TLDR: Surf Development is the most unprofessional and rude company I have ever dealt with. I'd never recommend them unless you want to live in a building that does bare minimum at the cost of the residents time and effort, & management's excessively rude and unprofessional. If you are thinking about living in a surf building I STRONGLY suggest speaking to residents who currently have lived in the building. I haven't spoken to a single person with a positive experience with Surf. I am truly one who HATES writing negative reviews, but if I can help anyone avoid the crappy situation I lived in for one hellish year I will. This has been the absolute WORST landlord I have ever had in my entire life. Within the single year I lived in the building off Wrightwood I had more issues within the first 3 months alone than I did in the 3 years I lived at my previous apartment. For reference in the year I lived with surf I had mice, my radiator falling off the ceiling, bathtubs filling bottom up with dirty water, sinks filling up bottom up with dirty water, paint chipping off the tub, & that's just the beginning. I will say the location of the apartment was lovely and Mary does respond to emails quickly, yet the tone her and most of her employees use is horrible, and communication is basically nonexistent past the first response unless you pry teeth. When responding to different maintenance requests Mary had left me significantly condescending and rude emails and voicemails that legitimately made me cry. Not only that, but she never informed me when maintenance would swing by unless I sent her emails regarding the matter, & the portal notifications that jobs had been completed wouldn't typically be made until a day or two after. When I had mice in my apartment there was there a miscommunication as to the type of traps they were using (I was told no kill traps and when asked about why they were using sticky traps I was told it doesn't matter). Not only that but there was an instance where the head of maintenance Tom had ended up calling me to yell at me. I was told they'd arrive in about 45 mins, so I had my boyfriend go for a walk before letting them in. 20 minutes after he told me it would be 45 minutes, he called me yelling in the background "this is just fucking ridiculous" before beginning to yell at me for the HIS miscommunication and then proceeded to yell at me saying if no one was at the apartment in 5 minutes then he wasn't going to take care of the mice in the apartment and I'd have to do it myself. The first week or so I lived in the apartment I got a note under my door explaining issues a tenant had with surf and that they were thinking about getting a lawyer. I initially thought that was an over exaggeration, yet I began to learn more. I spoke to my neighbors & began to learn other people had also had bad experiences with Surf. I was lucky enough to only see an average amount of bugs expected in an old building, so I can't comment on the infestations others talk about, but considering conversations with neighbors, & seeing how poorly they dealt with my mice problem I can begin to understand a potential issue. Additionally I didn't believe the part of the note stating someone had walked into their apartment unannounced, until it happened to my boyfriend. Mary did not knock before entering nor did she ever communicate when to expect her by. Now I understand accidents happen and this could be a coincidence but given the general disregard for the people living in my building myself and others have experienced I wouldn't be surprised if this happened more often. These are just some of my grievances with surf and I honestly would be more than happy to speak to anyone who has further questions. Mary and surf have treated me like I'm only there for money and have given me no respect as a fellow human being trying to just live in what I thought would be a great apartment, and so I share this review in the hopes it will prevent some poor soul from ever signing a lease with them. read more

Worst landlord I've ever had (out of ~10), highly suspicious of the high reviews here. I have high credit, a high paying job, and have received compliments from previous landlords. Surf Development were consistently unprofessional, unhelpful, and unethical. Lived in Wrigleyville in one of their units. They had the health department called on them for the massive rat problem exacerbated by fruit bearing tree and vines that were not maintained. We dealt with the smell of rotting rats every summer we were there, had to hound the landlord to address the issue every time, and they'd eventually come out. We had sewage backup in our tub the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I triaged a bit with a plunger to see what I could do and immediately called them to avoid trying to get a plumber on Thanksgiving. They didn't answer and left a message asking that we triage it the way I had been, which was not working. Called again and they said they couldn't get anyone out until Monday, meaning I wouldn't be able to shower for 5 days. We threatened to put our rent in escrow, and they finally called someone out Thursday morning. They hung a political sign in front of our door in a 2 unit building without ever talking to us, it was permanently affixed to the porch for a massively unpopular candidate that wanted to privatize _all the things_ My upstairs neighbor wanted to get out from them ASAP and asked about subletting. They discussed the terms with SD and found them agreeable, got someone to sublet and the terms changed, including a bunch of fees that they were told they weren't going to have. read more

