I lived in a Hayes Properties apartment for 2 years and have recommended them to several of my friends looking for apartments in the city. Their buildings are all in great locations, have a ton of charm, and management is always very responsive with service requests/any items I needed support with (which is rare in Chicago). Wanted to shout out Maggie Frances specifically - she was the property manager for the building I lived in. It's refreshing to live in a place where management actually cares about their tenants and will consistently make themselves available not just during the move in process, but while living there and moving out. read more

I have rented from hayes for 16 years. The first 14 were fine, we had some issues, but they were addressed properly. We now have issues with noise, and they have not addressed them at all, now they say I am a nuisance and I that I send non sense emails about noise. I guess complaining about unaddressed noise is non sense, if yow want a sensible place to rent I would avoid, there guy Jonathan will just blame you for the complaints. Here is his email verbatims, now he wants us out after 16 years and 500k in rent paid to them. See below From Jonathan Bianco: Joe Hayes is out of town; he will be back later in the month. He is aware of your nonsense emails; I'll ask him to reach out to you when he gets back. Emergency after-hours - please text: 773.720.1896 Maintenance Reqest | Make a Payment Jonathan Blanco| Property Manager Hlogo2 4043 N. Ravenswood, Suite 210 Chicago, IL 60613 773-929-7050x1002 I have tried to reason with you, unfortunately there is nothing else I can do for you. While on google, please check all the amazing shout outs I received. Yes, we are willing to terminate your lease with a 30-day notice. Please send us notice and we will facilitate your move out. Emergency after-hours - please text: 773.720.1896 Maintenance Reqest | Make a Payment Jonathan Blanco| Property Manager Hlogo2 4043 N. Ravenswood, Suite 210 Chicago, IL 60613 773-929-7050x1002 read more

I lived in a Hayes Properties building for 4 years now and was SO sad to leave, the management is great. The maintenance team at my building in Lincoln Park was amazing. Nothing was left unfixed or unresolved for longer than 24 hours. The building manager (Maggie F.) is also amazing, quick to respond, and professional. I wish every building manager could be as quick as her. This was my favorite apartment to live in and I'm still sad to go (only left to move in with my significant other). I've lived in Chicago for 8 years now and have had a variety of apartments through different management companies and I have to say, Hayes is the absolute best. I recommended a friend of mine to move into here (Fullerton Pkwy property) when they first moved to Chicago and they actually did. 5/5 stars and an incredible team at Fullerton Pkwy! read more

Hayes Properties is a great place to rent from,they really take care of their property,all clean and safe.The maintenance is excellent and they're clean updated.With all experience workers. read more

I lived with Hayes for about three years and I would say that they are a very good company to live with! My apartment was partly renovated within a vintage building. Maintenance would come when requested and it was very easy to work with the building manager. My qualms I did have though were that maintenance does not give you any warning that they received your request or when they will be arriving. They just kind of show up. Additionally, on my last day of moving (May 31st, I wasn't able to move early) a random group of cleaning crew and painters tried to get into my apartment without even knocking at 7am and were rude to me that I wasn't out of my unit yet. read more

I rent office space and never has Hayes given appropriate heads up for when there is maintenance being done in the rented offices. This has often interrupted my work and a couple times my office has been unusable without warning. As a tenant, I expect to have access to the office I pay for at minimum during regular business hours. read more

We had 4 packages stolen from our front section of the 2022 wing since the deadbolt on that door was broken, and after calling and emailing management about it it was fixed......1 week later. Property Management's Statement: "Shame on whoever is stealing packages in the building", with no proof it was anyone from the building. Laundry machines are quarter based, 1.50 per load, half of them do not work unless you "load the coins in a certain way" according to the property manager. I had my bike stolen from the basement of the building, there are no cameras, anyone who legitimately wanted to get into your apartment could if they wanted to. Property management person was Karen, she lived up to her name. read more

