I've been with Mac for three years now. I have never had a bad experience with Mac. If I ever need anything, my property manager Tiaka Blair is always there to help. read more

One time MAC tore out our front steps graduation weekend without telling anyone ahead of time. Our heat and water were turned off more than they were turned on. If you want them to do anything, plan on calling at least three times. Spend the extra hour and find an independently owned building, it's worth it. Otherwise you'll just end up on the phone with Mac and you'll feel bad yelling at all the helpless staff but they're all so clueless you won't know what else to do. read more

Worst office ever. No communication. Messed up my application process twice. Wouldn't recommend them to take out my trash!

I am convinced, that because MAC is so corrupt and vile a company, that they have planted people to write good reviews on their behalf. Living in their management has been THE WORST experience of my life and I have dealt with slum lords before, and it was NOTHING compared to the disrespect, corruption, negligence and overall disgusting management that I have experienced since moving into my MAC-owned apartment. Since moving in, I have gone without a refrigerator and oven for two weeks, was told time and again that I had to wait all day for them to arrive with my appliances for them to never show up; had a huge hole in my floor from a leak downstairs that took them three months to fix; my electricity was shut off without any notice for two days; lived among an utterly toxic rat infestation; I once came out of the shower to find three strange men from MAC in my apartment looking at my radiator without permission to be let it; deplorable winter maintenance conditions, had a huge block of ice fall on my head; and NOW it has been 3 weeks since receiving any mail from my post office because these monsters have been "fixing" our gate, ensuring that the mailman can't get in. This is now affecting my ability to pay my bills, legal documents from a new job I'm starting haven't arrived, as well as my current paycheck. What do these morons say when you call them? "We're working on it." Oh, and top of everything else, they're raising our rent 10% in July. DO NOT TRUST MAC PROPERTY MANAGEMENT. IT WILL BE THE WORST MISTAKE YOU EVER MAKE IN YOUR LIFE! THEY PREY ON STUDENTS AND LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND TAKE EVERY LIBERTY THEY CAN TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF VULNERABLE SITUATIONS. THEY HAVE TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE, NO MANAGEMENT SKILLS TO SPEAK OF, AND THEY WILL GIVE YOU THE RUNAROUND EVERY CHANCE THEY CAN GET. RUN AWAY RUN AWAY RUN AWAY! DO YOURSELF A FAVOR, DON'T EVEN CONSIDER IT. read more

I love living at Windermere House. The staff is friendly and the building is always clean. Everyone at MAC has been extremely helpful. All of my questions were answered by professionals and always in a timely manner. Love living here! read more

Okay first of all, it's pretty obvious that all these 5-star reviews are written by MAC employees. (You're not fooling anyone!!) So just ignore those. I'll start with the things I actually do like about MAC. There are two things only: 1. You can reach a maintenance person any time of day to fix emergencies or if you're locked out. 2. The apartment hunting process with them is pretty easy and they have a lot of options to show you. BUT once you're a resident you will find that, although they have all the resources they need to help you, getting helped is NOT easy. They have some SERIOUS communication problems. Unless you are very persistent (and insistent), you just can't expect much from them. They have very strict policies and high rent that their own customer service just doesn't live up to. Plain and simple. However, if you do go with MAC, I highly recommend living in a building that is managed by Deavonn Jenkins. He and I have been through a lot this year, because I have been very persistent about getting what I feel is fair. Deavonn has been patient and surprisingly helpful given the dysfunction of the company he works for. THANKS DEAVONN!!!! read more

A few short weeks ago, I would have given Mac Property Management largely positive reviews. Our building had a wonderful onsite property manager who was professional and welcoming. Residents were able to pick-up packages in the building at nearly any hour of any day. Rent prices were reasonable given the level of services. Alas, the good times did not last. Without warning, the management removed the building's onsite manager. The front desk now sits empty for much of the day. Management now requires residents to have packages mailed to a separate address (rather than one's home address) and residents must pick-up packages at an offsite office, which is only open during business hours. The management tried to sell these reductions in services as improvements. Mac apparently would like us to believe that walking through the snow in subzero temperatures is much better than picking-up a package in the warm comfort of one's own building. Given the current state of affairs, I would not choose to live in any Mac apartment, and I do not recommend it to anyone else. Don't rent from Mac. read more

