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Tenants

Prospective Tenants

If you are interested in one of our vacancies, call us at (630) 780-5020 or email us at info@thechicagore.com for additional information about the residence or to schedule a showing.

To apply for a residence, contact us and we will set up a time for you to come into our office to process your paperwork and begin the screening process. All applicants need the birth certificates and social security cards for all family families that will be living in the residence as well as fifty dollars to process screening. If you are applying for the Rental Housing Support Program (RHSP), the following information may also be necessary. Please be aware that not all documents will apply to every prospective tenant.

  • Public Assistance Letter – a verification letter from the Public Aid Office, even if you are not receiving benefits
  • Social Security/SSI/SSDI – a current award letter from Social Security Administration for each household member, even if you are not receiving benefits
  • Wages – a verification letter from your employer and the last 4-6 checks you received
  • Child Support – printout of payments from State Disbursement Unit and the last 4-6 checks received
  • Unemployment – benefit statement from the Department of Unemployment and the last 4-6 checks received
  • Pension/Retirement – benefit statement letter from provider and the last 4-6 checks received
  • Bank Statements – last 6 monthly statements
  • Life Insurance – If your insurance comes through your job, you do not need to submit an insurance policy. If you are paying for your insurance policy for yourself, submit a verification letter from the insurance provider and a copy of the insurance policy
  • Stocks/Bonds – current statement

Rental Payments

Chicago RE Investments, LLC collects monthly rent and provides late notices to tenants who have unpaid balances on their accounts. Rent is due on the first day of the month and considered late if paid after the fifth. If payment is not fully made before the sixth of the month, a late fee will be charged to the tenant’s account. Tenants have several different options available to pay rent, including payment through mail, drop box, tenant portal, square invoice and Walmart Payments.

Mail – Payment through mail may include checks, money orders or cash. Tenants should send their payments to the mailing address that is provided on their lease.

Drop Box – Chicago RE Investments, LLC also has a drop box outside our office door where tenants can drop off rent payments. When submitting a payment to our drop box, place your rent inside an envelope with your name and address.

Tenant Portal – Tenants can also make payments through the tenant portal in Propertyware. To access Propertyware, log into the tenant portal by following the tenant link in the login section at the top of the header or clicking here. Select the “My Payments” tab. Tenants have the option of making a one-time payment or setting up a recurring payment for each month.

To make a one-time payment, use the following set of instructions:

  1. Select “Make One-Time Payment” in the “My Payments” tab.
  2. Under the Payment account section, choose the method of payment. You may pay with a credit card or debit card for a one-time charge of $36.00. If you do not wish to pay with a credit or debit card, you may enter your account and routing number with a charge of $1.25 to $1.95 per transaction.
  3. If you wish to add a new form of payment, click “Add Payment Account” next to the “Payment Method” section and enter the relevant information.
  4. Next, choose the amount that you wish to pay. You may pay your entire balance or choose a fixed amount.
  5. Choose the date that you want the payment to process under the “Payment Date” section.
  6. Press “Submit”.

 

If you would like to set up a recurring payment, perform the following steps:

  1. Select “Schedule Recurring Payment” in the “My Payments” tab.
  2. Under the Payment Account section, choose the method of payment. You may pay with a credit card or debit card for a transaction fee of 2.95% of your payment. If you do not wish to pay with a credit or debit card, you may enter your account and routing number with a charge of $1.95 per transaction.
  3. Next, choose the amount that you wish to pay. You may pay your entire balance or choose a fixed amount.
  4. Choose the frequency that you wish to make a payment. You have options to make weekly, monthly, quarterly, semiannually, or yearly payments.
  5. Enter the start and end dates of your recurring payments.
  6. Agree to the Terms and Conditions at the bottom of the page, then click “Next”.
  7. Confirm the information that you entered on the previous page, and press “Save”.
  8. If you wish to delete a recurring payment, select the “delete” icon under the “action” header and choose “OK” when asked if you would like to delete the payment method.
 

Credit Card – Chicago RE Investments, LLC can also provide a square invoice for rent with a 4% transaction fee. Tenants have the option to make a one-time payment or recurring payments for each month. To receive an invoice, call our office at (630) 780-5020 and one of our customer service representatives will be more than happy to help you.

