Scummy property management company. When we moved in, the apartment was in no shape for new tenants. The realtor, Joe Rose, promised it would be "professionally" cleaned and painted. Instead we found a filthy apartment that was not painted and had holes in the walls. Even worse, the bathroom had MOLD! Were they quick in correcting these issues you ask? Ha, you must not know Owl Management. Took them multiple weeks to clean the mold, do a half assed job painting the holes/ patches and never cleaned. Some other highlights were losing water for a day. The building engineer, Mr. Uri is a godsend and would deserve 5/5 stars. The rest of owl management are crap. Do yourself a favor and stay away read more

I applied for an apartment with one of Owl Managements properties. After being denied rental because of my credit score, I reached out to the management company to clear up some issues still posted... Again I was told there was nothing they could do for me. Owl Management "THOUGHT" they hung up their phone when in fact it was not disconnected. The offices conversation went on to discuss my reason for refusal with an entire paragraph of name calling, explicit language I will not repeat, ending his cruel banter with " He needs to get his life fixed before finding a Apartment!" Disgusting behavior from a company that I would never recommend! I've since contacted the BBB with a formal complaint. read more

The management company was easy to deal with when signing the lease - but you pay a move in fees to get the apartment ready, aka clean and any repairs. We moved it and the apartment was not cleaned. Yes, maybe they swept the floors but everything has a tick layer of dust on it. I cleaned one set of blinds and the amount of dirt on them is disgusting (see photos). I have spent at least 12 hours cleaning and have a long way to go. If you plan on leasing from them, I would bring an employee with you and walk though all the things you want cleaned before actually moving your things in. read more

Owl Management - Small filthy blinds that I cleaned - for size reference to all the dirt - Property Management Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I have worked with Owl Management for many years and what a solid organization they are in Chicago. They streamline the process when prospective tenants are applying for apartments so there are not any unnecessary delays. Their buildings and units are clean and well taken care of on behalf of their owners too. Specifically, Justine is very professional and knows what it takes to get the job done when leasing and managing apartments for Owl. I highly recommend working with Justine and Owl Management. read more

I paid a move in fee, which means they should take care of the cleaning and getting it ready for me to move in. Lies. I went to get the keys and went straight to the apartment. When I got there, all doors were open and some lady was sitting smoking on the balcony. She tells me she is the cleaning lady. Then she leaves. Nothing was cleaned. There were flaming hot Cheetos on the floor. She did not clean. The vents were disgusting. The place smelled of smoke. We are still trying to get the smoke smell out of the bedroom. Now that we haven been here, we are seeing how horribly maintained the place is. The lights outside have been out, we just noticed there are even lights outside! No working light bulbs in them I guess. Every room has cracks in the walls and ceilings. This place is extremely drafty. This is something you don't realize until it is winter time! I'm not sure how this place was constructed, if there is no insulation in the walls. I say that because I can hear my neighbors very well, below me and next to me. I also had to deal with a broken microwave, stove, and faucets. Which took almost 2 weeks to get fixed. I could not use my kitchen for 2 weeks. Another thing. We all have different leases. I contacted them about quiet hours and I have 10pm to 6am quiet hours. But the person below me has 11pm to 6am. SO I have to be quiet, but I have to wait until 11pm for their quiet hours to start so I can actually go to sleep. That doesn't make sense. Also, their emergency phone line is ridiculous. No one told us when we moved in or was shown the place were the fuse box is. We apparently blew a fuse and half our apartment had no power. We asked the tenets next to us and they didn't know. We looked all over the apartment, no luck. We called and they were not helpful at all. They just told us that they didn't know and it is probably I the apartment. We called them a couple times. They said they will pass it on the the people in the morning. In the morning, they didn't know. IT wasn't until noon the next day that someone came out and found the fuse box and turned the power back on. Update: The lease is finally up. They did not communicate with both people that live here. Only one person. Which is not how you communicate with tenets. You need to communicate with both people. I shouldn't have to ask my roommate about what is going on. Owl only cared about getting your money and signing the lease. They don't do any upkeep to the property and upkeep. Cracks in ceiling and walls. No lights outside or inside. Broken windows. No snow removal, no ice removal, no grass cutting. When and if they tell you someone will be by to look at the furnace or duct work, they somehow forget to tell you when the person cancels. So I was waiting for the guy and he never showed. I had to contact them to see what's going on. They then told me later on that they cancelled the visit. Thanks for letting me know! The leasing agent is only nice to people looking at the place, not the current tenants. I let her know in the beginning that my roommate works overnight and to be quiet. But they still insisted on going in the room he was sleeping in and talking in there. I also asked them to not go all the way in my office. I work for a hospital and have documents out that cannot be seen by others. But she did not respect that. And they both came in and looked all over. I am ready to leave this horrible building that is managed by a company that does nothing but take your money to basically line their pockets. read more

