"To live in a "Pod" is to live in a college dormitory; except instead of having a resident advisor (who cares about you and enforces the rules) you have a negligent property manager, D. Enders, (who does not care about your rights as a tenant to live in a peaceful manner). And instead of paying a fee that said dorms college has priced fairly you have a unit that you have moved into already overpriced and the slumlord nature of Podmajersky/Soda Pop Lofts L.P. will every year raise the rent without having a reason to raise such as updating appliances or the structural nature of your unit." -Me. That is right, I have been living in a unit at 1718 S. Jefferson St. for 2 years now and I am thankfully able to move out at the end of May. Included with my complaints of the services that Pod provides (or lack thereof, rather) are that I unknowingly paid for my upstairs neighbors ELECTRICITY for a total of 19 months. This has turned my living situation for the last 5 months of my lease into a feud between the paper thin floors of the building of my neighbors and myself with Pod never stepping in and mediating the situation. It would be nice to have an untroubled living situation but apparently that is just not possible. I have spoke with Podmajersky about the situation above and they have refused to step in and be of assistance, even though many rules in the lease have been broken and reported. Outside of that, the windows of the unit are about as leaky as a garden hose made of mesh in the winter and it took all of 1.5 years to fix a lock on our back door. This two problems drove my heating bill 20% higher than it needed to be. I have a broken window on our front porch that still has yet to be repaired. The window was broken before moving in. The window and door have been reported to Podmajersky, but only the door lock was fixed (after possible embarrassment during tours for possible future tenants). From what I have seen in pictures and tours, the achilles heel of Pod, inc. is the complete and utter lack of storage in the units. In our nice and spacious apartment we have a single closet for storage that is 2.5' wide x 3' deep x 6' tall, making our "office" a storage unit of unsightly boxes, instruments, and other miscellaneous gear. This is not a complaint, merely the truth. If looking at living in a Pod, be aware of the heavy amount of pictures taken using a wide angle lens to open up the space that isn't actually there when seen with the human eye. Please be aware that your rent (which said earlier is already steep) will be either raised or you will be told to move out. Lastly, be aware that you will be putting your money into a system that is single handedly putting a chokehold on an otherwise beautiful neighborhood in South Chicago and does not care what happens to the non-Pod-owned-property or historical population. For that matter, they own so many open plots of unbuilt land that this area will over time be a complete monopoly by every stretch of the word. It is sad that after living in one of their units for 2 years as a faithful tenant who does nothing but good and is responsible with bills and rent is being treated like a person who moved in and lived here for one month then told "sorry, this just isn't working out". Podmajersky, of all the relationships I have had in my life you are the worst girlfriend I have ever had and if any of my friends try to get your number I will go out of breath by telling them that you are a bad person to "get into bed with" and you are just looking to take his/her money. Everything said within this review is 100% truth and trust that I am merely looking out for the well being of future renters, for people to have an honest viewpoint of what you are signing onto. If you need to read any other reviews, please see the men's bathroom walls at The Skylark (incredible bar) which have more than plenty of renters writing their distrust/disgust with the company or other Yelp reviews that average out to this company having a 1.5 star rating overall on 18+ reviews. Would you eat at a restaurant with that rating? If no, then why in the world would you put money every month into anything that poorly reviewed? (This review is protected by The City of Chicago's Standard Lease NO. L-19, paragraph 31, A.) read more

I began looking at their loft spaces online. Their website promoted them as active concerned leaders in Pilen. This is complete bull. They are more like slumlords. I called to ask about a few specific units and where they were in relationship to the Fisk and Crowford power plants. They had no idea what I was talking about. I gave them the addresses of the plants and they still had no idea what I was talking about. These plants have been operating without pollution controls since the 1950s and are responsible for why Chicago, and Pilsen in particular, has the highest asthma and asthma related death rates in the entire United States. I'd rather not live next door and would rather not waste my time and theirs looking at those units. How can they sell their image as community leaders if you don't know anything about the area and obviously don't care about it? The clean up of these plants are the singular largest political issue facing Pilsen in city hall. It would be nice if the Podmajersky, who is profiting hugely from gentrifying this neighborhood, would also take an active roll in helping to make it a more breathable place for their renters. read more

