FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Seminary Properties offers several options for paying rent.  All of these options have convenience fees charged by the AppFolio Property Manager.  The lease expensive option is the ACH (i.e. “e-check”) payment via the tenant portal for $2.49 per payment processed. The tenant portal will offer the ability to pay by credit/debit card.  The debit card has a $9.99 fee per payment and credit card has a 3.49% fee per payment. These options can be set up regularly scheduled payments online.

Rent may also be paid by money order without incurring a fee from Seminary Properties. If you would like to take advantage of this option, please contact Seminary Properties for a bar code that can be used to automatically pay rent via an electronic money order at CVS and 7-11 locations.

Rent can be paid by check, a physical money order, or a cashier’s check. Lessees can mail their payment only to the Seminary Properties mailing address listed on the lease, on all Seminary Properties letterhead, and on the contact links of the Seminary Properties website. Checks can also be dropped off at the Seminary Properties office via the 24-hour drop box. Any physical rent payments will be assessed a $10 processing fee; this fee should be included in the payment.

Mailing address:

Seminary Properties
P.O. Box 1041
Evanston, IL 60204

Seminary Properties does not require each unit to send only one check for the entire unit. Each individual tenant can send in his or her own check. Please remember, however, that the $10 processing fee is assessed on a per-check basis.

REMEMBER TO PUT YOUR ADDRESS AND UNIT NUMBER ON THE TOP LEFT OR IN THE MEMO SECTION OF ALL CHECKS. SEMINARY PROPERTIES MAY HAVE MULTIPLE TENANTS WITH THE SAME NAME, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN ACCOUNTS IF THE CHECK DOES NOT HAVE FURTHER IDENTIFYING INFORMATION.

All checks must be made payable to the entity on the apartment lease.  Any physical check payments will result in a $10.00 processing fee. 

Seminary Properties does encourage residents make payment by ACH, credit/debit card or via digital cashier check through their tenant portal.

Seminary Properties records all rents that are received through a hand-written log and digital records. This way, two different logs keep track of all rents received. If a check does not have the apartment address and unit number, management may have difficulty properly crediting the correct account. If, payments are made through the online options, payments are automatically entered into the individual’s account.

For each rental, all parties to the lease are held to the contract as one. This same method is used with regard to collecting rent. All rents received are recorded by each individual person who pays that rent, and Seminary Properties is able to tell which resident on the lease has or has not paid rent at any point in time; however, the apartment account is kept as a whole. If one resident is late to pay their rent, then the entire apartment receives a late fee that will be reported to Experian and future management or mortgage companies.

It is very important to remember that all parties who sign the lease are held as one entity with regard to all aspects of the lease. If one roommate does something to violate the lease, all parties on the lease will be held responsible for that violation.

• Read and know the lease and all documents and letters sent by Seminary Properties (call Seminary Properties with any questions).
• Pay rent on time each month. Rent is due on the 1st.
• Call, email, or submit work request to Seminary Properties regarding any maintenance problem or concern immediately. Make sure to leave a name, address, unit number and detailed description of the problem with the office.
• Be respectful of all Seminary Properties employees. Seminary Properties is trying to serve our residents to best of our ability and we appreciate it when tenants interact with us in a courteous and civil way.
• Be courteous to neighbors. Make sure that noise levels are respectful to neighbors who may not have the same schedule as you.
• Remove trash regularly. No one likes rodents. Help management and neighbors keep your building clean and vermin-free by removing trash to the garbage cans/bins located at the back of most buildings.
• If a resident has any problems, call management immediately. We can’t help if we don’t know a problem exists.
• Remember an emergency is just that: an emergency. If problem needs attention immediately to ensure the unit is habitable, then it is an emergency. The emergency phone number is 773-977-8072. if the problem is something that can wait until the next day, then it is not an emergency.
• Remember, Seminary Properties has other residents as well; we aim to make them all happy. To make all our residents happy, we need to prioritize the severity of problems. Sometimes a problem from one resident is not as serious as a problem of another tenant; e.g.: a clogged toilet or tub is not as serious or urgent as no heat.
• Residents must notify Seminary Properties of any violation to the lease or lease rider that is witnessed.
  

