Albion Oak Park — Local services in Oak Park

Lived here for two years. Overall my experience rapidly declined after the first few months. I would strongly encourage potential renters to look elsewhere unless living in downtown oak park is a must, i.e., proximity to restaurants/shopping, public transportation to work, etc. Lease is deceiving online. A lot of hidden costs that are not shown upfront, including but not limited to garbage disposal fees, common area electricity/water bills (ridiculous), charges for coming up with a monthly bill to BILL you (unbelievable, they call it "service fee" or something like that), and more. A garage parking space in their apartment costs over $200 a month. Terrible garage card that works intermittently. Slow elevators. People who play loud music and smoke marijuana that they do nothing about, except sending reminder emails (as if people read them). Other hidden costs include charging you for forgetting your keys (used to be like $25, now $75. They also don't even check your IDs, so anyone could lie and potentially get into your apt). They also have new rental cafe portal where you use to pay your rent. Lots of mistakes when it first launched. Even after a few months,they have made multiple mistakes on people's balance, so if you do use it, be wary. I have double charges, and not only that, hidden charges shoved into my rent that I have to point out which they later apologize and pretend those were mistakes. Very supicious if you ask me. I have the emails to prove it. They don't hesitate to overcharge you for paying rent late for just one day but when they make mistakes, you are expected to forgive them. Recently, they charged me for something completely random without any explanations. No emails, no communication. Just a random bill that they would not explain what it's about. I have all the screen shots and email chains to prove it. I have since moved out.

The manager also changed about a year ago. The manager I had two years ago was much more approachable. The current one? I have no words. Look at other reviewers. If you ask me two years ago after I moved in for a few months whether I recommend this apartment, I would say yes. Now? Never. Of course, if the location is important to you, and you have money to blow (which many of the residents appear to, i.e., med students with tuition being paid by their parents), or your company is subsidizing your rent, I would say go for it. Okay rooms with decent views. Decent amenities. But if you own a car and want more spacious apartments, better management, and a more peaceful environment, this is not for you. Too many hidden charges, and you have to constantly be wary whether management is screwing you over.

I would say though the maintainence people do a great job, which is a strong pro. But of course, management does not treat them well. I have seen the glamorously-dressed administrative people scolding those individuals for things outside of their control. Like what the hell? A mess caused by an inconsiderate resident is not their responsibility. They are not butlers. I was working out in their gym (pretty nice, another pro) when it happened. The admin people do next to nothing about actual issues yet are great about putting a pretentious front. They take a long time to respond to your emails as well, unless it's to charge you more money.

I recommend other neighborhoods, including oakbrook, La Grange, Westloop, Forest Park, and even other apartments in Oak Park. If you want more information about my experience, feel free to reach out to me, I can talk more about what I like (hence the two stars) and what ultimately pushed me to move (the constant hidden charges and excuses). They also tend to treat new residents better, from what I have seen and what I have heard, since they can increase the rent more rapidly once a current resident leaves. They charged me about 1.8k a month for the 1st year, increased it to closer to 1900 the 2nd year. However, if I did not continue my lease, they would have increased the rent to closer to 2000 a month!

I hope my review is...

I have lived in the building for less than a month and a half and regret to say communication is an extreme weakness of not only some Albion staff members, but their supervisors, as well. In addition, the Albion staff have broken their own lease several times in less than two months.

I stated I would like on-sight parking upon moving in. I was told parking was available by the staff member who gave the tour, only to find out after signing my lease parking is only available across the street in a remote parking lot. After waiting for parking for two months, I came to learn my on-sight parking spot is conveniently next to a cinder block wall, making it impossible to exit my car without my door hitting the wall, regardless of how far to one side I park. The parking spot is for a compact car, and I drive an SUV.

All three of my maintenance requests were ignored for 4-17 days. The only reason any of them were addressed were because I sent follow-up emails to the property manager, Leslie, all three times, asking why no one has started the work.

Since I have a dog, I arranged a day that the staff could enter my apartment, which was a Monday. The staff entered my apartment the following day, a Tuesday, without permission nor a request/phone call to enter. This is a violation of the lease agreement and an invasion of privacy, as well as trespassing.

