626 on the Park, chicago-il

I am not an undergraduate student and have rented from several property management companies in Chicago. I have never posted a negative online review before, but after seeing other residents report similar problems, I wanted to document my experience at 626. In short, management has been consistently unresponsive and unprofessional. I understand that opening a new building can create logistical challenges, but the recurring lack of communication and follow-through has been unacceptable. In just a few weeks as a resident, I have experienced the following: 1. Management is extremely difficult to reach. Calls and emails are frequently routed to an AI assistant, “Sam,” which promises follow-up from management. Despite numerous calls and emails, I have almost never received that follow-up. 2. Possession was not properly transferred at the start of my lease. Before move-in, we repeatedly contacted management to confirm that our paperwork was complete and that electronic keys would be provided on the lease start date. We received no substantive response. 3. The electronic key system has been unreliable. Lockouts appear to be common, and when I finally received my electronic key, it did not work. The front desk staff—who have been consistently helpful—had to let me into my apartment. 4. Reasonable inquiries are routinely ignored. For example, after management failed to provide my key on the lease start date, I emailed asking what had happened and how communication would be improved. I received no response. 5. Certain lease terms have not been honored as written. Our lease provides for physical electronic FOBs, which have not been provided. It also included a one-month rent concession that was not applied during the agreed month. My attempts to have these issues corrected have gone unanswered. 6. Maintenance requests have gone unresolved. A maintenance request submitted approximately 15 days ago remains outstanding despite management stating that requests would be addressed once a maintenance team was in place. The move-in experience illustrates the larger problem. We scheduled movers for the first day of our lease based on management’s written representation that electronic keys would be sent automatically. When no keys arrived, I called the leasing office three times and emailed repeatedly throughout the day. At noon, management apologized and stated that the keys would arrive shortly. They were not sent until approximately 4:00 p.m., too late for us to complete the planned move. When the keys finally arrived, they did not work. This has not been an isolated incident. We have encountered the same lack of communication regarding rent, lease obligations, access, and maintenance. Calls during business hours routinely result in “Sam” stating that no leasing manager is available and promising that someone will follow up. In my experience, that follow-up almost never occurs. I also notified management in person that the leasing office phone number effectively routed residents to an AI system without providing reliable access to a human being. Management acknowledged that they were aware of the problem. More than three weeks later, reaching property management by phone or email remains extremely difficult; going to the office in person appears to be the only reliable way to obtain a response. I cannot offer much of an opinion about any particular manager because actual communication with management has been so limited. I am posting this review primarily to corroborate the concerns other residents have raised. The building itself has positive qualities, and the front desk staff have been excellent, but the property-management experience so far has been exceptionally poor.

It's really pathetic to see Erica and Peakmade are obviously paying for or encouraging fake positive reviews in response to the complaints here. No, generic compliments and random 5 star reviews posted within an hour of each other with no information doesn't erase the real and documented problems of this building and its leasing team. Erica needs to go. Half the team does too. I will continue to spread information of how I was treated on various social media platforms until someone takes action and actually fixes the issues we're experiencing. Just two hours ago, I couldn't get into my apartment for 15 mins because of the glitchy and cheap lock system. I paid rent for the month and was charged again for the same amount. I emailed about an urgent issue I'm having and have gone 6 days without a reply. And this is only the tip of the iceberg of the issues I've had since even BEFORE moving in here. And the funny part?? There's a clause in the lease stating that residents can't take any legal or class action actions against management- which is illegal under RTLO, so it's void anyways lol. I will be seeing Peakmade in court and breaking my lease if this continues.

The building itself is very nice, and the management team (Bella and Antoine) are also really nice and helpful. Unfortunately, my experience with the property manager (Erica) was completely diff. She was rude and made me feel very uncomfortable throughout our entire meeting. She also kept correcting the way I spoke to her. For example, she’d say, “Rather than saying your sentence like this, maybe say it like this.” She knows I’m already in a challenging situation, so I don’t understand why she doesn’t just help me and move on? Her friend was also in the room and he kept laughing at me in support of her, which made the conversation even more uncomfortable. Isn’t a meeting like this supposed to be private and professional? Like I said, everything else is great. It really is. It’s just the property manager. If that changes, I think you’ll really like it here. It’s a beautiful building and the security is wonderful too.

I was in the leasing office today and witnessed an interaction that really stood out to me. Erica remained extremely professional, patient, and respectful throughout a difficult conversation, even when the conversation became disrespectful toward her. It was honestly refreshing to see someone maintain their professionalism and composure under pressure. Not every situation is going to go the way a resident wants, but the way someone handles a difficult situation says a lot about their character and professionalism. Erica handled herself with grace, and I thought that deserved to be acknowledged.

The building itself is nice. Management is unprofessional. My problems started before I moved in. I was given incorrect information about the unit I was leasing and was shown/given expectations for a unit that did not match what I was actually receiving. When I tried to address this with the property manager, Erica Johnson, the conversation escalated to the point where she yelled at me and hung up on me. I had to submit complaints to PeakMade before the situation was resolved and I was accommodated with another unit. On my actual move-in day, I could not properly access the elevator or my apartment because of the building’s mobile-key system. I spent OVER TWO HOURS in the lobby and repeatedly going up and down through the stairs trying to figure out how to get to my apartment. Security was trying to help me and even contacted management, but the situation was not resolved for me. I could personally hear the manager yelling at the security employee over the phone even though he was actively trying to help me. Ultimately, I had to figure out the access issue myself. Residents have continued having problems with the mobile-key system since move-in. I should mention that the security team is very nice and professional unlike the management team. There have also been several problems with the apartment itself. There is no overhead lighting in the main bedroom/living area of my studio, so I have had to purchase lamps just to properly light the apartment. There were also paint splatters and marks throughout the brand-new unit when I moved in, including marks on the flooring that do not come off. The blinds have been an even bigger issue. One of my blinds was loose since day 1. I submitted a maintenance request and had to follow up multiple times before maintenance finally came a week later. They “fixed” it, but about 2 weeks later, the SAME blind completely fell down while I was opening it. It hit me and I was able to catch it before I was seriously hurt. I immediately reported the issue. It has now been more than a week, and I have received no communication telling me when the blind will be repaired. I have been living without a blind on a high-rise window, which is a privacy and security concern and allows significantly more heat into the apartment. I have had to run my AC more as a result. I have contacted management through email and through the resident portal and still have not received a response. Communication is one of the biggest problems here. Residents cannot simply walk into the management office to ask a question. We are expected to speak to Security first, wait, and then hopefully have someone from management come out. There were also several things we were paying for that were unavailable after move-in. Our leases began August 1, yet the amenity spaces did not open until around August 16. Residents were not even properly notified when they would open, we were basically checking ourselves until one day they were finally available. Wi-Fi in the units was not functioning properly for 2 weeks, and we had to work with the internet provider to figure it out. Valet trash is included in the community fee, yet that service did not begin until near the end of August. Now management has introduced new amenity and guest restrictions. Among other ridiculous things, residents are limited to number of guests, overnight guests are limited, and residents have to go all the way to the Security Desk to check out things as simple as pool sticks, darts, etc., then take them upstairs to the amenity floors. For a building charging premium rent and advertising these amenities as a major feature, management seems to continually find ways to make using the building less convenient rather than more convenient.