• Maintaining, repairing, and investigating inquires/concerns of all residents,
• Providing quick and attentive service to our residents,
• Holding themselves as firmly to the lease as we hold our tenants (it is a contract that both parties signed into agreement),
• Answering all questions brought to their attention to the best of their ability,
• Cleaning the public areas of the building regularly,
• Removing snow and salting walkways within 24 hours after snowfall of at least one inch,
• Mowing lawns regularly,
• Replacing light bulbs and batteries in public areas of the building in a timely manner,
• Keeping careful records of all funds received from each resident.
  

Residents of Seminary Properties are responsible for changing their own apartment’s light bulbs. All bulbs in a unit are inspected and/or replaced if found not to be working prior to move-in. After move-in, light bulbs become the resident’s responsibility.

If a resident is unable or unwilling to change their own bulbs, Seminary Properties does provide a service for replacing light bulbs for an additional fee. Once the Seminary Properties office is notified of a resident’s desire to have maintenance change their bulbs and the resident approves the accompanying charge, representatives will come to replace the bulbs. Per the Lease Rider, this service costs $5.00 per bulb for a regular incandescent bulb, $10.00 per indoor flood bulb (or more, depending on the cost of the bulb), and $5 plus any additional cost for all other bulbs. This is a service charge and is applied whether the resident provides bulbs or not.

When a resident moves out, any bulbs not working in the apartment upon inspection will result in the exiting tenant being charged $5.00 for each incandescent bulb, $10.00 for indoor flood bulbs, and $5.00 plus the cost of bulb for specialty bulbs, per the lease rider signed by all parties.

Seminary Properties inspects and replaces each unit’s furnace filter prior to move-in. Once residents move into the unit, it is their responsibility to change their furnace filter once a month.

Seminary Properties does inspect each unit’s furnace at least once a year and will replace any furnace filter that is in poor condition. If Seminary Properties replaces a furnace filter, that unit will be charged $20.00 per the lease rider that all parties signed.

If, during a resident’s tenancy, they wish for Seminary Properties to replace their filter for them, they must contact Seminary Properties and agree to the $20 furnace filter replacement charge. This service charge is applied regardless of whether a resident provides the furnace filter or not.

If an apartment has a thermostat, the system has a furnace filter. The furnace filter is a cardboard frame with a cotton or fiber threading center that catches dust and air particles. The dimensions are written on the furnace filters themselves. All hardware stores and many other stores carry furnace filters and they are usually very inexpensive. The furnace filter is located in one of the following locations:

Look to the side at the bottom of the furnace. Normally, a duct is going out to one side of the furnace and between the duct and the furnace is a long narrow space that has a cardboard end in it. The cardboard end is the side of the filter. The filter slides in and out of the opening. Slide the old filter out and replace it with the new filter.

Looking at the furnace, pull off the top front panel of the furnace; it slides up and will come off. Then slide the bottom panel of the furnace front off; it will also just slide up and off. When looking into the bottom of the furnace, either lying on the bottom or to one side of the bottom section will be the cardboard-framed filter. Take it out and replace it with a newly purchased filter where the old one was located. The furnace will not run while these doors are removed, and will not start up until both front panels are put back on fully; therefore, please remember to push the panels back into place completely.

If the furnace filter is not located in either location #1 or #2, look at your furnace. Some furnaces have a metal flap in the middle of the top and bottom section. Lift up this flap and the filter is located in this space. Pull out the old filter and slide in the new filter.

If the three previous areas have been checked and no filter has been found, there is one other place it will be. Look around the apartment, near the furnace closet for a large vent with clasps or screws around it; the clasps look like metal switches. Unhook these switches and the vent will swing out. The filter will be inside this vent. Take out the old filter and replace with the new filter.

If, when a resident moves out, the furnace filter is in poor condition, the exiting resident will also be charged $20.00 per the lease rider that all parties signed.

Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are provided inside every unit. Prior to a new resident’s move-in, all detectors inside a unit are inspected to ensure that they are operating and the batteries are working. If any detector is not working, or its battery is dead, it will be replaced prior to move-in.

After a new resident moves in, maintaining working batteries in any interior detectors is the tenant’s responsibility. Detectors are designed to beep once every 20 seconds or so to alert that a battery is dying. The replacement of the battery is the resident’s responsibility. If a resident is unable or unwilling to change the battery, Seminary Properties can replace the battery on the tenant’s behalf in exchange for a service charge. Notify management of the problem and Seminary Properties will replace the battery in the detector: $7.500 for each 9-volt battery and $5.00 for each AA or AAA battery, per the lease rider that all parties signed.

Chicago City Code does require detectors to be placed within a set distance of the furnace and bedrooms. This proximity from bedroom doors and kitchens can sometimes make the alarm go off falsely when cooking. Seminary Properties cannot change the location of the detectors due to city code.

If a detector is missing when a resident moves out, they will be charged a $150.00 fee for each detector missing per the lease rider that all parties signed.

If a detector needs to be re-hung a fee will be charged of $15.00 per detector that needs to be re-hung.

Seminary Properties does approve some pets, including birds and cats. Approval of any pet must be granted by management and a $150 non-refundable pet fee must be received per pet. If a resident has an unapproved pet and the pet is discovered, the resident will be charged a $300.00 fine each time the pet is found, until approval is granted and the appropriate pet fee is paid. The pet fee is due with every lease and lease extension.

Seminary Properties does not allow any dogs in any building, at any time. Any dog found in a Seminary Properties building, even as a guest, for any amount of time, will result in the unit receiving a $300.00 fine. This fee would apply any time the dog is found in the apartment, as is stated in the Lease Rider that all parties signed. If a resident sees another resident with a dog in the building, they should report it to the Seminary Properties office immediately.

Requests for an exception to this policy on the basis of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) or Housing and Urban Development (HUD)must be accompanied by all appropriate documentation for review and approval by the Seminary Properties legal counsel.  All requested, reviewed and approved for accommodation of a service animal/emotional support animal. 

Are satellite dishes allowed?

Upon move-in, each unit will receive one building and apartment key for each person on the lease. In addition, the unit will receive one mail key and one specialty key if applicable. If at any time a resident loses any key, a new key can be acquired through Seminary Properties for the cost of $10.00 per standard key; specialty keys will be at $35.00 per key.

If a resident chooses not to renew the lease, showings for the apartment will begin 65 days prior to the end of the lease. All residents will be notified a minimum of 48 hours prior to the showing, per the lease rider signed by all parties and the Residential Landlord Tenant Ordinance (RLTO). These notifications can be made by text, phone call or email. A voicemail does qualify as proper notice for a showing as long as it was left a minimum of 48 hours prior to the scheduled showing. If any agent tries to show the unit with less than 48 hours’ notice, contact Seminary Properties immediately with that agent’s name and the name of the company for which they work.

Tenants are expected to keep their residence in an orderly state while showings are taking place.

Residents can be home during the showings; it is their home and they are allowed to be home when the unit is being shown. It is expected that residents keep their apartments clean at all times to prevent nuisances or pests; this should continue while the unit is being marketed.

All leases end at 10:00 AM on the last day of the last month of the lease. Leases never end on the first of the month. Per the lease rider, all residents must be completely out of the unit by 10:00 AM on the last day of the last month of the lease. Occupying the unit for any amount of time after this time will qualify the resident as a hold-over tenant and subject those residents to a $500.00 late move-out penalty. Staying past midnight on the last day of the last month of the lease will cause the tenants’ account to incur a further charge equal to twice the amount of one month’s rent, per the standard Chicago lease.

If a resident is not planning to renew, several tasks need to be completed by the resident prior to and by the time of move-out.

