out there that evening to clean it up, and to meet them at the apartment that evening. I spent the entire night with my broker, a cleaning lady, the maintenance man, and literally a brokers friend (who was not even affiliated with the company), scrubbing the entire apartment, filling an insane amount of nail holes - like hundreds, no exaggeration - and painting the entire apartment. Move in day comes, with my movers patiently waiting for instructions (and also increasing my overall mover bill by another hour), John does nothing but belittle me and literally tells me, "he would rip up my lease" as I was describing the state of the apartment upon move-in, all the work we did to fix it, and asked for partial of the move-in fee to be returned. He had the audacity to tell me to write a 5 star Yelp review in exchange for new stainless steal appliances. I told him I would write the review the way it happened and turned down the offer, which sent him off the rails. He refused to look at my photos I took of the place the night prior and insisted on going in the to check the state of the apartment (which was now in an okay state, due to our hard labor). He then tried to belittle me even more after the walkthrough and stated he wouldn't return part of the move-in fee, because the apartment was in fine shape (again, thanks our hard work). He also made a weird comment that this had nothing to do with money because, "he has a private jet". This is just a small snippet of his behavior. Not to mention when I tried to get out of my lease, they were extremely unresponsive (over a week) on checking my potential applicants, because the office worker "was a busy college student", which resulted in a lot of people finding another apartment in the meantime. Also, you have to abide by tight rules that don't match the quality of the apartment: 700+ credit score, no co-sign allowed, must show steady income, etc. In this area, a lot of applications are students (may never had credit, as they're still dependent on parents) or people moving to the US from out of the country (no credit score). Lastly, even though my apartment was in a great location, the quality of the apartment was not worth the price nor the hassle of dealing with John. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere. read more

See all

ALL POSITIVE REVIEWS ARE FAKE. They gave us $50 off rent one month in exchange for a positive Yelp review. Do not rent from them if you care about your living environment. They do not care about you or their property. Here's a photo of the mouse droppings that keep showing up in my room and it's been a year and I still hear them in the walls. read more

Ashton Realty Group - Mouse poop - Real Estate Services Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We have had a RAT infestation for over 2 moths. Rats in our 506 West Deming Garden unit. I opened a vent to find piles of rat feces, I can hear them in my ceiling, we have seen them IN our unit. I have written multiple emails, called. They have sent 1 exterminator out who indicated that drywall and floor boards need to be opened up in order to eradicate the issue. Management has not begun to solve the problem. In fact, they are now in the process of showing our unit to new renters for an August 1 move in. DO NOT rent this unit. read more

Please save yourself and DO NOT rent from Ashton Realty Group. The great location does not make up for the problems..and there's a great chance you'll have to move again in one year so they can increase the rent as has been done to numerous people over several years. It rained the first night I moved in and my kitchen flooded, ruining several family photos. Every time it rains, the property floods in common areas and you cannot access places like the laundry room (where some of the machines do not work) or your apartment. I have personally cleaned out drains more than 3 times just to try to get to the laundry. When the water finally recedes, bugs and a bad smell are left. There are deep holes in the floors, allowing the numerous rats easy entry into your apartment. I have tried to repair the floors myself so as to avoid the owner. The owner (John) is easily the angriest, stubborn and unfair person you can encounter (I'm trying to keep my words civil). He has threatened me and many others to "tear up the lease" when you attempt to notify him of an issue. My windows won't open except for one and the screen is broken. I tried to tell him about this right after moving in and I was automatically labeled as "difficult" and he has since refused to speak to me. I am a single parent who is never late with rent and we are not loud. He has non renewed my lease and is upping the rent $250 (and believe me, it's nowhere near the price he's asking)...and I am not the first, nor will I be the last person he does this to. Avoid Ashton Realty Group at all costs. You'll thank me later. read more

