Some apartment residents have been facing building management and maintenance problems lately such as water damage, mold and a lack of hot water.

When Katie Sackrison, a sophomore in Education, moved into 75 E. Armory in August, she quickly started facing troubles with water damage. This water damage did not impact any of Sackrison’s suitemates, so she was left on her own to contact building maintenance and the leasing office to get these issues resolved. 

“At the very start of October I noticed a water leak on my ceiling,” Sackrison said. “Water started coming down the walls, going into closets and many of my belongings were soaked.” 

After contacting the building’s management, Next Chapter Properties, Sackrison was relocated into another unit and was promised that the issue would be solved after a few weeks. 

Sackrison had to move her belongings to her temporary unit on another floor by herself because the building management “had offered to help, but nothing was followed through on.”

When management told her she could move back into her apartment, Sackrison said that “all they had done was paint over the problem.”

After another conversation with building management, Sackrison was told to move her belongings into the living room so that maintenance workers could reach the source of the issue over fall break so that  when she returned, the water damage would be fixed. 

“I was happy that they fixed the water damage but noticed a new problem after Thanksgiving Break,” Sackrison said.

Sackrison’s ceiling and walls were fixed, but there was now mold growing in her personal closet in her room. 

To compensate for the damages, Sackrison and her roommates received $50 off of their rent for one month. Sackrison has emailed the building management on Feb. 28 to solve this new issue after struggling with apartment problems all year long. 

Shea Svoboda, a freshman University student with concurrent enrollment at Parkland College, was also facing water heating issues in January at 303 E. Chalmers, which is managed by The University Group. 

Her experience with the building’s maintenance however, was much more straightforward than Sackrison’s. Svoboda contacted her building management about low water temperature problems.

“The first time (building maintenance) came, I was not at the apartment and they just let themselves in to fix it,” said Svoboda. 

After her issue was not properly fixed, Svoboda contacted her building management again and they sent maintenance back to her apartment. 

“The second time they came, I was there and they were able to fix it after I specifically said what my problems were,” Svoboda said. “They respond quickly and usually come the same day but they don’t usually let you know when they’re coming.”

A different issue that Svoboda, her sister and other building residents have been facing however, are stolen packages from their package delivery room. 

“My sister, when she lived there last semester, ordered a phone … to the apartment and it got stolen and (management wasn’t) really able to help with that at all,” Svoboda said.  

When asked if anything had been done about this issue, Svoboda said she did not believe it was the building’s fault, just theft among the tenants. 

Svoboda also stated that there is a camera in their package room, but her building has not yet released any footage regarding the incident. 

This problem has not been addressed by the management of 303 E. Chalmers to Svoboda and tenants have begun posting their own signs stating that they are searching for a missing or stolen package. 

The issue regarding stolen packages is one of the only downsides that stands out to her about her building.

“I would say overall compared to a lot of apartments on campus, it is very nice. And I think they do try to do a good job,” Svoboda said. 

The University Group and Next Chapter Properties could not be reached for comment. 

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