Not dog friendly, aggressive behavior from surf workers Witnessed outside 432 w Belmont, building owner yelling at dog walker when walker was near his surf truck. Worker then got out of his truck and tried to confront the dog walker. Sweared at him and said "type of guy to get his a** beat" Very disappointing to see this behavior read more

Surf Development has been more the patient with me. I've locked myself out multiple times. I've had things breakdown and replaced immediately. Mary McCauley has been very helpful and will make time out of her day to help. read more

RUN!!! I wrote this review on google, but wanted to add it here so no one gets trapped in a lease with these assholes. The building I lived in off of Wrightwood would have been great if it weren't for the people running it and poorly taking care of it. Surf is full of people are especially rude and demeaning. Mary talks down to not only her tenants, but the way she speaks down to the maintenance staff as well is horrible. There are bugs all over the building, and any maintenance issues, while fixed, are fixed to the bare minimum. The hallways are run down and smell of mildew often, the washing machines and dryers are rarely fixed when broken and any notes regarding the machines not working get taken down. There is no emergency contact anywhere if an issue does arise suddenly, and any communication with Mary she makes you feel like your inconveniencing her to get things fixed (something that is her job?!) I really wanted to love this apartment because of its location but I found it exceedingly difficult to live in and every moment there became a living hell. All the positive reviews of this place are quite alarming and suspicious and I urge any one interested in renting from this company to do research on all platforms and find continuity in any negative review to notice that something is not right (both reviews one Google and yelp but also sites like Reddit as well have threads about their poor experiences). 100% would never wish my living experience with surf on anyone read more

Moving out after a few years and after having to deal with the shittiest, most unresponsive, rude people in the business we're getting grilled by them for not cleaning the mess that they were responsible for. We moved into a terrible looking bathroom, a heater whose fan they didn't bother to replace, and every single time we've tried to get things fixed and cleaned up it's like pulling teeth. They are the rudest, most passive-aggressive people I have had the misery to deal with when just trying to live in an apartment and now we're getting threatened because now they want to sell it to someone else. No wonder people hate landlords when toxic people like these exist. read more

I've lived in this apartment for over a decade and obviously things have been good. Being here for that long things will happen/break and Mary has always been quick and easy to work with to get any and all problems fixed. Its been a great experience and would recommend you give their properties a look. -j read more

I lived in a surf development apartment for over 2.5 years and consistently had good experiences with both Mary and Kathy. Mary was my main contact, and she was always SO responsive, regardless of the day or time. Anytime I submitted a maintenance request via the portal, it was completed within a day or two. Really grateful for a responsive and quick landlord! I would definitely recommend living at one of their properties. read more

When I needed help from the building management. Dan, Mary and all the other staff always helped me out with whatever needed. Great building management, responsive, fair and friendly people. read more

Shout out to the best property management in the game! So, a week or so ago, on what was the coldest day of the year so far, I ended up locking myself out of the house. I totally panicked. I was starting my first day at a new job and so I had no idea when I might get back home to meet someone to rectify the issue. So, I called Surf and explained. Not only were they very reassuring, they took the most proactive and generous approach to helping. Not only did Mary go to my apartment to get my keys, she drove them all the way down to the West Loop to drop them off to me. I was literally beside myself at how kind Mary was to me in this scenario. She explained she didn't want me to worry about being locked with the temperatures being as cold as they were. Thanks again Mary. You the real MVP. read more