I just moved out from my building in Lincoln Park, and I just wanted to write a review about the years I spent there. I definitely loved living there. The building was very well maintained, very clean, safe and welcoming. If you experience any maintenance issues in your apartment, they would be fixed very quickly ( 2 days max from my experience). I interracted with Kate who is the sweetest person ever, always there to keep us informed about anything inside or outside the building. The staff (Marian, Kasey) were great and pretty easy to reach out too. I already miss them a lot and I highly recommend you to rent there if you want to enjoy an affordable place you can call home and the quality of life that Lincoln Park has to offer. read more

My family of 3 + cat have rented from Hayes Properties going on 9 years August, 2022. We're in the building in Bowmanville at the cross streets of Hoyne and Berwyn. Allison is our Property Manager and she is responsive, thorough and cuts through any red tape with ease. It's been a great experience to request non-emergency maintenance repairs recently after 2 years of the Pandemic. If you're in the market for a rental unit, look at Hayes Properties. They have a wide selection of buildings throughout Chicago, vintage and modern, small and large. The price point is also reasonable and often slightly under the going rate in a given zip code. read more

Lived in the Damen/Leland building for over two years. It was poorly insulated and smelled like cigarettes. I once came home to a dead rat in my living room (photos sent to Hayes). My property manager was Allison Levin and I strongly do not recommend signing with her. Her response rate was 4-10 days (unless contacted by an attorney, in which case she was prompt) and, in my opinion, she managed by gaslighting. I had serious and recurring neighbor issues: they liked to shout "B****!" into my living room and pound their ceiling/my floor at me. They played tv all night, every night; they made a noise complaint when my elderly mother spent a night with me and used walking assistance. They knew I lived alone and I was on eggshells in my home at all times. When I brought these problems to Allison, she encouraged me to move to a different Hayes building and sign a new 12-month lease (giving Hayes four more months of payment). I declined, and she revoked the offer to end my current lease penalty-free. I asked her why and she just didn't respond. I sent Allison 25+ time-stamped videos of the recurring yelling and pounding. She didn't review or even acknowledge the videos. Instead, she scolded me for following-up with the complaint and wrote that she was "staying out of whatever has been brewing" because "there is clearly no resolving it". Allison spun the situation as a personal issue and encouraged tenant in-fighting instead of handling the problem. I had literally never met these neighbors who openly, and repeatedly, violated the Chicago Ordinance re: tenant duty to not disturb. I'm a quiet, rule-following, boring tenant. A big day for me is finishing a good book. In the end, I paid $2,450 + moving fees to break my lease, mid-covid and in February weather, to stop being a nervous wreck in my own home and to get away from Allison Levin. read more

I lived in two separate apartments in a courtyard building managed by Hayes Properties for two years (moving out November 2017). The first year and half went pretty smoothly but then things started to turn south. One day I heard sounds coming from a couple of the cabinets in the kitchen. Later I worked up the courage to check the cabinets and was terrified to see that it was covered in rat droppings. I immediately sent an email. After two days without a response I called him. He was unconvinced and believed that I was exaggerating a situation with a mouse. I explained to him that the droppings were far too large to belong to mice and he reluctantly sent someone to take a look. He kept suggesting to me that tenants should take care of rodent problems on their own. This person he sent was not an exterminator. He "cleaned" out the area and stuffed holes with steel wool and left. The rats returned and, if that wasn't bad enough, I also found a wasp's nest in one of my windows. I had already decided at this point I would be moving out but I had to call again to arrange for an actual exterminator to be sent. At this point I had to replace everything in those cabinets twice because the rats had gotten into everything. Suddenly I realized that one of my window A/C units was missing from my apartment. Turns out a different apartment requested that their window unit be removed but he gave them my address instead. The A/C was returned, but I was still confused as to why it was taken out of my apartment. Anyway, at this point I'm ready to leave. I've paid rent through the end of the month of November but I start living out of my new apartment at the beginning of November because of all the vermin issues. I have told him that he doesn't need my permission to show the apartment to anyone but that I still have things in the apartment that I will need to remove later. Some items were precious to me and others were things I didn't have an immediate need for. Over all there was over $400 worth of belongings and one of those stupid Comcast boxes that I left behind. Also some artwork that had some sentimental value that I can't hope to replace. He calls to ask if he can send cleaners the week of November 27th. I told him about the things I've left behind that I still need to get out of the apartment. On the night of November 27th, I haven't heard from him in awhile and I go to get the last of my things. Unbelievably, he's changed the locks to the apartment and they've thrown out everything I left behind. I contact him in disbelief and he agrees to pay me $200 for the inconvenience. $100 goes to Comcast for the box leaving me in the hole for everything else that was thrown out. I was really disappointed by his service and wouldn't want to live in another building managed by him. read more

