Reside on Surf

So far I’ve really enjoyed living at Reside on Surf.
Building Amenities: The building is always clean and kept in really good shape. There’s a small gym with treadmills, ellipticals, med balls and free weights. The laundry room is small, but I’ve never had an issue. Best of all is the rooftop deck which includes lots of seating, a fire pit, a grill, a small herb garden, and great views of both the lake and downtown.
Maintenance: Maintenance is great, and every request I’ve put in has been fixed within a day, and fixed correctly the first time. I’ve had no issues with bugs so far.
Units: The studios are nice layouts, and the black appliances are great! Gorgeous cabinetry, huge fridge, nice oven/​stove, and a small dishwasher. The radiators are pretty old school (can make a little bit of racket), but so far it’s worked fine for me. There’s no AC — you can either rent a window unit or bring your own. Either way you’ll have to pay to have it installed and de-​installed, which seems a little excessive to me.
Management: The management is helpful, and it’s nice to have the office right in the building. As others have mentioned, the key policy is annoying. To get a spare set of keys you have to pay about $ 75, fill out paperwork, have the recipient do a background check, etc. While this may not be an issue for some people, it’s definitely annoying if you have dogwalkers, doggy daycare pickup, etc. and need multiple sets of keys.

I’m starting off by saying that I have not lived here more than 5 days and this review is SOLELY ON THE MOVE-​IN EXPERIENCE. I will update once I’ve been here a year.
The initial renting experience was great and painless… so I will give them that. The whole lease was done over email and electronic signatures. Awesome. Moving on…
1) I emailed them a week before my lease start to see if I could move in a day early (I had help on Tuesday, but no help after that and didn’t want to tackle it alone). They replied that because my lease starts on the 1^st, there is nothing they could do. I get that my lease starts on the 1^st, but I’ve lived many, many other places and I know this can be finagled somehow for some price. Apparently not here. If this would have been the only issue, fine… but it wasn’t.
2) Came for check-​in to get my keys… got the keys, was instructed how to use the freight elevator, easy. Okay… going well so far. The freight elevator is horrible to get to if you have heavy things… heads up.
3) Get to my apartment, there wasn’t an AC unit like I was told was going to be reserved and installed prior to my move in. This is an issue… it’s July. I go downstairs and ask what’s going on and when it will be put it (expecting it would be that day). «You never returned the paperwork I sent.» Ummm no you never sent me any. So she goes into her computer to look and the response was, «Oops, I forgot to send it. I’m sending it now, fill it out and return it.» I did this promptly, as well as paid the $ 130 fee to reserve the unit. This was a Wednesday and it was going to be a holiday weekend (no work Friday), so she said I ‘might’ not get it until Monday. Are you serious? This wasn’t my mix up, it was yours. Okay, whatever, I have to be uncomfortable for a few days (which really isn’t okay for the price I’m paying, but whatever… haven’t decided to complain too hard yet because it’s not like it’s an infestation of bugs or snakes in my apartment kind of crisis). I go in first thing Monday morning to the office to see what’s going on. The response was, «You mean it’s not in yet? I’ll call Carlos to see what’s going on since it’s been awhile.» Oh great… in my mind this was going to get resolved by the afternoon. WRONG AGAIN. 3:00 pm rolls around and I decide to call down to the office to check the progress. I was then informed there has never been a maintenance request submitted. Now I’m extremely angry and frustrated. So I voice my very strong opinion telling him that nobody has once told me I need to go online and request this and that I’ve been told not once, not twice, but three times so far that it will be taken care. So at this time he puts in the request himself and I ask if it will be taken care of tomorrow. «Well, there’s only one maintenance man right now so I can’t say for sure, but it will be as soon as possible.» (Who knows who this mystical Carlos is I’ve heard so much about since I’ve yet to see him. Also, what maintenance man leaves before 3?!) To which I reply that it WILL be taken care of tomorrow. We’ll see if that happens…
So a heads up if you’re moving here… the building itself and the actual apartment so far are great, the laundry room with debit card use is amazing, but the office staff so far hasn’t done a single thing to make my move-​in process easier. There’s no communication between people down there and they sure as hell don’t know how to communicate with their tenants. Currently I’m an unhappy, disgustingly hot/​sweaty resident that is second guessing where she wants to call home.