I hope this review saves someone from making the mistake I made when I signed with Mary and Surf Development. I have never met a more miserable individual in my life. When presented with an issue about my apartment she was nothing but condescending and rude. My biggest issue was the fact that she sold me an apartment with "HEAT INCLUDED", but the reality was none of the heaters worked at all . My apartment averaged 60-65 degrees during the winter months. My landlord had a crew come look at the heaters several times, claimed they "fixed them" but they never began to work. I even had thermometers set up throughout my apartment and started recording each day the temperature was below the regulated number (by state law). When I showed her this she exploded, cursed me out, and told me I was harassing her. She said something about being a women who feels threatened by me. As a man who grew up entirely around women in my family, I can assure you I crossed no lines. This is just a person who can not handle being held accountable. The positive reviews on here about keys being lost and getting help are great, but I hope people reading these reviews are smart enough to see that when a REAL issue is brought to these people, they screw you over. You will likely be verbally abused over the phone by Mary if you bring up a real issue. read more

I've rented with Surf Devolpment for two years now and just signed for a third! They are reliable with apartment fixes, kind, and easy to talk to. Would recommend :) read more

My roommates and I have lived in our Surf Development apartment for 3 years now. Their team is timely and responsive when dealing with maintenance issues and take good care of us when we need anything else. Mary, Kathy and Dan are a pleasure to work with. I look forward to another year in this apartment! read more

I agree with the other reviewer about the heat. It's absolutely ridiculous. They barely turn it on. My apartment ends up being freezing to the point where I'm wearing a hat and mittens at home. I've complained twice and they've done nothing about it. ALSO, laundry on site my ass. They have three washers and three dryers. Except one of the dryers doesn't work at all but lack of an 'out of order' sign means that I lost money to that machine not knowing it was broken. The other two dryers barely work. You put in your clothes for the full hour and when they come out they're super hot and damp. Not impressed at all. I'm ready to break my lease and move. If I can't do that, I'll definitely be moving at the end of the lease. read more

Honestly the best management company I've ever dealt with. I've been renting from Surf for a little over a year. Any time there's an issue or repair needed, they send someone out within hours of me sending the online request (sometimes one hour). Overall, very responsive and professional. I've been dealing with Mary since I first visited the apartment and she's great! I would definitely recommend renting from Surf. read more

5 stars overall. Surf Development has been one of the best and most accommodating company in regards to apartment searching and rentals. I have been a lucky tenant, have rented with them for 3 years, and wished I could again. The only reason I'm leaving my huge 1 bedroom is because my boyfriend and I are looking for a building with pool/gym/deck and unfortunately Surf doesn't have that triple combination under their listings (atleast for September, that I know of). In 2012, coming from no credit and as student with a co-signer, these friendly people gladly worked around my situation and got me a studio in a wonderful place with super-fast maintenance people who kept the building clean and functional. I renewed that studio for two years and then had an emergency where I had to leave and get a new place. Surf Development was so helpful with my emergency transition. They even offered to get rid of any application / maintenance fees for the new 1 bedroom they helped me get! If you have any doubts with this company, I just want to let you know you're in very good and capable hands. Maureen, one of the staff members at Surf Development, is extremely helpful and very hard-working! I would recommend my loved ones to be helped by this company. read more

I've lived in a building managed by Surf for almost a year. My experience here has been decent. I found the apartment online as I was living in Florida at the time. I had a friend who lived in chicago go check it out for me. There were some things that needed to be fixed in the kitchen and when my friend asked about them, she was told that they would be fixed before I moved in. I took the apartment and when I moved in they were not fixed, however, the issues weren't huge so it was ok. I just put in my first work order the other day (bathtub was clogged) and someone came out and fixed it the very next day. :) My major complaint here is the laundry room. The washers never drain all the water out so when I go to put my clothes in the dryer they are soaked. The dryers also do not dry well, so when I get my clothes out I just have warm and wet clothes. 2 out of the 3 loads I did today were so wet after the dryer, I was able to ring water out of them! Needless to say I am frustrated b/c I'm paying for laundry that doesn't even properly wash or dry my clothes. I've asked them to be fixed before and they are always the same. read more

Just moved to Chicago from California and honestly don't think I could have picked a better place or better company. They really maintain my building well, are available and helpful when I need them, and the most friendly people! I have had various landlords over time and I must admit they are the best I've had yet!! I am so glad because a transition and moving can be a nightmare but mine was not at all. Thanks Surf Development crew!! :) read more