In the last three years, I have been renting from Hayes Properties. Overall, I've never had an issue with the management company. Anytime, I've submitted a work order, they've been "Johnny on the Spot" the next day. Property manager, Kate B, is absolutely friendly and always willing to help in anyway. read more

Without a doubt, the best landlord I've had while renting in Chicago. They are both reasonable and responsive. Thank you Kate and team!

Like doing your dishes in the bathroom because your kitchen sink has been clogged for 2.5 weeks after you put in a request? Like paying for an "air conditioned unit" but only having AC in one room because they're replacing all the units in a couple years, so we can't fix this one? Welcome to Hayes Properties! Already feel bad enough throwing away money renting....but to not get standard upkeep on a unit feels terrible.... read more

First of all I'd like to say how very sorry I am to be writing yet another 1-star review of a Chicago landlord. I would really like to be writing a 5-star review as I much prefer to be positive. The problem is I am really having a horrible time as a tenant of Hayes Properties. We have had roaches here for one thing. Lately the maintenance people seem to be playing some kind of game when they come over to do "extermination". They knock on doors in some kind of random (?) sequence, apparently to figure out who is home and who is not. I get very weird vibes from some of them when they come into the unit, like they are looking things over for future reference. Another freaky thing they have done is leave a pile of screws on the back window ledge after working on the screen door. Also, when I have reported this suspicious behavior to the management, I have been told that I need to stop sending them "disturbing" email. In fact, they told my roommate that he is now responsible for maintenance until I leave here. The floor really slopes in the back part of the building (nearest the El tracks) and the building shakes when the train goes by. Part of the ceiling caved in in our storage unit. The back door hangs crooked and when it rains it gets soaked and once got stuck open. So, all in all, I really can't recommend that you move here. read more

We have lived in the same building a few years before it was bought out by Hayes. Our rent stayed the same for several years. As soon as Hayes took over, our rent was increased by $25 per month every year. The only thing that changed was they added 2 washing machines and 2 dryers in the laundry room. Besides that, no other improvements have been made since, but rent keeps increasing. The property manager, Bill Moritz, is EXTREMELY rude, condescending and completely unprofessional. Definitely not someone you want to deal with unless you expect to be called a liar!! They also use a room in the basement as a wood shop so there is always someone sanding and sawing wood early in the morning, waking everyone up and getting sawdust all over everything. Perhaps they use this wood shop to make cabinets or whatever for upgrading other apartments, but no upgrades are happening here. read more

So, my lease has ended with them, and I have moved out. I thought, NOW would be a good time to write a review for them. I thoroughly enjoyed living in that building. I split a one bedroom with my girlfriend. The staff (Diane was our main contact) was nice, kept us informed of any/all issues that were being worked on, anything that was broken/jacked up, they fixed quickly, the building even though "vintage"-was well maintained. All the staff members I interacted with were nice, whether it was reporting a washer/dryer that wasn't working via phone call, the maintenance/repair guys, they were all friendly and got the job done. I think they replaced the blinds 2 days after we called it in. Fixed a leaking sink within a day or so. Talked me through how to fix the toilet over the phone (my instinct was right...hit the damn thing with a hammer). The building was nice enough. Our apartment was on the more "vintage" side of the spectrum. A lot of the listings that I have come across use "vintage" as code word for old and probably run down. That building was def old, but was at least maintained. Yeah, the hardwood floors could have used a solid refinish, but for the price, size, and location? I can deal with floors that need refinishing, old windows, I didn't notice any bugs or rodents. I looked as I really really hate creepy crawlers. If you are considering renting from them, check out the building thoroughly. However, I wouldn't be overly concerned about the quality of staff. read more

