Author: Kay Cleaves

We Analyzed 100 Crowdfunding Campaigns for Victims of Apartment Fires. Here’s What We Found.

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Content Warning: This article may be upsetting to those who have lived through apartment or home catastrophes.
Editor's Note: The quotes included in this article have been included without alteration from their respective campaigns. We have chosen to leave spelling, grammar and profanity intact out of respect for the victims.

“The couple did NOT have renters insurance. They literally lost EVERYTHING, Car keys, drivers lisence, credit cards all personal items gone. They had $100 on the dresser and ran without thinking of grabbing it. Can you imagine loosing items that was your grandmothers, your family items to be passed down for generations to come? ALL GONE.” - https://www.gofundme.com/jeffshannonfire

Renters insurance exists to help you recover your lost and damaged items after major apartment catastrophes like fires, floods and hurricanes. Savvy renters know that renters insurance should be on their list of things to obtain immediately upon signing a lease. It Some landlords have started to require proof of insurance. It's relatively inexpensive – according to the Insurance Information Institute (iii.org), the average cost of renters insurance in Illinois was $172 per year in 2013. Even so, III estimated that only 37% of US renters had renters insurance in 2014.

Lately those who find themselves struggling to recover from major catastrophes have turned to crowdfunding site GoFundMe to help solicit cash from friends and family. We decided to turn to GoFundMe to see what sort of impact apartment fires had on those with and without apartment insurance. Continue reading We Analyzed 100 Crowdfunding Campaigns for Victims of Apartment Fires. Here’s What We Found.

Published by

Kay Cleaves

Busting 10 Myths about Laws and Apartment Life

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I've met plenty of folks, both landlords and tenants, who had some pretty strange beliefs about what was legal or illegal in Chicago apartments. Today I've taken on 10 of these myths and misconceptions about renting and broken them down chapter and verse to let you know which ones are true and which are false.

If you've got a myth about apartment life that you want me to investigate, drop me a comment below or on our Facebook page and I'll look into it for a follow up article.

1. It's illegal to put things in someone's mailbox if you're not a USPS postal carrier.

Status: True!
According to whom? US Congress, 18 USC 1725
Details: Mailboxes are actually property of the US Postal service. Placing something in someone's mailbox that doesn't have postage on it is a felony offense. This is to prevent mail theft and mail fraud, although private postal services like UPS and FedEx have been fighting the law for many years.
Since when? 1934.
Penalty: At least $5000 per occurrence for individuals, $10,000 for businesses.

2. It's illegal to leave shoes in the hallway outside your apartment.

Status: True!
According to whom? City of Chicago existing buildings code, 13-196-080
Details: When you leave shoes, strollers or other personal items in the hallway, it can block others' path to escape during a fire. Blocking hallways in this way is a violation of fire codes. (It's also a great way to get your stuff stolen.)
Since when? Before 1990.
Penalty: Your landlord may be fined and pass the fine on to you.

3. It's illegal to put too much trash in a dumpster.

Status: True!
According to whom? City of Chicago health & safety ordinance 7-28-261
Details: If you pile trash high enough in the container that the lid won't fully close, you're setting up a situation that attracts rats, bugs and raccoons. If the dumpster is so full that you can't put your trash inside, let your landlord know immediately. If it's an ongoing problem, you can report your landlord to the city.
Since when? At least 1994.
Penalty: Your landlord will get a ticket and may pass the fine on to you.

4. It's illegal to give your landlord a postdated rent check.

Status: False!
According to whom? The State of Illinois, Criminal Code 720 ILCS 5/17-1B
Details: Some landlords will ask that you provide them with twelve postdated rent checks, one for each month, at the time you sign your lease. While this is really annoying if your money is kept in many different bank accounts, it gives some landlords peace of mind knowing that you're already committed to those payments. However, an unscrupulous landlord can deposit those checks at any time, and I don't know a lot of renters who keep a full year worth of rent in their checking accounts.

If you give someone a postdated check and it bounces when deposited - regardless of the date - you have broken the law. However, if the check clears, you're all good. If you bounce a check, you need to make good on it within 30 days to avoid penalty.
Since when? At least 2011.
Penalty: Anywhere from $100-$1500 plus court costs.

