Connected Management Blog

Busy Holiday Season? Utilize a Property Manager! Being a condo board member in Chicago is a wild and exciting ride in itself. It can be downright overwhelming if you are part of a self-managed association. There are the residents’ issues to take care of, financial bookkeeping, maintenance needs, emergency repairs, and so on. The list is quite long but when you throw in the busy holiday season, it can be too much for most people. That’s why it’s important that you take advantage of condo management services in Chicago year-round. Not only can they help you make sure you don’t miss...

Considering Property Management? Here’s What You Need to Know! When it comes to property management in Chicago, you want to know that your investment properties are well taken care of. Not only have you invested time and money into the property, but you also have multiple tenants that have to be taken care of so they stay in your condominium for years to come. Doing all the day-to-day tasks that come with property management can be overwhelming. This is especially true when you have multiple properties that are spread out across Chicago. One way to ensure that everyone is taken care...

Advance Your Rental Property Business by Hiring a Property Manager If you own a rental property business, then your goal is to use the properties you own to make a profit. To do this, you need to have a steady stream of tenants and no vacancies, tending to tenants’ questions and concerns as needed. As a property owner, you can only handle so many properties. If you begin to become overwhelmed with tenant needs, its time to bring in the experts. The only way you will be able to advance your business is to hire a property management in Chicago for...

Should You Allow Pets in Your Condo Building? As a property owner in Chicago you may be considering allowing pets in your buildings that you lease to tenants. There are many benefits to allowing the four-legged furry residents to join, but you should be aware of the downsides as well. While allowing pets to be a part of your rental community can add income, it can also bring some disadvantages to your property and your insurance coverages that you should know about. When making the decision for your property management team in Chicago to allow pets, be sure to consider the...

Pet Policies and Service Animals Pets are a huge part of many families in the Chicago area and around the nation. Many people own multiple pets ranging anywhere from a couple dogs to cats, fish, and even snakes in some cases. As a Chicago property owner, how can you restrict pets in your building without being discriminatory? Can you have a no-pets policy in place by law and stay protected? There is a way to post a no-pets policy with your Chicago property management company as long as you’re aware of the exceptions you need to have in place. Your pet...

Tips for Buying an Established Rental Property As a real estate investor, you may be inclined to buy a property in Chicago that is already inhabited by tenants who’ve been there for some time. When you inherit tenants that are established, it can be quite a daunting task to know how to handle the situation. There are some ways you can make this transition easier by working with the tenants and your property management team in Chicago. You want to get to know your tenants while also informing them of any changes and updates they need to know to keep the...

Bring Your Property Management Into The Digital Age! Are you a board member or investor that is still taking payments through a person or through the mail? How do you manage the day-to-day aspects of your commercial or residential properties? Are you really on top of the management aspect as you may think you are? Have you ever considered streamlining the process with digital rental and association management software? All of these questions can easily be answered by working with a property management company in Chicago. You can bring your rental properties into the digital age with software made accessible by...

Chicago is one of the United States’ largest cities, ranking third as of the 2010 census. New York and Los Angeles are the only two cities in the US with larger populations than Chicago. However, according to expatistan.com, the cost of living for Chicago ranks 11th in the nation, while New York ranks as the most expensive in 1st place, and Los Angeles ranks 7th. Not too terrible. On the cost of living index where, 100 is the national average, Chicago registers above that average at 112. That equates to Chicago’s cost of living being about 12% higher than the national...

  Nearly every apartment and condominium dweller has at some point come in contact with one of their neighbors. Residents should do their best to embrace these meetings, not avoid them. Establishing and maintaining healthy relationships with neighbors has the potential to enhance the apartment and condominium dwelling experience. Here are a few tips for getting along well with neighbors.  Be volume considerate Perhaps one of the simplest steps apartment and condominium residents can take to ensure they maintain healthy relationships with their neighbors is to be volume considerate. The most common complaints fielded by property managers are related to noise....

This article provides a brief overview of Chicago’s energy benchmarking program and links to resources where further details can be obtained. Instructions are also provided for board members of condo associations that are required to participate in the program. The practical requirement for most boards is to hire an energy-certified company to complete the benchmarking work on behalf of the association. While it is possible for a board to perform some of the required energy benchmarking steps directly, most will find it far easier to hire a firm to handle the entire process on their behalf. Ordinance Overview Information about the...