This past weekend I moved into an apartment managed by Surf, & I had a great experience. My keys were ready on time, and I was given information regarding my Aldermanic Ward for vehicle sticker purchase/permit passes (I live in a restricted Cubs parking area). Everyone I've dealt with in the office, as well as on the phone and during my showing, has been exceptionally friendly (I've moved a lot around the Chicago area, and have encountered some really impersonal agents, so I appreciate the friendliness and positivity I've encountered working with Surf). Additionally, I noticed a leaking pipe in my kitchen, a doorknob lock issue, and some minor plumbing difficulties in the bathroom. When I called to report these (just yesterday), maintenance personnel were sent to my apartment within 20 minutes; when 1 of the 3 items couldn't be repaired immediately (required a plumber), the appropriate repair service was initiated immediately as well: I left for work this morning with the repair completed. The only (minor) issue I noted was that the cleaning crew who had been stated to have cleaned the apartment prior to my move-in did not appear to have cleaned, or if they did, did not clean well. However, I'm a neat freak, and messed up the apartment in the process of moving, so I knew I'd be cleaning it anyway. Overall, I am very impressed with Surf in the short time I've rented from the corporation, and hope to continue this positive experience! I would recommend Surf to my friends, as they helped totally streamline my move, with no discrepancies, hidden fees or language, or any other irritations I've encountered with past rental agencies. read more

I fully believe that Surf is 'nice' to their high-paying clients, but it seems that they have different brackets of renters; if you're on the average bracket, don't be surprised if you have some of the most shockingly rude and uncalled for interactions. I would feel empathetic about seeing such misery if I weren't continually on the receiving end of it. Attached are a few photos -- if this is on the level of the kind of apartment they are renting to you, steer clear. I didn't have heat during the winter and continually called about it, to no avail. I'm talking about wearing a winter coat inside (just like the other reviewers said). Oh and your water will go off unexpectedly, and often (same with the electricity because the building is so old). When you move out, they try to scare you with a majorly expensive inventory of what they'll charge you with...I'm talking about the basics from cleaning the floors to cleaning the sinks, and they threaten to charge BIG, probably because they charge an enormous move-in fee and no security deposit. Don't buy it, it's all criminal. Finding a decent landlord in the city is tough, but giving these people money is not worth it. read more

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I have been living in a Surf Development property for close to three years, and wanted to share my great experience with them. Starting with the rental process, the staff at Surf is knowledgeable, available, and friendly. I found a listing I loved but it was closed by the time I was ready to sign - and Maureen was available in my search for a similar unit and met with me quickly to get it signed. The office staff is responsive and always answers emails/voicemails within 24 hours. Maintenance requests are most often same day, if not within 24-48 hours - even with non-urgent requests like helping install a window air unit for me. The grounds are kept clean and well landscaped and our block was always snow free before the surrounding areas! The pricing for their units is very reasonable. I've recently been looking for comparable units with a friend in the area (Ravenswood) and the Surf costs are the most fair for the great spaces and service you are getting. In the move out process, they have been flexible with me about my lease timing and provided clear information about what's needed. They also are very respectful about timing for showing the apartment - which can be a stressful time! If there had been a unit available when doing my apartment search I certainly would have stayed with Surf - and definitely will be recommending them to friends in search of a rental. read more

From the apartment showing to now a full-time resident, Surf Development has been nothing but helpful, responsive and professional. Mary and her team made my move to Chicago seamless and easy. Surf Development, specifically Mary, met me the same day I emailed them about seeing an apartment. She was on time, informative, friendly and ended up showing me a beautiful renovated one bedroom in Lakeview that I now live in. After living here for 4 months, I am even more pleased with Surf Development than I was before. Any time I have needed something (locked out of my apartment, minor maintenance, general questions), Mary and her team are always there for me and make sure that I am happy as their resident and have everything I need. I have had such a pleasant experience with them that I have now referred Surf Dev to 3 friends moving to the city as well. Whether you are moving to Chicago or looking for a new apartment here, I recommend you at least reach out to Surf Development to see for yourself! read more

