This place has gone downhill so fast, it's astounding. Had great service for years until end of 2021. Would avoid renting from them until they get their act together again - if that's even possible. Honestly, would have given a glowing review up until winter of last year and called them a "family-feeling" management company; not sure what happened to turn them into yet another landlord/property management company trying to squeeze every last dollar out of their tenants and their tenancy. Broken washer/dryer that had notice put in the second week of January did not get replaced until the last week of April. After repeated communication, we were ghosted about the issue only to find out that our property manager had left and we had a new person. Think that would be something the tenants should be aware of! I could write a whole novel on how abysmal their service was with the washer/dryer situation; everything from poor communication to the installers arriving at our apartment at 7am on a weekday with no notice from the management company to both tenants to the installers having to do the whole thing again (7:30am the next day, still with no warning, but, hey, extra half an hour!) because Root ordered the wrong washer/dryer. Currently, the new appliances don't even fit the space and the accordion door had to be removed to "fit" it. Unsurprisingly, the doors are still sitting in our apartment since Root has not removed them. The company did the absolute bare minimum to "make it up to us" for all of the inconvenience. On top of this, after giving our Notice to Vacate we continued to receive messages that bordered on harassment via email and text about renewing our lease and how a new lease would be sent over when it was abundantly clear we were not reupping. Icing on the cake is being told that our place is too "cluttered" for showings when all we're trying to do is move, clear out every nook and cranny of our stuff, and get as far away from Root as possible. I genuinely am astounded at their reaction to what a living space in the middle of a move looked like. Though the leasing agent (who showed up after his agreed upon time and with no advance warning of being late) continued to insist it was "all transactional" and "just business," I'm deeply offended at how he continued to mention cleaning the place to look presentable for Root and their needs while his tone cast aspersions and disparagement for what is a situational living arrangement. None of this is touching, either, on the back stairwell that took months to fix and was a legitimate safety hazard. Every interaction with them this past year has been heavily about what is best for Root and the Root property. Utterly astounding that the property manager, when speaking to us about the washer/dryer situation, mentioned how great the washer/dryer was and that it's one that will be good for a long time. That might have been helpful had we not had it installed a few weeks before preparing to leave the place. We offered to break the lease and/or leave early due to moving into a new property, but Root would rather get their money and continue to bombard us with asinine emails and requests. I cannot fathom any other reason than them just wanting to get their rent money that they would not take us up on leaving early. Considering it would have been a whole month where they could take their staging photos - which the property manager, when asked, mentioned they did not have any previous on file simply because he didn't know why - and fix their broken washer/dryer while doing any other updates to the space they might have felt were necessary (the kitchen appliances are outdated as well, so good luck to whomever has to wait four+ months to get them fixed when they inevitably die), it seems like a no-brainer. We would not have gone through any of this hassle, not be leaving with an extremely sour taste in our mouths about Root, and this review would have gone differently. I'm just amazed at how a company that I had such positive and tenant-first interactions with when I moved in two years ago (and heard the same from my boyfriend about his four years before that) has become a standard leasing company interested in what is best for their property, which itself is debatable. I cannot stress how happy I will be to be done with them. One positive from all of this is the urgency with which it's inspired us to move out. read more

We've been tenants for 6 months and have nothing other than an amazing experience. The portfolio is easy to use and facilities are amazing. However, Raul from Root deserves an exceptional shoutout. Raul has saved my roommates and I on several occasions for any maintenance related request and has shown us kindness as well as quick communication. He's made our experience even better than it already is. read more

Great apartment in Lincoln Park. The Root team is always good about responding and Raul is the man, always gets the job done.