Rent kept going up every year (during the recession) and I was paying way too much, so moved out. Over-priced! My new place is (significantly) less than I was paying for my Hayes apartment (same size), FIVE YEARS AGO. And my new place is much brighter, about the same size, with much much better closets and storage too. Also, there was a bad leaky pipe in storage unit, and ruined many of my things. Owner Joe Hayes didn't care at all!!! He was rude and defensive with me. read more

Hayes Properties took over my property about 4 months in to me living there. I had a horrible landlord prior and welcomed the relief. Molly Arnestein was the sweetest most caring woman to deal with. She was totally understanding and worked will all requests. The rent was a little steep but they are a company that will definitely take care of you. I work for another property management company and I would still highly recommend Hayes Properties. read more

I am leaving my apartment that has been managed by Hayes Properties, and have dealt with many sub-par companies while apt. searching, and it has made me appreciate Hayes so much more. Diane is Awesome. Sweet and caring and attentive. They have been on the ball with every issue we have had, and I love this apt! I will miss you, Montine (Montana/Racine). read more

I've lived at many different apartments in Chicago, and Hayes Properties has been my best experience. If there is a problem, maintenance comes out almost immediately to fix it- from changing light fixtures to leaky faucets. Over summer we kept loosing power because the electric wasn't strong enough to handle the air conditioning unit & refridgerator. I called our building representative, Debbie, and a day or so later the electricians came out and fixed the problem. After 4 years of renting from Hayes in 3 different apartments, I can honestly say that they are great! read more

I had a great experience with Hayes Properties over the years, especially with Diane. With all the idiots and crooks out there serving as landlords, it was a great relief to find a company that was reasonable and fair. They are responsive to requests for maintenance, and while they do tend to favor short-term solutions to lingering issues, they will spend the money if something is needed. As a general comment, most of their big courtyard buildings are very old, so by nature there are problems with water pressure and pitched floors, etc. But the units are nice, the buildings well-maintained, and the heat plentiful and free in winter! The best thing I can say is that when I finally bought a place and left the world of renting, they were very good about finding an amicable way for me to get out of my lease. Diane was genuinely happy for me, and we worked as a team until we found someone to take over the last 6 months of the lease. They appreciate a good renter! read more

I have lived in a wide range of housing types, including a variety of rental situations and over the last 20 years have spent several of them as a Hayes tenant, in different buildings. If I had to rent in Chicago, they would always be my first choice. Vacancies in their buildings do not last long for good reason. Short of renting from a magical unicorn who makes you snacks on demand, you cannot beat a good professional landlord. The buildings tend to be earlier 20th-century purpose built apartment buildings and the ones I have lived in are extremely clean and kept in great repair. In response to some comments here, most rental buildings, certainly in this price range, are not going to be museum quality restorations, and I have never come across buildings of this age having insulated floors and ceilings, unless they are very high end rehabbed condos. Compared to a converted SFH or a newer building, I find these buildings are very solid. Hardwood floors are going to be noisy, they creak and conduct sound, you need thick rugs. I love the charming older doors, tile and hardware in my apartment, everything works fine. The things I most appreciate are a quick response to repair requests and tact in enforcing building rules. Molly is a treasure! They are very pet friendly, some buildings accept dogs, which is a bigger risk for a landlord. Best of all, they still respect your personal space. Even the nicest of private landlords can have difficulty letting go their feeling of supervisory ownership of the rental unit, and their neurosis about whatever it is their tenant might be doing in there. "Smaller" private landlords usually don't share your sense of urgency about "convenience repairs" and most of them, with fewer units, are not bound by the Chicago Landlord & Tenant Ordinance, which governs, amongst other things, when the heat goes on, how and when repairs are made and when they can go into your apartment. Hayes Properties are not the least expensive but they are excellent value and I think it's worth paying a little more for professional management and upkeep. . read more

