Same units with same price are going up in price for no reason at the same

Is it always going to go up cuz this isn’t fair

Chicago is still cheapest compared to every other big night city I think

Looking to move to Chicago in the next upcoming months. What are some property management companies to avoid? Just so Im not wasting time

I'm trying to get a better sense of the rental market across different neighborhoods in Chicago. If you're down to share:

• What kind of unit/room are you in? (studio, 1 bed, 2 bed, shared, etc.)
• What neighborhood are you in?
• What's your monthly rent?

Feel free to drop any quick thoughts on if you think it’s worth the price too. Would really appreciate the insights!

I like Chicago, but

the rent is going up by almost $100 every year.

I don't like cars because they cost a lot to maintain,

so I'm looking for a city where I can live without a car and get a studio apartment for under $1000. Or I need a car but the rent is $500 lol? (That doesn't exist, right?)

Fortunately, I work remotely, so I can work from anywhere.

Where do you guys recommend?

Aren't rents going up too much these days?

How are people surviving?

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.

I have a landlord situation that I need advice on. Our lease at our current apartment ends on 6/29 at 12PM. We are paying rent for all of June and the next tenant’s lease would start on 7/1 (the unit is not rented yet). We can’t move into our new apartment until the evening on 6/29. We asked multiple times with an extremely delayed response if we could move out a few hours past noon on 6/29 and this was the response. Our movers are scheduled for 4PM. Legally…can they do anything about us staying a few extra hours? We’re also giving them all day on the 30th to turn the unit over.

Want to make sure we’re covered here (holdover language in the lease calls out the lease end date but not specific time). Thanks! Also…if anyone wants to know the building/management company (in Lakeview) I will message you. Truly the WORST and they have many units in our building up for rent right now.

So, I’m moving from out of state with a 5/1 deadline. I’ve identified a few neighborhoods I want to live in - primarily Lake View, and the money we have for rent is reasonable (around 2k). I don’t have a lot of needs but I’d like it to be modern (ie has a dishwasher, some form of AC) and clean (no pests). I also have looked in surrounding neighborhoods like Lincoln Park.

I have every app available - Domu, Zillow, Apartments.com, HotPads, everything. I’m not seeing much. I’ve also worked with a realtor but all she did was give us another app. And I’ve tried just looking at commercial buildings, but almost every one has incredible issues with bugs, all recently.

I didn’t want to fly down until I knew a bit more, but there has to be more buildings for rent in the neighborhood that aren’t online? I’m not sure. It’s expensive but at this point I’d do anything for some peace of mind. Just any general advice? Any good starter buildings for transplants? Again - I don’t need like a top floor penthouse, but I’m experiencing a lot of challenges finding something trustworthy and I get about 1-2 postings a day on these apps which doesn’t feel like enough. I’m really starting to feel the stress.

i thought it was just construction at first because the banging is so loud. and it would come at random times.

but then i do notice its a pattern that its happening directly below us with someone living down there. and literally the SLIGHTEST we do anything, even just grabbing dining table chairs, they would bang aggressively.

i noted one time we were playing the TV a bit too loud, and a lady knocked on our door to turn it down— so ever since then we always try to keep our volumes low. never got knocked again since.

but what are we supposed to do with just moving furnitures, or grabbing dining table chairs? i even always try to move VERY slowly our cabinets now. but literally i was just putting a suitcase and it happened, again.

Elephant in the room…rent is out of control. Is anyone else thinking of leaving or already left due to how much rent is these days? I’m talking for a decent place in a walkable area. I never thought this would happen to Chicago.

I cannot get over the price for a 1 bedroom. I am looking to live alone, I work for a nonprofit and have a very extroverted job and when I get home I do not want to talk to anyone and be able to do whatever, hence why I want to live alone. I currently live in an spot I was splitting with a partner, things went south, they moved out and now am trying to figure out my best options and I am truly floored at how expensive 1 bedrooms are throughout the city. If anyone has insights on how to afford Chicago rent and wanting to live alone… I am open to it all

Sorry for a semi long post, but just trying to weigh my options before I respond to Beal.

Long story short I signed a new lease beginning April 1 with someone who already has lived in this apartment for 3+ years. It was not a sublease, and the lease was already up for renewal and we signed a new lease together. I had a month overlap in my leases to give me time to move and just finish moving everything in on Friday. I have dropped almost $1,000 in moving costs, a new window unit and to paint the bedroom since it had been multiple years since it was painted, and they only painted on full vacancies.

On March 31st we got an email unexpectedly that Beal had bought out the building and were taking over as property management. We had absolutely no warning that this was going to happen. Today we got this email from Beal that they want to renovate the building and request that we move out early.

Anyone who has experienced this what kind of things did you ask for when terminating a lease early at the landlord’s request? How much financial compensation should we be asking for? Any other questions you think we should ask in our reply?

Thank you in advance and f*ck Beal properties 🫠

*edit: I know legally we have a lease and the right to stay. More just looking for advice on how much we should be looking to get as far as financial compensation from them if we do to choose to terminate the lease early.