Ashton Realty Group - Real Estate Services Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I cannot express how awful John is. I'm currently a resident at one of the apartments and we have had rats for MONTHS. We have actively seen mice in our apartment and asked for appropriate help getting rid of them. They hired an "exterminator" and had the local handy man for days in our apartment. Rat shit was still present in our kitchen and specifically in my electric kettle (which was on the counter.) We decide to hire our own exterminator to fix the issue and it worked. However, a month later we are hearing and seeing mice again and are now told it is our responsibility to fix because we got our own exterminator. Only rent if you want to be ignored with concerns, hear mice in your walls, and see them running into your bedroom. Also, upon moving in when asking normal questions about our unit... "is our patio shared or is it ours personally" when we saw a bunch of random people sitting on it even though it is connected through our unit. We were told "that's why I don't usually rent to women." That should have been our first sign to run. read more

Renters beware. Do not rent from Ashton Realty. Read through the obvious fake reviews and avoid this management company. If you need more convincing, check out "JAB Realty." Ashton Realty is the successor company. They changed the name a few years ago due, assuredly, to the overwhelmingly negative reviews. The good: Apartments are in a solid location. I lived off Clark street in Lincoln Park for two years. The bad: Everything else. Management is completely inflexible and non-responsive. Due to the covid19 pandemic, we approached Ashton a half dozen times to renew our lease through the stay-at-home orders. They denied each request. Ashton would only offer 12 month leases, to which I was unable to commit. We proposed to increase our rent, pay all the extension upfront, etc., but all our proposals were flatly rejected without consideration. If the pandemic affects your life negatively, do not expect any policy changes from them. Moreover, Ashton takes days to respond to emails. They also claim to not have a business phone for the office. If you want to contact them, prepare for a hassle. A basement unit holds the laundry and a very basic gym. The laundry is expensive ($1.50 to wash, $1.75 to dry) with standard commercial machines. The gym is a single working treadmill and a bowflex. It is not a perk. Payment: Ashton requires checks sent to a PO Box every month. We were promised an online payment system would be available 'soon' two years ago. To this date, they have yet to make online payment an option. The unit was respectable for post collegiate life, if a tad dated. One overhead light per room. Window unit heating and cooling. Electric stove-top. Make the smart choice and avoid Ashton Realty. You won't regret it. read more

Boosted rent $250 after being a good tenant. The place is fine, but landlord/prop management are stuffy and not there to help you. Dont want to sound bitter, because I did enjoy living there, but when it comes to re-signing or maintenance or general upkeep of the place, its below subpar/: read more

This is the worst property management company I've ever had and it's not even a little close. Which is impressive, because the bar is pretty low for property management companies in Chicago anyways. They will not do business over the phone. They won't do maintenance requests unless you are home, and their hours are only 9-5 Monday through Friday. They also just don't show up for maintenance requests which is incredibly frustrating as you have to take time off from a normal working schedule just to get basic work done that should have been done at move in. It took me over 45 emails to schedule my move in. 45 EMAILS! They wouldn't take any phone calls to organize my move. Talking to their "business email" is seriously like talking to a robot from hell. It just shoots off random canned responses like you are shaking a magic 8 ball. On my move out day, I emailed them 45 days in advance to simply unlock the garage so my movers could move in and out of my unit. I also reminded them two weeks before, a week before, and a day before. I also sent several texts to the maintenance service and I bet you can guess what happened then.... THEY DIDN'T OPEN THE F&*%ING DOOR! I have to imagine that these positive reviews are mostly fake (probably helps that they are a paying Yelp advertiser as well). Anyways, Ashton is the most unpleasant company I have rented from, and maybe ever done business with. I would not recommend this business to anyone. read more

I lived at W Wrightwood for 10 months. The location and apartment were very satisfactory. The issues I had were with management. When I moved in, the employee showing me around gave me the number for maintenance and said "if you're nice, they'll respond quickly." Um, no. It's literally their job to respond to service requests. Obviously no one should be a jerk, but that shouldn't be a condition of whether or not they respond. I put in a few maintenance during my lease, all politely, and it always took them a while to respond. Finally, this past winter, the building's heat went out during the "polar vortex" and I had to relocate. They were apologetic, but didn't do anything to make it up to the tenants. That's very unprofessional, not to mention bad business. read more