The folks at Hayes Properties differ greatly from other management companies I have dealt with in Chicago. I am going to call out ICM Properties and the dismal way in which their bad business practices impacted me. At Hayes, one of their staff named Barbara rented my wife and I an apartment in Lakeview for two years before we were ready for a larger space. We had no problems with the existing location. It was not unusual for company owner Joe Hayes to come by to help with a maintenance issue. The apartment was fantastic. We just needed a bigger space. Barbara showed us an apartment that was about to be remodeled. Less than two months later we were moved in to a fully rehabbed apartment with brand new walls, windows, kitchen, and ceiling fans. The apartment looked fantastic and the team at Hayes went out of their way. Barbara and Hayes continue to provide fast help for little maintenance issues common to any building nearing a hundred years in age. No rental relationship is perfect, but Hayes is certainly comes as close to perfect as I have ever found! read more

My business has rented commercial space from Hayes Properties for years, and we couldn't ask for a more supportive partner in our growth. Whenever we've needed something, they have delivered. Several times in our history we have needed to expand office space, and they've taken a genuine interest in making it easy, as well as inexpensive to do so. I haven't had that experience with other landlords. We also consistently get compliments about our office space, and that's a tribute to their efforts to create interesting loft style buildings. I have nothing but positive things to say about Joe and his team. read more

I've been a commercial tenant at Hays properties for over five years and have had rented two offices with them. This landlord and the commercial spaces that are available along the Ravenswood corridor are unfortunately Chicago's best kept secret. As a start-up or a bootstrapped company you simply can not beat this deal. It's way better than 1871 or other over-hyped co-working spaces. The exit clause in the lease is extremely reasonable (one to three months if you negotiate right) and the cost per square foot is great. One more thing - I've been working with Debbie and she is amazing. Super amazing. read more

I've lived at a Hayes Property unit for the last 3 years and have really enjoyed it! The properties are beautifully maintained, affordably priced, and management is extremely responsive whenever I reach out. Naomi was the property manager for my building and she is absolutely great - incredibly timely and always over-delivers on any matters big or small. Never thought I'd write a review for a landlord, but Hayes Properties knows what they're doing and delivers and beyond with a team of people like Naomi who are always there & helpful whenever needed. read more

While I love the location and unit, the building (Mildred/George) I am in lives up to its "Vintage" Charm. In the last year I have experience 4 water leaks (two in the laundry room/storage area, two in my unit), resulting in damage to my property. The water leaks resulted in drain flies, then requiring exterminator visits to spray in and around pipes to kill the flies and larva they are laying in the dampness (6 visits, and I still have flies...) There is currently a 4 foot hole in the ceiling in the laundry room from the water leak that occurred 2 months ago. Hayes has multiple buildings and I'm sure others are completely fine, but I'd ask about the upkeep of the building and age of plumbing before you move in. Hayes responded to each of my requests; however, I am tired of coming home every day checking for water leaks and bugs, and did not renew my lease. read more

Generally speaking, Hayes Properties has been responsive and attentive to our needs. However, we moved from one building (an older more vintage unit) to a newer building with newer amenities. Hayes has one main contact for each building, like a building manager but not on site. We moved in under 2 months ago and are still trying to remedy the issues with this apartment. I was told by the building landlord to 'cool it' after making another request to fix our leaking sink. The sink wasn't just leaking but was spilling water onto our floor and soaking all things under the sink. I do not believe we're being overly annoying but were following up on what was committed to us. They committed to come out the next morning at 830 AM and were a no show until late in the afternoon. I believe it's the landlords job to make sure the apartment is functional to say the least. A kitchen sink that's spilling water onto the floor is not functional. A HVAC system that is not working is not functional (needed to be fixed 2 times in one month). A toilet that's spilling water onto the floor when flushed is not functional. A window that will not open is not functional. This is disregarding the aesthetic problems like a fraying carpet, holes and damage to all the walls and leaking bathroom faucets. The landlord doesn't even see the unit when it's transitioning from one tenant to another means they never know who damaged what. To add, they never see what condition the former tenants have left the apartment...ours was a pig sty with cat feces and garbage on the floors/walls. I HIGHLY recommend living in a building that is managed by Diane if you must live in a Hayes property. Otherwise, don't bother with these guys...they're apartments are cheaper than normal for a reason. read more

