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Author: Mark Ainely | Partner GC Realty & Development & Co-Host Straight Up Chicago Investor Podcast
When your rental property is functional, safe, and clean, you lease faster, attract better residents, pass inspections, and keep renewal rates high. Sounds like common sense, doesn’t it? To keep everyone on the same page at GC Realty & Development, LLC, we created the GC Property Standards™. This three-pillar approach sets clear expectations for rental conditions before we list a vacant property.
We’ve created a practical, owner-friendly playbook that merges GC Realty’s on-the-ground operating standards with your legal obligations in Chicago and Illinois. GC Realty & Development, LLC expects on Day 1 of managing a property. Consider these as best practices to prepare your Chicago rental for tenants. We promise you: a standards-driven approach to rental maintenance and repair translates into better ROI on your investment.
GC Realty Standards Beat “Good Enough” in Chicago
In Chicago, owners operate under one of the most protective tenant ordinances in the country, the Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (RLTO), a strict Chicago Heat Ordinance, and Illinois-level safety laws for smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms.
Adhering to all required codes and standards is one thing. It may be good enough to avoid fines during city inspections, but it won’t attract the highest-qualified tenants. Paying attention to more minor details and responding promptly to tenant requests during the occupancy far outpaces those “good enough” standards.
Understanding how these layers fit together with consistent implementation is where professional property management pays for itself many times over.
Faster Leasing and Better Applicants
If you have a vacant rental property, you naturally want to find good tenants quickly. Renters shop by comparison. A move-in-ready home has tightened fixtures, presentable flooring, working windows and locks, consistent neutral paint, and intact blinds. A listing with professional photos highlighting these aspects wins showings that convert into applications.
Higher Renewal Rates
Likewise, keeping everything in a rental functional and safe during a tenant’s lease leads to higher renewal rates. When tenants submit maintenance requests, responding to them promptly and addressing their concerns makes them feel respected and safe. Conducting periodic inspections to catch any potential repair needs further increases that trust. This keeps tenants renewing their rental agreements, which cuts your turnover costs.
The Three Pillars of the GC Property Standards™
GC Realty & Development, LLC’s standards are simple by design: Functional, safe, and clean. Each pillar has best practices that are transparent, auditable, and repeatable across single-family homes and multifamily units.
At every rent-ready walk, we check for common issues:
Appliances: All stove and oven burners work, and the range hood fan/light operates. The refrigerator has operating lights, and all handles, shelves, and drawers are secure. The ice maker either works or is disclosed before lease signing. We expect the dishwasher to have intact and functional racks.
Flooring: At every turnover, we check that carpets are appropriately stretched and professionally cleaned or replaced if they have persistent odors, stains, or fraying. Hardwood flooring should be refinished if worn through, stained, or turning gray. Tile grout must be intact, and laminate flooring should be free of significant water damage and gaps.
Windows and Coverings: Windows should open, close, and stay up when lifted. Meanwhile, screens should be intact, and locks functional. We expect blinds or appropriate coverings for bedrooms or street-facing rooms, and bathrooms should have privacy (frosted glass or covering).
Lighting and Electrical: Every fixture should have matching bulbs (no mix-and-match color temps). We ensure fixtures with covers have them and any sconces are secure, fans don’t wobble, and outlet and switch plates are flush and uncracked. The breaker panel should also be labeled correctly.
Kitchen and Bath: Kitchens and bathrooms should have sound cabinet floors (no mushy particle board or sagging shelves). We expect both rooms to have sealed pipe penetrations, secured kickboards, and intact countertop edges. In particular, toilets should be stable with no seepage, tubs/surrounds should be cleanable with sealed caulk/grout, and functioning stoppers. Oh, and each bathroom should have a TP holder.
Other Interior Details: Many overlook the importance of tight door hardware and stops, secure vents, and documented pest-free spaces at turnover. In addition, thermostat batteries should be replaced at each turnover.
Exterior: Outside, there should be tight soffits, clear gutters (without growth), secure decks or porches, no tripping hazards in concrete, and bird/rodent-proof dryer vent covers.
We allow some exceptions (with disclosure to applicants), such as decorative/nonoperational fireplaces, older tub jets, missing bath exhaust where a window provides ventilation, minor touchups on tub chips, and disconnected icemakers. GC Realty & Development, LLC requires disclosures before a rent-ready walkthrough.
Why This Matters Legally: Functional systems intersect with habitability under the RLTO and other city rules and with inspection regimes like the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA). Proactive fixes reduce failed inspections, rent delays, and rent credits.
Apart from just being human decency to provide a safe home, GC Realty & Development, LLC’s safety pillar reflects code reality: there are no exceptions.
Smoke Alarms: Illinois now requires long-term (10-year sealed battery) smoke alarms when replacing older removable-battery units or installing new alarms in single and multi-family units (effective Jan 1, 2023).
Carbon Monoxide Alarms: Illinois law requires at least one approved carbon monoxide alarm within 15 feet of every sleeping room and in every dwelling unit of multi-unit buildings. We verify placement and operation at turnover.
Heat: The Chicago Heat Ordinance mandates minimum indoor temperatures from September 15 to June 1: 68°F (8:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.) and 66°F (10:30 p.m. - 8:30 a.m.). We confirm heating performance in season and document compliance so you’re protected.
Locks, Peepholes, and Labeling: Exterior doors need functioning locks and peepholes, and there must be a window nearby so that someone can see who is outside before opening the door. In addition, unit numbers must be posted for emergency response and wayfinding.
Porches and Decks: Chicago inspects porches against a detailed checklist. For example, structural components must support prescribed loads and have secure rails, connections, and footings. If we find a deficiency, we escalate the issue for professional evaluation and repair.