Unfortunately for my myself and my other 3 roommates, we had the unfortunate displeasure of living in the 1700 block apartments where Nathan lived. Everything that he said was entirely accurate, except for us it was carpenter ants and mice that entered our pantry-- the squirrel problem, apparently had been fixed. I would like to further propagate that negative aspect of the interactions I had with the Podmajersky's after move out. Whereby upon the cleaning and painting of our unit in excess of personal costs of $400, we were only given $131 of the $1400 security deposit for damages to the unit, things like dirt on the outside of 2nd floor windows. Having conversations with people like Danielle Enders might have been more prolific if I were, say, not talking to a degenerate human being as such. Living as a tenant under Podmajersky, whether it was supposed to or not was very similar to living in Lodz, Poland whether it was supposed to or not. The only positive thing I can say is that after about a week of calling the maintenance coming to remove the carpenter ant infestation in our unit, every other maintenance issue was handled RIGHT AWAY. I am personally willing to address anyone who would consider renting from them. read more

I have had the pleasure of renting from Podmajersky for 5 1/2 years. I wish they were still managing my apartment. I received a notice at the end of July that PMI Properties was taking over the management of my apartment, and since it has been a nightmare. My bathtub faucet has been leaking and I first contacted them on Oct 13 via a hotmail account. A few days later I didn't here back, so I called. The call was obviously routed to a call center because the woman I was speaking to needed to know what state I was in and pronounced Illinois with an "S" on the end. I received a call back saying they would send someone over that day. No one ever came. I gave it a few days and sent another email. Apparently they never check their email. Then I called again and the man who called back said my repair somehow "fell off their to do list." They sent a repair man who did not have a key to enter the building. I had to give him a spare key I had. He worked on the tub faucet making it worse. There is 3 gallons of water coming out of my facet every 15 minutes. He left saying he would be back the next day. When I came home from work, it was apparent that he did not return. The water is leaking so much that I have to keep the bathroom door closed or the running water keeps me awake. I would warn anyone wanting to rent in Pilsen- Pick a Podmajersky managed apartment- NOT PMI PROPERTIES!!!!! read more

I currently live in the PodMajersky apartments. They are poorly insulated and the kitchen has never been updated. For what I am paying, I would have a kick-ass one-bedroom in other neighborhoods. I enjoy the courtyard, but only a few months out of the year. If they charged a few hundred less per apartment, I think it wold be more reasonable for artists and galleries. Even some of the storefronts on the other side of my courtyard have been empty for as long as I can remember. read more

I have lived in East Pilsen for many, many years, both as a neighbor of Podmajersky and as a renter from them. I knew John Sr. and Ann Pod (the deceased parents) I know the younger John Pod and his amazing team of people who so carefully care for this eclectic collection of artists lofts and vintage buildings, and who provide opportunity for artists through the many FREE programs they run in the community. John and his team took what was the mish mosh, albeit charming, vision of his parents and turned it into something gorgeous, livable, and successful. The 5 stars are for Podmajersky, Inc. and John's team. Find them at www.podmajersky.com - where you can still rent from them. Suddenly, there is a notice posted on many of the buildings proclaiming the "pleasure" of Lisa Podmajersky (in all the years I've been here, never met her) in replacing the management company of this unique and handcrafted group of buildings with some nameless, faceless group called PMI Properties c/o High Ridge Partners. Based on a Crain's article I found, Lisa is John's sister!?!? What kind of sister takes "pleasure" in replacing her brother's company with a bunch of downtown strangers? Oh, how I fear for the future of our beautiful community!! John Sr. and Ann Pod would be horrified! I'd rate PMI Properties and Lisa Podmajersky with zero stars if Yelp offered such a rating. read more

