Chicago's largest landlord sued over dangerous living conditions

Pangea is Chicago's one of the largest landlords with 423 rental properties that include 7,500 units on the South and West sides, according to the lawsuit.

A lawsuit was filed against them,  accusing the company of fostering dangerous living conditions including broken elevators, a lack of heat or electricity and severe rodent infestation.

More than a dozen tenants signed on to the lawsuit on 18th July against Pangea Properties

They said their complaints to the property managers largely have been ignored and seeking damages for deceptive and illegal business practices

They’re also asking that the lawsuit be certified as a class action.

A spokesperson for Pangea said it has been “committed to providing quality, attainably priced housing that benefits both residents and the communities” they are located in

Each of the properties’ in-house management team, the spokesperson said, prioritizes customer service through regular communication and are responsive to tenants needs.

While people claimed that their complaints have been largely ignored by the administrators.

Panega is one of the city’s most prolific eviction filers and has taken thousands of families to court since 2009 — most of these evictions have been Black families living on the South and West sides.

The lawsuit doesn’t examine these eviction patterns but does allege threats of evictions were used against tenants by Pangea’s centralized management team to put a stop to tenant complaints.

The lawsuit said Pangea has had over 5,000 reported building code violations among its Chicago properties since 2009 which aligns with the many issues cited in the lawsuit.

Mia Segal, managing attorney said that “Pangea tenants deserve healthy, safe, and habitable apartments in return for the rent they pay.”