Kudos to Raul at Root Realty! When it comes to maintenance, we do our best to handle most of our own problems. However, when it's something we can't handle, Raul appears in no time. Truly, Raul will always respond within the shortest amount of time to correct the issue, and will follow up after completion! Nice attitude, nice guy, and thorough. Thanks Raul! read more

I've lived at a Root property for 6 years and have been pleased with my experience. I've been particularly been happy with Raul and Nick from maintenance. It doesn't matter the size of repair, both gentlemen are prompt, helpful and stay in communication throughout the entre process. read more

After a month of back and forth - the issue is temporarily fixed. To whoever rents this unit. Be aware that this issue will come back each year and that they do not actually fix the issue and they still charge you full rent price knowing that it comes back and then they take a month to fix. Whatever they do here is shady af. If they own the building, run. If they don't, and it's probably okay. read more

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I lived at a property managed by these guys. They were awesome. Zero complaints. Truly. Responsive maintenance and care and helped me and my family every time we needed. Thanks guys. read more

My pipes froze during the recent cold snap. I could not be happier with how Raul and Jeb helped during this situation. Raul responded immediately and came by with the space heater to speed up the process. He checked in on the progress multiple times. Jeb brought me gallons of water to use while the pipes were unfreezing without being asked. It was a stressful couple of days but I was at ease knowing they were on top of it! Raul has always been so helpful for any minor issues and this major issue. I know I can count on him. I appreciate all the help and support I received resolving the issue. read more

I do not recommend root realty for renting any apartment they put cameras and listening devices in your apartment when you are not home this is the third time I have found them in my residence and I really don't know what to do I have pictures and still have the cameras and everything to prove it so I highly recommend do not rent an apartment from root. read more

Root Property Group - Property Management Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Root's management has gone downhill so fast, it's astounding. We had great service for several years until the end of 2021. I would avoid renting from them in the future. Honestly, would have given a glowing review up until winter of last year and called them a "family-feeling" management company; I am unsure what changed to turn them into such an unresponsive property management company trying to squeeze every last dollar out of their tenants and their tenancy. We had a broken washer/dryer that we informed our property manager about in the second week of January and it was not replaced until the last week of April. After repeated communications and efforts to get resolution, we were ghosted about the issue only to find out that our property manager had departed the company and we had a new person. There was no communication about this on Root's behalf until we kept pressing for an answer. The washer/dryer situation was extremely frustrating; everything from poor communication to the installers arriving at our apartment at 7am on a weekday with no notice from the management company to us as tenants to the installers having to do the whole thing again (7:30am the next day, still with no warning, but, hey, extra half an hour!) because Root ordered the wrong washer/dryer. Currently, the new appliances don't even fit the space and the accordion door had to be removed to "fit" it. Unsurprisingly, the doors are still sitting in our apartment since Root has not removed them. The company did the absolute bare minimum to "make it up to us" for all of the inconvenience. On top of this, after giving our Notice to Vacate we continued to receive messages that bordered on harassment via email and text about renewing our lease and how a new lease would be sent over when we communicated clearly that we were not signing a new lease. Perhaps the best example of this is being told by a Root representative that our place is too "cluttered" for showings when all we're trying to do is move, clear out every nook and cranny of our stuff, and get as far away from Root as possible. I genuinely am astounded at their reaction to what a living space in the middle of a move looked like. Though the leasing agent (who showed up after his agreed upon time and with no advance warning of being late) continued to insist it was "all transactional" and "just business," I'm deeply offended at how he continued to mention cleaning the place to look presentable for Root and their needs while his tone cast aspersions and disparagement for what is a situational living arrangement. None of this is touching, either, on the back stairwell that took several months to fix and was a legitimate egress safety hazard. Every interaction with them this past year has been heavily about what is best for Root and the Root property. Utterly astounding that the property manager, when speaking to us about the washer/dryer situation, mentioned how great the washer/dryer was and that it's one that will be good for a long time. That might have been helpful had we not had it installed a few weeks before preparing to leave the place. We offered to break the lease and/or leave a month early due to moving into a new property, but Root insisted on keeping us through our lease while continuing to bombard us with absurd emails and requests. I cannot fathom any other reason than them just wanting to get their rent money that they would not take us up on leaving early. Considering it would have been a whole month where they could take their staging photos - which the property manager, when asked, mentioned they did not have any previous on file simply because he didn't know why - and fix their broken washer/dryer while doing any other updates to the space they might have felt were necessary (the kitchen appliances are outdated as well, so good luck to whomever has to wait four+ months to get them fixed when they inevitably die), it seems like a no-brainer. We would not have gone through any of this hassle, not be leaving with an extremely sour taste in our mouths about Root, and this review would have gone differently. It's astounding how a company that I had such positive and tenant-first interactions with when I moved in several years ago has become a poorly managed and disconnected company interested only in what is best for their property, which itself is debatable. One positive from all of this is the urgency with which it's inspired us to move out. read more