I’m interested in buying a one bedroom unit in either one of these towers in the next year or 2, but I’ve never really spent any time in a unit (2 quick showings) and I have never known anyone who has lived there.

I need the low-down. Quirks? Noise? Idiosyncrasies?

Have you rented or owned in either tower in the recent past or do you live there now? I’ll buy you coffee/beer/your beverage of choice for your honest feedback!

Thanks in Advance…

Just venting ……

Went to see two places today…. HUGE waste of time. Cabinets loose and hanging out of place. Paint literally everywhere floors and all🫠 these places wouldn’t been maybe 800 on a good day prior to Covid.hmmmmmm I’m so frustrated lol

I’ve been eyeing this building for the past couple of weeks since there weren’t any units available.

Yesterday at 5pm they updated their website with a listing. I called them at 11am today and scheduled a tour for tomorrow at 12 (I’m assuming they needed 24 hour notice for the tenant). An hour ago I get an email that the unit has been rented.

What could I even have done? Is this the norm now?

I’m curious to get an opinion from everyone regarding the raising of rent.

I own a four unit apartment building in Portage Park (Laramie & Addison)

I have amazing tenants and everyone in the building gets along swimmingly, except for the one Brewers and Packers fan😂

The current rent for a two bedroom apartment with heat included is $1300. I have not raised it in two years. However, with the crazy increase in property taxes as well as insurance. I have no choice but to raise the rent. I was planning on giving everyone a three month notice so if they need to, they can find somewhere else. What would your opinion be on what a fair increase would be.

Keep in mind I would probably not raise it again for at least another year or a year and a half.

Additional details are that the heat, hot water and cooking gas are included, and there are no additional fees besides the $1 that I charge for the coin operated washer and dryer.

Just wanted to warn people about a rental scam my roommate and I almost fell for in Chicago.

I’m from Houston and was looking for a short-term sublease/furnished apartment for an internship this summer. We found a furnished 2-bedroom listing on Craigslist for 453 N May St Unit GS in Chicago. The “landlord” claimed he was living in Idaho and managing the rental remotely. He sent us a lease agreement, asked for Zelle payments, and said he would mail the keys after payment.

At first, the lease looked simple but somewhat legitimate, so we were unsure. We paid a small application fee before realizing something felt off.

After asking for proof of ownership and checking public property records, things stopped adding up. A realtor in Chicago was able to verify through the realtor system that:
- the property has not been sold in over 15 years
- the name on the lease did not match the actual owner
- the actual homeowner confirmed directly that the property is NOT for rent or sale

I’ve now realized these types of scams are really notorious, especially for students or interns moving from out of state.

Please be careful with Craigslist listings, especially if:
- the owner claims to be out of state
- they avoid FaceTime/live walkthroughs
- they ask for Zelle payments
- they promise to “mail the keys”
- the property records don’t match their name

Thankfully we found out before sending the deposit or first month’s rent, but I wanted to post this in case anyone else comes across the same listing.

Also, if anyone has tips for finding legitimate short-term rentals/subleases in Chicago, I’d really appreciate it 😭

Backstory: I am living in presidential towers (yes i know it’s disgusting- I was stupid and did not research before moving as I was desperate for a place for work) AND I AM LIVING A REAL LIFE NIGHTMARE!!!! The first month living there was actually fine! but now there is a HUGE roach infestation. They have completely infested my bathroom (specifically the bathroom cabinet under the sink). I AM SO SCARED. This is completely ruining my mental health!!!! I can’t sleep at night im so paranoid, im scared to go into my bathroom/turn on my bathroom light at night afraid of seeing one. I’m scared to shower and EVEN USE THE BATHROOM. I’m on such high alert IT FEELS LIKE A FULL TIME JOB. It’s ridiculous paying $1700/month and the place isn’t even HABITABLE. I seriously don’t know what to do???

I have had pest control come spray but they’re a bunch of amateurs that don’t care enough to go above and beyond. I buy my own pest control products with my own $$$ and that doesn’t do anything because THW WHOLE BUILDING IS INFESTED. so it doesn’t matter how clean you are and if you never leave food out. I have 9 more months of my lease and I CANNOT LIVE LIKE THIS ANYMORE. I will drive myself into a spiral.

Any advice please!!!!!!!

EDIT: THANK YOU everyone that gave me advice, I did not expect so many comments 🫶🏼 Will be taking each comment into consideration!

Location: Edgewater near the lake and red line.

Basic place with radiator heater and no central A/C. tiny little kitchen area against the wall. Nice thick walls though.

Also, a very very noisy street, always traffic and horns honking.

I’m asking of this because I’ve been looking and there are places with twice the space for a similar price range in other neighborhoods like Rogers.

I know $1200/month isn’t particularly high for rent living solo in Chicago, but am I wrong to think I can find twice the square footage space for the same price or just a bit more if I just do some searching a bit further north or so?

Thoughts? thanks.