STAY AWAY. AVOID RENTING FROM THIS COMPANY AT ALL COSTS. Renting from Ashton Realty is an absolute nightmare and the owner John is the definition of a slumlord. Basically, his company purchases building, does the bare minimum to make sure these buildings comply with code, and call it a day. Keep that in mind when you are looking at any listings online. These buildings are not well maintained, and was in awful condition when we saw it in person. There is also the issue of not being able to pay electronically, which could be a blessing in disguise when they inevitably try to charge you for paying rent late because they have piss poor communication with the bank (this will happen guaranteed). We had three separate incidents where they threatened us with eviction because the bank did not process our checks and Ashton just assumed we had not paid. This eviction threat included a written notice on our door and personalized voicemails from the owner charge, calling us irresponsible renters and threatening to take us to court and ruin our credit scores and our lives. Keep in mind, this was after our rent had been late by only one week, and absolutely no fault of our own. The one positive about these properties is the maintenance staff is extremely helpful. read more

It I could write a review just for the Maintence guy Raul, this would be 5 stars. He is so great and quick to come fix anything we may need. I wish I could say the same for the management. I've been living in one of their buildings for 2 years now and I can't wait to get out. They are impossible to get ahold of, the only phone number they give you is for maintenance. They don't respond to emails unless you email them 5 times in a row. We were robbed and they not only didn't check in with us after, but then told us it was on us to buy a security system. They don't actually care about the tenants of their buildings at all. If you're looking for a landlord that you can rely on, rent elsewhere. read more

I have been living in one of their units on W WrightWood and have been incredibly disappointed with the unit and the management of Ashton Realty Group. The building is old, unkept, loud with squeaky floors, keys that don't work, insects, and things are constantly breaking. The heaters are extremely loud so good luck sleeping in the winter. On top of all of this, they are extremely hard to get a hold of. If you email them they will not respond unless you follow up several times, and even then they often don't answer your question and instead provide a template response. I deeply regret moving here and will continue to warn everyone I know about Ashton Realty. read more

I would 100% recommend Ashton Realty to any friends or family renting in the Chicago area. Kyle & Judd have been extremely helpful with the move in process, especially during COVID. Video tours and ample information was given. I felt prepared moving in and felt very comfortable reaching out. read more

I've been renting my apartment since last year. While, I haven't needed much from the management team in regards to the general up keep to the apartment, whenever anything is needed they always respond within a day or two. They have accommodated all of my requests that are needed and have been very pleasant. Mark, who is the maintenance repair guy, is amazing and so friendly. This year it seems as though I need more from the management company than our first year in the apartment and they are very responsive and nice and very professional as well. I actually try to get my friends to move to our apartment complex!! read more

I have been in my apartment managed by Ashton Realty for some months now and my roommates and I love it. Maintenance has been very helpful to us, sorting out some things in the beginning and got everything address, big and small. I was happy to hear that they are working on taking rent payments online instead of check in the mail. Hoping this is coming soon! read more

Ashton Realty Group is by far the most unprofessional and unorganized management company that I have dealt with in Chicago. During the Covid outbreak my roommate and I tried unsuccessfully to extend our lease short term given the evolving situation. Ashton repeatedly denied our requests even after we offered to pay two months rent up front. Ashton claimed that the financing agreement in place with its lender precludes this sort of lease extension, but would not provide any sort of documentation noting this provision. It is also important to note that this was not outlined in the lease agreement. Overall Ashton's management team was very difficult to get a hold of. Efforts to discuss a lease extension were largely ignored. My roommate and I even floated the option of having a call with management to discuss the situation, to which Ashton responded that they did not have a business phone line available. Furthermore, Ashton does not appear to have a great handle on the management of its facilities. One day I walked out of the back door of our unit to find that the door frame was just painted and still wet. Ashton failed to notify tenants that this work was being done. Upon contacting Ashton and providing pictures, Ashton's response was that they were unaware of any work being done. Upon signing our lease, Ashton advised that an online payment portal would be operational in the near future. Two years later the portal still does not exist. read more

Great location apartments, Communication with management is good, always a phone call or email away. Also maintenance is amazing and that's super important especially for vintage units! read more

Great communication and beautiful apartments! My broker Shawn was very helpful in finding a right match for me and the apartment is spacious and beautiful, right in a great location in Lincoln Park, next to restaurants, stores, and right next to the lake. Definitely recommend! read more