In all honesty, I'd rather move back in with my parents than do business with these people again. This is a shame because the area could have been nice had the properties not been neglected and profoundly overpriced. I stuck around for a few years because I was close with my neighbors, ... and a white sox fan... but I couldn't stand the building neglect so I eventually moved out. I even tried to see what else they had to offer; perhaps mine was just a bad unit. I was shown a spacious unit with a crappy kitchen and awful windows that rented for the same price that I now pay to rent a gut rehab condo in the village. It doesn't suprise me that units sat vacant for years on end. The worst experience was an incident on the fall of 2009. City building inspectors came and put a large orange sign on the back fence of my building clearly stating that our back stairs were in disrepair and were not safe to use. As of May 2010, they had not been repaired. Upon moving out, I have reason to believe that they kited mailing my security deposit to me. I received it two weeks late. If tenants ever turned in rent two weeks late, they are issued a late fee. Such business ethics disgust me. Don't ever give a dime of your money to these people you will regret it. You can easily find a much cheaper and nicer unit in Pilsen where you can still hear everyone's band practice and still be able to walk home from the Skylark. read more

I recently took up residence in a "Pod" after looking at 8 available units. My leasing agent Karen was accommodating, flexible, honest and friendly. She was also extremely patient and met with me on three separate occasions to look at different apartments. Most agents in the city give you a quick 30 minute tour of 3 unremarkable spaces and then disappear if you aren't ready to sign a contract at the end of the hour. So I really appreciated the time she took with me. I never got the feeling that she was trying to rush me into a space just to collect more rent. When I did find the right place, the management bent over backwards to accommodate both my credit history and my mid-month move-in date, which was just 10 days after signing the lease. Since I have been in the apartment I have been delighted by the open space, the amazing light and all the unique touches that previous tenants have contributed like the built in suspension bookcase. There are also the amazing gardens to look forward to once spring/summer are here. Not to mention the ample street parking for my guests, the garage unit I rent for $110 a month (that's right people... a private 2 unit garage for $110!) the easy access to I90 just 5 blocks away and the amazing shopping available just 2 miles away on Canal. While I have only been here a week, I have to say that it would take a major catastrophe or blatant neglect on the part of the management to make me change my opinion about Podmajersky, Inc. I think these guys are terrific and a benefit to the neighborhood and I hope to be here for many years to come. read more

I have heard horror stories about Podmajersky from both friends who have previously been tenants and, of course, the internet. Much of the criticism has been about 3 things: 1) The tenant's personal feelings about the politics behind the Podmajersky family and everything they've heard or read about it, 2) The management company's lack of attentiveness and 3) The units have few amenities. It is true that how when manages their personal life can have an impact on how they run their business. From what I've been told, at one point, this was true. You may notice that many of the negative reviews below drop off in mid-2014. It is my understanding that there has been some shifting of the guard. I moved in to a Podmajersky unit in late 2014 and have experienced nothing but the utmost attention. Everything I have asked for I have gotten. There are maintenance staff outside the premises almost daily keeping up the landscape and fixing any requests from tenants. It is been a good relationship and I'm happy to defend them. As for the point about few amenities I have to wonder if these people even saw the unit before they moved in. Why would you sign a lease for an apartment and not look at it? read more

I actually gave Podmajersky a pretty shitty review last time but since then things have changed a lot. I guess I pretty much scored when it came to the apartment I got because my kitchen is huge with about 40 million cabinets, harwood floors, a loft and two bedrooms and 8ft windows that let in so much light I actually can't stand it! I mean I base my life on NYC prices, since I'm from there and this apartment would be at least 5,000 a month in NYC and I pay around 1,100. I've haven't had maitenance issues in over a year and whenever I have a problem they always call me back, maybe it's because I've lived here for awhile and Karen pretty much likes us a lot, but my other friends who lived in another apartment never had any maitenance issues either, including getting a new fridge when they asked for one without a problem. My apartment is also pretty well insulated and my heat bill is never over 100 bucks in the winter. Best thing? They're the most unintrusive landlords ever. They give at least a weeks warning when they plan to do fire inspections and heat inspections and never once have I had a random "visit" from them. They also don't care WHAT you do to your apartment as long as you don't knock down any walls. Friends of mine built a -room- IN their apartment and the only stipulation was that the walls not be permanent. I think I'm kind of in love with my apartment and maybe other people just got the crappy pick of the litter, which sucks for them.. but not for me! read more