Walmart Payment – You can also make your monthly rent payments at Walmart for a fee of $3.75. Follow the following steps to make a Walmart payment:

  1. Log into the tenant portal by following the tenant link in the login section at the top of the header or clicking here.
  2. Once you are logged into the tenant portal, click on the “My Payments” tab.
  3. Under the “Select Payment Methods” section, choose “Cash”.
  4. Select the option to either make a payment for your full balance, or choose to make a partial payment and enter the amount that you wish to pay.
  5. After the payment amount is entered, select the “Cash Payment Voucher” button and download the voucher.
  6. To locate a Walmart that accepts Walmart payments, click “Search Payment Centers” under the “Payments” tab on the tenant portal.
  7. Present the voucher to a customer sales associate at Walmart to process the payment.

Maintenance Requests

We know that unexpected damages to your residence can be inconvenient. At Chicago RE Investments, LLC, we have an in-house maintenance team and employ contractors that are fully equipped to provide tenants with repair services. Whether you begin to face plumbing issues, experience electrical problems, or notice other damages to the interior or exterior of your residence, we will resolve your maintenance issues in a timely fashion.

  1. To submit a maintenance request, log into the tenant portal by following the link at the top of the page or clicking here.
  2. Once you have logged into the portal, go to the “Service Request” tab.
  3. Click the button that says “New Service Request”.
  4. Enter the location or room of the maintenance issue in the “Specific Location” section.
  5. Add a description of the problems you are experiencing in the “Description” section. Please include your availability for maintenance in your maintenance description. 
  6. Provide your phone number and email address in the “Primary Phone Number” and “Email Address” fields, so our maintenance crew can contact you.
  7. Label the issue as high, medium, or low priority, in the “Priority” drop-down section. High priority issues are spraying water, water damage, heat problems, issues with detectors, electrical outages, or other safety issues. Other maintenance requests fall under the medium priority field.
  8. To help our maintenance crew assist you, upload pictures or videos of the maintenance issues by pressing the “Attach Document” button at the bottom of the form. You can only upload one document at a time, so please upload each picture or video individually if you have more than one to send. You can also send pictures or videos of the damages to documents@thechicagore.com or message us at our text servicing number. To receive a message from us, call our office at (630) 780-5020, and one of our representatives will give you our text servicing number. After you text the number, you will receive an automated message asking you to opt-in. Reply to the message with “YES” to give us permission to respond to you.
  9. Press the “Save” button at the bottom of the page to submit the order.

Renewal Information

Tenants must sign a lease extension addendum every year to renew their lease. Additionally, if they are in the Rental Housing Support Program (RHSP), tenants must renew their position in the program annually. Tenants have the option of coming into the office to sign their annual recertification papers or signing them through DocuSign.

Along with their signed renewal papers, tenants in the RHSP program must send our office up to date personal documentation that reflects the household income sheet they filled out for recertification. Tenants may email the documentation to info@thechicagore.com or mail the papers to our post office box. Necessary documentation includes the following if applicable to the tenant:

  • Proof of Income
  • Monthly Public Assistance
  • Child Support
  • Social Security Benefits
  • Unemployment
  • 4-6 Bank Statements

Winter Safety Information

In the anticipation of the upcoming winter and snow, please take the following safety precautions:

  • Check the batteries in all carbon monoxide and smoke detectors at least once every month.
  • If the heat inside your residence is not working, submit a work order through the tenant portal or call the office at (630) 780-5020, and we will send someone to fix the furnace for you. Do not turn on the stove for heat due to potential dangers with carbon monoxide.
  • Change the furnace filter every month. A dirty filter chokes off the furnace and restricts air flow, resulting in the furnace not working.
  • Disconnect any garden hoses. A connected hose in freezing weather may result in cracked water pipes and flooding.
  • If you leave your residence to go on vacation this winter, keep your furnace at or above 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Failure to do so may result in frozen pipes, which could burst and flood your residence. Do not reduce the temperature setting to save on gas because the resulting property damages will add to your expenses.
  • Keep your kitchen and bathroom vanity cabinet doors open on cold days so that air can circulate around frozen pipes. Additionally, allow the faucet to drip slowly to keep the water flowing through the pipes from freezing.
  • If you live in an apartment building with rear and front staircases, use the enclosed staircase rather than the open staircase when there is snow to avoid falling from the slippery conditions.
  • When there is a snowfall of 2 inches or more, please make sure that you move your vehicle out of the driveways to allow snow blowers to clear the drives. They cannot plow the driveways if there is a vehicle in any of the spaces. Vehicles must be parked 3 feet from the garage door to allow for shoveling in front of cars.
  • Use Ice Melt sparingly and only on icy pavement. Ice melt is only intended to be used on ice rather than on snow.
  • Do not leave any shovels outside of your unit or garage to prevent loss or theft. Remove door mats for the winter or they will act as an obstacle for snow removal on sidewalks.
  • Make sure there is nothing stored underneath the stairs or on the landings of building except for salt buckets.
  • Remove all patio furniture from the balconies, patios and decks for the winter. Grills must be covered if left in these areas.
  • Make sure that the area outside your residence is well lit by keeping the outside garage lights turned on at the overhead door.