 

• Notify management of their intention to move-out.
• Notify management of the forwarding address(es) of the residents (if roommates are no longer going to be living together, management will need to know each roommate’s forwarding address).
• Schedule movers or assistance with moving early so residents can be completely out of their apartment by 10:00 AM on the last day of the last month of the lease. Movers get very busy at the end and beginning of every month and tend to fall off pace from the timetable they provide. Make sure the schedule they provide allows for extra time for problems and will still allow residents to be out by 10:00 AM on the last day of the lease.
• Cancel or transfer all utilities: gas, electric, phone, cable, television.
•  Make sure the apartment is cleaned and completely empty.
  

Move-Out checklist

The Move-Out Checklist is a simple one page document that serves as a guide for what steps to take prior to moving-out.This document can be found on the useful forms page of the Seminary Properties website.

If a resident is locked out of an apartment, Seminary Properties is available to let them back in. Seminary Properties will only let parties listed on the lease into an apartment and will check for identification upon arrival. Any resident locked out of an apartment will be charged a $100.00 lock-out fee, per the lease rider signed by all parties.

Residents should also specify whether they have accidentally left the keys inside their apartment or if they have lost their keys. If a resident is locked out and does not know where their keys are, they must mention this to the Seminary Properties representative so new keys can be delivered. For each new key required a $10.00 charge will be assessed to the account (do-not-duplicate keys or Medico keys cost $35.00 per key) along with the $100.00 lock-out fee.

If a resident attempts to break into their residence for any reason, the cost to repair the damages will be charged to their account.

Seminary Properties and Management, Ltd. will inspect all apartments at least twice a year. These inspections are performed to ensure that all apartments are being kept in good condition with no violations to the lease and lease rider. If violations to the lease and lease rider are found, they will be documented and repaired. Those cost of these repairs will be assessed to the tenants’ account.

The following is a breakdown of potential lease violations and associated charges:
Room painted from original color – $600.00 (Or the actual cost if over $600.00)

Holes/nails in wood trim – $5.00 per hole

Holes/nails in doors – $5.00 per hole

Missing smoke or Carbon Monoxide detectors – $150.00 per detector

Missing batteries in detectors

• AA or AAA – $5.00 per battery
• 9V – $7.50 per battery

Light Bulbs

• Regular incandescent – $5.00 per bulb
• Indoor flood light – $10.00 per bulb
• Specialty bulb – Cost of bulb plus $5.00

Furnace Filter – $20.00

Ripped window screens – $75.00 per screen

Broken Window – $400.00 per window

Missing Sink Strainer – $6.00 per strainer

Other possible charges:

If the apartment has damages (large holes in walls, missing stairwell spindles, broken face plates, broken light fixtures, holes in doors, cracked mirror, any damages beyond wear and tear) the account will be charged cost of repair plus $50.00 per repairman per hour. A minimum of two hours’ time will be assessed.

If the apartment is excessively unclean (bathrooms, appliances, kitchen, or any other area of the apartment), the account will be charged the cost of a cleaning service plus $100.00 for cleaning.

Seminary Properties understands that job and life circumstances can be unpredictable; however, a lease is a contract which both residents and Seminary Properties must uphold. If, for some reason, a resident need to move, Seminary Properties offers three methods to relieve them of their contractual obligations.

     1)     Sublet:

The sublease is similar to the Lease Assignment option below. Both options require a letter of intent from all current Lessees stating their agreed desire to make a change to the Lease. The letter would need to state which roommate is looking to find a sublet or assignment, the date this modification would take place, and a physical signature from each current Lessee. A separate letter from each individual Lessee is acceptable as long as we receive a letter from each Lessee.

Once we have the letter(s), we can accept applications and a $50 processing fee (each) from prospective applicants.

In a sublet, the applicant has a less strict application process. Since the current lease holders are not being removed from the Lease or from their obligations to the Lease, the sublet is only being approved to reside in the apartment as an occupant and would not become part of the Lease.  If this person violated the Lease or did not make rental payments, the Lessees would be the parties who are fined, whose credit report would be affected negatively, and/or who would have legal action brought against them. 

A subletter is not a Lessee, has no right to the Lease, and cannot extend the Lease.  Multiple current parties on the Lease can undergo the sublet process at the same time.