Root Realty was once a responsive property management company who took the time to listen to tenant concerns but since 2022 the quality of their service has notably declined. After contacting them several times regarding the cleanliness of the common areas and garage in a polite and respectful manner, I had hoped that some improvements would be made. I reside at 3220 N Lincoln Ave. It's a newer building and you'd think they'd have a vested interest in upkeep but it seems that the conditions are getting worse week after week. There is regularly festering fast food in the hallway trash cans which are marked recycling. The garage has become a general storage area for disrespectful tenants to leave their personal items blocking the bike racks, meanwhile, those of us with bikes are forced to store them in our units. I regularly find loose garbage, cigarette butts and old (6 + months) packages in the mail room area. Large packages frequently block the main hallway preventing anyone in a wheelchair from being able to even enter the building. Then, there is the musty smell from the HVAC system which is regularly set at 80+ degrees even during the summer. Dogs are allowed to roam unleashed through the halls and have jumped/attacked my parents during their visit. Frequently there is dog mucus covering the elevator doors and buttons. Totally disgusting and unsanitary. I had the maintenance team out to repair cracks in the shower door frame and they were aggressive with my wife, requested we pay them cash on the side and then demanded we buy them lunch to complete the repairs. When we refused - they simply left it. I called Brett and he seemed to say all the right things, that he would look into it. I never heard any followup whatsoever and repairs remain incomplete to this day months later. At this price point ($3300), I expect much better service and anyone considering this building and property management company should think hard about what you are willing to put up with. Looking at other reviews, I have no doubt that I'll receive a canned response from the manager on this review, "saying they apologize" and assuring us "things will be rectified". I've heard it all before - I don't need friendly words, we're not friends, this is a business arrangement and tenants paying this much $ deserve action and not empty promises. Wish I could give this place negative stars. Avoid 3220 N Lincoln if you can!!! read more

The Root Realty team is absolutely amazing. Root Realty has many great buildings with great units and great prices. Also they have great response times to any issues you may have which most likely will be none. Unfortunately I've had many bad experiences with buildings I've lived in in Chicago but not with Root Realty. I finally found a home with a property management company I can trust. I highly highly recommend finding your next home in a Root Realty building. read more

This company overall attempts to be responsive, but they ultimately fall short when it matters most, such as keeping a high-priced, new construction building meeting the tenants' expectations. 3220 N Lincoln seems nice on the outside, but is full of structural issues, is constantly dirty and unkempt, has ceiling leaks in numerous units, and the "keyless entry" systems are constantly failing. The main lobby front door is always broken, and the apartment doors have had multiple issues with the keyfob mechanisms. Mine literally failed on the day I was trying to move out and I was stuck waiting for help for hours, unable to get into my apartment and my dog was locked inside (the electronic door panel died). We had our electric sockets explode three times during our tenancy due to building leaks during rain, the heater and AC had to be fixed multiple times, the back door was faulty, our closet collapsed in the middle of the night once (and no, we didn't have it overloaded), just to name a few other issues that were ongoing. Thankfully, we were allowed to end the lease early and find another place to live, however, Root has still neglected to rectify our account ledger and has instead threatened legal action, which is an absolute joke considering all the legal issues THEY and the building have. Do not recommend. read more

I currently stay in a unit that is managed by Root, I have not had any issues their Maintenance person Raul is really great! He always responds to request promptly and is very kind. read more

Root Realty is very unprofessional. I originally signed my lease in January and Root Realty bought the property a few months later. My AC was not working in April and i submitted a request, they came out 3 times to my property and somehow fixed everyone elses ac but not mine. I called every number possible between the property manager to maintenance and nothing could be done in a timely manner. The week of May 9th temperatures in chicago were in the 90s and I have heat induced asthma which poses and health risk and made my apt uninhabitable. I pleaded and asked if there was anyway i could call my own repair services since they will not have anyone out until may 17th and they told me they would not allow it whatsoever. Please avoid leasing properties under management by root realty, I will definitely not be renewing mine after this experience. read more

Root Property Group - Property Management Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Raul does a great job with maintenance. Always prompt and does a thorough job. Ensures our satisfaction and checks in after.

