Chicago Tenants FAQ's

  1. How soon can I view a property?
  2. Can I view available properties on your website?
  3. How can I receive a list of properties via email?
  4. Can I view photo’s of the property?
  5. Why do I have to complete a prescreen form before viewing a property?
  6. I have my own credit report and I just show you that?
  7. Are pets allowed?
  8. How long is my credit report good for, it I do not find housing with you right away?
  9. What type of properties do you have for rent?
  10. Why do I have to pay an application fee if the services is free?
  11. What is the process for processing my rental application?
  12. Can I speak with the owner directly before committing to leasing the unit?
  13. Do I have to give your company of my social security card?
  14. Can I take the application home to complete?
  15. How long does it take to find out if I am approved or denied?
  16. Is my credit really an issue, I don’t have good credit?
  17. I applied for a unit and it was rented, before my application was approved, why is that?
  18. If I put down my first months rent and unit rents before I am approved, will my money be returned?
  19. I have Section 8, why do I have to put down a deposit in order for you to process my section 8 papers?
  20. Why can't I view a unit if I do not have my section 8 papers in hand at the time appointment?
  21. How do I get updates on my application status?
  22. Do I have to pay an application fee for every unit I apply for?
  23. What are your office hours to pick up refunds?
  24. Who do I contact when I am approved and have given my first months rent to you?
  25. After I sign my lease and have issues at the property who do I contact?
  26. Who do I make my first months rent out to?
  27. Who do I make our my Security Deposit and/or Move in fee to?
  28. Why is the move-in fee non-refundable?
  29. Can I pay my application fee or 1st months rent with a credit card?
  30. I am moving to Chicago from another state and want to put in an application to apply for a unit, without seeing the unit can I do this?

1. How soon can I view a property?
You can view a property as soon as we receive your prescreen form that you can submit via our website www.gotvacants.com or by phone at 773-527-0641 x1. One of our qualified leasing agents will contact you to confirm your prescreen information and confirm a date and time for you to view properties of your choice.


2. Can I view available properties on your website?
Yes, you can search our database of available properties, we do have properties listed on our website that are placed by Landlords personally, so make sure that you contact the contact person listed on their detail page. If it says GotVacants.com, then you would complete the tenant form by clicking the schedule a showing link on details page.


3. How can I receive a list of properties via email?
We do not send out emails of our properties, but they are accessible to the public. You can visit our website and register as a member and you can save all of your favorites in your account to view at a later date, although you can email listings to yourself or a friend, print out flyer details of the property and more, right on our site.


4. Can I view photo’s of the property?
 Yes, we have photo’s of our properties on the site, some may even have video’s of their properties.


5. Why do I have to complete a prescreen form before viewing a property?
 We need to know if you qualify for the unit you are inquiring about, there are some income qualifications for units. It is our way of getting you pre-approved for the property in advance, just as if you were purchasing a property, you would have to go to a lender and get a pre-approval letter before you starting viewing property, so that you can search properties you are qualified for, and not ones out of your price range. The questions are not personal in anyway and there is no need to worry about someone stealing your information, because the questions are generic. Not where you work, just what type of work, things like that.


6. I have my own credit report and I just show you that?
 No, we can not use your credit report, due to the fraudulant activity that is being presented to us everyday we must pull our own credit report, to ensure that the report has not been manipulated or changed.


7. Are pets allowed?
 Some owners do allow pets, please refer to the property details page to see if that owner allows pets.


8. How long is my credit report good for, it I do not find housing with you right away?
 Your credit report is good for 30 days, after that we need to pull another one, due to your credit changing every 30 days, we need to make sure that you are still in good standing and that you are not being evicted and that your credit status is the same as when pulled prior.


9. What type of properties do you have for rent?
 We have all types of property for rent, some are listed by owners directly, we have office spaces as well as residential properties.


10. Why do I have to pay an application fee if the services is free?
 You have to pay an application fee, because we incur charges to pull the credit, criminal and background report. You do not have to pay us to take you around and show you property, nor do you have to pay us a fee once you have located a property, that is all free.


11. What is the process for processing my rental application?
 Once you have found suitable housing through our leasing dept, you will complete an application, with all supporting documentation and you have paid your application fee, our processing dept will process your application within 24 hours and get it to the owner for approval. Once we receive the approval or denial from the owner, we will notify you immediately to bring in your first months rent if you have not submitted it with your initial application, then we put you directly in contact with the owner to set an appointment to sign your lease and disclosures in order to get you keys to move in.


12. Can I speak with the owner directly before committing to leasing the unit?
 Absolutely, we do suggest that all tenants and owners communicate in order to ask any specific questions that need to be addressed, before committing to a unit. We like our owners to know who they are renting to and our tenant to know, who they are renting from. Some of our owners do personal interviews with tenants.