I lived at this Reside location for 1 year between ²⁰¹³⁄₂₀₁₄.
Pros:
— Location — 1 block from buses /​super close to Walmart and Traders Joes, great restaurants, bars and cute shops
— Massive studio size compared to other properties nearby
— Updated appliances /​cabinets
— Gym — really a pro/​con. Was usually full because it’s so small
— Management responsive — when my roof caved in from a pipe bursting above me they put me in a suite at the Belmont property while fixing
Cons:
— ROACHES (or as they like to call waterbugs — same family of disgusting). I started counting and had 12 in my own unit during the year (dead and alive). Saw several in my hallway, in entrance, in laundry room as well. My unit was sprayed at least 4 times and they always came back no matter how often I cleaned.
— Spiders all over my unit in the spring/​summer
— Saw dog poop outside the elevator
— Overpriced
— Laundry room — not enough machines for the building and they were always breaking down
— Slower than molasses elevators
— While management is responsive — they are very condescending.

Nice location in Lakeview/​Lincoln Park. Close to buses on Sheridan. Far from el. Grocery stores nearby include Trader Joes and Walmart. Gym (LVAC) about 15 minutes walk away. Very small gym (always overheated) in building. Sundeck very nice in spring/​summer. Kitchen appliances very nice (stainless steel), but little storage space. VERY small closets. Beautiful wood floors. Found cockroach once, but spraying (provided by management for free) seemed to take care of problem. Biggest issue with building is the heat/​ac situation. Radiators make enormous amount of noise and cannot be turned off. Apartment always overheated (horrible in spring and early fall). AC (units provided for a fee) are insufficient and very loud (can barely hear TV). Not enough washers and dryers. Often broken. Lobby is nice. Elevators very slow and often broken. Common areas kept clean. Building seems largely empty. Will be moving out this summer after 2 years.

I lived at Reside on Surf for nearly 3 years. At first, I loved it. I felt like my apartment was competitively priced and the management office was very responsive. I did notice some cockroaches (which they called something else — whatever, it looked like a roach, which means it was gross) — but they swiftly booked an exterminator. I was thoroughly happy with the efficiency of the maintenance staff, as well as having a secure place to have packages sent. The immediate cons for me:
— Not having more than 1 set of keys. If you want a second set of keys you have to add a person to your lease OR have somebody go thru a background check and pay $ 80. This is ridiculous. I couldn’t leave keys with a friend who was staying with me, or ask a neighbor to let my dog out when working late. No other company operates like this. I know there’s an element of security, but this is overkill.
— The air conditioners. They require you to have them install your a/​c unit, which they charge for. Moving in during the summer when it was incredibly hot, I was told that they couldn’t schedule an a/​c install until AFTER I moved in and then it would take a few days. Also, charging $ 50 for an installation service that is «required,» is not right. It’s like a bus driver charging you an exit fee after you’ve paid your fare.
Initially, those were my only gripes.
My leasing agent was fantastic, but later moved buildings and then left the company. I got the sense that it was due to some internal office drama, which I totally believe because a leasing agent was promoted to management around the same time and things started to change. And she was patronizing when not rude.
Doors to the hallway are rather thin, so it’s common to hear people talking, entertaining guests, etc. when passing by, but I almost never heard noises from other apartments while in the apartments that I lived in. Despite this, I would get noise complaints for things that I didn’t do or on nights when I wasn’t even home. The management would confront me, I’d let them know my response (wasn’t home) and it seemed like they still believed the other person. That was frustrating to feel like somebody could make up something or have the wrong unit and management would blindly believe them.
When I signed my first lease, all utilities except for electricity and cable/​internet were included. Then they started making us pay for «water, heat, hot water, cooking gas, trash removal.» No building charges on top of rent for trash removal. The monthly cost was about $ 35 — even in the summer, when heat is presumably not a cost.
I can’t remember all of the rules that we were frequently emailed about following, often in a condescending manner. Some seemed legit, others nitpicky. I felt like I was living in a dorm.
Things really soured for me when I had to sublet my place and move unexpectedly. Being that I was moving outside of their core summer leasing months and there are full time leasing agents on staff, it was a shock that management was completely unwilling to help me show my unit. I was going to do the legwork on finding potential tenants, but working a job that requires travel while preparing to move with under a month’s notice is quite a challenge. Other major property companies like BJB, Wertz have helped with situations like this in the past. Sometimes they charge a fee, which I would have gladly paid, but Reside was not accommodating at all.
When I finally found somebody, the applicant was rejected because their salary was not the requisite 3x the monthly rent. The applicant had a salary, but made a substantial amount of income from commission, yet they were denied. I was told that company policy did not consider commission income (the IRS does!), only salary, yet a couple who lived in the building were both real estate agents, which is a 100% commission-​based job. Another was a headhunter — also commission-​based. So this rule seemed to be selectively enforced.
By the end of my time there, communication from management office was much more short and bordering on rude. Asking for something was met with the reaction that a burden was being put on the staff.
In summary, the place seemed like a great deal when I moved in. Quality apartments with competitive pricing and good management were a nice package. Reside felt like a truly different rental experience in Chicago. By the end, borderline rude staff, high rent increases, and a nickel-​and-​diming approach to things like utilities, move-​in fees, etc. made me feel like a walking dollar sign, not a tenant. I even told my friend who works in management for a major competitor to Reside (especially the Surf property) who balked at the way they behaved, the things they charged for, etc.