Like with every company there is going to be good experiences and bad experiences. Mine may be more extreme than some others. However I am writing this review more as a warning for possible future tenants. My husband and I moved to Chicago in connection to University of Chicago. MAC runs a number of buildings in the Hyde Park area. Their offices seemed well run, clean and efficient. The gentleman answered all of our questions and was very helpful in his recommendations (or so we thought at the time). We chose an apartment that we liked and moved in. The first day we moved in I was stopped in the hall by a painter that worked for the company. He asked me which unit I was moving into. I told him and he said, "I probably should not say anything, I hope that it will be fine for you, but if you are moving into that unit I must warn you. This man that lives next door to you has had a number of complaints against him for being very loud and at times violent." I thanked the painter for the warning and assured him that the situation would probably be fine. He replied, "Ok but make sure that you do not walk in these halls late at night by yourself near his door." At 12:30am the same day, our walls started to vibrate in our bedroom. Several small boxes placed on shelves against the wall fell off. It sounded like we were in an underground club! Exhausted I went next door and knocked. The neighbor answered the door in his speedos. I introduced myself and asked him to please turn it down. He said,"I have lived in this building for 20 years and Im a retired DJ. I always listen to my music this loud and there isn't anything you can do about it. Nobody comes into my life and tells me what to do!" With that he slammed the door in my face. I decided to cook dinner and let it go for the night. An hour later, there was a loud banging on the door. I looked out and it was the neighbor. I opened the door and asked him if he needed something. He informed me that if he saw me at his door again he would not be so kind next time to give me a warning, because this was it. Not to get in his business anymore and he demanded to know how I would feel if he got up in my business.I shut the door quickly in his face. I called Mac and left them a message that we would be coming in early in the morning. The next day we went to MAC and relayed what had happened.The building manager did not seem disturbed. I demanded that they give us a new flat in a different building.I had to resource to going over the building managers head to the top of the company in order to get us moved, but it finally happened.They gave us another flat in a different building. The apartment was beautiful and we were happy to take it. This was only the start of all of our issues with MAC. Without taking up more space with our story I will just list the issues and how they were addressed: 1. There was only hot or cold water in the building but nothing in between. 2. The neighbor across from us was elderly and caught the building on fire 4 times while we were there. I called the fire department and MAC each time. But nothing was ever done about it. 3. At the end of the summer there was a family emergency and we had to sublet our flat and leave Chicago. Before subletting we wanted to make sure the apartment was in good condition. We requested that the walls were painted and we had also noticed that the roof in our bed room had a damp spot on it. We asked them to please check it. They did and told us that it had a leak in it but that it was patched now. 4. We found a tenant and left Chicago. However, afterwards we kept getting upset emails from the tenant. Saying that a month after she moved in the ceiling started to leak.I asked her to call MAC and take some photographs and send them to me. Sure enough they were in the same spot they said they had patched.This went on for several months until the ceiling finally fell through in the flat.I felt so bad about it, I called MAC multiple times and wrote them.I was ignored each time. My calls were never returned or my emails answered. I finally got through one time and was put on hold but then the line went dead.They had hung up on me. After threats of being sued by both the current tenant and myself they finally fixed the roof and took money off of the rent for water damages. 5. When the lease was up, I emailed the building manager and requested her to go over the final papers with me. No reply. I called the office and was told there was a new building manager. I left a message for the new one. No response. Then the tenant emailed me saying they were charging her for rent she had already paid. I called the office and asked for the manager. There was a third new manager now in two months. Still I had no response. The tenant told me she finally got through to someone and they said they had not realized that she was moving out and that her lease was up. No apologies read more

Update with no upgrade. 37 days and counting and Philip Clarke of the leasing office continues to demonstrate his impotence and incompetence - or maybe it's simply a total disregard for tenants: he swore up and down and shook my hand promising to correspond with me before end of business day.....37 days ago. He has proved himself to be a failure in the service industry (cold consolation in that he's not alone in this characteristic at Regents!). When you promise to communicate with someone, promise to follow-up, give your word 'as a man' that you won't fail to do so....and yet thoroughly fail to do so, not only do you make yourself and the company that you represent look incompetent but you reinforce and provide ample fodder for implicit biases. Well done. read more

I have had a great experience so far with the office and Ms Jeanette was great to work with.

