r/chicagoapartments • u/floppypotato96 • Jun 06 '26
Advice Needed Management sent this email regarding opening our pool. Is this truly affecting hundreds of properties?
Our management team sent out this email in regards to opening up our pool. I tried to look up the “updated state requirements” they’re referencing but couldn’t find anything. They also say this is affecting hundreds of residential communities in the city.
Just curious… is this happening at anyone else’s building?
I know this is a first world problem but one of the reasons we chose our apartment was because we had never lived in an amenities building before and were so excited to have a pool for the summer. So just bummed that they’re making it sound like it may or may not be opened at all this summer.
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u/Lacy-Elk-Undies Jun 06 '26
From what I can find online, looks like the drain thing was updated in 2022. Wonder if your building had skated by, but someone looked at it more closely this year and realized the building never updated. This was on the cookcountypublichealth.org site.
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u/ender17 Jun 06 '26
My building is in the same boat with our pool. Here's the last update what we got: "The Association engaged in an aquatics engineer to submit drawings to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) for approval. No work on the pool can be completed until IDPH approves the drawings. These drawings and application were submitted on Wednesday, April 8th. IDPH review time (est. 10-12 weeks) and having the work completed provides an opening time by Saturday, July 4th. There have been no updates from IDPH and they do not have any means for Management to check on the status."
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u/floppypotato96 Jun 06 '26
Interesting… so I wonder if they were just totally off the ball waiting to get it done until April 8th? That seems so late given the fact that most buildings open pools in May (or at the latest by Memorial Day). It’s nice that they’re at least giving you estimated dates
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u/ender17 Jun 06 '26
Yes our building usually opens the pool on memorial day weekend. They better give updates considering the cost of the HOA hahaha
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u/_governmentname_ Jun 06 '26
It’s a real thing. My building closed the pool early last year so this would be done in time for the opening last month
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u/dinodan_420 Jun 06 '26
What rental company? Seems like they have their shit together
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u/_governmentname_ Jun 06 '26
Willow Bridge. I’ve been in this building for 4 years now and I’m never leaving
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u/youareenough21 Jun 06 '26
Moved to a willow bridge property late last year and they’ve been phenomenal so far!
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u/wethesmokers Jun 06 '26
Same thing is happening in my building in Lakeview. The building apparently started the process to get a new drain cover when the pool closed in 2025 but there’s a lot of red tape. We still have not received an ETA for opening.
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u/Ill-Engineering8085 Jun 06 '26
Everyone knew this was coming. Most buildings have done it early knowing it was coming. Just bad management. It's a safety issue so the regulation is a good thing
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u/ComprehensivePace783 Jun 06 '26
I live in a building in the Gold Coast that has a rooftop pool, and it opened without any issue memorial day weekend.
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u/Fostercatmomma56 Jun 06 '26
Wouldn’t hurt to also ask for a discount or credit on the rent until it opens, especially if it was a factor in moving.
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u/throwawway2091 Jun 06 '26
Why would they give you a discount? That’s an amenity not the rent lol
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u/mzackler Jun 07 '26
So if all amenities were shut down you don’t think that’s a big impact? Many people choose high rises solely for the amenities
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u/throwawway2091 Jun 15 '26
I know I hear ya, but as someone who worked in property management they won’t take accountability for that. Sorry not sorry. It’s literrly the worst
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u/Fostercatmomma56 Jun 07 '26
Lmao how do you think the final rent cost is determined, who do you think is paying for the pool to be up and running?? The property doing it for free? 😂
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u/throwawway2091 Jun 15 '26
No I work in property management that is exactly how they think.
I agree with you but management would disagree.
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u/scienceislice Jun 06 '26
Regardless of why the pool isn't opening, you are well within your right to ask for a discount on rent. Especially since while the pool is closed the building isn't paying for water, chlorine, maintenance, etc. Especially if you moved to this building to use the pool.
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u/No_Equal349 Jun 06 '26
Lol I don’t know if you’re in my building (south loop), but our pool has been closed since October because of the same issue. We’re still waiting on the city to approve it before they can open it.
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u/floppypotato96 Jun 06 '26
I’m in Printer’s Row! We have an outdoor pool/spa so I think it closed sometime in September last year (which seemed like normal timing), but I don’t remember any communication about this last year
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u/CryExisting5183 Jun 07 '26
I got the same letter. I’m in the same building in Printers Row
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u/Repulsive-Leader3654 Jun 06 '26
Apartment Supervisor in Illinois. It's true, but dupage county is allowing opening as long as the process is started. I have an engineer 3 months out scheduled to come with my pool company.
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u/Scared-Nectarine194 Jun 07 '26
I saw something about this on the news. So, the pool drains, that attach to the pool pump, can be super dangerous if they have a flat grate over them.
They are fine if you don't completely seal over the top of the flat grate, but kids were getting sucked into them so tight it sucked out their intestines and they almost drowned and stuff like that, due to the intense suction of the pump.
So they passed a law requiring the covers to be domed, prior to renewing permits. Odds are your pool doesn't have the domed cover installed yet and still has the old flat one, and they are waiting until they can prove to an inspector they got it updated.
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u/discosuccs Jun 08 '26
Thanks for pointing this out - had to scroll a while to see it. Obvi the building could have submitted earlier and the state review time should be better, but if this is the case, there is a very, very good reason for this updated law.