Hi All, GREAT PLACE!!! My fiance and I have been with Surf as tenants for a while now and we both are extremely pleased with their service, buildings and apartments. We lived in the 2921 North Sheffield Ave building and it was hard to walk away from such a great apartment/ environment. We are moving back to NY and that is literally the only reason we are leaving. I strongly recommend anyone who is looking for an amazing management/ ownership team as their landlords to contact them for one of their many great places. If there is anything wrong, you can shoot them over an email and they well respond right away depending on the time of day but if not, you will get a response the very next day. The can always get someone over to take care of any issues. My fiance has lived in 3 different units in this building and I have lived in 2 different ones. The only reason why we moved around so much was A) She left her old roommates and moved in with me. B) We had a one bedroom and needed more space as many people loved coming to Chicago to visit. So if you are looking for a great location, service and overall best place to live for great money, Surf Development is the way to go. Best, Zach read more

I have so many issues with surf after living in their building for only three months, so I'm just going to list them: 1. Mary is extremely rude and unprofessional. She never introduced herself to me, not when I was emailing about the listing, not when touring. She also didn't seem knowledgeable about the property, because she told me to file maintenance requests in a portal that didn't exist. When I asked to enter the apartment after my tour but before signing the lease to take pictures of damage to the apartment (so I wouldn't later get blamed for it) she refused with a very intense, aggressive attitude. Mary was wholly unpleasant to work with, and made the rest of the issues on this list much worse. 2. They don't have a 24 hour maintenance line (at least not for the Wilson property I was at). They don't even have a number to call after office hours for emergencies. My breakers tripped over the weekend once, and all I could do was email Mary about it because she had never shown me where the breaker was (it was out of the apartment). She never responded to the email, and instead a maintenance worker showed up unannounced on Monday. 3. Maintenance workers were nice, prompt, and quick. However, they often missed things that were supposed to be fixed and I had to resubmit maintenance requests multiple times. 4. The apartment was overpriced and under-maintained for the area. The apartments that shared the courtyard with my building had the exact same style of apartments, just with more space. Those well-maintained, two and three bedroom apartments went for the same price as my studio. While in my apartment, I toured other apartments on the same block and they were all cheaper or the same price for much better quality. 5. Branching off of the above point: the apartment was shit. There were missing floorboards, outlets hanging out of the wall, broken or missing security features, rusted and leaking pipes, water damaged cabinets, and a gas stove that Peoples Gas and two different maintenance workers told me were leaking "non lethal but existent" levels of gas. As soon as I shut my windows for the winter, this gas leak killed the majority of the stock for my plant shop. Mary argued with me, repeatedly telling me it wasn't a problem and incorrectly trying to explain to me how gas stoves work. I have home inspectors in my family who looked at the apartment, too, so it's not like I don't know what I'm talking about here. Additionally, every person who walked into my apartment commented about the gas smell. It was horrible. I had to keep my kitchen windows open all the time and the door shut and plugged with a towel. The worst part here is, I offered to split the price or outright buy a new oven for the apartment, and Mary simply told me there was nothing wrong with the current one. 6. The only way you can pay rent is by handing them a check. This wouldn't be such a problem if they didn't lock their office with no posted office hours. More than once, I had to just wait outside for an hour or two until somebody decided to come let me in (because I could see people inside). There isn't even a box outside to drop your check into, or any electronic options, which means you have to take time out of your workday every month to go down to Wrigleyville and pay your rent. 7. I wound up having to move out abruptly after my mother passed away, and Surf/Mary was actually pretty cooperative. Granted, I did have to spam email them to get them to respond, but they could've not let me out of the lease. However, Mary was insistent on having me empty out and reset the apartment before doing tours. She said we couldn't do tours until the apartment was repainted (mind you, I toured the apartment before they repainted or repaired anything from the tenant before me). When I went back to do a tour of my own, weeks after I fully moved out and gave Mary the go-ahead, the apartment still wasn't repainted or repaired. 8. After moving out and finding a replacement tenant, Surf still called my phone number instead of the new tenant's. It's not an inconvenience for me, but I think it really just shows you how subpar the level of professionalism is. 9. My first month's rent got "lost" and they tried to charge me again. Turns out, they applied my payment to "another Brittany." Which, I mean, come on. TL;DR- Surf is unprofessional, Mary is rude and unknowledgeable when it comes to property management, and these people will definitely scam you if you aren't careful. read more