13. Do I have to give your company of my social security card?
 No, we do ask that you bring it to your appointment for verifications purposes, so that we can verify who you are and that it is your card and not someone else. Although when you sign your lease the owner may request a copy for their records.


14. Can I take the application home to complete?
 Sorry, but no, we do not allow you to take home an application to complete. We want every applicant to complete the form in front of us, so that we know that you are the actual person applying for the unit and that you are not completing the application for someone else and signing their name, using their SSN or other information. We like to look our tenants directly in the face to protect the consumer from fraud.


15. How long does it take to find out if I am approved or denied?
 In the majority of cases within 48 hours, Our larger accounts such as management companies that have to go several managers in orde to get the final approval, make take a little longer.


16. Is my credit really an issue, I don’t have good credit?
 Most owners are not credit driven, due to economy, but some are. What they are looking for it that you are paying your household bills on time and that you are showing that you are responsible and paying things that are important to your living situation on time. Now if you are just not paying anyone, then that might be an issue, they are going to want to know why, especially if you have a significant income. There has to be a logical explanation.


17. I applied for a unit and it was rented, before my application was approved, why is that?
 Units are rented on a first come, first serve basis. All of our units are non-exclusive listings, which means that we work with owners to ensure that their unit is rented, allowing them to hire several companies the opportunity to lease their unit. So we are not the only company leasing their units. This is why we ask all tenants to have a first and second choice of units, and to put down their first months rent to hold the unit.


18. If I put down my first months rent and unit rents before I am approved, will my money be returned?
 Absolutely, in the same form which it was given. We do nothing with your money, until you are approved. Your money is refundable immediately, there is no waiting time.


19. I have Section 8, why do I have to put down a deposit in order for you to process my section 8 papers?
 We require that you show a good faith deposit that the owner will credit you towards your security deposit or move-in fee which ever applies to the unit. Alot of times section 8 tenants cancel their moving papers, because they found another unit for they liked better, Although this may not be you, but it happens a lot. Owners do take the property off the market, while waiting for the inspection process to go through, so they are losing money. If you change your mind, they have lost. So they ask that you put down something that will be non-refundable if you cancel, once the process has started. Now if the unit does not pass after 2 inspections or Section 8 comes up with more repairs at the 2nd inspection, you should allow them up to 3 inspections, before you cancel the process and request a refund.


20. Why can’t I view a unit if I do not have my section 8 papers in hand at the time appointment?
 We do not want to waste your time or ours, viewing and showing you property that will not be available at the time you actually receive your moving papers. We ask that you have moving papers in hand, so if you like the unit, we can process you right away to ensure that you get the unit.


21. How do I get updates on my application status?
 Your agent will know the status of your application, they will stay in contact with you and keep you informed, or you may call your agent or our processing dept at 773-527-0641 x703.


22. Do I have to pay an application fee for every unit I apply for?
 No, you pay 1 application fee to apply for any of our in house units.


23. What are your office hours to pick up refunds?
 We do ask that you make an appointment to get refunds, we are open M-F 10-5pm daily. We are closed on weekends. If these times are not good for you, we will make exceptions by appointment only.


24. Who do I contact when I am approved and have given my first months rent to you?
 We will put you directly in contact with the owner, by providing their phone numbers to you.


25. After I sign my lease and have issues at the property who do I contact?
 You will contact the designated person that the owner has given you to contact for repairs. GotVacants.com is not a property management firm and we are only hired for purpose of getting a qualified tenant for the unit, once you have been approved and paid, you should contact the owner directly.


26. Who do I make my first months rent out to?
 All first months rent payments should be in the form of cashier checks and/or money orders only. NO CASH IS EXCEPTED and should be made to GotVacants.com, Inc.


27. Who do I make our my Security Deposit and/or Move in fee to?
 All Security Deposit/ Move-in fee payments and/or deposits toward Security deposit/ move-in fees, should be made payable to the OWNER/ LANDLORDS ONLY. Please notify our processing dept and we will inform you who to make it out to.


28. Why is the move-in fee non-refundable?
 Owners are taking more move-in fee’s instead of Security Deposits now, in order to keep your cost down to move into a units. The fee is non-refundable because you are not putting down a Security deposit and the fee is much less than the Security deposit.


29. Can I pay my application fee or 1st months rent with a credit card?
 Yes, you may pay on our website. Under the tenants area.


30. I am moving to Chicago from another state and want to put in an application to apply for a unit, without seeing the unit can I do this?
 Yes, but it is NOT recommended, we do ask all tenants to view a unit before applying or have a family member or friend to view for you. It is recommended that you actually come into town and view actual property, before committing to a unit.