2)     Lease Assignment:

The Lease Assignment process requires the same letter of intent as the sublet option. It also requires the same application and credit check fee from any and all prospective applicants.

In a Lease Assignment the application(s) are processed with the remaining Lessees to ensure this new group of Lessees would still qualify for the apartment. These requirements are the same requirements used to approve the original Lessees when the Lease first began. 

If the applicants are approved, a Lease Assignment document would be created for all current and future parties to sign. Once this paperwork is completed, the departing parties currently on the Lease would be removed as of a specific transfer date stated in the letter of intent.   The Lease Assignment would remove the departing Lessee(s) from the Lease and any and all Lease obligations as of the Lease transfer date.

The Lease Assignment process can involve the replacement or removal of one or multiple Lessees at the same time.  Seminary Properties does not assist in marketing or procuring new Lessees for a Lease Assignment.

3)     Showing Agreement (Marketing and Showing Assistance):

If all Lessees on a Lease wish to be removed from the Lease with marketing and apartment showing assistance from Seminary Properties and Management, Ltd.; this can be provided via a Showing Agreement.  A Showing Agreement will include all marketing and showing channels used by Seminary Properties and Management, Ltd. for any apartment that is available on the market for a traditional new lease.  Please note that there is a cost associated with retaining Seminary Properties and Management, Ltd. for marketing assistance; for details on this cost, please contact the Seminary Properties and Management, Ltd. office. 

This fee does not release the Lessees of their obligations; it only enlists our added help in marketing and showing.  If a Lessee wishes Seminary Properties to assist in finding a new party to take over the Lease, all Lessees will need to sign a letter of intent signed by all current Lessees and a fully signed Showing Agreement.

A Showing Agreement does not guarantee Seminary Properties and Management, Ltd.; will be successful in finding a new party for the Lease or a new Lease in the desired time frame. It does include all marketing and showing channels Seminary Properties uses to market apartments.  Seminary Properties will market the apartment for market rent or near market rent.   At the time a new party is found, no current Lessees will be released from their Lease without the Showing Agreement fee being paid. For more information on the cost associated with a Showing Agreement, please contact Seminary Properties office.

Please note that the Showing Agreement option is only available in situations where all Lessees wish to move out of an apartment at the same time. Seminary Properties and Management, Ltd. will not assist in finding one person for a roommate situation. We will not get involved in matching personalities; Lessees would need to find subletters or assignees for one roommate on their own.

4)     Lease Buyout:

Seminary Properties and Management, Ltd. does offer a third option to modify or end your obligation toward the Lease. This option is offered to all tenants who wish to buyout their Lease. The buyout requires a letter of intent signed by all parties to the Lease, stating their desire to end the Lease via buyout, with all parties’ physical signatures. With this letter the Lease holders will need to sign a mutual release, an anti-disparagement agreement, and pay the Lease Buyout fee.

This fee is either: i) the full amount of rent remaining if the Lease has three or less months remaining, ii) 50% of the remaining rent due per the Lease if the Lease term has more than three months remaining (the buyout fee can be equal to not less than 3 months’ rent). The number of months remaining on the lease is calculated based on months of unpaid rent remaining in the current lease term.

This option must be enacted with a date that is no less than 14-days from completion of the entire process to engage in the lease buy-out. When the buy-out is completed, it will end the Lease and relieve all parties to the Lease of their obligations on the designated date.

These are the options available for a roommate or entire Lease to be released of their contractual obligations.

If a resident finds the heat not working in their unit, there are several things they can do to remedy the problem before calling Seminary Properties.

