Maintenance for Chicago Property Managers
Turnovers, make-ready repairs and work order lists for Chicago rentals, done right the first time.
We’re HandyBandi, a property management maintenance Chicago crew for the people who keep rental buildings full. The tenant moves out, and we take the list from there: patch and paint, doors, fixtures, caulk and every line on the punch list. One work order can cover one unit or a dozen addresses across the city, and one contact runs the whole portfolio. This page is the rental side of our commercial handyman services. HandyBandi dispatches vetted technicians across Chicago who actually show up & fix things, + explain what they did.
Why Choose Us
Chicago has 1,157 businesses with an active Home Repair license, so finding a vendor is easy. Finding one that turns units on schedule is harder. That license covers residential property only and does not allow pulling building permits, so we stay in handyman scope and say it upfront. We’re the handyman for property managers and the handyman for landlords who keeps vacancy days short and sends proof of every repair. Here is what that looks like on a real job.
Why Choose Us:
Unit Turnovers and Make-Ready Repairs
Apartment turnover services are the repairs that get a vacant unit rent-ready between leases. With 626,193 rental units, 54.0% of all housing per CMAP Chicago housing data, make ready services never stop. Here is what unit turnover repairs cover.
For one unit, see our turnover checklist for a single unit.
What's Included with a Service?
Walls and ceilings
Nail holes, cracks and ceiling stains get drywall repair between tenants, then a touch-up or interior painting. The median Chicago home dates to 1953, so we flag old paint for the EPA lead disclosure rules for pre-1978 rentals.
Doors and hardware
Door adjustment, a loose strike plate or lockset, a sagging cabinet hinge and a jumpy closet track go to our door and hardware repair crew.
Plumbing parts
A faucet swap via faucet replacement, toilet parts via toilet repair, a stuck shut-off valve and a slow drain line. We diagnose the source instead of just tightening the obvious thing and hoping for the best.
Caulk
Tubs and sinks get recaulking through bathroom recaulking.
Shelves, blinds and furniture
Curtain rods, shelf brackets and flat-pack assembly.
What We Don't Do
We don’t do cleaning. We work alongside your cleaning crew.
What Turnover Work Costs
Most property management maintenance Chicago vendors keep their rates behind a sales call. We publish ours. The table below shows From-prices for the small jobs that fill every turnover list, plus the rows we price per unit. A unit turn or a patch and paint job gets quoted as a per-unit scope after the walkthrough, and that quote becomes your not-to-exceed limit. Nothing gets added quietly. If we find something bigger behind a wall or under a sink, you get photos and a separate line item before anyone picks up a tool. A scheduled visit plan is priced per site and frequency, so a two-flat and a courtyard building never pay the same flat fee. Grouping several nearby addresses into one route keeps the trip cost down for everyone. Emergency calls follow the same fee rule as the rest of the site, and every invoice carries your purchase order number.
| Work | Cost |
|---|---|
| Handyman repairs | From $180 |
| Caulking and minor patching | From $85 |
| Shelf and picture hanging | From $100 |
| Furniture assembly | From $50 |
| Unit turnover or patch and paint, per unit | By request |
| Faucet and toilet parts replacement | From $179 |
| Door and hardware adjustment | By request |
| Scheduled portfolio visit | By request |
| Minimum commercial visit | By request |
| Emergency service | +$250 fee |
Work Orders Across a Portfolio
In Chicago, 27.5% of housing sits in buildings with two to four units, and another 27.0% in buildings with 20 or more. A real portfolio usually mixes both, so our multifamily maintenance Chicago setup is built for scattered addresses.
One inbox. Send a work order through our form, by email or by phone. We confirm it with a response time, and you keep one single point of contact for every building.
One route. We group nearby addresses into one visit, so a two-flat and a three-flat on the same block share a trip. Our handyman in Rogers Park crew does this every week.
One limit. You set a not-to-exceed amount per order. Anything beyond it waits for your written OK.
One invoice or several. A per-site invoice for each property or one summary bill, on net-30, with your purchase order number.
Hallways, common areas and the basement laundry go on the same list as the units. To set up rental property repairs Chicago for your buildings, request a vendor quote.
Photo Reports for Deposit Decisions
A photo report is a dated record of every repair in a unit, with before and after photos for each line of the per-unit scope. We send one after every repair visit that follows a move-out inspection.
Timing matters here. The City of Chicago Department of Housing (RLTO, 2024) says the landlord owes the tenant an itemized statement of damages “within 30 days of the date the tenant vacates the dwelling unit” and returns the balance within 45 days. The full rule is in the City of Chicago guidance on security deposits. Each report includes the following.
- Photos of every item, before and after the repair
- The work list for the unit, with a price on every single line
- Notes on what we found and what we fixed
- A dated punch list sign-off
Security deposit deductions and questions of normal wear are your call, not ours. We document the work and leave the legal side to you and your attorney.
Getting Units Ready Before September 15
Chicago’s heat season runs from September 15 to June 1. Per the city reminder on Heat Ordinance requirements, units need 68°F from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and 66°F at night, with fines of $500 to $1,000 per day for each violation. Drafty units make that harder to hit, so property management maintenance Chicago work peaks in August. We spend it on the small fixes that keep warm air inside. The full list:
- Window and door adjustment, so sashes and doors close tight
- New weatherstripping and door sweeps
- Caulk and sealing around frames
- Small repairs from tenant requests before the cold
One honest line. We don’t service boilers, radiators or building heating systems. That work belongs to a licensed heating contractor, and we tell you so on the first call.
FAQ:
These are the questions property managers, landlords and building owners ask before they add us as a vendor. Most come from people who run a few buildings and have met a crew that never showed up or a quote that grew after the job. So the answers stay short and specific. They cover timing, pricing, portfolios, photos, billing and the work we pass on to other trades. If you need punch list services for one unit, help with a long work order list or a full season of apartment maintenance services, the answer is probably below. Short answers here, full paperwork on request, and a real person on the phone.
+− How fast can you turn a vacant unit around?
It depends on the list. We give you a firm timeline after the walkthrough and book it around your cleaning crew and move-in date.
+− Do you price turnovers per unit or per list of repairs?
Both. Small jobs follow our published From-prices, and a full unit turn is quoted as a per-unit scope with a not-to-exceed limit.
+− Can you handle work orders for several buildings at once?
Yes. We take work order lists across several buildings, route the visits together and keep one single point of contact for everything.
+− Do you send before and after photos for each unit?
Yes. Every unit gets before and after photos for each repair, plus a site report with the work list, prices and dates.
+− Do you do turnover cleaning as well?
No. We handle repairs only and schedule around your cleaning crew, so the unit gets fixed and cleaned without anyone waiting around.
+− Can you bill each property separately on net-30 terms?
Yes. We send a per-site invoice for each property or one summary bill on net-30 terms, with your purchase order number on it.
+− Do you work in occupied units while tenants are home?
Yes. You set the time with the tenant, we work clean and quiet, and the photos show exactly what got done in the unit.
+− Do you service boilers or building heating systems?
No. We don’t service boilers, radiators or heating systems. We handle drafty doors and windows, and a heating contractor handles the heat.