5. It's illegal to smoke in your apartment.

Status: False! (with some restrictions)
According to whom? City of Chicago clean indoor air ordinance
Details: You cannot smoke or vape in apartment hallways, lobbies or common areas (and that includes the yard!) but you can smoke and vape within your own apartment provided that your lease allows it. Note that if you have a license to consume medical marijuana but your lease bans smoking, you must choose another delivery method such as eating it.
Since when? 2014
Penalty: $250-2500 for smoking in common areas. Eviction for smoking in apartments that ban smoking in the lease.

6. If more than two unmarried women live in an apartment together, it's considered to be a brothel.

Status: False!
According to whom? There are no brothel laws in Chicago.
Details: The myth of the brothel law has been flying around among tenants for decades. It may stem from colleges that restricted housing for female students when they were first allowed to attend universities. However, there is no evidence that any city or town has ever actually enacted a brothel law that applies specifically to unmarried women.

In fact, in Chicago, refusing to house someone based on their marital or familial status is a violation of fair housing law. However, Evanston does currently have a very controversial law on the books that prevents more than 4 unrelated individuals from living in the same apartment together.

7. It's illegal to post political signs at your apartment building.

Status: False!
According to whom? State of Illinois, City of Chicago, multiple sources.
Details: The state can't make any laws that ban the posting of political signs on private property, as it's a violation of free speech laws. So you can temporarily post a political sign for your favorite candidate inside your apartment as long as you don't break any lease conditions about attaching things to the walls.

You can't post them on public property, so don't put them in the parkway. You can put them in the yard of your apartment building but they may be removed by your neighbors. Note that your landlord can also post signs on the property but there's nothing stopping you from removing them.
Penalty: None.

8. It's illegal to let your kids play in the halls or yard after dark.

Status: True!
According to whom? City of Chicago Curfew ordinance 8-16-020
Details: Children under age 12 must be at home after 8:30pm Sunday through Thursday and after 9pm on Friday and Saturday. For teens up to age 16, it's 10pm Sunday to Thursday and 11pm Friday and Saturday. If a parent or guardian is with the child/minor they're within the bounds of the law. If they're unsupervised and someone complains, they would be breaking the law.
Since when? Curfew laws have been on the books for years, but were most recently revised in 2015.
Penalty: $500 maximum fine plus community service for the parent.

9. It's illegal to run a business out of your apartment.

Status: True! (if you don't have a license)
According to whom? City of Chicago Home Business ordinance 4-6-270
Details: First of all your landlord can ban home-based businesses outright. So can a condo association if you're living in a rented condo.

Second, the city has a special business license for home-based businesses called the "Regulated Business License - Home Occupation." If you're freelancing or working remotely for a business with headquarters elsewhere, you're all good. If you're running a licensed day care out of your apartment (and your lease either allows or says nothing about it) you're all good. If you're home-brewing for private consumption and not selling the output, you're good. If you're owning and running your own business from your apartment you need to have a license. The city restricts what kind of work can be done out of the home, how many employees you can have, how much square footage you can dedicate to the business, signage, and the use of building entrances.
Since when? At least 2012
Penalty: $250-500 fine, Eviction if you are violating the lease.

10. A landlord must disclose the presence of mold in your apartment when you sign the lease.

Status: False!
According to whom? No one, there is no law about it.
Details: Landlords must disclose knowledge about lead based paint (Federal law), radon (Illinois law), heating costs (Chicago law), and provide information on how to handle bedbug infestations. However, there are no laws pertaining to the disclosure of mold in apartments or in homes for sale.

Some real estate agents will use mold disclosures as part of their standard paperwork when representing a seller or landlord, but it's only done to cover their own butts. However, if your apartment does have mold when you move in your landlord has a duty to get rid of it.
Penalty: None for failure to disclose. Fines may be assessed if a landlord does not clean up mold within a reasonable time.

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Published by

Kay Cleaves

Chicago Bulk Cable Providers Compared

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Google announced last month that they're considering Chicago as a testing location for their wireless version of Google Fiber. Until they get here, Chicago renters are stuck dealing with the same old internet providers we've had in the area for years - or are we?

Your average homeowner or renter in Chicagoland small buildings and single family homes is pretty restricted when it comes to choosing an internet provider. You've got Comcast or AT&T citywide, and in some sections of the city there's also WOW and RCN.