This is the best collection of unique vintage apartments or loft spaces with character and charm in the entire city. The places Podmajersky has are like nothing else on the market. If my apartment were for sale, I'd buy it. However, like the two before me have stated, you have to stay up on them to get an appointment for a tour. I think being an artist/professional designer actually helped me get "in" with this company. Sure, you can find cheaper places, ESPECIALLY in Pilsen, but never with this coolness. These are definitely for a certain type of person. Podmajersky has done a lot for the area and for the artists which they house. Every late summer there's a weekend within the community for an "open house" where you can go and see what people are working on and actually buy if you feel so inclined. They are a huge part of the Chicago Arts District. http://www.chicagoartsdistrict.org/ They also have a 24 hour phone line to call if you have a problem. When I first moved in I kept blowing out a fuse because of a microwave, and a guy came and installed a new outlet for me within a day. read more

Definitely recommend. My spouse and I have lived in a pod for 2 years and it's the most unique/enjoyable space I've ever had in Chicago for a reasonable price. The property manager and maintenance staff respond promptly to every matter we have brought to their attention. They negotiate rent increases. As other reviewers have written, you won't get a washer/dryer or dishwasher in unit or modern finishes. You get a raw, beautiful space that's affordable. Life is what you make of it. So are these pods. read more

I don't understand all the hate comments. I have had my art studio here since last October and have had only a great experience. The building is cleaned every weekday and always smells fresh and nice. The building is also very secure, the neighbors are professional and friendly, and the artwalk, even with all of these negative reviews, has had some pretty decent turnout. I've lived in a lot of art building and spaces on artwalks over the past ten years both here and in Portland, OR. This space is great. It's unfortunate there are so many bad reviews. read more

I am a current 'Pod' resident and I love it here. As another review said, if I could I'd buy the place. It is a little rough around the edges but I like it, it's got character. Parking is cheap for a spot 15 feet from the front door, though street parking is fairly easy as well. Hardwood floors, lots of light, a basement with washer dryer hook-up (W/D not included). We've only had 1 maintenance issue in the year we've been here, the heater went out. I called the after hours line and a guy was here in an hour to fix it! They have many different buildings and apartments so I'm sure some are better than others, but overall I think it is a great neighborhood, and the rent is fair. read more

This will be our third year living in a Podmajersky's managed apartment. We are very happy. They are prompt with any concerns, friendly, and respectful. I appreciate how they preserve the neighborhood, meticulously maintain the gardens, and generally care about the tenants. It's a beautiful neighborhood and our place reflects that! read more

I feel sorry for whomever rented my apartment after I moved out after only a year. 1 Year is all it took for me to see what this rental company was all about. Granted, when we were looking for an apartment, it was a bit frantic and our choices were limited. But I thought I had struck gold when we found this one. I've seen quite a few of their properties and all of them are wonderfully quirky and creative. From my back patio here I had a nearly unobstructed view of the entire Chicago skyline. What happened was I got so enamored with this place and it looked good on paper. I was on a budget, so having a new renovation was not a big priority. I wish it would have been. Our unit was 2 floors, the second was an attic/loft with an open staircase. The wood used on it was so low quality every time we used it, there would be a thin layer of shavings on our couch underneath it. On the second floor, the hardwood was very spotty and it was obvious that many types of scrap wood were used to replace broken planks. We broke at LEAST 10 planks in the time we were there just from walking on them. The gutters were so clogged up that squirrels or mice had nested in them, which later lead to them burrowing through the walls all the way to our pantry and causing half of our food to go to waste. And the worst of all problems with this property: THE most drafty, poorly sealed window and door frames I have EVER seen. At the coldest month of winter our gas bill was $300 and we were still freezing! Summer was no better as the whole place turned into an oven. Now all that being said, If this company invested into their properties and restored them to a liveable condition. I would have no problem giving them a second chance. I got so many compliments from friends liking everything everything about it, and of course, just as I didn't know - they had no clue about the problems within. It amazes me really that the condition our building was in was not condemned by the inspectors. Worries me just a little about how worse it could have gotten. read more

