Katz Properties Inc

Stay very far away. Never rent from them. Ever. SO MANY REGRETS!!!

DO NOT. I repeat, DO NOT RENT FROM KATZ PROPERTIES. I waited to post this review until now (6 months after I moved out) because I didn’t want them to see this and not give me my security deposit back. I moved into my apartment in August of 2014. 719 E. Knapp St. Worst experience of my life. Complete nightmare. Their apartments may look nice but they have all the technical problems that an apartment can have. See my pictures of the basement. Disgusting. It didn’t look like that when I first moved in. This company doesn’t even deserve 1 star. I didn’t even have a carbon dioxide detector or smoke detector until about a month ago when I had to call and ASK them to put them in. Isn’t that illegal? So many other problems. After subleasing, I didn’t get my security deposit back until I called and complained every week for a month. They kept saying the check got lost in the mail. 4 times? I don’t think so. We finally got it back. I wish I could tell anyone new to the MKE area not to rent from them.

1646 prospect ave in Milwaukee.
We were there only a short 6 months thankfully. Our time there was pretty cool since we had our own place but our water heater In he basement was down two of three heaters in the winter months and i don’t actually remember it ever getting fixed by them while we were there. Our landlord was pretty cool he was a police officer and someone was rowdy on our floor and he yelled at them to stop partying. When we moved in the old tenant didn’t clean anything so we ended up cleaning everything including the nasty fridge and bathroom. Not the best experience even though we left the place in better condition then what we moved in to. Being new to moving out and renting we didn’t know we could have complained about this, we were just happy to have our own place. But regardless what landlord doesn’t deduct for this off rent. In the end our basement actually flooded and flooded over 80% of all the units. Cracks in walls, paint falling off, looked pretty inhabitable all around. Our floor had stains from someone dripping garbage from their room all the way to the elevator. Some floors stunk pretty badly despite their effort to have air fresheners everywhere. The walls in the unit were very small and you could hear everything around you. While in the bathroom you could hear your neighbor taking a shower and using the bathroom. Not the best placez

Overall, I am dissatisfied with Katz Properties. And I would not recommending renting through this company.
I am a tenant of the building at 2223 E Belleview Place. My apartment was newly renovated prior to my move in date in June 2015. The floors were replaced, new cabinets and appliances were installed, and the bathroom was renovated, as well. On the day I moved in, the apartment renovations were incomplete. To list some of the problems: there was NO flooring in the closet (only bare foundation), the bathroom cabinets were completely built, the shower did not function properly, my dishwasher didn’t turn on, the walls of the apartment were two distinct colors of white (as if it was only half finished) and the apartment still smelled of paint (I later found out it was done the night before I moved in).
I spoke with the building manager and she heard directly from management (James Schulhof) that I would have some of my rent compensated for having to move into an incomplete apartment. For about a month and a half I contacted Katz Office 3 times a week about finishing their renovation of my apartment. It is now October 2015 and my apartment is still not complete. Flooring is missing, my dishwasher is non-​functional, and I have received any word about rent compensation.
From my experience, this company is disorganized and the quality of care and work is poor, as they attempt to address the problems of tenants from any of their 15+ apartment buildings.
The rationale behind the 2 stars is because they have fixed some of the issues with my apartment.

Worst property management company ever. Extremely poorly run from top down. I could go on and on with reasons why, but I would end up writing a short book. My recommendation would be to avoid renting from them. Not worth it at all. Feel free to message me to know more.

Absolutely THEEEEE WORST PROPERTY COMPANY to do business with. The place was a mess after we got it, discovered many issues with windows, cabinets, and plumbing. Had to call maintenance many times to help with repairs, in which they did, and were at least nice for the most part. Although their choice of landlords are terrible, at best. The landlord before the one that came in was very nice, very resourceful and knowledgeable, and to no surprise a veteran. Now, once she moved out and continued with her life, she was immediately replaced by a ghetto white chick along side her equally ghetto puerto rican boyfriend, who openly cursed about everything and anything.
She banged at the door during one day blaming us for a prank her drunk friends pulled on her. Luckily this was at the end of our lease and we were planning to move out after a while of suffering with the apartment and the location. I can go on and on about what I can complain about Katz but we are happy to be out of that dump, my family is just as happy too.
I would just give up on Katz and the apartments they’re leasing because it’s just not worth your money.