Cons:
1. water bugs/​roach issue; I have seen 2 in my apartment within a month.
2. they spray cheap perfume in the lounge and hallway to mask the old building smell
3. poor communication of the maintenance guy; I need my mail box lock fixed. It wasn’t done until I left 4 requests; same thing happened for the radiator: it was not working properly but it wasn’t fixed till his third visit. He is nice but he could fix it during one visit.
4. the trash cans are always overfilled
5. I got bitten by my neighbor’s dog but the camera in the elevator «happened to be broken». If you don’t like dogs, don’t live in this building.
6. they charge 130 for the AC rent but they will take it down in October. If you move in in July and you want the AC back next year in April, you gotta pay another 130 bucks
7. They don’t treat you like customers. when you do call the property manager, she would say «it is the property rule; this is how the company is run and she is the boss. YOU are being augmentative and disputed. You are not going to win. «
8. There are not enough washers/​dryers for the building; a few broken down
9. when I first moved in, the room was not prepared properly. I gave a list of 20 items to follow up. It took them a week to get them all fixed/​clean.
10. this location is 15 min away from the L brown line. It will take you 40 — 50 minutes to get to to loop. It definitely doesn’t worth the rent.
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update on 11/​24/​2014
11. there was a big water leaked a week ago. No repair work has been done for a week. The hallway smells like molded/​shit
12. the manager below says someone will contact me but no one ever did

I’ve been living here for over a year now and I’ve really enjoyed it.
PROS: This is a very good location in East Lakeview. The office staff is extremely friendly and helpful. Maintenance is very responsive and gets things fixed the first time. The building is beautiful and well kept up — it’s always clean, really nice laundry room, decent small gym, etc.(…my boyfriend refers to it as an apartment building for girls). My studio is spacious and bright. It’s a little more expensive than other studios in the area, but you really do get what you pay for.
CONS: While they do spray for insects consistently, I have seen 3 cockroaches since living here (2 in my place, one in my hall). All were dead. And 3 in a year makes it a rarity. Still, encountering one is super, super disgusting… but not necessarily unexpected in an old building. Also, the keys are TERRIBLE. They are electronic plastic keys so you can’t copy them. I didn’t realize this was an issue until I had friends visit for a weekend and realized we had to keep meeting up to hand off the key to my apartment. I miss being able to make a copy of my key at Ace!
Unless you have an unlimited budget, there are going to be cons to any apartment building in the city. That being said, I have had a much better experience working with Reside than any previous property management company I have rented from. I looked at a lot of studios/​one beds and this was by far the nicest property in the area for the price. I would not hesitate to recommend Reside on Surf to any of my friends.