Podmajersky claims to be all about promoting the artists in Pilsen but their places are overpriced for a lot of artists. This is just one reason that many of their properties have remained unrented for months if not years. The other reason, and my real beef, is that they cannot call someone back for anything. Both my boyfriend and I have tried to rent from them and we had to eventually find other apartments b/c these douchebags would not return our multiple calls or e-mails. If you don't want to rent your places don't list them fuckers. read more

My girlfriend and i rented 3 apartments from them, one a year for three straight years, looking for the "perfect" space and Podmajersky was tempting on the surface. The spaces start out great, they work hard to get you in asap and then you never hear from them, especially when something is broken or leaking. Then when they finally get to fixing anything the maintenance workers are either not experienced enough to fix the problems once or they don't want to spend the money to do it right. The owner works as a building inspector for the city of Chicago and knows how to work around the law. We thought we had the "one" and within the first week the basement flooded, this was after we left our other lease early by a month to accommodate them. The water was cascading in and continued to do so every time it rained. We couldn't put anything down there and constantly worried the water would blow out the pilot light in the water heater and furnace. I called, emailed, dropped off photos and they would come and clean the water up but not fix the problem. We waited and waited and waited, and then moved out 2 months in to the lease. They tried to argue that we signed something that stated we knew the basement would leak and that it was on us. We let them keep our security deposit for the last month and moved out. If you don't mind the bullshit , leaking basements, lying staff, then go ahead and rent. read more

This is the most unscrupulous management company I've rented from. Upon moving out, they hit me with an outrageously inflated fee for cleaning - I'm sure the place wasn't perfect (I was nine months pregnant at the time), but it wasn't anything that couldn't have been perfected in an hour or two. I've never been fined for this by any other company. They sent me erroneous monthly rent statements every month (I ended up paying them several hundred $$ at the end that they had neglected to include or correct in the statements). Service requests were ignored for long periods of time - sometimes months on end - and washers and dryers were usually broken. I never got the impression anyone in management cared at all, though the repair guy was really nice. read more

DO NOT RENT FROM PODMAJERSKY. I am only halfway through my lease and I want OUT. I have had to call for a maintenance issue every month since we moved in. It always goes straight to voicemail and the only time I got a call back was after sending an angry e-mail everyone listed on the website. This was after construction workers hit the gas line and they shut off our utilities. We had no heat and water nor did we know when it would be turned on and this was in the beginning of December . This has been one of the coldest Chicago winters and our heat does not work properly. No matter how high we crank it up it does not get warm. Our gas bill for December was $300 and we were still freezing. We have the shittiest neighbors as well since they only rent to "artists" which translates to your underaged neighbors are running a hipster half way house and repeatedly throw loud parties with really bad, ironic (and loud) music and pot. read more

Wish old man Pod was still in charge, because his clueless dick of a son has a stick up his ass. Rent increases are unbelievable here. Yes the spaces are great, but not far away from unaffordable. Then there are the Pod's practices of removing bicycles, grills, signs for barbecues, etc. Anything they do not want to see, they grab without notice. Getting a call back from these people is impossible, although most maintenance issues are generally taken care of. Then the worst of all, their smug thanks for being a part of "the community". It's not a community anymore, it's a money-grabbing business and nothing more. read more

The units might be worth what they're charging if you actually got anything for your money. There are little amenities in the units (no dishwasher, no washer & dryer) and you're most definitely not paying for maintenance and upkeep of units and property. read more