I have had a great resident experience at The Sutherland. Move-in was seamless. The few issues I have encountered were remedied promptly. The building staff at The Sutherland are always accommodating and kind. read more

I've had the misfortune of living with Mac apartments for just under a year, and I'm switching to a different Hyde Park Apartment provider because of the problems I've had with Mac. As far as maintenance goes, the entire building has roaches and centipedes and Mac has consistently refused to do anything about it. They give you free wifi, but it's extremely unreliable and useless if you're a student or anyone who needs reliable internet access. We ended up having to pay extra for a different internet provider. Finally, our apartment had some terrible water damage occur from leaks in the building. It led to $5000 to $10,000 worth of damage, it caused holes in our walls and the ceiling and walls look absolutely disgusting. This happened over 3 months ago and they never did a thing despite being made aware of it as the leaks were happening. Also, they've shut the water off on us without telling us and this is a common trend for people in a Mac apartment. My other issues with them--everyone I know in a Mac apartment (myself included) just had Mac bump up the rent on them. So don't live here if you want the rent to unexpectedly rise on you. Also, besides being incompetent, the staff is rude and they'll jump on any opportunity to stick you with a fee. As far as facilities, there are around 300 people in my building, and we have two washers and two dryers. The laundry area is always chaotic, and as I mentioned earlier, it's filled with bugs. Besides that, the lights in the common areas are often out and they seem to never get replaced. All in all, I can think of virtually zero redeeming qualities of Mac apartments. I'm moving into a new apartment with cheaper rent, better facilities, and better people. It can be tough finding a non-Mac apartment in Hyde Park, but it's well worth the trouble to live somewhere else. Save money and rage, and try somewhere else. read more

Mac Properties mastered monopoly. They've taken over Hyde Park and have screwed the residents. Every year, they raise the rent the maximum allowable amount. Last year when the radiators in my unit didn't work, they dropped off a pair of space heaters. This year I caught pnemonia. Once I felt well enough to complain, they visited my apartment, warmed by their space heaters, and they left me a note saying that my apartment was within the legal heat guidelines and instructed me to call the City and complain if I was still not satisfied. I advise anyone moving into Hyde Park, rent with anyone, but MAC. read more

Nice apartment at an affordable price. I have been here for a week now and have not had any problem with bugs. The apartment is clean with a spacious living room. My water heat was not working but got it fixed the same day. I cant say much but I have not had any problems so far. read more

I was really irritated that maintenance parked in my parking spot, but Tanika went above and beyond to try to contact them and find a spot for me to park. read more

Mac Properties has continued to give my building (Algonquin Apartments in Hyde Park) the run-around when it comes to the washers and dryers in the building. We have had broken machines in the building for more than a year now, and Mac knows this. We now have only one working dryer which still doesn't have enough heat to dry clothes properly, and only one working washer. We were told that new machines were coming, but that hasn't happened yet and I'm not confident that it every will. I have spent hours wringing out wet clothes because the washing machines don't actually spin and drain clothes. I have also spent a lot of money sending clothes through a dryer 2-4 times until they are dry. Also, recently the building manager or the maintenance team took off all of the resident-made "Out of Order" signs, so now we have to figure out which machines don't work again. Residents made these signs because management clearly doesn't care. Mac needs to fix this problem soon. I also request that they update residents on when the new washers and dryers will be installed, and that they test all of the machines and mark clearly which machines do not work any more. If the new machines are more than a week away from being installed, we need temporary washers and dryers. It's clear that upper management doesn't care about this issue or the residents. Every office staff and maintenance staff member I've talked with has shared my frustration. read more

While it is expensive, I have had nothing but a great experience with MAC so far. My apartment was clean when I moved in, the few service related issues I've had have been generally fixed in a timely manner, and everyone from MAC I have interacted with have been great. If you can afford it, it's worth it. read more

Loving my spacious apartment. Just have to get used to the noise and heavy traffic in my area. Also love the abundance of street parking on most days. read more

Service requests are completed really quickly. The maintenance staff is friendly and get the job done. The staff in the leasing office are lovely - especially the Package pick-up woman - Veronica? I have heard about problems in some of the other properties, but i live in a walk up and it's great. read more

