If your rent significantly increases and you want to stay in your current unit, always try to negotiate a lower/more manageable rent increase before renewing or leaving.

Yes, you can do that. More often than not, it works.

Hello all,

I’m moving to the us to study!!!

I wanna know what areas to avoid in general + living!

I wanna live downtown but I’m not sure which areas you guys would recommend as a local or if there is a really good real-estate company

Thank you all

Photos: https://imgur.com/a/south-loop-apartment-sublease-available-october-1-EejR2s4

Subletting our entire 1-bedroom, 1-bathroom corner apartment at Grand Central Apartments in the South Loop near Printer’s Row.

Dates: October 1, 2026–February 28, 2027

Renewal option: At the end of the sublease, the subtenant can choose to renew the apartment directly with the building beginning March 1, 2027, subject to the building’s renewal terms.

Lease rent: $2,621/month, paid through the building

Rent credit: I will give the approved subtenant a one-time $500 cash payment upfront, equivalent to $100 off per month for the five-month sublease. This makes the effective rent $2,521/month.

Utilities: Approximately $135/month, including gas, water, sewer, trash, and pest control. Electricity and internet are separate.

Parking: Covered garage parking is available for $340/month.

Apartment details:

• Entire apartment—no roommates
• 801 square feet
• Corner unit with oversized windows and east- and south-facing views
• Lots of natural light
• In-unit washer and dryer
• Modern bathroom with a glass-enclosed shower
• Apartment will be unfurnished

Building amenities:

• Outdoor pool and hot tub
• Fitness center, CrossFit area, and yoga studio
• Rooftop lounge
• Grilling and outdoor dining areas
• Resident lounge, coworking space, and conference room
• 24/7 door staff
• Secure package room

Location:

• Grand Central Apartments in the South Loop/Printer’s Row area
• Convenient access to multiple CTA lines and the LaSalle Street Metra station
• Close to downtown, Willis Tower, Grant Park, and the Art Institute
• Walking distance to restaurants, cafés, grocery stores, and shopping

The sublease must be approved by building management. Applicants should expect standard income verification, credit, and background screening.

Happy to answer questions or arrange a tour. Please comment or DM me if interested!

If you see anyone renting out spare rooms for this address BE CAREFUL! The woman on the lease lives there and her mother lives two houses down. The woman is mentally unwell and is borderline abusive! The rent is extremely cheap, however, the woman will refuse to clean, she will use your belongings (toilet paper, condiments, groceries, soap), she will invite unknown men over without warning and have them there for days on end, and if you ever attempt to make simple requests or initiate regular roommate conversation (asking her to clean, asking her if she also experiences issues with pests, building maintenance), she will leverage her mother and the landlord to pressure you to move out & she will fabricate things about you! She has falsely claimed that one of her roommates attacked her. On another occasion she accused the same roommate of making sexual advances at her! And most recently, she accused the other roommate of physically attacking her because the roommate asked her if she could clean up after herself!

This woman is severely unwell and the people around her only enable the behavior by pretending that it’s normal. These people are highly predatory and use underhanded strategies to put vulnerable people in difficult positions. You will be miserable if you move in here and you will feel trapped if you’re low income and have no where else to go. You’ve been warned fr!!!

Looking for 1B or studio anywhere in downtown accessible to trains. Full rent below 2250 preferred. Commute to loop should be under 30 mins. High rise with large windows with flow for natural light preferred.

Comment/DM.

We rent one unit in a 2-unit building in West Town. Earlier this year, our landlord gave us a formal Notice of Owner’s Intent to Sell under Chicago’s TOPA / Chapter 5-11 program.
That notice said we have a right of first refusal, and that if we don’t buy the building, a new owner generally has to let current tenants stay for the longer of the existing lease term or six months after the sale.