  Serving on a condo board is not an easy thing to do. Often, there is so much work to do that members feel as though serving on the board is a full-time job. This is unacceptable, especially given the members' other career committments. Any kind of disorganization is a bad sign for condo associations. The lack of a proper structure can result in a lot of wasted time and energy; not to mention the fact that many of the meetings' goals will be left unachieved. Implementing a framework for all board meetings will ensure that the maximum amount of work...

Living in close quarters with hundreds of other people, some of whom may be your friends, can give you a false sense of security. The reality is that condominiums are often targets for criminals for a number of reasons, including perceived affluence and the fact that businesses and offices often employ technologically sophisticated security systems, decreasing their viability as potential targets. Many buildings have doormen or private security that act as a barrier between visitors and your private living space. But this added level of security often comes with higher monthly dues or an overall higher cost of living, a luxury...

Move-in fees are the cause of many headaches for some new tenants. There are often great debates waged between landlords/associations and tenants over the reasons behind these fees and their legality. Here are the answers to some common questions about move-in fees: Why do I have to pay? Usually, a move-in fee is charged to a tenant upon signing their new lease. The fee serves to cover the costs of accomodating and processing new tenants, such as changing directories and reprogramming security systems. A move-in fee is always non-refundable. How is this different from a security deposit? A security deposit is...

  Not all of us have the privilege of living in luxurious, contemporary condos overlooking the Lake Michigan, Millennium Park or the Magnificent Mile.  Most condominiums have comparatively modest aesthetics, and their settings are much less glamorous. However, there are many clear and affordable ways to enhance your condo building and make it modern, bright and welcoming.  Consider forming a beautification or decoration committee if it does not already exist within your association. This committee would be in charge of adorning common areas for events or holidays, depending on what the association allows. Furnishing lobbies and hallways with decorations during the...

It's 108 years in the making.  Last night, the Chicago Cubs won the 2016 World Series in cinematic fashion, defeating the Cleveland Indians in extra innings amidst a deluge of rain. City Hall announced today that the Cubs' victory parade would be held this Friday, 11/4, at 10 a.m. The parade is expected to start at Wrigley Field, ending with a rally in Grant Park. Millions of people are expected to descend on the city tomorrow, eager to participate in the festivities. But as the city has learned in the past, massive crowds tend to attract trouble. Here are some tips...

It's almost as if a new housing development is being built in Chicago every day.  Demand for rental housing in Chicago is the highest it has been in years, with DePaul's Institute of Housing Studies (IHS) reporting that rentals make up nearly 44 percent of all Cook County households, up from 38 percent in 2005.  Although renters of all ages and income levels have increased, the youth represent the largest renting demographic, as thousands of young professionals flock to the city's hippest areas. Many of these young people are exceptionally affluent. DePaul's IHS reports that the these professionals have incomes nearly...

  For some, the winter season means holidays, cozy nights by a warm fire and peaceful walks through gently falling snow. But it can also mean blizzards, bone-chilling temperatures and ice build-up that can wreak havoc on a building’s integrity. It’s an inevitable fact of living in the Upper Midwest: winter is coming. The maintenance duties of condo owners often vary across associations, but depending on your agreement, you may be responsible for many of these tasks.  Here are some tips to ensure your home survives the season: Before the worst of the cold weather comes through the area, make sure...

Starting in 2017 all condo associations in Chicago must have recycling services at their building. Failing to have recycling services active by 1/1/17 will expose the association to potential fines from the City. This new requirement is part of the Chicago Recycling Ordinance that was recently passed by the Chicago City Council. The ordinance goes into effect on January 1, 2017, and requires all commercial and multi-unit residential buildings to provide "source-separated, single stream recycling for residents." This simply means that all associations must purchase standard recycling services from a waste management provider. Obviously this is great news for the waste...

When a condo association needs a large amount of cash in a short period of time, a loan may be the only option. This is especially true if the owners cannot afford a large special assessment. Association loans often become necessary as an emergency measure due to deferred maintenance and a lack of proper budgeting. These types of loans use the association's existing and future assessment income as collateral to secure the debt. This means that if the association fails to repay the loan, the bank will go after the association's assessments. Prior to this change to the Illinois Condominium Property...

What can be stored in the common hallways, stairways and other means of egress? According to the law, nothing. Interior landings, hallways and stairs must be completely clear of all items. This includes shoes, shoe racks, planters, pots or other items. The relevant section of the Chicago Municipal Code below relates to new construction: 13-160-070 Obstructions prohibited.For purposes of this section and Section 13-96-135 only: the term “small building” shall mean a residential building that is both less than four stories high and contains fewer than four residential units; and the term “large building” shall mean a residential building that is...