UPDATE 8/30/2016: LANDLORDS and TENETS beware! Owl Management USED to be such an amazing company. They USED to be fantastic. It used to be if something broke, or needed repair, they would be there within 24 hours to fix it, and fix it right. But not anymore. Somewhere along the way, that all stopped. Now it takes weeks if not months to get things repaired, even dangerous things like broken stairs & handrails, leaking sewage pipes, etc. They are no long a reputable company, which is sad. Because they used to be so great. The only thing they are quick to do anymore is charge late fees (1 day late is a $42 late fee), and look for other ways to charge tenets "fees" that are considered "rent", so they can charge you even more late fees. Such a shame. Landlords and tenets alike need to steer clear of this company. 8 days ago, after months of requesting that the fix the loose stairs in the my building, one of the stairs dislodged and I fell through it. That was on the 22nd, and today is the 30th, and it has still not been fixed. Same with the leaking sewage stack in the basement of our building. We have been complaining for months about this, and it has still not been fixed. Roof leaking during rain for a long time, been "fixed" 3 times. Now they are waiting for an actual contractor to come fix the roof... read more

Seriously avoid!!! They are so incompetent. Nothing will get fixed and they will take forever to respond. It's not worth it. Stay away!

DO NOT RENT FROM OWL MANAGEMENT. I am currently renting from Owl Management and only a week into my lease I am incredibly disappointed in the service they have provided. Upon move in, I was charged a $450 move in fee which I was told goes toward preparing my unit for my arrival, however when I moved in almost all of the lights were burnt out, the walls and vents were extremely dusty, and walls were filthy and all marked up after I was told they would be repainted, and my bathroom was filthy. I asked that these things be taken care of and they were not so I am currently in the process of requesting a partial refund and Owl Management is being extremely unhelpful and rude and even has stopped returning my calls. read more

Owl's taking over the management of my former building was the worst renting experience of my life. They entered my unit illegally (without notice), left messes behind, and expressed no actual remorse or genuine admitting of wrongdoing. Leaving the apartment without them trying to fine me was a huge and stressful operation. They were terrible, and I am shocked at the many positive reviews I'm seeing here. I assume there are times that by dumb luck they have fulfilled their legal obligations, but when they don't, watch out. If I had more money, I would have sued them. And they feel like the kind of company that banks on the knowledge that most people are renting cheap apartments and can't afford to come back at them. read more

Owl runs a tight ship. As a 3 year renter with them, I've appreciated they're commitment to tenant comfort and follow through. Unlike other management companies, Owl is very receptive to feedback and run their business in an orderly and no BS fashion. Shout-out to Greg for his availability and empathy with tenants as well as his commitment to excellence. read more

"In the fall of 2010, Lauren helped me find a great new apartment. As I was moving out on my own for the first time, she worked with me to help set expectations around what criteria I was looking for in a place, what my budget was, and where my idea location was. Even several months before even realistically being in the market, she began to send me property listing to help me narrow down what my ideal apartment would like. Finally, when it came time to move, she was not only able to locate a property that fit all of my ideal characteristics, but she was also able to negotiate the rent down significantly. Since my experience with Lauren, I have referred many friends to Lauren when they are looking to move, and will continue to do so in the future." read more

Owl Management has been excellent to work with. They were accommodating and helpful when we initiated our lease, making the process smooth for two out of town people to complete. After move in they have been extremely pleasant and very responsive to questions or issues. All of our issues (all have been non Emergency) have been addressed quickly and in most cases the same day with a response and problem resolution. The building exterior is promptly shoveled and kept in good order and common area is kept clean and clear. read more

I couldn't ask for better service! I was moving to Chicago on a short time frame and was lucky to find Owl Management after a recommendation from a high-end realtor. I worked with Joe Rose from a distance to find options and then within three days in Chicago he helped me find a wonderful place in River North. He also helped me negotiate. If I was moving again (which I hope I don't as I love my place), I'd for sure look to the professionals at Owl Management. read more