One of my friends lived in one of their buildings last year. Whoever runs this joint is what we call in the real estate business, a slumlord. One of my friends had to move out of building due to cockroaches. They did not provide appropriate action to eliminate the cockroaches. They did the absolute best minimum. I hope this group knows that by having a terrible product, their real estate value is hurt in the process. Try this instead. Invest in the building and get all of the maintenance issues solved and perhaps you'll see some tenants stay longer than a year. You're welcome Ashton! Can't wait for you to switch your name again to escape the negative reviews! read more

The Ashton Realty Group has been a pleasure to work with. My roommate and I found the perfect apartment thanks to Shawn, who was an excellent agent to work with throughout the entire process. The building and units on Deming are in great shape, and the location couldn't be better! Highly recommend! read more

Ashton Realty has been a pleasure working with. I toured and applied for their apartments on Deming, and the process was extremely smooth. The building and units themselves were very well maintained and presented and for a very reasonable price. The surrounding area is also awesome with tons of bars, restaurants, shops - literally anything you could need in walking distance. And above all, Ashton Realty has been extremely accommodating - even allowing me to move-in a few days earlier than my lease date which was a huge help. I will definitely be recommending this group to friends/family. read more

Don't get me started with John. All of the five star posts on here are fake. Seriously, half of the people who posted work there (LinkedIn their names) and the other half must be friends. Bottles of water in the refrigerator, seriously?? John never gave anything away for free his entire life. Be forewarned. He changes his business name and address every time he gets negative reviews. The apartments are falling apart and he can get away with not maintaining them because they were grandfathered into their current classification as non-conforming use properties. Read your leases before signing!!! There are administrative fees for breathing. Make sure that he rents you the apartment you saw! Write down the apartment number and see if it matches the lease or you're going to be stuck in a garden level below grade with mold and burglars. Talk to a current resident before leasing!!!They will tell you the truth about his buildings. read more

I have lived at their property at Deming for ~2 years, and the laundry machines have been broken about half of the times I have used them, causing my time to do laundry to double. What's worse is the passive aggressive notes the management leaves on said broken machines blaming the tenants. I would have brought this up with them in person were it easier to get ahold of them. The floors are thin and squeaky and the tenants around me like to party. This may be for you, but the noise drives me nuts. I can't replace the broken in-wall AC unit without paying them to do the installation. Why do I have to pay to replace the broken unit? I can't wait to get out of here. I agree with previous reviewers who would have given a 5 star review to the maintenance guy Raul. He is the saving grace of this apartment complex. read more

I moved in September 2015 to the W. Deming location of Ashton reality. 2 bed/ 1 bath. Overall the place is in good shape. Granite counter tops, good size closets, ample storage, wood burning fireplace, nice size porch. Before we committed to the place, the realtor said that the unit would be re-painted; There were quite a few marks on the wall from previous tenants. Our landlord (John) arranged to have someone come put fresh paint on the walls immediately and they did a great job, leaving no mess behind. A handyman is also around to fix anything in the unit Monday- Friday. Overall, everyone I have been in touch with regarding concerns about our unit, have been incredibly professional and helpful. John is willing to give you what you need to make the unit nice. We're 2 females so it's nice to know we are taken care of. Something I really appreciate. read more

The worst landlord service I've ever had. John changed the name from JAB Realty to Ashton Realty without telling anyone to try to rebrand his company from all the negative reviews. The horrible stories I have with this realty group are meant more for a book than for Yelp. I can't wait for my lease to end. The apartments might as well be held together by duct tape and the customer service is atrocious. I wouldn't wish this realtor upon my worst enemies... read more

I have lived with Ashton Realty Group for the past year and it is by far the best property management business I have ever experienced! John has a great mix of professionalism and humanism running Ashton Realty Group. In an industry that just acts for what will benefit their own wellbeing, John is on the other end of the spectrum and puts his tenants first. There was an issue moving out of my previous property management apartment complex. I spoke with John about it and he put business aside to accommodate my needs. This was an invaluable benefit that will always be appreciated! The maintenance team of Raul and his partner are class acts as well. They were flexible to come in on Saturdays to make sure every tenant's radiator was working properly for the winter. This can also be said for when I needed maintenance within my apartment. Raul found out what time works best for me and they were early when coming to my apartment. The process was very quick and easy! When looking for an apartment, I strongly recommend contacting Shawn to inquire more! read more

