I have moved every three to four years since college (2010). Moving from apartment to apartment with friends, significant others, new cities and new adventure. I moved into 3734 N. Pinegrove Ave about a year and half ago, and it has been my favorite apartment I have ever lived in. I even tried to buy it (of course they would not let me). It is a family owned business, and they really do treat the tenants with respect, kindness and flexibility. The building manager lives on-site (Rada) and very reachable via text. I love seeing Rada and her amazing husband around the building, she seems to know everyone and is always up for a chat. Her number is also posted around the building in the event you did not save it in your phone. The overall building manager (Ethan) is also extremely reachable by text/phone in the event of issues. I never needed to reach out to him, as Rada took care of everything in my building. I have only had one issues with my apartment and it was fixed within 24 hours from this extremely responsive team. Rada took the time when I moved in to show me how the buzz system worked (it is attached to your cell phone). Took me on a tour of the laundry room, bike area and outside patio. My apartment was extremely clean when I moved in, the walls were freshly painted white, my original hardwood floors were polished and my oven was clean (very rare in my experience). My unit is an oversized studio on the 4th floor of an elevator building. It has four very large East facing windows, an eat-in kitchen and walk-in closet. That is not the only reason I loved this place, it was the management. The only reason I am moving is because I purchased a place on Marine Drive, again because they would not sell me this unit. I would have happily stayed here for many more years. I cannot recommend this apartment building/building management company enough. * I was not paid for this review, I was given no perks with this review. I just wanted to share my experience with this company because I believe people should know the type of management they will be dealing with if they decide to sign a 12 month lease. read more

I lived at a Gerber property for about 10 months and during the 10 months my water was shut off for about 6 of those months from May-October. Overall, the building is nice and they take care of the common areas and everything is cleaned once a week, including vacumming, dusting etc. But the inconvenience of having my water shut off almost three times a week for the entire day when I work from home was too much. i'd have to spend money to work from a cafe or beg friends to let me work from their apartments because not having the ability to shower, flush the toilet, wash my HANDS, refill the brita or have any sort of drinking water was insane. I honestly am glad I'm moving out, despite liking the area and the building itself. Would just caution potential tenants to ask about future maintenance issues and to ask for rent reductions in the event that this happens to you. read more

Gerber Realty - Real Estate Services Near Me

Okay so landlords are usually the worst but that hasn't been my experience with Gerber Reality. They are super responsive! When our sink randomly started spewing gunk they were there in less than 5 min. They fixed our buzzer and replaced our mailbox before I realized it was an issue. They also have only increased our rent $100 over the almost 5 years we have been in our place. They have been the best landlord that I have ever had. read more

Rada is the best! She responds right away I don't think I'll ever have a better landlord. She is extremely nice and helpful. All the maintenance guys were really nice and accommodating. I loved my space. And the area is unbeatable. A 5 minute walk to the beach was a dream. Its an older building but I believe you get what you pay for especially in the city. I also loved how easy it was to pay rent through the app. ( I never had any problems with neighbors or noise complaining!) read more

Gerber Realty - Great lighting :) - Real Estate Services Near Me

This company has very poor communication with their residents, mold in the hallways, washers and dryers never work, no fire detectors in the units, wires hanging out everywhere in the hallways, staircases smell like pee constantly, packages get stolen cause they always leave the front door propped open, and a bunch of other reasons not to live here. not worth the $1100+/ studio for the lakeview area. read more