This is a HORRIBLE COMPANY!! In 10 months I have experienced everything from flooding in my unit, to unbearable cold during winter months. I won't even talk about the bugs. I am not someone who complains, this is seriously my first yelp review - but I felt compelled to post here and will forever tell anyone who will listen, to run away from Surf. Specifically Mary McCauley, who as far as I can tell runs the operation. In our communications, Mary has ranged from dismissive to unprofessional to downright rude. I have dealt with several property managers, Surf is far and away the worst experience I have had. If you are considering renting from them, DON'T!!!!! read more

I am writing this review because I am fed up with surf. I am not someone who feel the need to write reviews but for this I will. I am currently living in a surf property apartment and I am freezing. They DO NOT TURN THE HEAT ON. right now I'm in my apartment in the cold. I am freezing. They promise heat included and so far they don't turn the heat on but twice a day. I have called and the lady told me that I should take the AC out the window and that's why it's cold in my apartment,so I did. The apartment is still freezing. I have put up plastic in the windows and everything. They just don't turn the heat one. I have not been able to sleep because I wake up freezing. Tonight it is getting ready to snon my apartment is freezing. I'm about to call the city on them I know my rights. read more

wow, i have been contacted by a few people and how miserable they are. how interesting how things dont change. if your unhappy call the city or call your local alderman. its that simple. failure to turn on the heat from oct to may is illegal. not taking care of water damage is illegal........ read more

I give Surf one star for professionalism. We found our apartment on craigslist and it was the cheapest 3 bedroom we found. I called them to look at it and we made an appointment for like 10 am(ish) My roommate and I arrived at the apartment and waited for approx 20mins. Finally we got fed up and called them. It turns out that they were waiting for our call before they would take time out of their day to come show us the apartment. Fine. We moved into our apartment on June 1st. The move in went fine, getting the utilities set up was a breeze.( minus the fact that the Coax line for the TV comes through a hole in the wall from the outside. Literally, A hole in the wall). It comes time for mid june and july, my roommates and I notice that the thermometer is not working properly. The specific problem was that it was not turning on and off automatically. So we call the main number and Maureen, who is the nicest lady in the world, sent over the repair man. The repair man came in and took one look at the thermometer, turned it on manually, and said "Its fixed". I said its not fixed. He said he will go tell the ladies in the office. I never heard anything again. Then a few days later we get cockroaches. Called them up, Got an attitude from the lady i talked to, and the sent the same repair man over with cockroach traps. Ok that problem was solved. A few months later the ceiling in the bathroom bubbles up and there is a few gallons of water about to burst through the ceiling. It is a saturday and the company is only open until noon. I call the Dark Haired lady to get it fixed and she is extremely rude to me. She says she called someone out to fix it but he wont be here till monday. So now I am stuck with a huge bubble of water lingering above my head while i try to go to the bathroom for two days. The man comes and drains the water then he leaves saying that he will be back in a few days when the drywall dries to replace it. He does. He comes back in a few days and "replaces" the drywall. I am not sure what exactly he did because i was not there when he did it. But from the looks of it he just put a ton of spackle over it to cover it up. GOD knows whats under the drywall as far as mold is concerned. As far as major maintenance issues that about sums it up until about 2-3 weeks ago. When it got cold in Chicago we turned the heat on. We noticed that the thermometer wasn't working like its supposed to( like i told them 5 months ago). They came out and the maintenance man replaced it. Fine, its a pretty decent unit. All was fine until we got our Gas bill. IT WAS 200 DOLLARS! The month before was only 100 dollars. I called the office, they sent the maintenance man. He looked at the furnace, noticed that their was no Air filter installed in the Furnace. Fine. Then they called the HVAC guy that they contract out. ( My dad is a HVAC mechanic for a factory in the suburbs and the night before he told me that the unit needed to be cleaned properly because there was no filter) The guy came out, took a look at the furnace then at the thermometer. Whoever installed the thermometer wired the AC and the Heat to run at the SAME TIME. So for roughly 3 wks we were paying double electric and More gas because the Air-conditioning and the Furnace was working against each other. Lets just say i took the gas bill to the office and want it adjusted.( no word yet on that, but the lady had an attitude, like always, when i brought it up) The next day, we wake up. The apartment is at 65 degrees. 3 degrees below the minimum that the law requires. We call them at 9 AM when they open they said that they called the maintenance man. I didn't hear anything till noon when i call them back. The Building that i am in had water pipes freeze in the night and they had to get that taken care of. Fine that is understandable. But the attitude that i got from the people in the office was very unprofessional. I left for work and my roommate said that the maintenance man came around 2pm. Pulled a plastic bag out of our furnace, and replaced a motor. He said that he would like to replace another part but it is not essential to the operation of the unit. Fine. When my roommate left for class around 5 the furnace was working. I got home from work around 7 and the apartment was 59 degrees. I called the landlord. left a very angry message. and told them i was calling the city to see what the next step is. I called the city, they said call a lawyer about what to do legally. I called my Cousin who has a law degree and he advised me to get a hotel room. I called the office again and gave them notice that i was going to check into a hotel for the night. About 10 minutes later the owner(?) Mary called me. Immediately started yelling at me saying that " the tone of my voice was unacceptable) we go back and forth for 10 minutes yelling at each other. As far as i am concerned. We are paying 1680 a month for a service. I should be the one yelling. No professionalism! read more