Extremely poorly run business. Property managers and maintenance have horrible communication with tenants. Take 2-4 weeks to get any maintenance request taken care of with having to follow up 4+ times before anything is fixed. Just ridiculous. Would not live in a root realty owned property again. read more

I lived in a Root property 2020-2021. over that year, there were numerous problems with the radiators and the laundry not working. maintenance was super unresponsive, and all communications with Root were just super impersonal. Didn't even know who my property manager was. I had left a negative review previously, and Michael responded as well. Shortly after I received notice that I couldn't renew my lease as they needed to address the maintenance issues. why on earth would you kick someone out for that? You could have at least offered a lease at another unit, or explained that if I were to renew, the issue would not be addressed. working class people have become increasingly housing insecure the past couple of years. I was scared I would be homeless as I was really struggling to find affordable housing close to my job. You all should be ashamed at how you treat tenants read more

I've been looking for an apartment in Chicago for two months. I've seen a bunch, called a bunch, emailed a bunch, and have become so frustrated I almost gave up and tried to go back on my intent to vacate in my current one bedroom. I was due to move in three weeks and hadn't found a decent place that wasn't either a bait and switch or downright lie. Enter James Colletti, with Root Realty, Inc. I have never, not once, not EVER, met someone so willing to discuss apartments and answer all my questions quickly and with such a genuine demeanor. I have been treated poorly by a lot of realtors and landlords and James is absolutely not one of them. My viewing was quick, easy, painless, and a whole lot of fun as my partner and I joked around with James and inspected the apartment. Questions were answered immediately and if he didn't know the answer, he was honest about it. I was late due to road construction and James was communicative and flexible. This entire experience had my partner and I bickering about the apartment within minutes of leaving. We signed the next morning. 100% would come back to Root if I needed a place in Chicago. Wonderful experience! read more

Horrible service. Treated us like rats when we had rats and they didn't do anything about it. Half patched a hole. Had no A/C for 3 out of the 9 months. Had no hot water. No fridge. Never rent or let them manage your property. read more

I've been a tenant at a Root Realty building for 4 years. I just relocated out of state so I am moving out of this great apartment. Wanted to send a quick thank you to the Root team for taking care of the building and for answering my questions whenever I had them. Take care and I'll reach out for an apartment if I ever move back to Chicago! read more

443 W Eugenie - Raul came and saw the toilet was broken. He came and fixed the toilet same day and within 2 hours. He's great!

I am not satisfy of their service at all . They take time to response our request for any maintenance we need . And also some of neighbors have dogs and they are barking all the time . It's really bothering at nights. Another issue is about delivery packages..... since I came to this building which is 4 years ago my packages was disappeared several times and I believe it has been happening to other neighbors too . The camera in lobby doesn't work and root property management has to take care of this issue for more safety . read more

Worst management company I have dealt with. Locked out of apartment, was told someone would be sent out but after 1.5 hours of waiting I received a text stating they do not do after-hour lock-outs and to call a locksmith. Thanks Root! read more

Loved working with Mike - he's very knowledgable about Chicago neighborhoods and the advantages / disadvantages of each. Highly recommend!