Reside on Surf will bend over backwards to get you an apartment that you’re happy with and will get your lease signed quickly. After that, they’ll nickel and dime their residents. Want your own air conditioner installed? They have to install it and want $ 50 for 5 minutes of their time. Their rent increases each year (sometimes $ 150) and are non-​negotiable according to the office staff. The hot water goes out at least once a month and the building has a roach problem (which I’m scared to tell them about because they’ll probably find a way to charge me).
The elevator is often not working, the laundry room always has broken machines and the office is closed frequently for no apparent reason. If you want an extra set of keys for your apartment, you’ll have to pay a nonrefundable $ 75 fee per set. My parking space fee has also been increased over the last year. I can understand some increases such as rent, etc due to market demand but the items they can find to charge their residents for is ridiculous. I’ve lived in several buildings owned by different rental companies and can say I’ve never dealt with one like this and been treated this poorly.
Be sure to look at other Reside property Unilocal reviews before signing your lease, this company has a huge customer service issue which isn’t unique to Surf. The fact that Reside says it is dedicated to its residents is not true, it is dedicated to potential renters.

My wife and I have lived in a few different properties throughout Chicago and would like to thank Reside for a great experience in helping us build our home for a short period of time here. The staff are super friendly, Catherine, Jacqueline and the rest of the team truly care about the tenants and go above and beyond to do everything they can to accommodate all needs. We would have defiantly stayed with Reside Living if our careers hadn’t taken us out of State. We will certainly be contacting them if/​when we return to Chicago.

I signed up on Unilocal just for this. It has a nice lobby area. The apartments themselves aren’t bad and look decent. That’s all I can say nice about this place.
The property management is horrible. Let me repeat, HORRIBLE! They treat you like crap. This place over charges. Treats residents like they’re stupid, when there’s something wrong with the apartment. I would not waste your money on this place. Even the comcast person that’s suppose to be in charge of this building is bad. Find some place else and don’t give them your money. I’m trying to help you.

Nice place, but they charge a lot of money to replace your keys.

I’ve lived in apartments in NYC and Chicago over the past 10 years. I’m coming up on the end of my 3^rd year in the building and will be moving out ASAP. This was a great vintage building. WAS. RESIDE is stripping all the character out and raising the rents sky high in an attempt to make this a hipster building.
One of the big problems actually has nothing to do with the building. It’s the quality of the immediate area. For instance, there’s no real grocery store. Three years ago, Dominick’s had a «Coming Soon» sign on a big lot at 3030 N. Broadway. It’s still there, and the store hasn’t even broken ground. Also, the Britton Budd low-​income senior housing complex has just opened up on Surf, a half block away.
My own apartment lives great; I love the layout. There are other advantages, too: the proximity of the building to downtown buses, nice fitness room, and lovely laundry room. I’m a careful shopper, and when I originally moved in, the rent was competitive for the size of the apartment, the location, and amenities.
That’s not the case now. $ 1,500 for one bedroom??? Are they crazy? My floor is practically empty (except for the cockroaches which appeared 2 weeks ago). Two more of my neighbors moved out this weekend, one of them way before his lease ended. I haven’t seen anyone moving in. The apartment next to mine was vacant for months this fall.
Construction has been loud, dusty, ongoing for a full year, and isn’t close to finished. The results are very masculine. Yes, they’ve put in new elevators, but they’re still unreliable! The freight elevator is being replaced right now, and, according to a recent memo, it’ll be months before it’s finished.
The final straw was coming home late at night and finding three boys had hooked up their system to the lobby flatscreen and were playing video games. I’m not going to pay the kind of rent RESIDE is asking to live in a fraternity house.

RESIDE ON SURF is probably one of the best buildings you’ll find in the neighborhood at a great price point. I’ve lived in a mutliple apartments (Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia) and I am so impressed with RESIDE.
The building has lots of ‘character’ (in a cool vintage way.. .not a scary walls are falling down way). There are a lot of exciting renovations happening. Cool new lobby, great intercom system, new elevators, recycling,. .. just to name a few.
However, I think the biggest plus is that the management staff is fantastic. They are very good with following up with any complaints. It doesn’t take four months for issues to get resolved.
Thanks Reside! You’re the best! I look forward to staying put for quite some time!