OK, so when I moved in and my blinds were broken they sent someone out to fix it right away, but if something is too expensive in their eyes, they're not going to do anything about it. For instance: recycling. My building has at least 20 units and probably more since it forms a U with another building that shares the alley. We only have 4 little garbage cans. They are constantly overflowing into the alley attracting rats and pests. Landlords are supposed to provide their buildings with recycling if they ave more than 3 units. I asked them about it and sent a letter with my rent check (so I know they got it) and they have offered no solution. I guess I'll look into who to report them to but really the city just trusts landlords to follow the law and recycle. I really shouldn't have to go to such great lengths to avoid stuffing recyclables into an overflowing trash can. Disappointing. read more

I lived in an apartment two years ago managed by Surf Development. Today I came across such negative reviews and remembered how horrible my experience was as well. I had to join yelp and warn anyone who is looking for an apartment to avoid Surf. I had black mold growing in my studio apartment. Yes that's right, black mold that is horrible for your health and smells disgusting. I informed Surf and they said that they would move me into a vacant studio in the same building. I thought that was reasonable. The only problem was that month I was out of town every weekend except for one. Surf and I scheduled the only Saturday I was in town to move and they would provide me with movers. Unfortunately one of my closest aunts passed away unexpectedly on a Thursday. The following Saturday I was to move. I had to travel out of state for my aunt's funeral and couldn't make travel arrangements until Friday night when the funeral arrangements were made. I left a message on Surf's voice mail early Friday evening to cancel the move. I explained that there was a death in the family and had to cancel. I called Mary, the owner, the following week to reschedule the move date and she literally told me that my story was "bullsh*t". Yes, the owner of this company cursed me out about a death in my family. Mary was more than difficult and EXTREMELY RUDE. Look elsewhere to rent!!!!! read more

I have been renting from Surf Development for 2 years and they are a great property management company. The staff is always friendly and willing to help, and easy to communicate with. Their properties are in great shape with minimal repairs. I would recommend renting through Surf! read more

I lived in one of Surf Development's properties for 1 year and it was great. They answered every problem in a timely manner and were always polite and helpful! read more