NEVER RENT FROM ROOT REALTY. They put on a good show until you've signed the lease. First, I noticed the doors in and out of the building weren't closing/locking. I let Root know, and they sent a stern message to tenants about making sure WE lock the doors...but the doors were broken/wood had expanded and the wouldn't close. I filed another maintenance request pointing out that it's not our responsibility to make sure their locks work. Next, this building has 8 units, some of which house families, yet we only have one small recycling bin. I was actually told by them that I have to throw recyclables into the trash instead of over filling the bin because they will get a fine from the city...but environmental rights??? I think they can afford a second bin. But, no dice even after I requested this and reported it to the city. The biggest issue I'm having is that the clothes washing machine doesn't work; it leaves a horrible film and large gobs of grey filth on all of my clothes. I put in a maintenance request back in late March. They marked it "compete". Then my clothes came out filthy again. I put in another request. They did the same thing, and LIED about a repair company having come to inspect it, Abb's claimed the repair person said, "Yeah, we can't fix it, so it's not broken." I asked which company had come and was given the name. I called them directly and they said that Root cancelled both appointments with them and they've NEVER EVEN SEEN THE MACHINE. So, now I want rent reimbursed by 15% for one of the promised amenities not working, but they kept saying it worked. I sent images of my damaged clothes. They insisted I must pay all rent in full because the machine wasn't broken. BS. Finally, a repair person came out and I sat in on the inspection. The machine, when opened, was FULL of black gunk. So, now they said they could discuss a rent "discount" because "Now we know it's broken"...4 months after I reported it. I haven't had clean clothes for 16 weeks, and their idea of what I should be reimbursed is a meagre one-time $100. No account for my time traveling to the south side to do my laundry at my parents place in desperation for clean clothes, but having to stay in the yard because my parents are high risk for COVID. So, 6-7 hours a week, gasoline, mileage, my time and the stress this has all caused is only worth $100 to this rich, entitled family business? Now, they're trying to get rid of me and make me move during a pandemic by "offering me the opportunity to break the lease if" I'm not satisfied. It's been so stressful dealing with them that it's making me sick. They are total liars, false advertisers, and once they get you in there they neglect you. Another tenant shared that his bathroom ceiling was caving in and he requested a repair. They never bothered. This neighbor is Latinx and so am I. It got so bad he was concerned it would fall on his wife or children, so THE TENANT PAYED FOR ALL OF THE MATERIALS AND REPAIRED THE CEILING HIMSELF AND WAS NEVER REIMBURSED FOR TIME, LABOR, OR MONEY. I bring up ethnicity because I read another review by a Muslim family who said they felt discriminated against by the company. STAY AWAY FROM ROOT REALTY. read more

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Five stars! Thanks Root team for helping me get situated in my new apartment. Was a huge move for us and we are very thankful that you helped make the transition as smooth as possible. Everyone I've interacted with is very friendly and helpful. I love it here. read more

Be careful renting from here. I had to contact my lawyer just for them to send me my full security deposit. Also, the amount of times the hot water was off without notice was ridiculous. read more

New beautiful building in Uptown but dryer stop working Sept 4th - still no timeline from the properly manager or any consideration for the impact. Weeks later we still cannot wash clothes in our apartment. read more

Love, love, LOVE this company! I recommend them to everyone I know. I found them randomly on craigslist and I ended signing the day I saw the apartment. I currently get a great deal in a great location. I like them so much that I recommended my sister to check them out, and now she's my neighbor! As for service, they always get back to me in a timely matter and go above and beyond to fulfill my request(s). I like that they are family owned and you don't get lost in the shuffle of a big management company that doesn't care about you. I could not be more please with them. I plan to live in my apartment as long as my current living situation allows me to. ...and this is coming from a girl who's moved about 12 times in the past 10 years! read more

When you get instant responses from your landlord and/or the people who work for him in a coordinated effort, that's 5 stars. When you find a great place, in a great location, for a great price, that's 5 stars. When you refer a friend and get a referral bonus, that's 5 stars. When you get normal, sociable, understandable, and just plain down-to-earth people, that's 5 stars. Call these guys if you're looking - they will make it happen and you will love your new place. Promise! read more

Great landlord company that always kept my building clean, and safe. Easy to work with and delivers on promises. Ana and Kevin are great and help you with all of your questions and requests. If you are looking for a building with an excellent landlord, then look no farther. read more

Root Realty is the worst service from a company, not just real estate company, I have ever experienced in my lifetime. Run don't walk to avoid renting with this group. I lived at 2501 N Southport for one year, and I can't even begin to describe how cheap these guys are. To start we showed up and the kitchen was built so poorly you couldn't open multiple cabinets without opening the dishwasher up fully so you could slide past it. When we brought this issue up (the kitchen was tiny, every space was needed) they basically said "hey tough luck sucks to suck" and offered zero help. Then both of our roomates got sick and every visitor complained of the smell when they entered the building so we asked them about the air filters and they said "sure well change those for your for $50." New air filters cost about $3 and take a minute to change out. I promise you that they do not care about you or your health at all, just your money. After what I assume are numerous complaints they ended up installing a new air filtering system all together because it was so unbearable, of course this was after months of ignoring clients. This was just the beginning of the profiteering. We had our "agent" change 4 times in the course of a 12 month lease. Each time an excuse was given why the previous one left and how service would improve now, and each time it did not (I can only assume the agents realized how cheap and crappy this company was). Whatever you do avoid living with Root Realty. read more