Big apartment buildings and condo associations have more options available to them for broadband - they can buy bulk (or "MDU") internet for the whole building. The MDU internet scene in Chicago has a lot more vendors. But not all of these bulk internet providers are created equal. So if you're a renter that's considering a building that offers "free internet" or you're a property manager looking for a new provider, check out our comparison of all the bulk internet providers we could find that serve the Chicago area.

Notes: We only looked at providers of bulk internet, so companies like Dish that only offer TV are not included. If we missed a provider and you would like us to add them to the list, leave it in the comments and we'll check them out! Continue reading Chicago Bulk Cable Providers Compared

Published by

Kay Cleaves

Five Precautions Renters Should Take When Throwing Out a Roommate

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So your ex-roommate is a slob. They never pay the rent, they throw wild parties, they eat all your food, and they abuse your cat. You have decided it's time for them to leave. Unfortunately, roommates can't evict each other unless one of them owns the building. Short of a restraining order, there's no legal recourse you have to make sure that your psycho ex-roommate stays away. But there are steps that you can take to limit their ability to return without sending up some serious red flags.

1. Make sure all of their stuff is out of your apartment.

This may seem obvious, but you'd be amazed at the number of renters who trust that their distraught soon-to-be-former roommate is going to be thorough in removing all of their belongings in a hurried departure. Don't give them any reason to come back. Take special care to make sure that little, important things are removed, such as medications, food and media. Continue reading Five Precautions Renters Should Take When Throwing Out a Roommate

Published by

Kay Cleaves

How Clean Should You Leave Your Apartment When You Move Out?

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I recently got a question from a reader: “Do I have to clean everything in my apartment to get my deposit back?”

The answer is, unfortunately, not too clear. In general you're expected to leave your apartment in “broom clean” condition when you move out, but there is no consistent definition of “broom clean” that applies to all landlords. (And no, it doesn't mean that you just sweep your apartment!) Some expect to have to do a full repaint and maid-service level scrubbing of every apartment after a tenant moves out. Others expect that outgoing tenants will leave their apartment in move-in ready condition for a new tenant.

The best way to figure out your landlord's definition of broom clean is to ask them. After all, they may be planning to do a gut remodel of your apartment after you move out, which would make heavy duty cleaning pretty pointless. But if for some reason you cannot reach your landlord or don't want to speak to them, here's what I would suggest as a rough guide:

Do:

  • Remove all your furniture and belongings. (This includes food in the fridge, hangers in the closet, and all your cleaning supplies!)
  • Remove nails, hooks, tape etc. from walls. Wash off any smudges. You can use water on painted walls provided that you go sparingly with it – don't hose down the room, but a damp sponge should be fine.
  • If you have changed the paint colors in any of your rooms, put it back to the original color. You should be able to obtain matching paint from your landlord or at least find out what brand and color of paint they use.
  • Clean counters, appliances and kitchen & bath fixtures.
  • Sweep the floor, remove cobwebs from ceiling fans, vacuum the carpets.
  • Restore any fixtures you may have installed in the process of customizing your apartment to their original state. This can include closet organizers, ceiling fans and fancy thermostats.
  • Replace any burned out light bulbs and put the smoke detector back on the wall/ceiling if you've taken it down. (Tsk!)

Don't:

  • Wash the windows
  • Repaint any rooms that are still their original color.
  • Wash the walls, unless you have been smoking in the apartment.
  • Clean the dryer vent, chimney or furnace
  • Replace blinds, switchplate covers or outlet covers.
  • Do not use toothpaste to patch holes in the wall. Repeat, do NOT use toothpaste.

Special Note for Smokers:

If you have been smoking in your apartment, it will take your landlord a lot of extra effort to get rid of the odor. They will need to wash the walls and possibly repaint them with special odor-resistant paint, and replace any textiles like carpets and curtains that will have absorbed the smoke odor. Indoor smokers will want to make a special effort to leave the place in good condition. Consider washing down the walls before you go. Any of the following combinations should work:

  • Wet Swiffer & Windex
  • Ammonia, Vinegar & Water
  • Trisodium Phosphate (TSP), Bleach & Water (use gloves and a face mask for this one.)

DO NOT combine ammonia and bleach. It can cause a deadly chemical reaction.

What is the strictest definition of broom clean you've ever gotten from a landlord? Have you ever lost money from your deposit for an apartment you thought was spotless? Let us know in the comments!

Published by

Kay Cleaves