Pests (including Bed Bugs): Chicago’s Bed Bug Ordinance requires education, notice, records, and prompt professional treatment (generally within 10 days of finding/suspecting infestation), plus adjacent/stack treatment where required. GC Realty & Development, LLC holds documentation of treatment for three years.
The Cook County Residential Tenant and Landlord Ordinance (RTLO) is packed with rules that can cost landlords thousands if you’re not compliant. Don’t guess—get the full breakdown.
Download our FREE RTLO Ebook today and protect your rental business with clear, landlord-focused guidance.
Our turnover cleaning process requires rentals to be “hotel-room clean” before turning them over to a tenant. Think of when you first enter a hotel room. Everything is neat, clean, and bright. We want the same experience for our tenants when they first enter their new rental home.
Inside Cleaning: We will degrease stoves and hoods, soak/scrub oven racks, polish stainless steel appliances with polish (not window cleaner), and scrub grout and tubs. We wipe trim, switch plates, and fan blades. We also ensure carpeting is vacuumed with visible lines (don’t you love those?) and all windows and glass doors have streak-free glass and tracks. The point isn’t perfection; it’s a predictable presentation that photographs beautifully and tours even better.
Landscaping and Curb Appeal: Externally, bushes and trees should be trimmed, beds edged and mulched, and all branches should be off roofs and walkways. Any other hazards should be removed. In single-family homes where residents maintain the yard, GC Realty & Development, LLC delivers a yard that tenants can maintain. However, for heavy landscaping, we may recommend bundled service with a monthly or seasonal chargeback to residents as part of the lease.
Paint Colors: GC Realty & Development, LLC also enforces practical paint standards (neutral colors like Kilim Beige/Nimbus equivalents, semi-gloss white trim) and clear rules for TV brackets and curtain rods (unless painting).
No Clutter Zone: Finally, we enforce a “no clutter” policy on owner/resident leave-behinds (keep spare tile/paint neatly, remove furniture).
All of this keeps showings smooth, move-ins happier, and move-outs cheaper.
“Needs Repair” vs. “Adds Value”
GC Realty & Development, LLC helps owners distinguish repairs that protect them legally (with code compliance) from upgrades that elevate rent rates and resident quality. Understanding the difference between the two can help investors make decisions that increase the value of their property while staying compliant.
Needs Repair
Much like safety, items that need repair are non-negotiables for us. According to GC Property Standards, they are either nonfunctional, unsafe, or unclean. In some cases, all three. Either way, they need to be fixed before we consider a property rent-ready. We’ve created these standards as our best practices because they eliminate inspection failures and move-in disputes.
Some examples include rocking toilets and soft subfloors. Maybe a tub surround needs re-caulking or sealing. You may need to replace failing bedroom blinds or tune window sash balances. We require the replacement of rusted vent covers and, of course, noncompliant smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
With Chicago’s cold winters and hot summers, we often need to patch and refinish tripping hazards on sidewalks or other transitions.
In short, if it’s something that you wouldn’t just ignore in your own home, we’ll probably require that repair in a rental as well.
Adds Value
On the other hand, something that adds value will help you rent your property out faster and at a higher rent rate. These upgrades shorten days-on-market and attract residents who stay. You want applicants to look at your place as a come-up, not something they’re settling for right now (because they won’t stay long).
We’ll recommend when to replace carpet with easier-to-maintain plank vinyl or refresh lighting with modern, efficient fixtures. Believe it or not, upgrading mismatched appliances so the kitchen doesn’t scream “hand-me-down stuff for my first apartment” can be a huge boost in value. Outside, we’ll suggest landscape edits that give your curb appeal a glow-up while making maintenance easier.
But it’s easy to get carried away. Before you try installing a gold-plated toilet, we’ll model the rent impact vs. scope cost and advise you where to stop. Done right, you’ll more than make up your return on investment while reducing vacancies and increasing the likelihood of renewals.
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Process Makes It Predictable
One of the things we value most is the ability to replicate an outstanding experience for our tenants throughout Chicagoland. To do that, we’ve had to put processes in place, like the GC Property Standards. This ensures we provide a predictably positive experience for our tenants and our owners get the best ROI for their properties.
Standards-Driven Onboarding
When we first bring on a new client owner, we’ll conduct a Rent-Ready Walk (RRW) of the property. The property manager will conduct a walk-through and create photo documentation against the GC Property Standards™ checklist.
At the end, you get a punch list with clear categories (see Functional, Safety, and Clean above). We’ll also provide recommendations and costs for “Needs Repair” vs. “Adds Value” guidance to hit the target rent.
Transparent Pricing and Services
GC offers full-service property management across Chicago and its suburbs. With published pricing ranges and clear scopes (tenant placement, rent collection, accounting, maintenance, inspections, legal coordination), owners can see how fees align with outcomes and risk transfer.
Compliance Infrastructure
GC Realty & Development, LLC documents, notices, access protocols, fee strategies, and move-in/move-out workflows are designed around Chicago’s rules. We’ve become experts in the letter and intent of each code and standard, so your rental doesn’t create liabilities for you later.
Maintenance That “Closes the Loop”
We have an in-house maintenance team and a vetted vendor network that allow for fast response times for maintenance and repairs. They’ll provide before-and-after documentation and preventative recommendations (e.g., caulking, sealing, thermostat battery swaps, or gutter clearing) that protect your investment.
Ready to Upgrade Your Rental Property’s Experience (and Your Returns)?
We take pride in providing a quality rental home to our residents as part of delivering The GC Realty Experience. As the investor and main stakeholder, this should also be important to you. If a resident is happy, then the likelihood of lease renewal is higher. Following the GC Property Standards also creates expectations and reduces the risk of disputes by all parties involved.
If you’d like us to walk your property against the GC Property Standards or run a rent-ready scope for you, get in touch!