I moved into the Del Prado in January and so far it's been a great experience. The staff at the MAC office have been very helpful, and the community/resident staff at the Del Prado are AWESOME. So far, so good. read more

My experience with Mac so far has been mostly good. The apartment is great - floors and tiles damaged upon arrival but mac remedied the situation incredibly swiftly, which was greatly appreciated. There were some miscommunications that confused us, such as we were told originally that the heating was radiator heating when it is not, and that laundry was coin operated when instead we need to refill a card at 53rd street for laundry (not very convenient). But again, the apartment is great and Mac has been very responsive and nice throughout the process. read more

The Operations Manager, Deavonn Jenkins was incredibly helpful. He went above and beyond his responsibilities to help me sort out my electricity with ComEd. Really appreciate the assistance. read more

I moved to Chicago from England with only a few days to find a place and unfortunately I found Mac Properties in Hyde Park. I am currently living in Windermere House, which is a lovely historical building Hotel. It is absolutely over priced for what you are getting. I pay 1,200+ every month for a STUDIO. That's insane. What was I thinking?! No worries I know better now! I am moving out a month early because I have found a comparable studio for... I kid you not... HALF THE PRICE. It's nice because they tell you internet is included in your rent. My internet goes down so often that I have actually become close personal friends with the IT guy. The last time he came over, the first thing he said when he entered my apartment was, "I like what you've done with the place." This winter I brought my car and reserved a spot near the building. I went through hell and high water that day to pick up my parking pass. (I got a $100 parking ticket and walked more than a mile in the snow) Once I actually got the pass, I went to the parking lot and it was covered in snow. The numbers for each spot were written on the pavement... Which were covered. I got out of my car and tried to kick around the snow, but at that point it was so dark and cold the "snow" was turning into ice. I called the office and told them I didn't know which spot was mine and perhaps if they had a map they could direct me towards my spot. I was told if I did not find my spot I would be towed. When I asked if someone could help me or if they were going to shovel I was told, "I could get my own shovel and start clearing the parking lot." Glad I paid $150 for that experience!!!! It is currently 12:27am on a Wednesday night and this is now the second night in a row I have not been able to sleep because the Windows rattle so badly when it's windy. (Windy City lol) It's so awful. I get living in an older building comes with some issues, but this is a whole other level. I pay $1,200+ a month for a studio...I think you all can afford to replace the Windows that have been around since the turn of the 19th century. Oh, and these Windows will randomly pop open in the cold weather. I will come home from work and find my windows wide open. My radiator broke at the highest setting in the middle of winter. It got up to 90 degrees in my apartment one night. I slept with the windows open in the middle of February. It took a total of four times for someone to come out and actually fix it. The problems are endless. Trying to get out of a lease is also incredibly difficult and expensive. They suggest you "buy out" which basically means you have to give them 30 days notice and pay two months rent up front. In what perfect world does life work like that? I was up for a job out of state so I asked if there was a way to get out of my lease for a job transfer. Paying $2,500 to get out of my lease with Mac Properties, moving fees, security deposit and double rent for a month in a new city... I couldn't make it work financially and ended up not taking the job. Cheers to that Mac Properties! I am really disappointed in the service and quality that I have experienced since living here. I cannot wait to move out and Godspeed to anyone who moves here. Young people heed my advice, there is NOTHING to do in Hyde Park. Move north!! It's easier to get around and there are more restaurants and nightlife. The Metra is super close, but is more expensive and has terrible hours on the weekends. The bus is also close. The 6 is always horribly crowded. The best thing about Windermere is the maintenance worker Kevin. He is so lovely and always has a smile on his face. read more

