Q. My family and I live in a 6-story condominium. We own the top two floors (5 & 6), which amounts to 22% of the building. The elevator has been out of service for two months. The board members seem to be in no hurry to get it fixed (they…

Q. I have written several complaint letters to the board and the managing agent regarding a noisy neighbor. They did send a letter to the shareholders about a year ago, but the problem persists, and although I continue to write letters, n…

Whether a community is surrounded by suburbs or big-city high-rises, a little greenery can go a long way in adding visual appeal—and value. In fact, given the lack of space and the challenge of keeping plants healthy and thriving, urban gar…

Like so many other sectors of the economy, residential real estate management has changed and evolved since the turn of the millennium. And also like in those other sectors, much of that evolution is related to the development and adaption …

Home Sweet Home can become un-sweet very quickly when the physical environment you’ve worked hard to create becomes a source of environmental toxicity. Chemicals, smoke, pet dander, and mold—along with other allergens and irritants—can make…

Life in a co-op or condo is in many respects a microcosm of the larger world outside. It can suffer from the same factionalism and power struggles as any political entity, only on a much smaller and more intimate—and thus potentially more d…

Q. Our board president said that her husband was qualified to perform gutter and minor roof repair at our community, and would do the work for free. He is not licensed or insured, yet the other board members agreed to use her husband to a…

Removing a disruptive, abusive, non-paying, or otherwise problematic tenant from a rental building is relatively easy. Doing the same thing in a co-op is also possible, though substantially harder. But removing a condo owner from the premis…

No matter how well constructed and carefully maintained, no mechanical system lasts forever—and that goes for elevator cabs and equipment just as much as it applies to roofs or boilers. At some point, your building’s vertical transportation…

Some lucky Chicagoland residents can come home from work on a bitter winter’s night and warm their feet by a roaring fire while drinking a hot toddy. A working fireplace is a coveted amenity for many, adding a dash of vintage charm to prewa…