I wish I could give negative stars. STAY AWAY FROM KATZ. The sloppy paint job makes it impossible for doors and drawers to be opened. News flash: after a few layers of paint, you have to remove some! You can’t just slap more paint over it! It looks awful. There are hardened drips of paint all over. The screens are broken, the windows are a pain in the ass, and they allow cats, not small dogs? Cats are way more messy and destructive than dogs. The people working the desk at the main offices are snobby and arrogant. They don’t care about the quality of their buildings or the happiness of their customers. They simply care about getting your hard earned money. STAY AWAY.

AWFUL. Our heat vent in our bedroom broke during cold weather. They said they’d be in within 2 days to fix it, even after many calls on our end and no communication on their end it took 2 weeks! We asked for a reduction in rent since we pay for heat-​fat chance it looks like when they dodge your calls. It’s hard to find an ethical landlord in the student housing area, but I hope there are better ones out there than Katz. They have lots of properties by campus so it’s hard to avoid them, but know that you could experience lots of serious problems! Try to avoid them! Any decrease in their sales would make me happy. We also have noisy rattling pipes we have called on and they just never send anyone over.

I recommend not renting from Katz Properties under any circumstances.
First the apartment was very dirty and much was in disrepair when I moved in. The manager said, «I like to clean my own place when I move in, don’t you?» Uhh… yeah, after it’s already cleaned for me.
Within a month, my storage unit was opened and everything was sitting out over night. I called about it multiple times but they did not put the stuff away. No one asked me if they could move it or leave it out. I have an expensive bike that I love. Repeatedly, I have felt that Katz forgets that they are dealing with real human beings in their dealings.
The furnace was broken when I moved in. I called about it mid-​November. It was finally fixed on January 22^nd. First they said they had ordered the part, call back in three weeks. Three weeks later, they knew what was wrong but were still working on the part. Their explanation didn’t make sense to me so I insisted they come over. They tried to fix it in a few ways. Finally they realized they needed to order a new furnace which took awhile. We did not have heat in our apartment until Jan 22^nd. It was terrible. My daughter and I huddled in the living room with space heater (provided by Katz) to sleep every night.
In the middle of not having heat, they sent me a notice that I could either sign up for another year (increase rent $ 25/​month) or I could go month to month ($ 75 increase per month). This added insult to injury. No heat but rent increase. No one ever called to say, «hey, how you doin’ without heat??» But, they were prompt in contacting me about increasing the rent.
After living there for a couple months, they claimed my rent was lost in the mail. I finally figured it out when I found a hand written note under the carpeting at the front door. They claimed they started eviction before I even knew the rent was late. After that I watched my bank account every month. Often the check wasn’t even cashed and it was mid month. Today my rent check has not gone through and it is the 9^th of the month.
The dryer was broken for months. Same as with furnace, we complained, they knew what was wrong but not fixed. The new dryer was also broken for three weeks.
There was a horrible burnt vomit smell in the apartment. When I went to work, I could smell a smoke smell on my clothes. I asked James (Katz manager) if they could possibly try to rent to non-​smokers. Then they hired a manager who smoked like a stack and put him next door to me. My bedroom smells like a 1970s cheap motel room. I hate living in a Katz Property.
It was hard to get return phone calls about the broken furnace. Finally I threatened and did send a certified letter to Dan Katz. Call was returned the next day.
Good things: my apartment is cute, quaint looking. They have a few nice seeming workers.
I have heard similar stories from the other people in my building.
Do not rent from Katz.
Thanks you.
DK

1 star too many. When we moved into hidden creek apts, understandably the apartment was not 100% move in ready, needed a few touch ups, which of course they promised to take care of in a timely manner. 1.5 years later today, everything is still the same, they didnt fix one thing. When you call the office they just tell you you have to call the live in manager. When you call the manager, they never answer or return calls. Grass is never cut, only front for curb appeal. Our rent goes up every 6 months. When we moved in it was 850, now it is 1050! Whatever you do or how desperate you are, do not move here, its not just a nightmare from the beginning, but once you are moved in, it just gets worse and worse. 95% of all building central air units DO NOT work. So there is NO air. And they’re known not to return deposits. Look them up on CCAP and see all the people trying to sue them back for it.