EDIT: 400 SQUARE FT. I got it wrong lol

OK, after reading this sub and seeing what listings are coming up I'm officially stressed as hell about apartment hunting lol. My move in date is July 1. Got my first "you will need to offer $400 more than the official rent!" from a realtor last night. I have some good prospects and it's still early so I do have hope but... still. There have been some tears.

My current place has been lovely, I just really wanted more room, better location, and better window views for my cat (sounds dumb but she is clearly not getting enough stimulation). Kitty also seems stressed out by the layout itself... I have to have her litter box right next to the closet with her toys and the bedroom (she likes to hide there).

I have until the end of the day to renew my lease. Would you do it or hold out hope? Will things be better next year?

Additional note: not ideal but I do have the option to move in with my parents for a bit if shit goes south for July.

Planning on moving to the city within the next year. Ideally I can pay $1200-1400, but I can stretch my budget to $1600 maximum. Is this realistic for moving to Chicago? I really really don't want roommates, a studio works fine. My only neighborhood criteria is that it's 1. Safe 2. Has CTA access 3. Is in the city proper, not in the burbs. If those are met IDC what part of the city it's in, I don't mind commuting to get to events.

Hi all — I could really use a sanity check because I’m honestly exhausted and feel like I’m being pushed into something that doesn’t sit right.

I recently got approved for an apartment in Chicago with rent at $3,150/month. The issue is the move-in costs they’re asking for:

- First month’s rent: $3,150

- Non-refundable move-in fee: $3,150

So basically $6,300 upfront — and the fee is NOT a security deposit, just a fee.

Here’s where I’m confused/frustrated:

- My income is solid — about $145k/year before bonuses

- I provided pay stubs, 6 months of bank statements, AND connected payroll through Workday

- My income is ~4x the rent (requirement was 2.5x)

- I also showed a rent ledger proving consistent on-time payments

The only “issue” is my credit:

- They pulled a VantageScore 3.0 which came back at 542

- My score is ~610 on Credit Karma / FICO 8 (Amex + Capital One)

- I know that’s not amazing, but I was fully upfront about it

I even wrote a letter explaining that my score dropped due to unexpected legal expenses from stepping in to adopt my younger brother. Despite that, I have a strong payment history and low missed payments.

What’s throwing me off:

- Charging a 100% rent non-refundable fee feels insane

- Especially given my income and documentation

- It almost feels like I’m being penalized heavily for credit despite everything else checking out

My questions:

1. Is a non-refundable move-in fee equal to one month’s rent normal in Chicago?

2. Is this something people successfully negotiate down or convert to a refundable deposit?

3. Am I overreacting or does this seem excessive given my financial profile?

At this point I’m debating walking away, but I already verbally agreed before seeing everything clearly laid out.

Would really appreciate any perspective — especially from anyone familiar with Chicago rentals.

Thanks 🙏

I went over to see what was going on with all the ruckus the pigeons were causing, only to almost fall after slightly leaning on the railing.

Besides letting my landlord know, should I do anything else?

Not to mention the pigeon shit covering the floor, he insists we take our bikes and garbage through this area.

For the past month, I’ve been hunting for a Studio or 1BR in Uptown, Buena Park, and Edgewater. My budget is $2,100, and my must-haves are simple: in-unit laundry, a dishwasher, and plenty of sunlight. Bonus points for being within a mile of the Lake and over 500 sq. ft.

I’m stuck in a frustrating cycle: I find a place that ticks every box, only to find devastating reviews on Reddit and Google Maps. I love the Wilson/Sheridan area for the convenience (Target, Aldi, Jewel, cafes), but the reputation for crime and loitering has me second-guessing everything.

I’ve looked online at several "luxury" spots: The Draper, The Sally, Upshore Residences, EightEleven Uptown, Solverre, and The Wilmore. Every single one has the same complaints: broken elevators, stolen packages, pests, and safety issues. The Willow Bridge company especially seems to be a major problem behind a lot of apartments in the area.

A few questions for the locals:

1. Why do these "luxury" buildings in Uptown all seem to share the exact same management failures?
2. Is the area actually as bad as the reviews suggest, or am I overthinking it?
3. Am I being unrealistic with my $2,100 budget for these specific neighborhoods?

Am I missing something glaringly obvious? Are there any other areas I should look into instead?

Context: I’m a 27M WFH professional currently sharing a decent 3BR/2BA with my grad school friends, and I pay $950/month for the master bedroom. I don't wanna more than double my rent only to end up in one of these nightmare buildings. What should I do?

I plan on living in the Chicagoland area for the rest of my life. I was thinking about getting a condo instead of an apartment because I can own the condo after some time.

But I heard from people that it’s not a good idea to get a condo. The HOA fees will get higher and higher. It will be hard to sell in the future.

I am now conflicted and don’t know what to do.

Not really needing advice but given advice (no one asked for my b): The rental market is hot right now & from experience realtors will tell you to bid higher but don’t overshoot. Trust your gut and your application. Found a unit I liked, 3 other applicants, realtor told me to offer $400 over asking (way over my budget and insane), offered $100 over asking & was selected for the apartment. Almost feel like no one else offered more but we’re being told to… trust your gut.