I lived at a studio in (3812) Pine Grove for just over a year - I did not resign my lease. The building has a lot of initial charm and is in a very nice area, but I did have problems during my time there that overshadowed the positive. I'll start with the positive: At the time I signed there was a promotion going on I didn't have to pay a security deposit, move in, or pet fee. This is extremely rare, a huge plus, and one of the main selling points of this apartment for me. Rada, who I assumed to be the building manager, is very kind and personable and will check in with you whenever she sees you. She responds quickly to text which is awesome. I saw her almost every day around the building. When you need maintenance, you text her and she will put in the maintenance request for you. You cannot contact maintenance directly. The times I needed maintenance for help she responded relatively quickly. They arrived within 24 hours to fix what I needed. They do a pretty decent job of keeping the front entryway and the hallways clean. (Except the elevator, which didn't appear to be cleaned ever) I never heard or smelled my neighbors while inside my unit. (Except in the hallway which is normal). Radiator heat kept the unit warm in the wintertime. There were some times at night I'd wake up cold, and other times I'd wake up sweating. I never felt as if they were keeping my apartment below a reasonable temperature, though. No AC in the summertime, but a single window unit fixed that. The Negative: I had roaches in the summer despite keeping my apartment VERY clean. I never left food out or open. I bought a bunch of roach traps, and they finally went away in the winter thank god. I've never had a roach problem in other Chicago apartments, so that really bothered me. The absolute WORST part about this apartment is anything to do with water - the water was shut off numerous times for multiple (6-8) hours from the very start to the very end of my lease. It seemed like they were constantly working on the water. Working from home this was a very big inconvenience for me. Sometimes there was notice, sometimes there wasn't. I get that sometimes there may be an emergency reason to shut it off, but a text or email would be nice. More than once, I woke up, used the toilet, and tried to flush only to realize the water was shut off. The water pressure in general in my unit was awful. I had to flush my toilet 3-4x just to get a few squares of toilet paper down. Then, sometimes I'd flush the toilet and it would continue flushing non-stop for 5-15 minutes. Taking a shower was always unpleasant because the water would go from scalding hot to freezing cold, and vice versa, with no warning. I often thought: "it would be dangerous for someone who's elderly or physically disabled to shower here" I would try to be in and out of the shower as fast as possible because it was so irritating to me. Getting hot water was a gamble. No hot water in the kitchen made it difficult to wash dishes. I felt the price they were raising my rent to was not worth the quality and size of the apartment. If you live here, you are definitely paying for the location. They asked if I wanted to re-sign my lease and told me that my rent would be increasing by $100. I said no thanks, and they ended up relisting my unit for $200 more than my rent. That's an insane rent increase for only a year's time. Something that also bothered me was that they began showing my apartment 2 whole months before my lease was scheduled to end. They ended up asking to show it 14 times. I tried to be flexible with them and I never denied them access to my apartment. It was very frustrating for me because I was often given under 24 hours notice. It was especially frustrating because I was working from home at the time. In once instance, I told them I would be on a work meeting at the time they wanted to show my apartment. They said "don't worry we'll be quiet". It felt like the closer it got to the end of the lease, the less notice I was given. 9/14 times they requested to enter I was given under 24 hours notice. More than once I was given 15 minutes notice. When the showings no-showed or cancelled, I was never notified. It felt like my time and space weren't being respected at all. Overall: I think this building may be good fit for single college students (those who can afford it) or possibly even artists looking for a studio space. Admittedly, there's always gonna be some quirks with older buildings like this one - but I believe if you aren't going to update anything important (like the water problems that lasted over a year) . . . the price of rent should reflect that. read more

I lived on Pine Grove from April 2019 to November 2020. About 2 weeks after I moved in, the varnish smell from the floors faded and I noticed a putrid scent coming from the kitchen. I asked maintenance numerous times to take care of it but almost a year later it was still there. Maintenance even told me that they cut corners in order to save money and by the time the issue got so bad it couldn't be ignored, they wouldn't fix it because of COVID (I still don't get that logic). So instead of fixing my unit I was moved across the hall in a different unit. This was a whole major issue that could have been avoided if they had just fixed a leak above my first unit when they first found it instead of ignoring it and cutting corners. Both units had a cockroach problem -- it is obviously a building infestation. I would come home to two or three HUGE cockroaches every evening after work. Other issues that occurred during my 18 months in the Pine Grove apartments: - rude management from the main office (Ethan) - slow response of maintenance, if any at all - dirty and poorly kept community spaces - laundry machines that didn't work or kept quarters that were never paid back - hidden / secret fees for pets that were not listed in the lease - major renovations to hallways and entryways with little to no warning ahead of time for tenants - insanely high rent price considering the state of the building - unsafe living conditions (no bars on first floor / garden floor units windows) - leaky pipes that bang so loud in the winter you can't sleep for weeks on end. - to name a few... The only reason I am giving 2 stars instead of 1 is because the building manager is really sweet. But really do NOT rent from these people. You will regret it. read more

Don't rent from the 3812 building. The other buildings seem to be better kept up with. There's mold, bugs, chipping paint, buckled floors, broken pipes etc... at that location. They are not very kind when calling this out to them and won't own up to the issues. read more

The worst management company ever! The buildings are horribly maintained, and the management company is slow to respond (if at all) to concerns/issues/requests such as replacement of common area lighting or clean up of common area "messes" aka pet urine on the stairway carpet... Also, when there was corrective maintenance, such as re-plastering the ceiling from a leak, upon completion of the task the area was filthy and not cleaned up after. It is safe to say that I would recommend NO ONE to rent from Gerber Realty/Management- stay far, FAR away!! P.s. the woman you pay your rent to is a lunatic who has nothing better to do with her day than gossip with her tenant "friends" about other tenants... I repeat- stay far, FAR away from these whack job people (owner- Jeff) who calls themselves a realty/management company! read more