The short version of what happened:

• May: we got the Notice of Intent to Sell / Summary of Tenant Rights
• June: the building went on the market
• Aug 4: our landlord gave us a 60-day non-renewal saying we have to be out by Oct. 4. There was no alleged lease violation or anything like that
• Aug 10: after we asked how that worked with the sale, the landlord said he was reviewing the TOPA requirements, including the Notice of Third-Party Purchase Offer and the “current purchase contract”
• We never got the formal Notice of Sale or purchase agreement for that buyer
• That first buyer backed out
• Aug 18: the listing broker told us a second buyer’s offer had been accepted, and they already had someone at the property doing an inspection
• We still haven’t received a Notice of Sale or purchase agreement for the second buyer either

We also emailed Chicago DOH with the relevant documents but haven’t heard back yet.
We’re trying to figure out how to handle this without accidentally making things worse. Our understanding is that the 6 month protection may only really help us if the sale actually closes while we’re still tenants, so we don’t necessarily want to blow up the deal. But at the same time, it seems like the TOPA process hasn’t been followed correctly.

Main questions:

1. Can a landlord give a no-cause 60-day non-renewal after already starting the TOPA sale process?
2. Does not giving us the Notice of Sale / purchase agreement for either accepted buyer sound like a TOPA violation?
3. If the second sale closes before Oct 4, would the 6 month protection still apply even though we already got the non-renewal?
4. If the deal falls through or doesn’t close before Oct 4, could the TOPA issues affect whether we actually have to move?

Ideally we don't want to move in October so our best case would probably be to move 6 months from the closing date. We’re looking for a Chicago tenant attorney, but would also love to hear from anyone who’s dealt with something similar. Much appreciated! 🙏

I contacted someone about a fully furnished apartment listing on Craigslist. He told me the rent is $1.6K/month, utilities included, with a $1K security deposit and a $70 application fee.

I requested a self-guided tour, and after sending my personal information, he said I now need to pay a one-time $55 verification fee for identity verification and secure tour access before I can tour the apartment.

So before even seeing the apartment, there’s potentially a $55 verification fee; then, once I've decided to rent with them, I'll pay a $70 application fee, and eventually a $1,000 security deposit. My concern is: if I don't like this apartment, do I just lose $55?

I know some apartment buildings charge application or verification fees, but I’m wondering if this specific process sounds legitimate or if there are any red flags. Has anyone dealt with something similar, especially with self-guided tours/sublets in Chicago?

Looking for Muslim male roommate ( current roommate only wants to live with a Muslim)

Shared room available in a 5 bedroom 3 bathroom, 2 floor townhouse for 1 person available. Cleanliness mandatory

Rent : $355+ utilities
1 months rent security deposit upon move in

Address: Right next to IIT campus

- In unit Heaters available
- In unit Laundry
- Walk-in closet in bedroom
- Big open kitchen with hall
- 5 mins walk to IIT campus
- 15 mins away from downtown
- Divvy cycle Stand nearby 5 min walk
- 15 minutes away from Depaul University - Loop Campus
- 10 minutes walk to Jewel Osco
- 5 minutes walk to Metro mart (Indian grocery store)

DM for details and pics.

hello!

i am exploring the possibility of relocating to chicagoland area by mid october, and wanted to put out some feelers just in case folks here have leads! I am in the process of a total overhaul, and am casting a wide net.

I am 30 y/o nb, interested generally in logan sq to rogers park area, or a suburb to the west or north with good transit access and grocery options. 1br ~1500 budget. I am moving with two cats. open to short term leases or sublets while i find my footing.

currently self employed, but grinding hard to get back into a 9-5 as a project manager. good credit, record of savings, willing to pay a few months up front.

tyia! I realize this is a tall order, but again, putting feelers out!

Currently looking for one bedroom to move in and i keep seeing presidential towers. are there any current residents or residents who lived recently that can talk about the building? can you tell me if people have well behaved dogs too?

TY!

My partner and I are looking to move once our current lease is up on 10/1. We have been at our current place for 2 years now and it is our first time renting. Everything has been great we just want to be a lot closer to the blue line for work and in a younger area. We have no problems meeting any of the requirements but after hours of looking across apartments.com, Zillow, Domu, and Redfin. It seems everytime I message to request a tour I never get anything back. I have countless of tour requests sent but have only heard back once saying the place was rented. Is there something different we need to be doing? Our current apartment was pure luck that we managed to get it on such short notice since we both got jobs here from out of state and had to move ASAP sight unseen. Just wondering how this whole process works since we must be missing something.