Last year, I rented an apartment through Owl Management and they have been surprisingly pleasant to work with, especially Justine. The property management game seems thankless, so the fact Owl has so many positive ratings is a testament to how good they are at what they do. Since I signed a lease 8 months ago, Owl Management has been very responsive, professional and efficient with maintenance requests and with addressing any questions or concerns that have come up. read more

My boyfriend and I were moving from the burbs to the city and were in need of an apartment. The city is a vast place with so many options and we were hoping to rent a condo-which finding these is no easy task, so we were on the hunt for a Realtor. We were referred to Lauren at OWL Management through a co-worker of my boyfriend's and she did not disappoint. We were looking for an apartment in the north loop/river north area and we gave her all of our specifications (bedrooms, budget, parking needs, etc.) and she gave us a list of potential places that was really easy to access and review. We came back with "yes, no, maybe" and set up showings for us for the "yes and maybe" selections. She did this more than once, continually checking the database for apartments that would fit our needs. She was available to do the showings during the week after our work hours-which was super helpful! We had multiple showings both times we met with her and she drove us around the city like a pro - making it less stressful on us! She was a great advocate when we were interested in an apartment, seeking out all the essential info (how many applications were ahead of us, what we could do to ensure we could get the APT, negotiating rent, etc.). In our first run of apartment searching our two favorites were taken - due to the lack of urgency on my bf and I's part (which she warned us the market was hot!) - but she took us out again and we found the perfect place-better than the first two we liked-and we got because we were much quicker on the application than before! She was professional and always reachable by phone or e-mail when we had questions. I will definitely be using OWL Management for any of our future needs, as well as passing her name along to all friends in need! read more

If you want to be accused of doing something wrong every time you submit a maintenance request, deal with a convoluted series of websites to accomplish everyday tasks like paying rent ( with a 50$ fee, unless you provide your bank account info) and be told one month before your lease ends ( because YOU call to find out since you haven't heard anything from them within the usual 3 month time frame) that you cannot renew and have to move out, then definitely trust Owl. They do not take responsibility for their actions and consistently do the bare minimum to meet their legal requirements, but not much more. read more

Owl Management should not be used under any circumstance. Owl Management was extremely unprofessional, irresponsible, unreliable, and overall extremely rude towards their tenants. I am under no obligation to write a review, but I feel as though they are the most awful landlords I have ever experienced. They gave tenants no warning they would call a scrapping company and remove all bikes (including bikes that were not the tenants) from a community bike rack with no labeling or signage. Further, they would not respond to the claims that they had stolen or damaged my property along with 6 other tenant's bikes they had trashed. In addition, multiple lights, doors, and appliances broke during my year long stay in their property, and they were irresponsible and unresponsive when asked to help repair them. DO NOT RENT FROM THEM! THEY ARE HORRIBLE, RUDE people. read more

Gosh what a difference 2 years makes! Hubby and I have been at our condo for 3 years come July, but our homeowner's association has had 3 property managers in that time frame. Lauren was great, but then our account was transferred to John and that's when things started going south. First we didn't have as many HOA meetings. There were communication issues as only some members of the board were made aware of possible meeting times and when times were selected, not all condo owners were notified of the meeting. Sometimes we were given short notice with a knock on the door from a fellow neighbor that there was a meeting that night. Given the infrequency of meetings, issues that were brought up and potential projects were tabled or not followed-up with. If something was agreed upon, such as removing the old motorized iron gate in the back lot, John didn't contact the entire board with contractor bids to decide - we came home one day to find the gate removed, but the holes where the iron poles were located remained open and unpatched. No notice or discussion of the charges. Then our account was transferred again to Jason. The board had to re-explain the laundry list of issues and projects all over again. Jason was patient and attentive. He immediately prioritized the problems with the board and kept all board members in the loop with regular status updates via email. He was able to fix the easier problems immediately (replacing the bulbs in the back lot that have been broken for at least a 1 year as well as repairing the doors to the garages), decreasing our garbage pick up from 2x/week to 1x/week to minimize costs (something the board agreed upon but it was never done), and obtaining quotes for the bigger projects like resurfacing the iron back stairwell especially in the high traffic areas where it has started rusting through. Just when Jason was started to restore our faith in OWL, he notified us that he was leaving OWL for another position. Now we are back to John until a new replacement has been named. We have not heard back from John since the transition. In the interim, we have had to increase our assessments because our funds have been depleted. What is the point of paying OWL to barely maintain our building? Where is all the money that we are paying OWL going towards? I know we are only a small 6 unit condo, but we deserve just as much attention and care as bigger associations. read more