Worst management company ever! Dirty apartments, don’t give back deposit, won’t fix problems and have a bunch of drunks and weirdo’s working for them. Obviously they hire the people no one else will hire. Talk about unethical and unprofessional. Unless you’re completely desperate, don’t rent from them. Report them to the BBB.

There should be a ZERO star!
Ben A. I would love to get in touch with you so I can bring the issue of this bad company to press.
Whoever is thinking about renting apartments from them please do not do it.
They seriously do not take care of their properties!
Garage door can’t open properly from the sensor, always dirty and no seperate room for trash. these are not too bad right?
I am on the top floor and the leaking started two or three weeks ago because of rain, they left me a message saying they are trying to fix the roof, and they will contact me to repair the ceiling in the room, no respond after that.
And another spot on the ceiling started craking and leadking due to the melting snow, and the ceiling just fell off!!! I have a crak like 5 feet long and maybe 1foot wide big whole on my ceiling and you can smell the mold!
I called the manager, I called the office, all either no ans or gave me shitty attitude.
I am seriously thinking about taking legal action on this.

Worst Leasing Company Ever. Do not lease from them. I recently moved from Chicago, where I rented 11 different apartments over the past few years (not an exaggeration) and they were all WAY better experiences than this one. Then, my first apartment in Milwaukee… sucks. When I moved in, it was in terrible condition: filthy floors, busted cabinet hinges, a dirty toilet, oven, stovetop, refrigerator and tub, two of the windows wouldn’t even open because they were painted shut (yes, that’s possible), at least 3 broken glass panels in the windows, repair tiles and a bag of concrete spilled in the hallway leading down to the laundry room, inoperable ceiling fan… just disgusting, something that I thought would’ve been cleaned up before I moved in. So, I spent literally 6 hours cleaning the apartment right when I moved in (I actually kept track of the time), and made a checklist of all the damages… since my Security Deposit was a full month of rent!
They’re so f-​ing stingy with the heat too, you never know when it’ll come on, and it never sufficiently heats the place anyway. As I’m writing this, the temp outside is 31 degrees, and the heat is NOT on. I think whenever 40 degrees is in the 5-​day forecast, they just figure that we don’t need heat… ridiculous. I’ve lived in the Midwest my whole life, and this has been my most uncomfortable winter ever.
I know that they own so many (too many) of the properties in this city, please steer clear! I’ve heard horrible reports from my co-​workers too. They obviously try to manage too much, and they suck at it.
I once got a call, after requesting details of my lease information, and they said that they LOST the lease! Are you kidding? The leasing company lost the lease? Is that even possible? Well, I suppose it is when the information on the lease agreement doesn’t agree with them, and costs me more money than I expected. I hope that they didn’t lose that Security Deposit too, or there’s gonna be a lawsuit headed their way.
The only redeeming thing that has happened since I moved in… my refrigerator quit running (because it was way too old) and, although I lost all of the food in the fridge and freezer, and lost the use of both for 3 or 4 days, it was replaced with a brand new refrigerator.
Important to know: I’m not a bad tenant, I’ve paid every month of rent on time since the day I moved in, and I’m never loud and always courteous to my neighbors (I’m essentially the best possible tenant that they could ask for). I don’t deserve this sh-​hole apartment.
Their office staff is extremely rude and belittling on the phone, and then happy and kind in person (at the office). They probably get calls and complaints from angry tenants all day long about their crappy properties. «We take pride in our properties» Haha! Yeah, right. That’s literally their slogan.
Please, boycott Katz Properties. I’m warning you, I care about your well-​being even though I’ve never met you and I probably never will. This leasing company is gonna screw with your happiness and quality of life, because they’re just out to make a profit… and they don’t actually care about the people that live in the buildings that they’re «managing.» To Katz Properties, property management evidently means: collecting checks from people that live in buildings, nothing more.