I leased from this company for two years and was very pleased with their customer service. They were very responsive, which I find is rare in management companies. They communicated with the owner efficiently and made sure that repairs/maintenance issues were solved a.s.a.p. I would love to rent from them again in the future, the only reason we moved is because the unit owner wanted to sell the unit. Keep up the good work! read more

I've been leasing my apartment through Root Realty for two years now and have never been more happy with a Real Estate Company or landlord. They're extremely personable and are happy to help with any problems that come your way; any time I've had a maintenance issue, it's been fixed within the day of me notifying them. And the staff are so pleasant and nice - Anna and Kevin especially - I, along with other lessees, come by every month to drop off my check just so I can catch up with them. I'd recommend this company to anyone. read more

I am on the board of our 42 unit condo building. We utilized Root for a year's worth of management services. I think we were attracted by the smaller family-run nature of their business and believed that might provide us with more reliable attention. They were really not a good fit for us and in the last few months of service things deteriorated considerably. Both Ron and our property Manager Chon are personable people. Our property manager was good at issuing stern warnings to residents, etc.. but not much else. We encouraged the use of an online database (google drive) for all parties to stay up to date on tasks, issues and even basic contact info or lease information. I imagine their record system looks like the back of a hoarder's car, if they maintain any at all. Our property manager was very good at telling you something had been done when in reality it most often hadn't. There are some very basic tasks we gave them at the beginning of our relationship that just never got past a vague excuse for why nothing had been accomplished. About every month the board would check up on issues that had little to nothing meaningful done. It appeared to be a combination of too much on their plate, no organization, and an inability to use basic modern technology. They failed to notice that they weren't paying our electric bill for the greater part of a year. We received late fees and were on borrowed time from disconnection. We never received an explanation or any comment at all from Ron. read more

Well for starers James C. When I arrived for the showing he was pretty much silent. In general I was taken back by his whole demeanor. He did not give us a pitch at all in regards to the apartment. It was almost as if he didn't feel comfortable showing us the listing. Maybe because he was surprised to see that we were Muslim. My wife really loved the place, despite the encounter. There's a local mosque like 5 minutes away from the area, so I did not mind the location. So after the very disappointed showing. I told him we're interested in the place and how do I apply. He told me he will send a link. So later that day I applied for both me and my wife. He told us how to apply, but he was very vague and short with his response. I sent him a text the same day he told me the late move in date was fine, cats are okay and no pest problem. The next day I followed up informing him that we applied what are the next steps and to also keep me posted. I have a good line of credit. I work downtown in the information technology field. I sent 4 of my most recent check stubs to show that I am very well paid .The rent is cheaper then my current apartment. I don't have a criminal background nor does my wife. He then proceeds to ignore my text all day yesterday. I spaced out the two messages I sent, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. It looks like I accidentally signed up for a viewing again. He kept requesting that I come see the apartment assuming that this is a new prospective tenant. I then received an email this morning saying the listing has been removed. He didn't reply to my messages or anything completely ignored me yesterday? On the bottom of the card he gave me, it said equal housing opportunity. Is this what equal housing opportunity stands for? Absolutely not. read more

I use to work at a property management company and Root exceeded my high expectations! The leasing process was smooth and clear with my realtor James. The online portal and ease of doing business (payment and service requests) are convenient and awesome. Danny the property manager does an excellent job! He is extremely helpful, always quick to respond and provides excellent service. I would highly recommend renting with them and trusting them with your property management needs! Thanks Root Reality and team! read more

Michael and the office are extremely responsive to maintenance requests and seem to always be doing things to keep the building itself in tip-top shape. Great management company! read more

Root Realty was great! I've dealt with some pretty awful management companies in my time. Root Realty was everything you hope for in a management company and more. Mike Root was great! He was helpful from start to finish. They were always responsive and helped with whatever we possible needed. It definitely took a lot of stress of renting. Thanks for everything guys!!!!! read more