I recently moved out of the Oak Park Apartments, and I wish I had known a couple of things before moving in. The biggest: upon moving out, building ownership charges you for preparing the apartment for the next resident. Therefore, regardless of how clean you leave the space (I left it perfectly clean), you will see $275 come off your deposit no matter what. The administration will say there's a clause in your lease that specifies you must pay for professional cleaning upon moving out, but
...there's no such thing. Ultimately, don't expect to get your deposit back, no matter how good of a tenant you are.
Additionally, you should know that (1) the building fire alarms are extremely sensitive and are directly linked to the local fire department, meaning there will be a fire truck at your building at least twice a month. (2) The apartment doors are thin, so you will hear everything in the hallways. (3) The AC units are not strong enough to keep your apartment cool in the height of the summer. (4) They're preparing to demolish the building to build a luxury development (*sigh*), so don't sign a lease if you plan on staying long-term. And finally, (5) they WILL try to increase your rent by the maximum amount every year.
I would have taken the building to small claims court had I not moved out of state. Since moving, the leasing office has been entirely unresponsive. Sadly, their tactic of ghosting me has worked. I'd drop names, but that's not my style, and since only two people work there, so I wouldn't gamble on who you'll get anyway. I'll admit that I really enjoyed the building when I first moved in, but my experience went downhill. Similarly, when I first moved in, living at Oak Park was a steal, but now the prices are comparable to many of the nicer buildings in the area. Take your business elsewhere.
Sadly, I would not recommend Oak Park Apartments.
Property Manager Responded