Chicago Property Management Blog

Every Chicago landlord has been there: the phone rings, someone wants to see your rental, and within 30 seconds of the conversation, you already know this prospect isn’t a fit. But if you don’t have a system, you’ll waste your time driving across town, unlocking doors, and listening to a story you could’ve avoided with five quick prescreening questions.Prescreening isn’t about being nosy; it’s about p...

These are the questions I get asked all the time by Chicago investors like you. Today, I want to share all of the answers with you about these investor questions.If you are reading this, you obviously care about putting the right tenant in your unit and you want to lower your risk, so kudos to that.  If you are reading this after you have an issue, this is still great info to know or read down to see if we can help.This Q&A gui...

Chicago landlords, let me hit you with something that should send a chill down your spine: the wrong tenant can cost you more than a year’s worth of profit on a single property.I’m not talking about little annoyances like late fees or phone calls about leaky faucets. I’m talking about full-blown financial wipeouts, months of unpaid rent, legal bills, city fines, and trashed units. If you think that sounds extreme, it&r...

If you own rental property in suburban Cook County(different in Chicago proper), you’re not playing by the same rules you were five years ago. Since June 1, 2021, the Cook County Residential Tenant Landlord Ordinance (RTLO) went into effect and reshaped the way landlords and tenants interact.And let me tell you, this isn’t the type of ordinance you can skim over or assume you’re “close enough” on. One small...

Tenant screening isn’t the sexiest part of being a landlord. Nobody buys their first two-flat in Avondale thinking, “I can’t wait to run background checks.” But here’s the truth: screening is where you either make or lose money.It is also where you set yourself up for easier management.  As a Property Management company owner, I learned over 20 years ago that if put 80% effort into marketing and screen...

Do you ever feel stuck when trying to pick where to buy rental property around Chicago? You see one suburb with cheap homes. Another with high rents. Some with confusing rules. It can feel like throwing darts blindfolded.You are not alone. Every week I get calls from investors asking the same thing:  “Where is the best place to buy in the Chicago market?”Today, I’ll give you the answer. And I’ll show you why...

The Big Myth Every Chicago Landlord BelievesMost landlords in Chicago think this: If I charge the highest rent, I make the most money.It sounds logical. Higher rent = more income, right?  Wrong.In our 23 years at GC Realty & Development, after leasing over 5,000 rental units across Chicago and the suburbs, we’ve seen this mistake cost landlords tens of thousands of dollars. The truth? Your rental price isn’t just a...

GC Realty & Development LLC manages over 6,000 rental units across Chicagoland. With all those doors, you can’t help but collect a few battle scars, plus tons of work orders.Recently, we sat down and counted them. Did you know that between 2022 and mid-2025, we completed over 31,000 maintenance work orders? That’s not a typo. That’s the cost of doing business when you manage properties in a city where the winters f...

Managing a rental property in Chicago comes with a set of legal responsibilities that every landlord must understand. Staying updated on Chicago’s property management laws is essential to protecting your investment and maintaining positive tenant relationships, whether you're managing properties on your own or partnering with a professional.In this blog, we’ll explore the key legal pitfalls that property owners often enc...

Hey Chicago landlords,You bought a rental property. That’s a smart move.Now you’re thinking:  “I can manage it myself and save money.”It feels good to save a few bucks, right?But here’s the truth:  You’re not saving as much as you think.  You’re just not paying yourself for your time. You Wear Every Hat (And Don’t Get Paid For It)When you manage your own rental, you do every...