I would like to share the horrible experience that we have been dealing with at Forest Cove in Mt…read more Prospect, IL (owned by TLC Management Company / chicagorentals.com) since a fire occured in our building on 7/27, that we did not cause.
We received a phone call on Friday, 8/1 shortly after 12pm letting us know that our apartment was ready to go back to. We decided to go home on Saturday 8/2. We already had booked our hotel, since checkout is 11am. When we got to our apartment we saw water damage all on the bathroom floor, dirty water with soot, cracks in the wall panels and so much, that it spread to our closet's carpet. The smell was unbearable. That water was sitting there for 6 days.
I called our complex and left a voicemail that our unit was not in livable conditions, and I entered a work order through the portal as well. I mentioned that a cleaning will not do the trick and that we have had our carpet for 9 years, and to replace the whole bedroom. We got an email response on Monday saying the carpet in the closet will be replaced ONLY, and they'll put a dehumidifier there. NO apologies and NO urgency. I responded "no, the whole carpet needs to be replaced." I mentioned that I also needed a letter stating our unit was uninhabitable, to be reimbursed for my hotel stay. Taylor Younglove told me that they can email her directly... Assurant (my renter insurance company) said that it is not the normal practice... but they'll do it... and the letter is usually submitted to the claims email by the tenant. They also said they had been trying to reach someone for a week, at multiple phone numbers, and had NO response.
Maintenance told them that the whole carpet needed to be replaced, too. I asked if just the closet carpet could be removed for now, so we can go home and the response I received was "IDK probably Wednesday..."
So, today came and I still didn't have a response or letter to submit to my insurance. I sent another email stating how upset I was with how we were being treated and that I needed the letter, ONCE AGAIN. The email response came and had a letter (dated today, so Taylor just never did it) that mentioned only 7/27-8/1 (until the original Friday we were displaced.) NOTHING about every day since then. It boasted about how fast they worked to get people back in their homes... record time!! We do want to return home, when it's livable, and thoroughly checked, which OBVIOUSLY it wasn't. We were told we need to pay rent in full and that they can't give us a credit because the cause is still being investigated.... Ok well its a 100% fact that our unit didn't cause it.
The unit that caught fire, and that is 3 feet away from ours, has had nothing removed or repaired and the door is partially opened. The smoke smell is so strong, it's nauseating. The outside of our building still has broken glass, caution tape and boards everywhere. They were so proud when they told us they had the carpets cleaned... but wait, it was ONLY the hallway carpets... thank you??? No one in the building had anything done or checked in their units.
I am furious. I am exhausted. I am already dealing with the traumatic experience of the fire, and have this to top it all off!!
We have been asking for a new porch door since 2016. They only give them to empty units to lure in new tenants. Go look and you will see 1/2 the porch screens are falling off. These are all long term residents' units. Proof attached in photos.
Every year we need to submit a work order that our heat doesn't work. Proof attached in photos.
The past 2 years we've had an 8% increase in rent for... what?!? No new amenities or anything fixed in our unit.
The pool has been broken/closed for 1 month... maybe you should give a credit to your residents for that???
Do NOT rent at ANY property owned by TLC management company. They are a big reason why rent in Illinois has increased faster and higher than any other state in this country.