Hayes contacted me to explain that their lag in service was due to circumstances beyond their control. There seems to have also been an unknown technical issue that inhibited some of our email communication. Apparently some of our requests had been answered, but confirmation emails weren't making it to our inboxes. It seems as though Hayes typically has relatively good service. Both the long-time tenants in our building and the previous tenant of our place remarked that Hayes had been very responsive. It seems like it's a small business built from caring people that just struggled to recoup in a very unique situation. Before the short lag in service, our building manager was very responsive to our concerns: -They email exchanged with me after hours to give me instructions for a light fixture. This was above and beyond for an unimportant issue -There were several very good PSAs for our building whenever there was a potential security threat in the neighborhood. -The dishwasher had been replaced right before we moved in. Our previous tenants said Hayes was very quick to respond. Within the last month, as we prepared to move out, Hayes was incredibly responsive and respectful. They even offered to help us with a complication from our move as an offer to make up for our brief sour experience. The apartments are good for their price level. Our location on Diversey had interesting wood work and amenities that were rare for the price-point. Knowing that Hayes has a legacy of great building management and understanding their recent situation better, I would definitely recommend renting an apartment with Hayes properties. read more

We live in a Hayes courtyard building in Wrigleyville. We've been here for 15 years and love it. The whole building is clean and well maintained. The 1 bedrooms are large and have tons of storage. We have found Hayes to be kind, flexible, and just a joy to work with. Our neighbors are friendly and the building is quiet. In an old building, things do need repair and Hayes has always been very responsive. Molly is our contact person, she's friendly and easy to reach. I particularly appreciate how well they communicate about work in the building. If there is something that will impact tenants ( water being turned off etc), Hayes puts flyers up in the building and emails you. Plenty of notice. It's the little things like that that make this feel like home. read more

Hayes Properties has been a great management company to work with. I rent a studio space (as of March 2017) in one of their larger properties in Ravenswood. First off, I would like to thank Debbie R. her dedication to her tenants. I have always received timely and thorough responses to questions and consistent notifications on building updates and utility upgrades. Beyond this, both Debbie and her assistant, Dorota J., have been very pleasant to work with; they conduct themselves professionally and politely. It is clear that Hayes cares for their properties and tenants. Maintenance requests have been responded to in a timely manner and any necessary work has been satisfaction. Hayes maintaining their property well and has invested a considerable amount into facility upgrades and improvements. I moved into my unit while renovations were going on throughout the rest of the building. We had to live through some noise, dust and overflowing dumpsters until construction wrapped up. As a small business operator, it is important for me to have a fully functioning and secure space so that I may focus on my work. Hayes Properties has ensured that I can focus building my business and not on the building my business is in. Hayes remains at the top of my list when it comes to commercial space recommendations. read more

Hayes Properties is outstanding! When they first took over our building, they started right away repairing and repainting the stairs and installing new washers and dryers in the laundry room. I really liked the old landlord, but I love Hayes! It is my third year with them and I'm about to sign on for a fourth. They are always prompt and friendly and Diane is great. When maintenance came over to take care of a leak, someone noticed the shelf I bought (which was leaning on the wall next to my closet)--Diane called to see if they could hang it for me. So thoughtful and nice. Thank you! read more

There are bedbugs at the 4801 Ravenswood location, and Dorota Johnson was very unprofessional.

