Lakeside recognizes that every successful landlord-tenant relationship relies on the active involvement of both parties. And like any good relationship, the success of the landlord-tenant relationship depends on mutual respect, understanding rights and responsibilities, and good communication, among other things. Lakeside also recognizes that 75% of the affordable rental housing units in the Chicago region are provided by non-subsidized private landlords. Thus, we know full well that to preserve and create affordable rental housing, we need to work with and support good landlords.

To support quality rental housing opportunities for community residents, Lakeside provides group workshops, special seminars, and individual counseling assistance. We maintain information on government assistance programs for landlords, collect and distribute information on best practices, and help landlords promote the availability of rental units with listings at our office, as well as our online apartment listing service. We do this independently and in coordination with other groups, such as Community Investment Corporation and Partners for Rogers Park.

Lakeside staff can also assist landlords to resolve specific landlord-tenant issues. We have successfully helped mediate landlord-tenant disputes, avoiding the need for expensive and frustrating litigation. We have assisted clients to access emergency housing assistance programs, so they can pay rent on time. And, as a HUD-approved housing counseling agency, we can provide pre- and post-purchase housing counseling assistance to improve credit and budgeting skills, advance fair housing, avoid foreclosure, and much more.

Lakeside also addresses landlord issues in our advocacy and research activities. For example, in 2008, Lakeside led a citywide research project examining rental housing conditions in several Chicago communities as a part of the Preservation Compact, a regional initiative to preserve 75,000 units of rental housing in the Chicago region by 2020. Lakeside has also highlighted programs such as Energy Savers, which can provide low-cost financing for rental improvement projects, and the Safer Pest Control Project. Currently, Lakeside is working closely with several Rogers Park organizations to create a new Rental Improvement Fund, which would provide grants to rental property owners to make improvements without having to raise rents beyond the reach of neighborhood residents. We are also part of community efforts to deal with bedbugs in a responsible and cost-effective manner.

For information on Lakeside landlord-tenant services, please contact Bibian Guevara, Rental Housing Advocate, at (773) 381-5253.

For information on Lakeside landlord-tenant advocacy efforts, please contact Brian White, Executive Director, at (773) 381-5253.