Pros- The spaces are aesthetically beautiful and weird and cool, your neighbors will generally be cool and eccentric and fun to be around, 2nd Fridays is a lot of fun and a good opportunity to get an easy audience for whatever creative endeavor you might be involved with. Cons- Electricity, cable, heat, and other basic maintenance issues are a huge mess. Even if you're not fussy and accept things being a little sloppy and thrown together as the price of doing business, you're likely to find your patience tested as time goes on and the ceiling starts leaking for the third time. Also, cool as your neighbors are, you probably won't have many of them, because most of the spaces around the courtyards are empty due to the insane rent, which in turn means there's fewer interesting things going on on the art walk, which kills your walk-by if you do happen to be paying out the nose for the privilege of doing something. Management is hard to get ahold of and frosty and inflexible when you do communicate with them. And you can kiss most of your security deposit goodbye no matter what happens. It's a cool space and a cool idea. If there were competitors doing the same thing I'd give them a try. If I were wealthy I'd be tempted to stick with them despite the issues. As it is, I'd take a cold shower and think carefully before you sign that lease. read more

I have a few nice things to say about living in the pods. I know lots of people have given them negative reviews but I honestly don't know why. I live in a stunning 2 story loft with tons of light and space. I pay a very fair rent and as an artist (photographer) and someone who works very hard at part-time jobs (because I want to keep my time free to develop my photography) - I look for value in just about everything. I certainly feel I found it living in the Pods. My rent is affordable, I have street parking and plenty of it for guests, I have a great location to get almost anywhere in the city and great public transportation - my favorite mode. Mostly though I have to say I have found the Pod staff so accommodating, helpful and responsive. Jamie McBain (just had a baby boy) is great. Karen, Danielle and Cyhthia - all of whom I have had interactions with are great to work with - but best of all is my space. I would put up with just about anything for a two story, well lighted loft space with an outdoor green space - for under $1500/month. Happily I don't have to put up with much. Love my home. read more

Ive been a tenant with them for years. My name is Christophe Roberts and I'm a well known artist. I recently was gonna go into a venture with one of there art galleries. Signed the lease everything seemed to be fine but when we went to do the walk through, the place smelled like sewage was just floating in the basement of the place. The door to the basement was locked, and they refused to give me a key so I could never really see what the problem was. . they insisted on me moving in and the smell would work its way out. I told them no way possible is that gonna happen. Weeks passed and the smell stayed pretty consistent so of course I told them I couldn't take the place. I was told until I returned the keys to the unit I would be considered as occupying the unit.I returned the keys and I moved to New York. A couple months later they started sending me statements like I still lived there , not returning my calls or responding when I asked for a copy of my lease. The lease had not even started yet during the period when this smell was happening. I never moved n at all. I have never gotten a copy cause there slum lords. To this day there still sending me invoices every month. These people are ridiculous and not to be trusted I have know them for years and never thought they would do something like this. They are complete slum lords. Karen, Daniel, the whole staff not to be trusted, if I were you dont even get involved with these vampires you will regret it. I have several friends that have mold, flooding, broken stairwells, etc. read more

I lived in a pod place for 3 years. I loved the place and most of the neighbors. However, they raised our rent by $250/mo. this year - we moved out in protest - it's still empty from what I hear. read more

It's almost laughable that someone would write a review as John III is such a joke. If they were about art and artists, they would fill their places for whatever cost instead of letting them sit vacant for years. Wow, they look so cool from the outside, but inside? What a joke. The people who live in Western Pilsen and the Heart of Chicago should throw a party for the Pods as they are the reason things are getting better in the rest of the neighborhood. You see, the people who left the Pods' buildings have all done what the miners did in '49: go West young man! read more