The places were OK, nothing special. The guy who showed us smelled like booze, and seemed hungover when we looked.

I’ve lived here for a year now and can’t wait to get out! They don’t take care of the property. The garbage is under the building in the garage and reeks! I was here part of my pregnancy and gagged every time I’d come home. I think this building manager is doing ok, she at least vacuums weekly.
When the elevators were being serviced we had no notification, which really sucked since I have a kid in a car seat/​stroller and we have an elderly lady who walks with a walker. I got no phone call when the maintenance guy was going to be here so I was in the middle of nursing when he got here.
This morning we have NO hot water. We were running low on it last night too. We put in our notice and they sent us a letter that they will be showing our apartment at any time. They also said that they may collect a re-​rent fee from us. I’m not sure if it’s because we didn’t give a 60 day notice or what.
I’m glad we’re buying a house so we don’t have to rent from them anymore!

first i have to say that i never had any problems when i was living in one of their apts. the problem came after i moved out. I am not originally from the area and was moving home due to many issues one being $$. i was under the impression that i was going to be getting my last rent check back since i was told by the landlord that my apartment was subleased. (i moved out a month early) i was like, COOL. but that wasn’t the case they made a few hundred off me. i called after i received my deposit back of course $ 50.00 dollars short because i had to pay for water even though i wasn’t in the apartment. (not cool) and 21 days exactly after my lease was up. so i waited forever for it. Katz said no one moved in funny how my neighbor told me differently. WTF katz thats the way to burn a bridge. I suggest looking for another please to rent if you are not a stable person and life throws unexpected curve balls at you. which is most everyone in there 20’s.

I have found Katz Properties to be quite nice to work with. After moving from Portland and having really bad landlords in the pacific NW, the property manager helped me with finding the right place to accomodate going back to school. They were very easy to deal with and I felt it important to write a review since they have gone above and beyond for me. When I moved in everything was spic and span. There were a few things I asked to be replaced such as the blinds and they got right to it. Bottom line is that if a problem occurs there is someone who you can talk with and it will be worked out. Thanks Guys, love the new place and feel quite at home.

Apartment flooded, mold growing on the walls, my unit was the worst damaged in the building and even though maintenance was at the building all the time nothing was done on my unit. I had just renewed my lease and the building manager told me there was nothing else available in the building. I sent friends to her open house to find out which apartments were available when and for how much. This was at the Empire Building at 1041 E Knapp St. Don’t rent there or at any other Katz building. They will screw you royally.

I’ve lived in one of the Katz Properties apartments for two and a half years and I have to recommend strongly against renting from them. Basically, you need to be very careful of what you sign for.
For one thing, when I first got my apartment, the bathroom carpet smelled like cat urine and the cabinet doors and drawers were not completely hinged properly. There was cat food in the cabinets too.
Second thing, their non-​standard rental provisions are fairly unreasonable. They charge you $ 50 for refusing to admit a landlord into your apartment. As far as I know, in some places, that’s illegal.
Also, they said their maintenance guy was allowed to come at any time I call them to ask them to place a work order. As far as I know, a courtesy notification or call isn’t too much to ask. Basically the guy came in while I had just woken up. Uh, what? I called the landlord about it and they said as long as I put in a work order, the maintenance guy can come any time. In many situations, they can be a bit slow regarding when to send out repairs.
Last, there’s also a thing where you sign that as long as you give them notification that you leave, they may show your apartment just right after they get that. In many places, they’re only supposed to show the place on the last 30 days of your tenancy. However, provided you sign that you are leaving, it also means you agree to let them show your apartment beforehand. There’s also the increase in rent every year.
My point is, these guys are just a lot of trouble to rent from and I’m going to suggest not renting from them unless you’re very desperate.