My daughter just moved into a property by Ashton Realty and she and I so regret it! They do not have onsite management - supposedly the only person that runs this company is John and he is in Florida and you have to text him your issues and he responds on his time - no urgency. There is NO phone number, let me repeat that, NO PHONE NUMBER, that you can call to speak with him. He avoids all his tenants. I understand that this company has changed their name several times and now I know why. My daughter should have read their reviews prior to signing a lease. Believe me all the "favorable" posts are FAKE. You are promised all kinds of things prior to executing the lease and when the time comes for Ashton Realty to back it up, he (they) don't. What a horribly run company. Plenty of other places to rent. Do yourself a favor and go elsewhere. read more

Not sure to be writing this for Ashton or Jab. When we started renting 4 years ago all of our leases have said Ashton but while moving out noticed the dumpsters say Jab. While searching I saw that it was called Jab in 2014 but they changed their name (probably because of all the 1 star reviews) and changed it to Ashton and now back to Jab. Just saying this so when you do go through the reviews, go through both. We lived in this apartment for 4 years and while viewing the apartment we got hit with when you move in there will be new appliances and the entry way will be redone. When we moved in a month later we did not receive new appliances and I had to call many times and was made to seem that I was being annoying. The entry way did not get redone for months. There was also no address on our building and I was getting complaints from the mail man and when I asked if they could put the address on the outward door I was actually told I was causing a problem. When we moved in there were literal holes in the walls, the paint was a mess and the floor boards were up and when I asked if they could be repaired, I was told that they do not do that. But the next week I saw someone working on an apartment so when I asked about that the reply I received was oh, yea. So beware of the empty promises. About the emails...for 4 years they have my husband's incorrect email and it has been corrected on multiple occasions but they have not fixed it and would get very annoyed at him for not responding, to emails he never received. Also, in the 4 years I never saw or spoke to the same office person more than once. The owner puts on a whole show about how he only rents to an older and responsible crowd and absolutely no students, he gave us a hard time because my husband is in grad school finishing up a phd program BUT on many occasion I have talked to people who have told me they are in undergrad and we have over heard conversations about people being in undergrad. The parties that happen on the weekend are similar to the parties in dorms. Beer cans all over the walk ways, people shouting frat/sorority chants till 3 in the morning and throw up on the flowers...I am not complaining about people having fun but when it is told that it is a mature crowd and you have to walk around throw up in the morning, that is not the crowd I was trying to live with anymore. When complaining about the parties we were told it was OUR fault for not getting to know our neighbors only when we showed pictures of the beer cans and throw up were we told they would look into it. The owner, just to make it inconvenient, asked to meet us at 7am and told us that he didn't think we would show up AND told us the only reason he would meet with us was because we had lived there for so long. SO if you are new to the property, good luck complaining about anything because no one wants to hear it. On a day to day basis the apartment was okay and the location (on deming) was great (which is why this is 2 stars) BUT if you have any problems it probably won't get taken care of. Last thing, never accidentally get yourself locked out because they will tell you that it is your fault and will not help you. They will also tell you that they do not have a key to your apartment but I know for a fact that maintenance has a key and so does the office, but they refuse to help when you are in trouble. read more

Ashton Realty Group is a great landlord. I pay my rent on time and follow the terms of my lease. In exchange, when I have a maintenance issue, the maintenance team fixes the matter promptly. The property is in good shape, and the outdoor common areas are beautiful in the summer time. I would recommend this landlord to anyone. read more

I lived in a 1 bedroom on Wrightwood for 2 years. For the price and somewhat updated kitchen/ bathroom it was well worth the price. The maintenance guys were great and super responsive. However actually dealing with the management company was a different story. I also had problems with mold and a persistently leaking ceiling the whole time I lived there. read more

Ashton has been so helpful in our process of moving in. They are super responsive and helpful with any need whether it be move in, maintenance, etc. I absolutely love my place, it has everything I could need:) thank you Ashton realty! read more