PLEASE do yourself a favor and DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT rent from this group. The uniqueness and character of their units grabs your attention at first glance however once you sign on the dotted contract line - everything goes down hill from there. Besides my winter heating bill being over $300 due to improper window insulation, etc...My biggest gripe is the non professionalism of the management office. I was an excellent tenant; paid rent ON-TIME every month. Unbeknownst to me, when I moved I had a $119 balance and the company didn't do any due-diligence with getting in contact with me; no email, no phone call - which was the only way they communicated with me when I was their tenant. They claimed to have sent a letter in the mail (which I did not receive) then quickly sending my $119 balance to collections!!! As soon as I was contacted by the collections department, I paid the balance immediately; as I would have if they contacted me in the first place. This situation took place over 2 years ago; I however was so rudely reminded when I contacted management today to get a copy of my ledger. Vice President, Cynthia West was beyond disrespectful and rude in a VERY nasty tone stating that I owe them money and I knew exactly what she was talking about. She would no longer talk to me and I needed to call the collections agency. I wouldn't have written this post, even given the horrible experience I had over 2 years ago, had it not been for my experience with Ms. West and her front office. Nonetheless I digress, take it from someone whose been there, done that and do yourself a favor and take your business elsewhere. read more

Upon searching for spaces to begin my startup gallery experience I came across the Chicago Arts District as an option. I came onto Yelp and reviewed this leasing agency and expressed my concern to their leasing agent as I was shown a variety of spaces within my price range. Not only did she reassure me I would not have any problems while renting, she also bent over backwards to listen closely to my business plan and make sure I found the space that was conducive to what I was trying to accomplish. I chose a space that I love, that allows me to do great things within, and that is VERY affordable for a working artist/startup company. Not only is the space great, the support The Chicago Art District gives to the spaces FOR FREE with their events is priceless! There is no way as a start up in the city I could ever get the foot traffic through my door that they provide! There is also no place in the city where you can rent an open and affordable gallery space as beautiful as the pods they have created...I know because I spent months looking! The old saying you pay for what you get is true...and I realize I am not paying to have a gallery on Michigan avenue, I am paying to have a start up gallery in a vintage area, and the pricing is fair. That being said, I do not expect anyone to come rushing to my door the second I call for a leak, otherwise I would have leased in a high rent district with newer facilities. Fortunately, from the day I moved in I have had nothing but realistic and positive experiences with every issue I have encountered. If something is broke, it is taken care of in a timely manner, sometimes instantly if it is an easy fix. The maintenance men have even went out of their way to help me with a few things that I did not have the tools to do (hanging a light, cutting a tile) and didn't mind doing so! I write this review only because I hate to think I would not have rented from this company because of the previous reviews I read. I will continue to grow my business with this company for as long as I possibly can and I highly recommend anyone looking for a space and a new start do the same. read more

My husband and I have been living in a Podmajersky apartment since the summer of 2013 and we just renewed our lease for another year. Yes, the apartments are bare but that's the charm of them. You can get creative with them. We have lived in two apartments (right across from each other on Halsted) and each apartment is uniquely designed. In fact all of them are. Management has always been very attentive with any work requests we send them and we always see someone tidying up the garden, the lobby in our building, or even outside when its very snowy. The majority of the properties just changed management (big family legal battle) so it has been sad to see the Podmajersky logo being removed on some of the buildings. Hopefully everyone employed still gets to keep their job. Anyways, the new management is some management company with a lonely phone number. No personalized management. Sometimes, you appreciate it after the service is gone. read more

I first saw Podmajersky apartments while I was in school, & just like any other arrogant first-year students who have never seen anything like a second-Friday where they booze up any stranger walking into any of the galleries along Halsted, I thought this would be an awesome place to live. Wrong. Besides using unwary and mostly-stoned artists to do their advertising, Podmajersky is the definition of a late-20th century slumlord. Any reviews that mention anything decent about their apartments are written by Podmajersky's staff [Karen LaMore, Danielle Enders, et al.] themselves to deflect any criticism to Pod. Any maintenance issues, particularly those pertaining to leaking roofs, are ignored promptly or passed on between Karen & Danielle until the tenant gives up & moves out. Security for tenants' vehicles are a major concern. A neighbor & fellow Poddie had his spare tire stolen on Halsted, & when he tried to bring it to Pod's attention, they told him to "call CPD, or better yet, hire a private investigator. We don't deal with security issues." The tipping point of my Pod experience was actually over something very basic: hygiene. Podmajersky will NOT ENTERTAIN ANY REQUESTS TO CLEAN UP GARBAGE ON ANY OF THEIR ALLEYS, REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY RATS YOU WILL RUN INTO. When my girlfriend & I moved out of our apartment, we expected our security deposit minus the cost of work to repair, if any, damages to the unit. We had an open loft apartment, a little under 800 SF. It was immaculate when we left. Two weeks later I received mail from Pod, a receipt of bogus damages & a total cost for the amount of work they had to perform. It was suspiciously similar, to the cent, to our security deposit. We paid 1100/month, Pod asks for 2 month's rent as security deposit. You do the math, DO NOT RENT FROM THESE GUYS THEY WILL ROB YOU BLIND. read more