Hayes is a terrible company that will not respect your privacy or your property. Hayes purchased our building during the final few months of our lease. We had recently purchased a house and moved out of the apartment a month early, however we still had a few items in the apartment. Ten days before our lease ended, we went to the apartment to pick up the remainder our items only to find the apartment torn apart for rehab. All of our larger items were piled in the center of the room and our smaller items were thrown out. We spoke with Molly from Hayes, and she just apologized, but offered no remedy, and refused to refund any of the last month's rent. Her excuse was that she didn't know the workers who were doing the rehab on the apartment were working before our lease ended. We did not pursue the matter further, as we deemed in not worth the trouble to take them to small claims court for our 1/3 of a months rent. So, this is my solution and I hope this helps people making a decision on from whom to rent. Please avoid Hayes property, as they have no respect for your privacy or property. read more

I lived in a Hayes Properties building for a year and had a great experience. When there was something wrong with our apartment they usually came and fixed it quickly. However, when our first 6-month lease needed to be renewed, they upped our rent. And secondly, it was difficult to live in the building with our neighbors. I'm young and I like to have a person or two over every once in a while and the minute that happened, somebody complained about noise. I understood the first time since the music was up a bit, but the second time when I was merely sitting in my living room with one friend and speaking to them, without music on, we were complained about. Diane was nice about it at first, but after the 2nd complaint - which was ludicrous in the first place - she told us we shouldn't have any more people over until the end of our lease. And we were told not to make any noise whatsoever on the back porch. Like I said, I'm young, but even I understand that living in an apartment building comes along with noises. You're living in a building with dozens of other people and it's bound to happen. When Diane told us we should 'keep a lid on it' I felt that I was walking on eggshells in my own apartment. I felt that I couldn't speak at a regular volume, have people over, go out on my back porch, or turn on the television or itunes. I think that it's ridiculous that we were asked to stop having people over when we've been good tenants - always paying rent early, I might add. So in conclusion, I was very disappointed with my stay with Hayes Properties by the end of my lease. read more

I have generally had really good landlords who keep properties in good repair and are responsive on the rare occasion something needs to be fixed. Hayes Properties has been a disappointment in comparison. They are fine as long as nothing in your apartment needs maintenance. They'll eventually get around to fixing things. Like the long 7 days I waited for them to come over and patch up holes in the wall that rats chewed through so they could get into the kitchen after migrating upstairs from the exterminator in the basement (so gross). Yeah, it's a city, rats happen. But 7 days for an acute rat problem is a very slow response. It's been weird asking for any maintenance on things that break. They aren't very responsive. They were fast with the first request I made, years ago. Maybe I got on their bad side. Yes, maybe this property management company has borderline personality disorder! Just look at all the reviews - they are all one extreme or the other. I'm not sure what the reviewer posting below is talking about with units not staying vacant long - units in my building are usually empty for a few months after people move out. One's been vacant for the last 4 months now. And I thought dog-friendly buildings were in high demand in Chicago. I also wouldn't call anything in this apartment the charming sort of old...maybe the radiators. Whatever, it's cheaper rent compared to more updated places, but 20 coats of paint that's starting to crack on a door isn't charming-old, it's just old. And the charming "fixtures" are just run-of-the-mill cheap ish fixtures people put in rental units. Maybe that's just my building. read more

I wish you all could have seen Joe Hayes' first response to my review. I didn't copy it but should have. He removed it almost instantly after my response to it and wrote the very kind response you see now. He was so insanely nasty and rude. This is how it went, mostly.... Why can't you give a tenant zero stars??? (He sure wasn't complaining about all of our rent checks being on time) He called myself and my husband liars. He also said he never came to our apartment late one night for a repair and was in the wrong building. Why would I make that up? He also insinuated that we wanted the building to be like a fraternity house. When I responded to him I said that he was EXACTLY everything that I wrote about, a very big bully. His response made him look VERY BAD. I'm sure someone mentioned that to him, prompting the VERY swift removal. I have no reason to lie about these things and feel that people should be notified. The newest review looks like it was written by someone that is or was a landlord. Just saying no one talks like that. It was over the top. read more

We've rented with Hayes for over five years, and they are amazing. They are very attentive, genuinely care about their tenants' safety and other concerns, and despite dealing with certain crazy tenants, continue to give us reasons to renew our lease year after year. Debbie and Barbara at the office are especially excellent. Thanks, Hayes! read more

I cannot BELIEVE that when I called the phone number on the washing machine one night I was greeted by a friendly HUMAN Hayes Property voice. She made a few calls and within 15 minutes, someone was on site to give me my lost money. Amazing. read more