4501 N Melvina Ave 1St
This building has a higher-than-average number of open problems nearby. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.
This building has 0 building violations (7y), at or below the Portage Park average of 0.7.
What's in the 4501 N Melvina Ave 1St report
| Units | 2 |
|---|---|
| Year built | 1948 |
| Stories | — |
| Building area | 1,697 sq ft |
| Property class | 211 |
| PIN (Cook County parcel) | 13171120220000 |
Registered owner per Cook County Assessor records.
Landlord portfolio
Other Chicago properties this owner holds, with risk grades for each.
Unlock complete reportThe two-unit residential building at 4501 N Melvina Avenue, located in Chicago's Portage Park neighborhood, has been under the ownership of Irene Kniaz since its construction in 1948. The property's recent service request history from the past seven years shows a total of nine recorded incidents, with the most recent being a water lead test kit request filed in January 2026 that remains open. The 2025-2026 timeframe has seen several maintenance-related requests, including a leak check and rodent baiting complaint, both of which have been resolved. Two external issues were reported in 2026, including complaints about an open fire hydrant and e-scooter parking, both of which have been closed. Additionally, there was a request for a blue recycling cart in March 2025 that has been resolved. While the building has maintained regular interaction with city services, the most pressing current concern appears to be the open water lead test kit request from early 2026, which warrants monitoring.
How 4501 N Melvina Ave 1St's risk score is calculated
We trained a model on 7 years of Chicago code enforcement data — building violations, 311 complaint history, environmental enforcement, and owner track records. It estimates the probability that the City of Chicago will find a code violation at this address in the next 12 months. Lower % = safer.
What the score means for you
Grade A–B — Low risk
City inspectors rarely find violations here. Strong maintenance history and a clean complaint record.
Grade C — Moderate risk
Some past violations or complaints on record. Worth asking the landlord about any open issues before signing.
Grade D–F — High risk
Elevated violation and complaint history. City inspectors have found issues here before and are statistically likely to again.
Out of 3910 buildings in this neighborhood, 2268 are predicted to be safer.
violation
likely
What's driving this score
The data points that most influenced this building's risk rating — ranked by the weight the model placed on each one.
4501 N Melvina Ave 1St apartment reviews
Real experiences from people who have lived here. Share yours to help other renters decide.
Share your experience — Help other renters by leaving an honest apartment review
Loading reviews…
Compare nearby alternatives
This building and nearby alternatives in Portage Park, color-coded by risk level. Click any marker to explore.
4501 N Melvina Ave 1St event timeline
Building violations, environmental complaints and enforcement, permits, scofflaw listings, and 311 calls — most recent records in order.
See all 5 events
Full history back to 2025 — violations, complaints, permits, and 311 calls.
Unlock complete timelineFull data for 4501 N Melvina Ave 1St apartments
Chicago public datasets for this parcel — building violations, permits, 311 calls, environmental complaints and enforcement, scofflaw listings, and vacant building registrations.
What this is
Violations issued by the City of Chicago Department of Buildings against this parcel.
| Violation # | Date | Category | Status | Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading… | ||||
What this is
Violations issued for failure to register or maintain a vacant or abandoned building.
| Docket # | Violation # | Issued | Department | Type | Disposition | Total Fines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading… | ||||||
What this is
Building permits issued by the City of Chicago for new construction, alterations, and repairs at this parcel.
| Permit # | Issued | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loading… | |||
What this is
Chicago 311 service requests recorded at this parcel — maintenance complaints and quality-of-life requests.
| SR # | Created | Type | Department | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading… | ||||
What this is
Environmental complaints filed about this property with the City of Chicago.
| Complaint # | Date | Type | Inspector | Resolution | Resolved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading… | |||||
What this is
Formal environmental enforcement cases brought against this property.
| Case # | Date | Type | Violation | Disposition | Status | Fine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading… | ||||||
Affordable Rental Housing requires a full report
Included with every paid plan.
Unlock complete reportAsbestos & Demolition Notifications requires a full report
Included with every paid plan.
Unlock complete reportLook up the next apartment before you sign
Search any Chicago address free — no account needed to see the risk rating.
Get the complete picture
Every plan unlocks the complete report: all Chicago datasets, full history, landlord portfolio, and PDF & Excel exports.
Report Bundle
For the buildings you're deciding on right now
$10 one-time
~$3.33 per building. No subscription ever. Each credit unlocks one building's premium report for 30 days.
- 3 full AI-powered reports
- Download PDF reports
- Advanced safety analysis
- Compare multiple buildings
- Credits never expire until you use them
- Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
Apartment Hunter
For a wide search across many buildings
$39 one-time
30 reports — ~$1.30 each. No subscription ever.
- 30 full AI-powered reports
- Download PDF reports
- Advanced safety analysis
- Compare multiple buildings
- Credits never expire until you use them
- Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
Renter
For the weeks when the stakes are highest
$10/mo
Billed $120/year — save $24 vs monthly
- Unlimited basic reports
- 5 premium AI reports per month
- Download PDF & Excel reports
- Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
- Full event timeline — every year of history
- Landlord portfolio & ownership insights
Less than $0.34/day. Cancel anytime.
Cancel anytime · Data sourced from the City of Chicago Department of Buildings, Chicago 311, Cook County Assessor & the Chicago Data Portal