I took over someone's sublease last fall for a studio convertible. The individual who previously lived there had an A/C unit already in so it was left there for me. I thought the size of the unit was a decent size for just myself. I'm a remote employee and the separation on my bedroom and the living/office area was nice to have. The fireplace and the patio were my favorite features. I used the fireplace several times throughout the winter months. Earlier this year I moved out to the suburbs but still continued to pay for the unit and occasionally used to stay on the weekends. During this time, management was aware that I had moved to the suburbs. I never really had any issues other than an occasional maintenance issue and loud heaters during the winter. About a month until my lease ended I was asked to send a copy of one of my keys. I did but apparently the key fell out of the envelope in the mail- or so I was told. I was in the city one weekend and didn't get to my place until late at night because I no longer had a tv and most of my stuff had been moved other than my bed. When I tried to get into my apartment I couldn't. They completely changed my lock without my knowledge. Luckily I was able to get through the back door. Once I entered my apartment I noticed that some of my things had been moved most likely do to showing my unit to potential renters. However, again I was not advised that anyone would be entering my unit at anytime without notice. I tried contacting the office and after several attempts someone finally responded and said that they must have forgot that they didn't tell me they had to replace my lock. I was so upset about this and this violated my rights as a lessee. Although I did not actively live there it didn't make it ok to do this and brush it off like it was no big deal. Also, please be aware that the heaters are LOUD, the back stairs do not get shoveled or salted in the winter and the washer and dryers are not the best. On a positive note, it's in a convenient location and the maintenance man is great! read more

I lived in one of the Lincoln Park units, great location! They also have parking available, which is key in this neighborhood. Maintenance requests were always answered in a timely manner. I would recommend this property. read more

Please look into the yelp.com reviews for JAB Realty & Development and Belden Properties BEFORE renting from Ashton Realty Group. This is the latest business from John Brown, a terrible landlord who should have been put out of business years ago. When one "company" gets a bad enough rap, he makes up a new company name. You can confirm that this is John's company by visiting the website and clicking on one of the available rentals. It will tell you to call or text John to schedule a showing. You can save yourself a massive headache by reading about others' experiences at the older companies before signing a lease with Ashton Realty Group. read more

I agree with the other poster who said the five star reviews are fake/people who work for John. Look up reviews for JAB Realty, which is owned by the same man. Living here was a nightmare, from the first day we moved in to the end of the lease. The morning of our move in day, I got an email saying that we wouldn't be able to move in until the next day because John was taking the day off. This was contrary to several email confirmations that we would meet and get the key that day. When I called to see what the mix-up was, John yelled at me, mocked me and threatened to tear up the lease that we had already signed and paid the deposit for. (By the way, instead of a security deposit, he asks for an exorbitant non-refundable "move-in fee".) Eventually we did move in that day, but after a huge hassle in which they made us re-sign all the paperwork because the office had misplaced ours. Other horrible experiences with John involved him threatening to evict us because of "noise complaints"-- he wouldn't tell us what the noise complaints were about or what day or time they had been made, leading me to believe he was just picking on us... when we called to sort out the issue with him he yelled that we were "nothing but trouble since the day we moved in"-- simply not true as we are barely home and never had any parties or more than one guest over at a time, and we generally tried to be the best tenants possible in order to avoid these run-ins with John. He also charged us a ridiculous late fee of $80 when my rent check was ONE day late due to the mail being delayed- I sent in my rent check the same time every month yet he still would not waive the fee... Electricity in our kitchen was out for months and he refused to send maintenance because he said we had to just flip the switches around in the control panel ourselves, which didn't do anything..... The apartment was filthy when we moved in and was always cold due to cracks in the window... we spent so much money that winter on heating bills yet we were always freezing... the water in the shower would take 30 minutes to warm up... All I can say is I'm so glad to be out of there and I would never recommend Ashton Realty to anyone! read more

I have greatly enjoyed my lease with Ashton Realty. The apartment itself was clean and bright, and maintenance was always quick and pleasant to work with! The company was flexible in allowing me to move in a week prior to my lease start date, and staff was friendly and accommodating. I would highly recommend! read more