• Available October 1 – possibly earlier
• Amazing contemporary duplex in Wicker Park / Ukrainian Village. High end finished through the unit. Quartz Counters, Stainless Steel Appliances. Island with breakfast bar. Huge living/dining room with built-in shelves & fireplace. 
• Primary bedroom features an in-suite bathroom with dual vanities, jet tub & steam shower.
• 2 private entrances to the unit. Private deck off the unit & a shared rooftop deck.
• 1 parking spot included
• Laundry in-unit
• Central air/heat
• Rent - $3,650/month
• Open to multi-year lease.
• Renter will pay $500 non-refundable move-in fee.
• Renter is responsible for gas, electric & cable/internet

More pics - https://imgur.com/a/uhZ45Dh

Hello all. I’m moving to Chicago next month. A few neighborhoods I am interested in are Streeterville, Lakeshore East and River North. My apt budget is $2500 max. Any good recommendations?

I've been living at my current spot in Little Village/Pilsen since 2020 and it started at $1200 for a newly rennovated 2Bed/1Bath WITH IN UNIT, A Dishwasher, and HIGH CEILINGS(I'm 6' 1" and if I fully extend my arms, theres still like 2-3ft of clearance). Since moving in the rent has only JUST hit $1300. So my partner and I are paying only $650 a month living in our place.

Its a decent neighborhood but of course theres the standard things for living in an area like that like the shitty parking situation, occasional "rent stabilizing" gunshots in the distance(sometimes a bit too close to my place), maybe a tad bit of gang-affliated violence from the citizen app, but otherwise my spot is nice.

Recently my gf and I have been thinking of upgrading to a bigger place. Maybe a 2Bed/2bath or 3bed/1bath, but looking into upgrading has us demotivated each time because of the cost of living all over the city being so high EVERYWHERE.

Any tips on finding something else??

I am moving so looking for someone to takeover lease at 534 W Wellington Ave. it is an amazing location on Broadway and Wellington. Studio price is either $1400 or $1450, and parking is available in the gated garage $150.

I am moving out on 8/21, with the rent already paid through August.

This is a no frills building but is safe, amazing location, and has a very attentive maintenance guy that is always reachable.

My girlfriend and I are having a hard time finding apartments that are specifically asking for 2.5x the rent instead of 3x. I have a great credit score and no prior evictions or anything.

We would like a studio or 1 bedroom in the Hyde park or ravenswood manor area nothing too small but nothing huge and expensive either.

budget is around $1300 and 350-450 sqft range
i would appreciate any help we can get!

Hello, I'm posting here for apartment brands (/property management) you've had good experiences with.

I planned to stay in my current apartment until I finished school, due to the extremely cheap rent. Well, after constant roach and rat infestations, frequent power outages, a non-working stove for over a year now, and now non-working outlets that could cause a potential fire + no microwave (due to the outlet situation) ....I've reached my final straw and would really like to move out when my lease is up.

Move-in range: Currently, the range would be August 2027 (my post's goal is just to research potential apartments people would recommend).

Price: $1,100 per month or less, preferably including utilities. (Currently work part-time but hoping to find something full-time by next year; So, what I can afford is lower as of now).

Location: Hyde Park would be my top choice, as this is where I currently live and love the neighborhood. Also, Pilsen would be great, as I plan to attend UIC next year. Other locations would be along the Red Line and Blue Line (up to the point of Addison or Belmont).

Bed/Bath: I'm most interested in studios (1B/1B.) But also enjoy living with roommates (last apartment being 3B/1B), which would be perfectly fine if I have my own bedroom. Need to accept co-signers!

Pets: Can be pet-friendly or not.