If you are looking to rent a unit and Owl Management is the property management company.. RUN.. Horrible experience as a renter. Be ready to pay additional fees for any violations. You will not have a chance to contest the fee. Owl Management will simply invoice you and if you do not pay on time, they will assess a late fee. read more

Lets see can I give these people 0 stars??! Yes I can! I recently applied for an apartment through them, I got approved which was great. They then came back and told me other "tenants" had been approved. They then made me negotiate the price up and give a best offer? I'm sorry, I'm not buying a condo! Who does that? Its first come first serve! If I wasn't first then so be it, I'd understand. I have never had to do that, nor have any of my friends. What a shady way to do business, stay away! read more

Was supposed to have an apartment showing with Joseph Rose and he didn't show up. He was initially running late, then told me that he would arrive in 5 minutes, then never texted or called me back and he is the director of operations for Owl Management. Not a good sign at all and I wasted an hour and a half of my day waiting for him. Very disappointing. read more

ALWAYS instantly responsive to acknowledge any issues I am having with my rental, and fix the problem typically within the same day.

Joe is great! Very responsive, transparent and puts the time in.

Horrrrrrrible service. Moved into my apartment and there was dirt everywhere, fridge drawers missing, missing fire detectors, cracked paint, water damage and a HOLE in my bedroom wall. Still hasn't been fixed 10 days later. These people don't care about maintaining their buildings, and they are dodgy as ever when trying to get repairs done. Stay away from them at all costs. read more

Lauren and the Owl team has helped to get our condo association back on track. After years of mis-management (no management) and loads of confusion about how to get ourselves out of the mess we were in, Owl has swooped in and gotten us sorted. Their team is proactive and responsive, and I can confidently recommend them as a great agency to help support small/medium sized condo associations, especially those who have suffered organizational and financial challenges as a result of the housing crisis. read more

we all know that management companies are usually scum. The previous 3 companies I have dealt with were looking out for nothing other than squeezing out as much money from their tenants as possible. Owl is the first company that appears to actually prioritize the best interests of their tenants. There have been a number of instances I can recall where Owl could have easily made a quick buck or two off me but they chose not to because they actually prioritize good customer care. They work their butts off to meet your needs whether that is in the middle of the night or during the weekends. Great company. I have a year left with them, so if anything changes I will definitely update my review, but after a year, its been nothing but smooth sailing. read more

My girlfriend and I were looking for an apartment and happen to be put in touch with Justine (D'Amour). Within an hour, she had reached out to find out about our apartment needs and that same day was already sending over properties. Whenever we wanted to look at a place, she was super helpful and flexible with scheduling. She even went so far as to walk us through an apartment via Skype, due to our hectic travel schedules for work. Even if we don't end up with a property from Owl Management, the experience with Justine has been absolutely amazing and we will recommend her to any of our friends or colleagues in the area who are in the market for a new apartment. read more

Based on personal experience wouldn't advise anyone to rent from this company. Based off a terrible experience that was had. I hope people take the time to consider the very candid and honest terrible reviews because if you notice there is quite the contrast that goes from "great and 5 stars!" To seeing some people experiencing very detrimental and genuinely painful situations in trying to work with this company. I've also seen first hand the lack of cooperation, threats, trash talking, etc that others are stating. So please read between the lines (or five star reviews) and ensure that you are taking caution and looking out for your best interest in moving forward with this management company read more

Coming from an owner, and as a real estate professional, Owl management has been a wonderful addition to the condo management world. A fifth star is tough to provide ANY property management company, because there is no such thing as perfection in this industry. So, they get 4.5 stars, and as good as I have found. Good reliability, great communication, nice ownership, and good rates. You have nothing to lose by telling your association to call them today. read more

Owl Management has been working with our condo association for the last 2 years and they've been great from the beginning. We definitely had problems with our prior management company, so making the change was necessary... and Owl Management has lived up to the expectations. Lauren is our main contact there. She's responsive and incredibly helpful and regardless of the issue, I've been more than pleased with the resolution. As a first-time homeowner, I couldn't be happier with the service they offer. read more

