Connected Management Blog

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...