I'll update this as I go along. So far I've been happy with the service at Gerber. Basic things like hallways lights and entry ways are well maintained. Lynn was nice enough to communicate with her main worker about what needed to be done in the apartment. All of the initial adjustments that were made ( a new bedroom fan and 2 sconces in the living room) look great and were an improvement. I feared super cheaper or faulty replacement but have been surprised by great design elements that accent the unit. There are some repairs to still be done and the company has been reasonable in pacing the repairs The neighbor are relatively quiet and friendly. Overall I LOVE the layout and the look of our place and am excited to stay here a while. read more

In general, the property was livable, but the experience with our landlord was really quite poor. They never did anything malicious, but I would characterize the relationship as "You're paying for the rental location, anything else is our generosity as people to you." There were multiple instances where communications were delivered haphazardly and from various different team members. In particular, it was frustrating how the landlord regularly would request to enter the apartment with less than twenty four hours notice. Look, we don't need twenty four hours notice - it will be fine, but why does your schedule take priority over mine? A generalized lack of empathy - in general, I have never expected much out of Chicago landlords, they play by the rules, but only just so, but when interacting with their tenants, some choose to be agreeable, others view their tenants as jerks. read more

I lived at 4350 N. Ashland Ave for two years and absolutely loved the experience! Mary was awesome and really the jewel of the building! If you needed anything at any time of day or night, she made sure it was done! Really an awesome place to live! read more

I have lived in this place for 2 years and love it. The building is always clean and neat,thanks to Mary, my building manager.She is a nice lady and extremely helpful.She solved all of my apartment problem in less than a day since i called her. Strongly recommend for someone who looking for a good place to live in Chicago. read more

Gerber Realty was absolutely amazing for all 3 years we rented with them. Highly recommend them for all Chicagoans. Professional, reliable and always looking out for their tenants. 10/10. read more

Gerber Realty is the most responsive management Company I have experienced. Instead of the usual corporate bureaucracy I have experienced with other residences, Gerber Realty really cares about their tenants and maintaining and improving their property. In this age of cutting corners and detached, robo-response dial in management, Gerber Realty has real people who know what they're doing and even better-have nice apartments at fair prices. I highly recommend. read more

Great management on Ashland! The manager (Mary) is always available to help with any issues you might have.

I've been a longtime tenant of Gerber Realty (3734) and have had nothing but a positive experience with them. Rada the building manager in incredible too! HIGHLY RECOMMEND! read more

I have lived in a Gerber apartment for 8 months. The manager in my building, Mary, does a wonderful job. She clearly loves the building and wants every tenant to have a good experience. When I first came to sign the lease, she patiently answered all of my questions and showed me around the building. She has the building cleaned every week, sends me a text when she sees I have a package, and she has been very responsive whenever I've needed a repair in my apartment. Whether it was replacing an old fridge or fixing a leaky faucet, Mary and the building repairman John have been so helpful! read more

I was a tenant with Gerber Realty for a year and had a really positive experience. They were always very responsive to all emails and needs and always super understanding throughout my lease. Highly recommend! read more

I lived there from April 2009 to July 2010 on the first floor. Building always smelled like smoke, dog piss and wet dogs. Also completely infested with cockroaches. I'd come home to at least 3 new dead cockroaches every day, and no matter what I tried I couldn't keep them out. Realized there was no fixing the bug issue when the people in the next apartment over asked me how I was doing with the roaches, and noted that it was a common problem. Bleh. read more

This building was a lot worse. But has been getting better since the new manager took over. I know for a fact that nothing illegal is going on by the owner or manager of this building. Management can't fix things if you don't let them in. read more

Unreasonable notice given for rent increase. Unlawful entry onto property with two hours notice. Unlawful noise levels of other tenants not properly addressed. read more

I live at 4350 N Ashland with Mary as my manager. Best experience I could've asked for. She was always around to help, quick with responses, and always provided me with good laughs. Anyone living there will be sure to have a great living experience read more