I moved into an Owl Management managed apartment complex in July 2018 and have had such a wonderful experience so far. Ashley helped us with a few issues at the beginning when we first moved in with some maintenance requests. She was so responsive and the people who did the work to repaint after the previous tenant were so friendly. After having an awful landlord for years (didnt have a fridge for over a week at one point) I am so grateful to have such a wonderful management team. read more

I very much enjoyed my experience with Owl Management. In August, Justine helped me find an apartment that was exactly what I was looking for... on the first day we met! She really listened to what I wanted and didn't waste my time taking me to places out of my price range or anything other than what I asked for. The whole experience was smooth and easy. I highly recommend working with them! read more

I viewed an apartment listed by Owl Management on Wed 6/20/12. I received an email from the showing agent, Joseph Rose, that if I did not want to "lose out" my husband I should complete the application ASAP because there were several showings scheduled for the following day. My husband and I completed the application and submitted our application fee on Thursday 6/21/12. When I asked the showing agent, Joseph Rose, I was told we were the first to apply for the property. Then, we did not hear anything from Joe or Owl Management... My realtor texted, called, and emailed Joe several times from Thursday thru Sunday to find out what the hold up was and also made it very clear we intended to lease the property. Joe would not respond all day, and then he would send a text late in the day lying to us and telling us the "owners" were reviewing our credit and application. Finally on Sunday evening 6/24/12, I received an email from Joe stating that after reviewing our application and credit/background, the owners decided "to go another direction due to credit issues." Our credit is clean and clear. Our credit report shows all bills are always paid on time. We have never been late on a our mortgage which, is more than twice the rent on the apartment we applied for. When I emailed back to Joe, asking what the credit issues are, once again, he is just blowing me off. Joseph Rose is a shady character, and Owl Management is just as shady for employing him and for jerking us around for days before ultimately denying our application without a credit or background basis. I also emailed Joe indicating I wanted a refund on the application fee we paid since we were denied without basis... of course, no response. read more

I was referred Owl Management about a year ago to manage my condo when I moved out of state for my job. Owl is fantastic at customer service and specially Lauren Hundman who is prompt at responding with myself and my tenants. I can't say enough great things about Owl. read more

We have had a great experience working with Owl! When we found our current place, Justine was quick to respond and helpful in getting us a showing right away. When there were multiple rental offers on the table, Justine worked to get us into the place (which we were in love with) with the best deal. The process of signing leases, submitting maintenance requests, etc is online - which makes it easy! When we've had maintenance requests they are adressed promptly. Nothing but good things to say about Owl and their employees! read more

I am beyond impressed with Owl. After accepting a new job in Chicago, my company wanted me to start ASAP. I found a listing, and that very same day Justine showed me the place! She was very helpful and professional and made the whole process transparent. Not only that, she understood my hurry, and worked to push my application through as quickly as possible. Now I'll be moving to my new place FOUR DAYS AFTER THE VIEWING. Even my friend who viewed the apartment with me is considering using Owl to help her find a new place after her current lease is up. I can't believe how lucky I was to come across them! Thanks so much Justine!!!!! read more

We were moving from out of town and had no idea where to begin, we needed a 3 bedroom which is not very easy to find. Joe was very helpful, provided us web listings to choose from and always showed up on time for showings and really cared about what we were looking for. Not like those other apartment search places where you are just another name. We still get follow up emails which are a very nice personal touch, we will be using Joe again the next time we decide to move, top notch all of the way! read more

Justine from Owl Properties made renting our condo easy and streamlined. She helped set the rent appropriately and was excellent about communicating with us on showing the unit to prospective renters. We secured a tenant quickly and have had no issues. We live out of state and Owl Properties was great when we experienced a small leak into our unit. They worked with a plumber, our tenant, the upstairs neighbor, and our home owners association to investigate, fix, and document the problem. Overall I have been completely satisfied with all aspects of this property management company. read more

Owl handles property management for our 6 unit building in Wicker Park/Bucktown. They have been a fresh breath of air from our prior property management company. Owl is quick to respond, easy to communicate with and most importantly they dont tack on bs charges. I would highly recommend them and I have many times. read more

Owl Management has been managing my condo association for the past year. They continue to play a great middle man to resolve issues in a timely and peaceful manner. Both Lauren and Greg are readily available and responsive to all calls and emails, so nothing is left lingering or unresolved. Our building is smaller and only has 7 units so we don't need many things on a regular basis, but they still provide us their full attention with anything that comes up. read more