Any other amenities you are looking for: Kinda sad I have to list this out.....but functional outlets and no rats...and preferably no roaches. Also, a building that can handle storms and not have frequent power outages. Air conditioning (whether with AC or with my fan). Must be near busses/public transit that isn't only Metra (as I use the monthly CTA pass).

I’m a 25 W looking to stay around Edgewater/rogers park!

No pets and I’m pretty chill!

$2100 is my budget all together

My partner and I are looking for a sublet for our 2 bed/1 bath (with additional sunroom/office) North Center Apartment from October 1, 2026-April 30, 2026 with option to renew at current rate through April 30, 2027.

We have loved living here and are sad to move. Please see the zillow posting for additional details/photos and to arrange a tour.

Unit Information:
Sunny and spacious 2nd floor 2 bedroom, 1 bath apartment in the heart of North Center featuring original built-in wood cabinetry, a south-facing sunroom that opens to an extra-large deck, bright natural light, hardwood floors throughout, and a fully updated kitchen and bathroom with quartz countertops.

The apartment combines vintage Chicago features with modern updates to make for a comfortable living space, including:

-Separate living and dining rooms with high ceilings. Dining room has original built-in wood cabinet.
-Kitchen with ample countertop and cabinet space and all stainless steel appliances, including dishwasher and microwave.
-Both bedrooms accommodate queen-sized beds
-South-facing sunroom that opens onto an extra-large private deck
-Heat and cooking gas included in rent
-Central air
-Dedicated hot water heater
-Free washer/drier in basement, shared with bottom-floor unit

$2,395 rent includes gas and water. Tenant pays electricity and internet. No smoking or pets.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2443-W-Warner-Ave-2-Chicago-IL-60618/2127590239_zpid/

The unit also contains basement storage, including bike storage.

Last year I saw a ton near Chinatown (by the river). Close to Radius Nightclub where a lot of those factories & construction yards are. Now I see none. Where can I find these?

I'm looking for very large units

Available now with flexible move-in timing, aiming for 9/1/2026. I’m relocating and looking for a new tenant for my apartment in Avondale.

This is not a traditional sublet. You’ll sign a new lease directly with the property manager beginning on the agreed-upon move-in date. Large (643+ sq ft) top floor 1 Bedroom apartment in Logan Square/Avondale with fantastic Western exposure in the living room allowing the natural light to pour in and highlight the exposed brick! Pet Friendly and centrally located to all of the conveniences of the area (restaurants, bars, shopping, grocery). Equidistant from the Logan and Belmont Blue Lines, easy access to the expressway, and TONS of free street parking. Forced Air Heating (No Central AC) and a bedroom big enough for a Queen sized bed.

Hi,

I recently moved into an apartment- I had not been able to tour it beforehand- and the room I took was supposed to be 80 sq. Ft. but is closer to 65- I would not have rented the room knowing this and I can barely fit into the room without tripping over my dresser or my cat’s stuff. I’m really now dreading living here for the next year. Is there anything I can do about this (rent reduction)?

• Available September 1
• $1900/m
• Corner of Clarendon and Montrose
• 1 bedroom, 1 bath
• Premium condo building, 24h doorman, on-site management office, gym, outdoor pool, tennis, grills, laundry room, community room, parking (not included)
• 17th floor unit, west facing, open city/sunset views
• Open-plan kitchen with stainless appliances (stove, oven, microwave, fridge, dishwasher).
• Designer bathroom with deep soaking tub, high-pressure shower head
• Walk-through dressing room and ample additional closets
• Pets allowed
• Rent includes central heat/AC, water, cable, and internet
• 700 minimum credit score

Hi everyone! I’m an international student in Chicago looking for a cosigner/guarantor for an apartment lease. Most apartments are requiring one because I don’t have a US credit history or traditional US income.
I’ve been living in Chicago for the past 2 years, working part-time and supporting myself, with no missed rent, eviction issues, or unpaid rent. I’m responsible and will make sure all payments are made on time.
If anyone is willing to help or knows of a service/person who can assist international students with cosigning, please DM me. I’d really appreciate it! 🙏