1. If the apartment has a radiator, call Seminary Properties to report the problem immediately. If it is outside normal office hours, call the emergency line (773-977-8072).
2. If the unit has central or controllable heat, make sure the People’s Energy gas account is active and current. Have regular bills been received and paid? Does the stove have gas? Do the burners turn on? If the answer is no, the gas service could be shut off. If the gas to the stove is working, try the following steps:

• Make sure the thermostat switches are set to the proper settings. The fan switch should be set to “Auto”, and should never be set to “On”. The second switch, the function switch, should be set to “Heat”. Once the switches are on their proper settings the heat should work. If not, please try the next step.
• If a resident has recently bumped into or removed the front panels from the furnace, this could be why the furnace is not working. The front panels of the furnace hold down a pressure switch, when on properly. If this switch is not pushed in properly, the furnace will not start. Remove both panels and make sure they are both put back on properly. If the furnace is still not working, please try the next step.
• Is the furnace making any noise at all? If the furnace is making no noise at all, the furnace may have no power. Every furnace has a power switch that shuts the power off to the furnace. This is required by the City of Chicago. The power switch will look like a light switch and will be located on the furnace, on a wall near the furnace, or on the wall just outside the furnace closet/area. Turn on the thermostat to request heat then turn the furnace power switch. When the correct switch is flipped, the furnace should make noise and kick on very quickly.

1. If none of the above steps work to provide heat, call Seminary Properties. If it is outside normal business hours, call the emergency line (773-977-8072)

Reminder: it is the tenant’s responsibility to replace the furnace filter monthly. If the furnace is not working due to a clogged filter, the tenant will be responsible for the cost of repair.

It is also required, per the Lease, for residents to heat their units in the winter. When the temperature gets near or below 32º F, the heat in the apartment must be on and set near a 50.5º F minimum at all times.

During extreme weather, the thermostat reading may be a few degrees off from the desired set temperature. This is normal; 1-4 degrees deviation during extreme cold is not a malfunction.

1.     Does the unit have an active gas account with People’s Gas? If the stove’s burners are not working, then the apartment does not have an active gas account and needs to call People’s Gas to set up an account immediately.
2. When looking at the water tank, is the dial near the bottom of the tank set to warm or hot? If not, adjust the dial so the water heater can heat the water to the temperature desired. As soon as the dial is moved, a noise should be heard indicating the water heater is starting up.
1. If no noise is heard when the dial is adjusted, look through the small window or, if applicable, remove the metal cover underneath the dial and look into the water heater. If no small blue flame is present, then the pilot light that heats the water has gone out.
2.  If the water heater has a window that shows the inside, you can start the pilot light by turning the gas dial to “pilot” and pushing it down. Then, press the red button to create sparks to start the pilot light, continuing to hold down the pilot light switch. Once the blue flame starts up hold the pilot light switch down for one minute and then adjust it to the desired temperature.
3. If the water heater has metal covers that reveal an opening to start the pilot light, you will need a long lighter, long match, or a long piece of paper with one end lit on fire. Turn the gas dial to “pilot” and hold it down; then, put the flame inside the opening following the long pipe that leads to the furnace’s interior. The long pipe will extend to a point where the gas is released; hold the flame over that area until a flame is lit. Keep holding the gas dial to “pilot” the entire time. After the flame has started, continue holding the gas dial to “pilot” for one minute and then adjust it to the desired temperature.
3. Remember that a hot water tank needs at least an hour to fully heat the water to the desired temperature.
   

In apartments that have central heat or central air, the thermostats control the heat and ensure the system reaches the desired temperature. Thermostats are often wall-mounted devices that allow occupants to choose the temperature they would like, turn the system off, and turn the fan to on, auto, and off settings.

Most thermostats made currently have a digital display on the device and are battery-operated. When the batteries begin to wear out, a central heat/air system does not send or receive the proper messages to function normally. When this happens, the display will show an empty battery symbol, a text display reading “low battery”, or a blank display. It is important to change the batteries as soon as the message appears.

If the thermostat has a flip panel to reveal the controls, it normally has a small rectangular compartment visible that houses the batteries. If it does not have a clearly visible panel, then the entire cover plate can be removed. On feeling the back four corners of the thermostat, you should notice that one of the corners will have an indentation. This indentation is designed to allow a person to apply pressure and pull the cover plate off the thermostat and reveal the batteries.

Most detectors have two AA or AAA batteries. If an apartment is unable to replace their batteries, Seminary Properties will replace the batteries for a fee of $5.00 per battery.