While visiting for a "preventative maintenance" visit, the staff not only did not do their job, but instead, took photos of my apartment (unauthorized and also not part of the list of tasks we were told would happen). The air conditioning stopped working following their visit (something I repaired, myself), leaving my dog alone in sweltering heat. When I went to the property manager to ask why the work wasn't complete, she and a maintenance worker went into my apartment without permission. Leslie's behavior was so out of control that my dog began barking at them to leave. He is a certified therapy dog, trained to alert when threats and danger are present, and without regard to my request to leave (spoken to her via my dog camera), she screamed at me, refusing to leave.

When speaking to the property manager as well as her supervisor about these issues, I requested compensation because the services for which I pay have not been received, nor is it appropriate for people to enter my home on days I do not grant permission. Their angle is the lease says they can enter whenever they want, when in actuality, 48 hours notice is requred. One instance is a mistake, but 5+ in one month is negligence. If it weren't for a series of firm emails sent from myself to management, I am certain these problems would continue.

I gave management the opportunity to make this right in the form of compensation or I'd post this review and file a police report, to which they responded they didn't appreciate "threats." It isn't a threat to request compensation for services you pay for that aren't received, as well as avoid legal intervention, but that report was filed and I am writing this review to warn prospective tenants that your concerns will not be heard here. Albion staff deflect the issues at hand. Upon warning management of the consequences of negligence, lies, and lack of care (going to the police and this post) are well within my rights, as The Albion staff have violated the lease multiple times.

If you scroll down far enough, you will see MANY other reviews where tenants were appalled by the lack of cleanliness, timeliness, and professionalism of certain staff members. Just now, while leaving the area of the property manager's office on 10/27/25 at approximately 3:40 PM, I overheard Leslie using vulgarity and profanity when speaking about a tenant's housing/rent situation.

This place won't change. I have lived in several high rises in Chicago, and this one, by far, is run the poorest. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere. You can get consistent service for the same...

Signing a lease at 1000 Lake Street has been the most expensive, unsafe, and toxic experience of my life. Initially, I toured the place with a vibrant woman named Mel, who sold me on the idea of an all-inclusive oasis with every amenity imaginable—perfect for starting a new chapter. However, shortly after signing the lease, Mel left the company, and the nightmare began.

Leslie, the property manager, introduced herself through a series of passive-aggressive communications. Though I attempted to address this issue with Leslie, the situation only temporarily improved. While Leslie's communications became more professional, the building's issues persisted.

Despite its advertised amenities, 1000 Lake Street is riddled with problems. The 18th floor, initially a selling point, now has restricted hours due to non-resident trespassers. Terrace balconies are often off-limits, and the fire pits are unusable due to missing knobs from a resident kleptomaniac. Unwelcome guests have been found in residence units. The hot water went out multiple times, and their compensation for the inconvenience was simply a croissant. During the first few months of my residency, I had a non-functioning dishwasher. When I moved in, grease covered the kitchen cabinet doors. I walked into two situations where Gheder was gossiping with other tenants about residents. The dog grooming station water handle and lift gate remained broken throughout my residency, and parking, which costs $250 a month, often became unavailable without alternative arrangements or compensation. When you inquire about restrictions, they claim it's for safety measures but never elaborate on what the actual threats might be.

Although we pay a premium to park in the building, as a young woman, I had no question about the need for safety. The parking spots are so tight that my car was hit twice. With no cameras in the garage, you are out of luck, and of course, no one confesses. I paid close to $2,000 in repairs due to neglectful parking neighbors.

Towards the end of my lease, I had to rent a second residence due to the uninhabitable conditions at 1000 Lake Street, exacerbated by Leslie's abusive behavior. She often ignored my communications, raised her voice, pushed past me, handed me papers while conversing with staff, shut doors in my face, and slandered me. Most of these occurrences are documented, and I'm happy to share the proof with anyone who inquires.

Living there was made unbearable by: Domestic fights in the hallway Horrid smells of garbage Strong smoke scents (in a no-smoking building) Loud noises at all hours Faulty kitchen appliances Threatening neighbors Drugged individuals sleeping in the alleyway, occasionally confronting and screaming at tenants Lack of accountability for leaving perishable deliveries behind the front desk and not properly placing them in the refrigerator, despite the front desk being fully staffed An unhinged neighbor who threatened the safety of my dog

I strongly advise against living here unless proximity to downtown Oak Park is crucial for you. The abusive management and general disregard for residents' well-being make it a poor choice.

On a positive note, the maintenance staff is excellent, despite being mistreated by the management.

If you need more information about my experience, feel free to reach out. This review is intended to help potential renters make an...