the pros: - awesome spaces - fair pricing. i mean, come on, you're paying 1300$ for a HUGE LOFT in CHICAGO... for that price you're going to get cheap materials and crappy construction. it's not dangerous construction, just be prepared to seal your windows with plastic in the winter. - the best maintenance guy ever. he literally carried our washing machine into our apartment and hooked it up for us. and smiled the whole time. whenever we called with a problem he was there within hours. the cons: - very disorganized office staff. - they don't need you. we moved for monetary reasons- though we were never once late with the rent. we told them the rent range we were looking in, and that we wanted to stay with their company, but they really didn't seem to care about getting us into another place, and ultimately failed, despite having many other rentable spaces. they actually told us we could have one place a week after our move-out date, and we'd just need to find somewhere else to stay and store our stuff for that time. seriously!? - we got our deposit back, but we cleaned like crazy. i mean, we scrubbed the walls, washed every window, replaced lightbulbs, my hubby even drove all over town to find the exact paint they specify. they refused to shampoo the smoke smell out of the carpet before we moved in, and now we know why- Podmajersky doesn't clean anything for free. They had people moving in the day after we left, and they expected us to be the cleanup crew. If the new folks had seen a spec of dirt and complained, Podmajersky wouldn't have cleaned it, but they definitely would have taken it out of our deposit. - you may rent it, but Podmajersky OWNS it- and don't ever forget this. if you plant flowers outside your window, there's no promise they won't rip them out the next day. if you have potted plants on your back porch, don't be shocked if someone throws them in a dumpster. if you lock your bike to the railing outside your place, that becomes Podmajersky's bike- and they'll cut your lock to get it. No warnings. No Apologies. in summary: be responsible. be a grown up. pay every bill. respect their rules and their buildings. don't make a mess. don't expect them to care about your feelings. you're the tenant, so do your job, and hopefully they'll do theirs. if you follow this advice you'll have a good experience and enjoy living in one of their incredible spaces. read more

Found three "pet friendly" apartments, filled out an application online that listed my requests. They were simple, wood floors, in unit washer, and I also listed "dog friendly" for my boston terrier. So we went ahead and set up an appointment, Jennifer emailed me back to let me know the apartment i was interested in, did not have a washer. Never mentioned anything about "no dogs". I went ahead and made the appointment anyways, mind you I work midnights, so I'm using quality sleep time to come view these three places. I show up at the building and you have to use a call button to get in, which was confusing when you don't know whose extension to ring to get buzzed in. But nevertheless, i met with David, kind of off type of guy, i couldn't quit figure it out, but I felt an awkward vibe from him. It's snowing out and he had us walking to see an apartment which was not to too far, but far enough when it's snowing and cold wind in your face. Place was great, i was ready to say yes, then he drops the bomb on me that no dogs allowed in any of their apartments!! Oh really cuz im pretty sure i put that on my application. So, at this point there was no reason to view the rest of the apartments. Then he really became weirder and more awkward. I just walked on back by myself to my car feeling like I wasted my time and wasn't treated well. When you work in service, you need to be relaxed, outgoing and friendly. When your scared to talk, clammy and awkward, you shouldn't be trying to show people apartments. Go somewhere else Dog lovers, don't bother with this agency read more