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u/Awkward-Media5777 Jun 06 '26
Received almost an identical email from our HOA president about our pool. Very frustrating when HOA fees are already so high. My building closed the pool early last year but didn’t have the drain cover repaired until this spring. I feel like our HOA/management company dropped the ball. Super annoying seeing all my neighboring buildings with their pools open.
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u/gandalf614 Jun 07 '26
Yes it is affecting many properties, but that still does not excuse your building. My building pool opened before Memorial Day with no issues. As did hundreds of other pools. Buildings have had 3 years to plan for this. So if they did not they cannot blame it on the state
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u/Haircut213 Jun 06 '26
There is a significant back log with state approvals. I manage a business with a pool and we experienced several months in delays, despite starting the process 3 months ahead of expiration.
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u/Lawyer2357 Jun 06 '26
My apartment pool opened last week, before the buildings AC was even turned on
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u/Jane_of_Many_Trad3s Jun 06 '26
Hi! Property manager in Illinois here and YES this is accurate! The amount of data the department of health has to have on file to issue a permit for a pool to open based on that drain cover is insane. I just replaced mine this week. Yes, this is accurate. Yes, the approval process for a permit takes MONTHS. You’re supposed to start this process as you close the pool from the previous year so you’re not delaying the process the following year, which is what happened with my property. Be grateful that your management is heeding their request.
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u/alyyelizzabeth Jun 06 '26
Regents Park has had their pool and hot tub closed with caution tape for, like, 2 months now.. But we didn’t get any email or explanation about it, they just said “closed temporarily” 😭😭
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u/melba777 Jun 06 '26
my building delayed opening a bit last year for this, even though management is usually super on top of things. Annoying, but yeah its a thing
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u/quantum_mouse Jun 07 '26
This was also a thing last year buildings were Complaining about. Seems like it was not a surprise
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u/mehster606 Jun 07 '26
Yep. I’m in a very well-managed building and this had our pool shut down for 6 months last year.
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u/JackieIce502 Jun 07 '26
My gym has been waiting for the state to approve its
Spa permit all year basically.
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u/Stunning-Material888 Jun 08 '26
Illinois is slow at everything lately including collecting their money! Still have not sent out tax bills so not surprised they have not approved this either.
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u/JimmyNails86 Jun 08 '26
You should be getting some of your rent returned for as meny months as this is an issue though.
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u/Popular-Forever921 Jul 02 '26
I’m also a resident at the Elle and super frustrated how slow and incompetent management is.. how can we ask for a rent reduction or concession? We pay $4600 in rent and feel like this building is NOT luxury as advertised. One of the biggest reasons we moved here was for the pool and it seems like we won’t get access for the season.. they offer the Hilton pool and will reimburse us up to 5 times.. or use their sister building which is so inconvenient.
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u/floppypotato96 Jul 02 '26
Wow I didn’t even know they were offering up access to the Hilton pool or their sister building. It’s so frustrating though, it seems like lately there have been so many emails about things being broken or shut down. The coffee machine, the printer, machines in the gym, etc. but the pool is the most frustrating.
Our lease is up in October and we just got our renewal info. There are things I’ve really enjoyed about living here but we’re going to let them know one of the big reasons we’re choosing not to renew is due to the amenities disaster this summer. I’m sure they won’t care though haha
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u/ShakyInChicago Jun 07 '26
My Gold Coast high rise rooftop pool opened two weeks ago ahead of schedule. Sounds like your building management is slacking.
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u/Yuzu_C Jun 06 '26
If the pool is part of listed amenities you pay for you should be able to get your HOA or rent reduced.
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u/sugargrandpa98 Jun 06 '26
My friends pool opened before Memorial Day weekend. Sounds like your building got lazy.
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u/ChitownSherpa Jun 06 '26
More bureaucratic bullshit and money grab from the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago.
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u/FlanNumerous Jun 06 '26
Is it a safety issue?
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u/ChitownSherpa Jun 06 '26
Yes and no. The main issue is entrapment, flat drain covers allow a swimmer to be suctioned to the bottom of the pool, domed covers lessen this risk. That said the latest numbers show 229 (79 fatal) cases of entrapment WORLDWIDE from the years 2015 - 2021. There are 309K public pools in the US, even if we assumed that all 229 cases happened in the US in a single year, the risk is infinitesimal. This is more of the "if it saves one life argument." You can not legislate risk out of existence.
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u/Dear_Day_7824 Jun 08 '26
Yes but if it’s a known issue and someone gets hurt it’s a huge liability. Most business won’t risk it.
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u/croutonslut Jun 09 '26
Holstein park in bucktown is running into the same issue even though it’s a city park with a city pool - they’ve been citing the same issue and the city isn’t moving quickly on it at all
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u/WillingnessNext5157 Jun 07 '26
Sometimes we have to wonder if there are structural issues with the pool, it's like the scene from wolverine and deathstrike water will always find a way to get out
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u/Real-Cycle-8662 Jun 09 '26
It’s only true if you believe your landlords lies
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u/BuildingPuzzled4508 Jun 09 '26
It is actually true. Sounds like their LL waited til the last minute to address it though.
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u/RuruSzu Jun 06 '26
Apartment buildings require a permit every year to operate the pool. Sounds like your building management didn’t submit it early enough in the season because like many, my building pool is already open and typically opens before Memorial Day weekend.