I lived in my building for a year and had a fabulous experience with this company (Maureen is awesome!) I have had numerous landlords and never encountered a more accessible and considerate company than Surf Development. If there was a need for any repair it was always addressed within 24 hours or less (most of the time the same day). I also have accidentally locked my keys in my place a couple times and was lucky enough to have them send out someone to let me in (I learned my lesson after doing this on the weekend though!). I wish I could have stayed longer but have to relocate for a job. It is not your perfect high-rise newly renovated place but it has character; in my case there was no way I could find a better price for the location. Plus, it was a "convertible" studio so it felt similar to a one bedroom. I was happy to NOT have to see my stove from my bed. The only major negative was that my bike was stolen in the bike/laundry room (there isn't a lock on the door to the room, only bike racks in the open laundry room). I had a U-lock and a high-quality cable lock through the frame and wheels. The bike room isn't locked and during moving time people are in and out. If you have a nice bike, at a minimum register your bike with the city. Despite this, I can't fault Surf. It was likely due to people leaving the backdoor propped open after moving in/out. Again, Surf development is a great company to go with! Highly recommended. read more

I give surf four stars. They do not have the best bed side manners, but they take good care of their properties and they always responded to my requests. read more

I rented from Surf for about three years and wanted to share my great experience. They do their best to make everything simple and smooth, which is really nice during a stressful move. They are also very good about responding to maintenance requests, and they always had any issues resolved within one day (most of the time it was fixed the same day I called). Maureen is especially great; she is really nice and easy to work with. I can honestly say Surf is the best landlord I've ever had - and I've had several over the years. I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for a place in Chicago! read more

I have lived in a the same Surf Development managed apartment for a 1.5 years and I absolutely love it! This is the first apartment I have lived in where I know my landlord is here to help me. I live in a studio apartment, which looks much bigger than your average studio for the price. Most studio apartments have a closed off kitchen that makes it look smaller. My kitchen has a half-wall which acts as extra counterspace and a place where you can pull up a bar stool. It also makes the space feel much larger, open, and like a home. I feel safe in this apartment and it is very close to the lake (I like to take little scenic walks). Surf has been a helpful and welcoming management company since the moment I moved in. read more

Love this company. This is my third apartment in the city, and they are by far the best management company I've dealt with. Understanding, fast with maintenance requests, good pricing on apartments, and a beautiful property. Highly recommend. read more

Mary was extremely rude everytime I made a request to have something fixed. My kitchen sink had a leak, made a huge mess and ruined a few of my things. When I called I was a little upset and Mary let it be known that they would not replace my things and it would take them 5 days to get it fixed. 5 DAYS!! All it was, was the drain pipe. The hot water in the bathroom hasn't worked in 3 months. Pipes froze and left several messages, it's not fixed. Good luck if you decide to rent from them. read more

I thought I would offer my two cents regarding Surf. In the six years that I lived in one of their buildings, I found them to be very attentive and courteous. The Surf office and their crew always were very prompt in responding to regular maintenance requests, and repainted my bathroom a couple years ago without any problem. After being transferred to another city for work, I had to move out rather quickly and Surf was very helpful in sub-letting my apartment. Overall, I was very happy in their building and found them to be responsive and quite easy to deal with. I wish my current property management company was as attentive! read more

You hear all these horror stories about management companies taking advantage of their tenants and reluctantly performing maintenance but as a tenant of Surf for almost 10 years I can tell you that they are some of the most understanding and genuine people that I have ever rented from. I have rented from people who manage as many properties as they do yet none have continually impressed me with how personable and attentive they have been over the years. As in any properties, things need repair. But with one single phone call they always manage to quickly take care and resolve any and every issue as well as they have with almost every other neighbor I have spoken to, hell, even their laborers are friendly, prompt and polite. When I found that I needed to move out on short notice, I emailed them to ask for help. Not only did I receive an immediate response but 6 additional emails with suggestions of rental properties. One of which I was shown and rented that very afternoon. From noise complaints to basic upkeep, with every phone call they have been nothing but honest, efficient and reliable. If it sounds like I can't say anything bad about Surf it's simply because that is absolutely true. Mary, Maureen and Cathy have only been attentive and helpful over the years and I simply wish to give credit where credit is due. read more