I created a yelp account only to warn people to STAY AWAY!!! If I could give Mac Apartments no stars I would. The day that I renewed my lease I came home and found BED BUGS on the wall of my unit. I immediately called my Resident Manager, Arifa. I got no response from her after calling all day. I sent an email; again no response. As I saw this a being a serious matter, not only to me but to the other tenants in my unit, I took a half day off work just to go up to MAC Apartments to speak with someone. After speaking with her, she apologized for what was going on and I felt a lot better. She told me that she would contact a company to handle the matter but she would let me know before they come so that I could find somewhere for my dogs to go as they bomb my apartment. After days of hearing absolutely nothing from Arifa, I come home to find a note from L.U.P stating that they came and were unable to enter my unit without my permission. I told Arifa to that they are allowed as long as I am notified so that I can find somewhere to take my dogs. I called her. Again, she did nothing. I called L.U.P myself to reschedule the appointment. They notified me that someone would come Friday. Still no word, phone call or email from Arifa, Friday arrives. This is day 10 of my unit being infested. L.U.P calls and says that someone will arrive shortly. I take another half day off work to take my dogs to a kennel and they do not show up. I call Arifa, yet again, nothing. I leave a voice message. I call MAC to speak with someone over her and she comes to the phone. She did not even know that they were scheduled to come Friday because she has done absolutely nothing. I asked to speak with someone above her and she sent me to Andrea's voicemail where I left a message and haven't heard from either. I am the tenant. I should not have to schedule and reschedule my own appointments. I have been more than patient and courteous but this is out of control. Here I am on day 10 going on day 11 with BED BUGS and no help. I am at the point where I do not know where to turn or who to talk to and to make matters worse my rent is going up a significant amount since I renewed my lease. I cannot sleep and I am in constant worry about my 8 years old son being bitten. PLEASE STAY AWAY!!! I would not wish this lack of service on anyone. read more

Decent company and quick to respond however there seems to be disconnection with communication on updates in the building including the bike room read more

My experience living at the Algonquin has been good so far. I like the location of the building and the updated unit. My only issue has been the residents who smoke weed in the building and the smell gets into my apartment. I don't know why no one has done anything about it yet. read more

Well! Even a clock that does not run is right twice a day! What else would you have expected these people to do? When they perform service above and beyond the call of duty, let me know. read more

I've lived in a Mac unit for a couple months now. The good: The unit is well maintained and in a great location. They have a rent payment website that actually works. Application process was fairly smooth. Maintenance is fairly responsive for little things. The bad: Dealing with their support is like trying to get coins back from a broken vending machine. The building's laundry machines were all broken, and they were not helpful in getting them replaced for a good month and a half unit a manager finally got involved. There are utility fees in addition to rent that are pretty high. About $50/mo in the summer for a one bedroom, probably higher in the winter. They don't give you any indications of what these fees will be going in, which is frustrating. The rent seems a little high for the combination of unit/service we're getting. read more

So far so good! I really love the building, the neighborhood, the apartment :) Every comment or complaint I have is met quickly and efficiently. read more

So far since I've moved in the Sutherland this past June I have had an amazing experience staying here. The staff has been extremely helpful and nice. In the beginning I had a couple of issues concerning the pool table and the lack of pool sticks available for my guests and I. Once I expressed my concerns to the resident services coordinator Vanessa Glass and resident services associate Courtney Hendricks they were prompt to taking care of my concerns. Thank you for making my stay for myself and my guests fun and enjoyable! read more

I had left my bike in the laundry room, and someone stole its saddle. I am really disappointed of Mac's service. First, the machines did not work. Then, the dog poop in the parking lot. Now, this. read more

Ok, I feel that the rent is very high but the amenities and lake view are nice. I wish that I wasn't charged for rug shampooing however. If you plan to stay her longer than two years, definitely sign a 2 year lease to lock in the rent price. read more

I've enjoyed my experience with MAC for the most part. The apartments are cozy and they are a good deal relative to other options available. Some of the buildings are old though, and not very big. read more