Very inconsiderate of Gerber management NOT to use PET FRIENDLY salt in the winter. We live on Clark st. and walk our dogs throughout the neighborhood and they are the ONLY mgmt company that does NOT use pet friendly salt in a neighborhood full of dogs???!!! We unfortunately have to walk past their buildings on Winnemac and Greenwood and cant' believe they are not more in touch with the communities where they manage properties? Based on their other reviews we shouldn't be suprised...sounds like amateurs running this show! Show a little HEART like every other mgmt company in Andersonville and use PET FRIENDLY SALT! read more

I moved to my new apartment 1 month ago and I absolutely love it. The unit was newly remodeled, including the kitchen and the bathroom, the floors were refinished before I moved in. The building is well kept, thanks to the property manager, Mary. She is very friendly, she cares if everything is ok and is always ready to help. Big thumbs up!! read more

I've lived at the Winnemac location for about 4 years now and I've had nothing short of a great experience. From the get go, the landlords have been kind & helpful. I've never had any issues with water, plumbing, condition of property or anything of the sort. Anytime I've had an inquiry or question, Ethan & co at Gerber have been super quick to respond to me, almost always within mere minutes. Its never been a question each new year that comes around, when time to resign the lease or move, that I always stay. Just signed on for another year again actually. I love this neighborhood and this building, the neighbors are all super nice, quiet and clean. It's cool because a lot of my neighbors here have been here just as long as I have or close to it- you can tell we all wanna stay. I feel right at home here but I also feel respected and understood by the landlords which is super rare for me and has NOT been my experience in the past with others in different buildings when I first moved to Chicago back in the day. I realize this all sounds super positive, so lemme say this is totally just me wanting to show some love and appreciation- I'm not getting anything for this lol. Definitely recommend Gerber Realty. Plan on continuing my relationship with them for a long time! read more

4350 N Ashland has the best building manager you could ask for. I really feel like I lucked out because Mary consistently goes above and beyond to make sure the building is clean, safe, and warm in the winter. There's a hired cleaner that does a thorough job every week, and Mary makes sure the apartment is functioning properly. I've had zero issues in my six months here, which is something I've never been able to say about a landlord, manager, or apartment before. read more

I have been here 9 years. In winter there is plenty heat. Our building is quiet and clean..We have a great building manager Mary who looks out for and excepts packages. She sees to it that repairs are done. Parking is not too bad around here too. Overall a great place read more

I lived in this building for 4 years. The building is affordable (especially for the area,) close to public transportation and many good restaurants/shopping. Repairs to apartments are done in a timely manner, however the whole building is extremely outdated. The owners do not seem to care much about the state of the building. Mary, the building manager, does care and does try. She is helpful and accommodating. Unfortunately she can be overbearing and believes tenants owe her friendship. Her requests can span from "please take out my trash," to "go run my errands for me." My experience was mediocre at best and I only stayed for so long because it was such an affordable place in a great location. read more

This building has had little to no repairs done ever. I have lived here 3 years and the roaches have gotten worse. I am stuck here as my lease is signed but am about to break it. This building is close to what hell could be or another apartment in the ghetto but on the north side near nice buildings. The new Manager Peter Legrande makes things up and makes people out to be liars and tells the owners things and is getting other residents kicked out. Mold is growing in almost every crack of the building, there is lead paint that is painted over and over. Repairs don't get fixed until you badger them for months and months and then not everything is fixed. there is always a new leak, problem... The heat is never turned on, and should be illegal to treat your residents this way. read more

I moved to Chicago just over a year ago and the building manager was kind enough to work with my friend to look at the place, take pictures and work through her to get my paperwork. She really made me feel at ease about moving into an apartment I had never stepped foot in. From that day on, I've always appreciated that she receives packages for me, keeps the building clean and is always very friendly when I see her! The building is nice and cozy, and for the most part very quiet given that it's situated in a high traffic area. I couldn't have asked for a better living situation, especially coming in blind! read more

I have been living here for almost five years and don't have any intention of leaving anytime soon. The building is perfectly situated: near the Brown line and the Clark bus and a short walk to the Ashland bus, the Red line and the Ravenswood Metra station. I haven't had any troubles with the building: it's pretty quiet, clean and cozy - my neighbors are all nice. Much of my good feelings for living here have to do with the terrific building manager. She's a very sweet lady who really looks out for the tenants, receiving packages, notifying us of any upcoming maintenance work and making sure that the building is cleaned each week. She consistently asks every month when I am paying rent, "do you have any problems that we can take care of" and, in the rare couple of times that I did, she and the site handyman took care of those issues promptly. She seems to really care about the people living here, unlike some of the other building managers I've experienced. I like this building very much: it's home! read more