Property Inspections

Property inspections are held at your residence every one to two years. Someone from your household 18 years of age or older must be home during these inspections. We will provide you with advance notice of the inspection to ensure that someone from your residence will be available when the inspectors arrive. In the event that someone in your household has tested positive for COVID-19 within the last three weeks or is displaying symptoms of COVID-19, please call the number on the inspection notice you received in the mail. If you require any maintenance done before the inspection, please submit a work order through the “Service Request” section in the tenant portal. Before the inspection, please check if smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are working. Please be aware that the following items are the most likely causes of failed inspections:

  • Missing or improperly installed smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
  • Damaged door hardware and locks
  • Missing knock out plugs on junction boxes in basements at light fixtures and furnaces
  • Inoperable or defective GFIs
  • Inoperable stove burner or oven
  • Damaged or missing weather stripping around exterior doors
  • Inoperable windows that do not stay up when raised
  • Defective interior and exterior paint surfaces
  • Missing and damaged interior and exterior handrails
  • Toilets not secured to the floor
  • Insecure and damaged faucets at kitchen and bathroom sinks

Frequently Asked Questions

Your account balance can be seen in the tenant portal in Propertyware. To access the tenant portal, follow the link at the top of the page or click here.

Rent is due on the first day of every month and late if paid after the fifth day of the month.

If rent is not fully paid after it is due, a late fee may be incurred.

Payment can be made through mail, our office drop box, the tenant portal, square invoice, or Walmart payments.

To locate a Walmart that accepts Walmart payments, click “Search Payment Centers” under the “Payments” tab on the tenant portal.

If you are in a subsidized program and experience a change in income, send documentation for your new income to your case worker. If your case worker determines that your rent portion will change, we will update your account.

Maintenance support can be requested through the tenant portal. From the tenant portal, go to the “Service Request” tab to submit a work order. After you have submitted a request, email us pictures or videos of the work that needs to be done at info@thechicagore.com or send us the images at our text servicing number.

If you are experiencing clogging in your plumbing, first pour a drain cleaner removal such as Drano down the drain since the problem may be due to a buildup of hair. If the problem persists, submit a maintenance request through the tenant portal.

If you are experiencing issues with your heater, change the batteries on the thermostat. Additionally, check if the filter for your furnace has been replaced recently and if the 20 V is turned on in the fuse box. If you still experience issues, place a work order in the tenant portal, and we will send our maintenance team out to assist you. Until our maintenance team arrives, do not turn the stove oven for heat.

Call our office at (630) 780-5020, and our maintenance team will promptly be out to resolve the issue. Until they arrive, turn off the valve for the pipes that are spraying water.

We try to provide tenants with a three to four-hour window for maintenance to arrive.

The only truly flushable item is toilet paper. Other wipes, even if they are marked as “flushable,” toilet bowl scrub pads, paper towels, Q-tips, hair, feminine hygiene products, band aids, or food items should not be flushed, as they may cause clogging.

Visit the portal by clicking the login button at the top of the page. You will be redirected to the tenant portal in Propertyware. Click “Create Account” below the “Submit” button and enter your first name, last name, email address, mailing address, city, state, and zip code. Press “Submit” to finish creating your account.

If you have forgotten your password to the tenant portal, first follow the link to the tenant portal. From there, click on the “Forgot Password?” link and enter your first name, last name, and email address in the required fields. A link to reset your password will be sent to your email. Make sure to use the reset link immediately since it will expire after 48 hours.

Someone 18 years of age or older needs to be home during the inspection times given to you. If you cannot be home or someone in your household has symptoms of COVID-19, call the number given to you on the letter informing you of your inspection to reschedule.

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