I wish I would have checked yelp prior to contacting this company. The initial process of interacting with an agent and viewing the apartments was fine. The apartment I selected was chosen because of the sizes of the bedrooms. Once we returned to the leasing office, I was informed of the $25 a month pet fee and the $250 nonrefundable pet fee. I did not inquire about pee fees. I think it really should be one or the other, not both. I did not complain because Mac offered a $200 credit for moving in. I figured the credit would offset the $250 pet fee. Day 1 of my lease: I noticed the common area was quite dirty with a foul smell. The carpets are horrible. I enter the apartment and NOW I began to notice every little defect. For example, the floors are in fair shape but should be updated as there are numerous dents, scratches, tacky(poorly covered) cement repairs, red marks, white paint splatter, and discoloration throughout the apartment. (See pics) The water in the bathtub was leaking and it caused this yellowish greasy stain in the tub. Day 5, still living at my other apartment but I moved some living room furniture and bedroom furniture into the MAC apartment. As I'm cleaning the kitchen, I noticed bugs running around. I emailed the management company. The property manager set up a day for pest control to come out. Day 14 I return to the apartment and in the bathroom, I noticed dead bugs on the floor. While I'm cleaning the bedroom, I noticed a bug climbing the wall. So, I contacted the company again for pest control. I received a call about the request and was asked if the bugs were bed bugs. I was questioned about being bit but I could not give a definite answer because I have never seen bed bugs. I decided to Google common bugs and found that I am seeing baby ROACHES!!! Disgusting.... and at that point I had not completely moved in. Day 18, I had a/c installed and the power went out in the living room and bedroom. Just so happens it was the weekend and I guess they don't care if crap happens because the electrician did not show up until Monday. MAC is open on the weekend and even though I was told on Saturday and Sunday that someone would be over to my apartment. No one showed up. I officially moved in on Day 20. That night, I saw bugs in the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. My poor pet can no longer eat when she pleases because I have to keep the food away from the bugs. At this point, I have two issues that have not been addressed, 1 the pest problem and 2 a leaking sink. Only 11 more months and I'm out. read more

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So terrible. They don't turn your heat on even when it's below freezing unless you call them, they increased my rent without telling me, changed the way you pay for laundry (meaning I went to do laundry one day and found that the tokens I'd purchased from them were suddenly useless), increased the price of our laundry without telling us, etc. Useless and unresponsive. My apartment is dilapidated and feels like it hasn't been weatherproofed in probably 5-10 years, we have mice, and the kitchen is in disrepair. They have such a monopoly here that there's nothing residents can do about this state of affairs. I can't wait to move. read more

Had a very positive experience renting from them. There had been a mix up about which place we would get and they really bent over backwards to fix it and help us out. Jose was especially willing to go that extra mile for us. read more

They're inconsiderate. The apartments are in bad shape--crappy walls, broken doors and sinks, etc. Please do yourself a favor and go elsewhere. read more

This review is a long time out of date, but having dealt with MAC again in the last few days it's obvious that nothing has changed: We rented a large MAC unit from 2009 - 2010. Our first summer, MAC tried to evict us from the apartment while most of us were out of the country, necessitating us to frantically track down notaries in China, India and Korea, and they tried to extort hundreds of dollars in weird fees that evaporated when it became apparent that our guarantor was a lawyer. Our second summer, MAC rented our apartment to other people WHILE WE STILL LIVED THERE, without any notice and despite numerous attempts over the course of the prior 2 months to get in touch about re-signing our lease. Only by waving tenant laws were we able to stay. In each instance they tried to shift the blame for their disorganization and misinformation onto us, though we had tried everything we could think of to cover our bases. Right now, I've been trying to get any information about packages that were mistakenly mailed to my old address and it's the same business: no one returns calls, people are curt on the phone, things they say don't line up with facts, and no one will ever try to help you. Other things to consider: mice & rats, wonky heating, don't believe anything until it's in writing and be prepared to fight for it, everything will break at one point or another. read more

DO NOT DEAL WITH MAC PROPERTIES! I use to live in in one of their buildings in Hyde park and I know first hand how unprofessional and uncaring they are. For example it was a Saturday when I was leaving my house I preceded to walk down the steps when I noticed a big pile of crap on the steps yes actual literal crap. I called their Hot line to have it dealt with when the lady on the other end told me that their was nothing that can be done until Monday morning because maintenance only comes out on the weekend for emergencies if that isn't an emergency I don't know what is. the hallway smelled like crap for 6 months they get no stars from me read more

I am a current resident in the 5300 s Hyde park building. Overall the location is great. One main issue though, ROACHES! The building is dirty I have had pest control come out 3 times and still no fix! The ppl at the office seem extremely lax about the situation and just tell me it takes awhile for them to go away! This is not acceptable. There even is always some in the basement, I guess the current tenants are unbothered. For the price you pay, you deserve to live in a roach free apartment. I will be moving as soon as my lease is up. read more