Privacy Policy

ARO Manager is operated by ARO Chicago LLC ("we," "us"). This Privacy Policy explains what information ARO Manager collects, how it's used and shared, and the choices you have. It covers property management companies and their staff ("Customers") and people who apply for apartments through ARO Manager ("Applicants").

If you're an Applicant: your application belongs to the property manager you apply with. They decide how your application is handled and are responsible for it. We run the software for them. Questions about a specific application or leasing decision should go to that property manager. We are not the City of Chicago and are not affiliated with it.

From Customers and their staff: name, work email, phone, company and building information, unit details, listing photos, team members, and billing details. Payments are handled by Stripe; we receive confirmation of payment and the last details Stripe shares (such as plan and status), not full card numbers.

From Applicants (entered by the Applicant or the property manager):

• contact information: name, email, phone;
• household information: names, relationships, dates of birth, ages, and student status of household members;
• income, employment and asset information, and the documents that support it (such as paystubs, bank statements, benefit letters, tax transcripts and affidavits);
• the last 4 digits of a Social Security or alien registration number, if provided, because the City's Tenant Income Certification asks for it (we do not ask for full Social Security numbers);
• answers required by the City's forms, such as veteran status;
• optional demographic answers for the City's reporting (race, ethnicity, disability, gender) — these are always optional and include a "choose not to disclose" option;
• requests for reasonable accommodations, appeals, and messages with the property manager;
• e-signatures and authorizations, including the date, time and IP address of signing.

From third parties you authorize: if an Applicant authorizes it, employers, banks or benefit agencies may complete a verification form through a secure one-time link.

Automatically: basic technical information such as IP address, browser type and log data needed to keep accounts secure and the service running.

• to run applications, waitlists, eligibility and rent calculations, document checklists and compliance packets for the property manager;
• to fill in the City of Chicago's ARO forms (such as the Tenant Income Certification, Tenant Application Checklist and Annual Owner Certification) for the property manager to review and submit;
• to send account, application and billing emails;
• to keep the service secure, prevent fraud and misuse, and fix problems;
• to bill Customers; and
• to meet legal obligations.

We don't sell personal information, and we don't use Applicant information for advertising.

• With the property manager you apply with, and their authorized staff.
• With the City of Chicago Department of Housing (including its ARO Long-Term Monitoring and Compliance staff) and compliance reviewers the property manager chooses, when the property manager submits an application file or annual certification — as the ARO program requires.
• With employers, banks or agencies you authorize to verify information.
• With service providers that run the service for us: our hosting and application platform, Stripe (payments), and email delivery. They may use the information only to provide their services.
• If the law requires it, to protect rights and safety, or as part of a merger or sale of the business (with this Policy continuing to apply).

Listing information and listing photos that property managers publish are public by design.

Application and tenancy records are kept for as long as the property manager's account is active, so they can meet ARO record-keeping and annual certification requirements. When a Customer's subscription ends, the Customer may request an export for 60 days; after that we may delete their data, except records we must keep by law and backup copies that are overwritten on their normal schedule. One-time verification and signature links expire automatically.

We use safeguards designed to protect information, including encrypted connections, separation of each company's data, private storage for uploaded documents with short-lived access links, and role-based access for staff. No method of storage or transmission is completely secure. If a breach affects your personal information, we'll notify affected Customers and people as the law requires.

• Applicants can see and update much of their information in their portal. To correct or delete application information, contact the property manager you applied with; they control the application record.
• Optional demographic questions can be skipped or answered "choose not to disclose."
• Customers can update company information and manage staff access in the service, and can request an export of their data.
• You may contact us at support@arochicago.com with any privacy question or request. We'll respond within a reasonable time and may need to verify your identity.

ARO Manager is meant for adults. Information about children in a household is entered by the adult applicant only because the City's forms require household information. We don't knowingly let children create accounts.

We may update this Policy. We'll post the new version here with a new effective date, and for material changes we'll notify Customers by email or in the service.

ARO Chicago LLC · support@arochicago.com · See also our Terms of Service.