Landlord gave notice that he will not give notice to enter unit (Chicago: lease, tenant)

[Drover]

Originally Posted by bavery

Drover,
I think you're correct that what they are doing is the pratical equivilant of giving 48 hours notice everyday for the next 60 days. And in reality that's the effect it has.

But what if they literally did give me notice every day for the next 60 that there would be a showing from 10 to 8. And as it would most likely turn out a majority of that time there would be no showing going on. But I would have no way of knowing when a "real" showing was going to occur. I'm forced to assume always.

It seems to me that situation is exactly the kind of thing this language in the Landlord and Tenant Ordinance is intended to stop.

"makes repeated unreasonable demands for entry otherwise lawful, but which have the effect of harassing the tenant, the tenant may obtain injunctive relief"

You can try seeking injunctive relief if you want but I'll put 99% odds that any judge you plead your case to will declare it reasonable for the landlord to provide blanket notice that he expects you to make your unit available for showings in the weeks leading up to the end of your lease.

[linicx]

I think expecting a (alleged) working tenant to maintain a unit in HGTV showroom perfect condition 70 hours per WEEK for 2 MONTHS (1050 hours) is excessive and unreasonable. The LL expects the renter to stop his daily routine, and change his lifestyle because the LL wants to rent a unit under contract. (Been there; done that! It's disruptive and it adds an unnecessary level of stress to moving)

If the unit is that desirable the LL can put a FOR RENT sign in the window.

I agree. Under these conditions everything of value (including all electronics, camera, etc) should be under lock and key. Realtors/owners do forget to lock doors.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by linicx

I think expecting a (alleged) working tenant to maintain a unit in HGTV showroom perfect condition 70 hours per WEEK for 2 MONTHS (1050 hours) is excessive and unreasonable.

That's probably true. But the again, that's not what the landlord is asking the OP to do.

Originally Posted by linicx

The LL expects the renter to stop his daily routine, and change his lifestyle because the LL wants to rent a unit under contract. (Been there; done that! It's disruptive and it adds an unnecessary level of stress to moving)

No he doesn't.

Originally Posted by linicx

If the unit is that desirable the LL can put a FOR RENT sign in the window.

99% of respondents to that window ad will ask the landlord to see the inside.

Originally Posted by linicx

I agree. Under these conditions everything of value (including all electronics, camera, etc) should be under lock and key. Realtors/owners do forget to lock doors.

Probably not a bad idea.

[linicx]

Drover, I will concede defeat, but I still think making a lived-in unit available to show 10 hours a day is excessive.

"... he'll be showing my unit between 10am and 8pm."

[Drover]

Originally Posted by linicx

Drover, I will concede defeat, but I still think making a lived-in unit available to show 10 hours a day is excessive.

"... he'll be showing my unit between 10am and 8pm."

I agree it's burdensome, annoying as hell, and excessive by a normal person's standards. But let's not forget that laws are not written and adjudicated by normal people.

This is one of the downsides of renting and it's not an uncommon one either, at least not in the city where units are frequently listed with rental agencies who often don't have much notice when a client shows up wanting to see apartments. I was lucky enough that the last two units I moved out of were rehabbed after moving out so they weren't being shown yet.

[rparz]

I would just take it as be prepared that people will be entering the property. It's just an annoyance more than anything.

Do you need to keep the place spick and span? Probably not.
I would lock up any valuables and remove those pot plants from the house though.

[efrenb5]

So the LL and broker can come and go even if you are not present? I find this disturbing. Is this common practice? What if you have pets and they run away because the LL forgot about the pets? What if they forget to lock the doors and you get robbed? The renter is at a big disadvantage here, without anything to cover his belongings. I cannot believe the law would allow something like this.

[linicx]

Perhaps Renters Insurance would cover theft and loss, but probably not pet. It would annoy me to no bloody end if I had to put my pet at a vet for two months. The moral of this would be stay at home or hopefully find a friend willing to take pet for a few hours every day while I worked.

There are a lot of things about living with ten million other people that is annoying.

[richrf]

I believe you should seek some legal advice, possible from Legal Aid. The way I read the law, the landlord must give notice 48 hours in advance. In order to conform to the law, the notice must have a date and time of entry, otherwise there is no way to say that the notice was given 48 hours before entry. If you received notice a week ago, and the landlord, or landlord representative enters today, then you did not receive 48 hours advance notice since there was no time and date stated on the notice. If the notice says everyday henceforth, during the times of 8am - 8pm, the courts can easily construe this as being an invasion of privacy.

This is how I would read the law but only an attorney can provide you with the appropriate legal advice. If it bothers you, I would do something, because doing nothing implies that you accept the conditions that the landlord is setting forth. Good luck! I am a landlord but being a landlord does not allow me to be a ...

[Drover]

Originally Posted by efrenb5

So the LL and broker can come and go even if you are not present?

Yes.

Originally Posted by efrenb5

I find this disturbing. Is this common practice?

Of course it's common practice. The LL has a business to run and he isn't expected to run it around your personal schedule.

Originally Posted by efrenb5

What if you have pets and they run away because the LL forgot about the pets?

Then your pet is gone and you can sue the landlord for damages.

Originally Posted by efrenb5

What if they forget to lock the doors and you get robbed?

Then your stuff is gone and you can sue the landlord for damages.

Originally Posted by efrenb5

The renter is at a big disadvantage here, without anything to cover his belongings. I cannot believe the law would allow something like this.

How else is a landlord suppose to show the property?

Like I mentioned upthread... renting has its disadvantages. Having an unknown quantity and variety of people parade through your place when you're not renewing the lease yourself is one of them.

If the OP really, really wants to push the issue he may be able to force the landlord to give 48 hours' notice each time. But that will make it harder to rent the unit. The more the OP cooperates, the sooner his unit will be rented, and the sooner strangers stop coming and going. I would also advise the OP consider putting his indignation aside just long enough to consider that he was one of those strangers traipsing through other peoples' apartments when he was looking for a place to live and that other peoples' flexibility on the issue probably made his apartment search easier.