I am 45, LGBTQ, ultra runner. I ran out of steam looking at apartments and settled on a West Loop unit. I applied but haven’t signed the lease. I’m relocating from out of state and having serious regrets. I wanted lake access for running and for northside things like the LGBTQ run club, improv classes, Andersonville events, etc. Do I eat the $500 application fee and pivot to a luxury Streeterville unit? I really want a steam room and pool, which it seems I can get for the same price as the West Loop apartment with no amenities.

I’m 25M and moved to Chicago on November 10, 2025. I’m struggling to adjust to actually living here, even though Chicago has always been my favorite city to visit.

I still have my car, but I rarely use it. The issue isn’t that I can’t afford it, it’s that using it often feels inconvenient and like a waste of money. I mostly stay within the Loop, and I’ve started feeling trapped here. Even simple things like getting groceries feel like a hassle. I don’t want to drive, but I also don’t want to walk or take public transit while carrying groceries.

Back in Missouri, a grocery trip usually took 15–30 minutes total. Here, it can easily take 45–85 minutes depending on traffic, walking, or public transportation. Food delivery has also been frustrating. Back home, I could DoorDash late at night and usually get food within 5–10 minutes. Here, delivery often takes 1–2 hours, and there are fewer late-night options in the Loop. Even things like buying alcohol feel more limited compared to what I was used to.

I genuinely love Chicago for the architecture, things to do, and food scene, but day-to-day life here has felt a lot less practical than I expected. Compared to the smaller town lifestyle I came from, simple tasks feel more inefficient, time consuming, and mentally draining.

I’m conflicted because I still really like the city itself, but I’ve been pretty miserable actually living here. At this point, I’ve even considered moving somewhere like Westlake, Texas, mainly so I could have more space, more privacy, and a quieter day-to-day lifestyle.

The difficult part is that I don’t really want to move to another Chicago neighborhood unless I’m still in the heart of the city. I currently live in the Loop and work about a 4 minute walk from my apartment, which is a huge benefit. Adding even an extra hour of commuting each day would make the move from Missouri feel less worthwhile financially.

Once I factor in the pay difference, commute time, and overall time lost, the move starts to feel less economical than my previous situation if I move to another location further out.

Has anyone else felt this way after moving to Chicago, especially from a smaller town? Did it get better once you adjusted, built a better routine, or found ways to make city living feel less draining? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Just moved into a pretty cool apartment in North Park about two weeks ago. The place has keypad locks on all of the house doors. I have two - an interior door, and an exterior door.

Since I am new to Chicago, live on the second floor, and am a smoker (I go out to the alley to smoke), I usually leave the door unlocked until I go to bed. I am home the majority of the day with only a few hours out of the house a week for errands, etc, and I always activate the door lock before I leave.

Yesterday afternoon I laid down to take a nap, and before falling asleep, I heard a mechanical sound and then a beep. I went out to the kitchen since that’s where I was sure it came from, but I couldn’t figure out what made that sound. I took my nap and all was well.

Around 12:30am last night, I was watching TV in the living room when I heard the mechanical sound and beep again. I went back into the kitchen because I was now 100% positive that’s where it came from. I noticed the door was locked. I didn’t lock it. I stood there freaked out for a couple of minutes, and unlocked the door. A few minutes later, it locked again.

I texted the PM and asked him if he had remote locked my back door, but he said he didn’t and it could be the auto-lock feature. I asked him if he could disable it and he said he did.

I’ve been here for two weeks. It has never auto-locked until yesterday. If it was some auto-lock feature, he must have just turned it on or was messing with the settings. When we had those real nice days last week, I had the back door open letting in some fresh air, and it never once auto-locked.

He says he can see when I lock and unlock my door, so he knows if and when I’m home.

Am I overreacting to be completely freaked by this? Am I being unreasonable to want a little more privacy? Is it normal here in Chicago to have so much security? When does security cross the line into surveillance? (We also have multiple cameras on the property recording us daily)

TL/DR: PM possibly remote locked my apartment 3 times yesterday and said it was an “auto-lock feature” that has never been activated on any other day

Edit: I want to add that when this happened last night, and I texted him, he replied almost immediately and then said he disabled the auto-lock, which is why I think he was the one who locked the door remotely

Where we all going to look at the market next?

4 bed 3 bath
Available till August 1
Potential to renew after if can find roommates
Little Italy area near uic
Street parking

I think it’s the best deal in the area dm for details

Prefer male roommate as it’s male but looking for someone asap to move by this weekend

In unit laundry

No pets

EDIT: I forgot to add that I have a budget of $900-$1000. I am interested in any area that can fit my budget.

Hi everyone! I’m looking to sublease my apartment at The Letterman Chicago located at:

📍 410 S Morgan St, Chicago, IL 60607
📌 Neighborhood: West Loop / near UIC

📅 Sublease Dates:
June & July 2026
Move-in available for the start of June, and the sublease ends at the end of July.

💰 Rent:
$1,000/month OR best offer

🛏️ Unit Details:
- 4 Bed / 2 Bath unit
- Furnished

🚆 Location / Transportation:
Super close to UIC, the Blue Line, bus stops, and public transportation 🚇🚌 — easy access to downtown, West Loop, and the rest of Chicago.

📩 Message me if you’re interested, want more details, or would like to see pictures!

Hey everyone I’m looking for a 1 bedroom in the Cornado and my budget is $1400. I really just wanted to get on here and see if anyone is leaving the building in the next month or couple months (June-August) and would be willing to give me a lead. I would appreciate any help with this thank you!

Chicago keeps expanding surveillance with Flock cameras, data tracking, permits, inspections, and regulations for regular people… but why are management companies and slumlords still able to operate with almost zero accountability?

At this point, every building should have a transparent digital history attached to it. Blockchain technology already exists. Imagine if every permit, failed inspection, code violation, utility issue, lawsuit, noise complaint, insulation upgrade, plumbing repair, and remodeling job was permanently attached to a property record before someone rented it.

Because right now tenants walk into apartments blind but landlords have every little thing about you that they can dissect and check into your history.

You think you found a “deal” until the first weekend hits and realize the walls are paper thin, neighbors are out of control, utilities are insane because the landlord cheaped out on insulation, or maintenance requests suddenly disappear after move-in. Some landlords overpromise everything just to get someone in the door, then drag their feet for months once the lease is signed.

Where am I coming from with this?

From 2009–2020 I remodeled more Chicago multi-unit buildings than I can count — 3 flats, 6 units, larger apartment buildings — mostly for management companies. Some owners absolutely cared and wanted things done right. But a lot of them? They cut corners constantly to protect profits.

I honestly regret working on some of those buildings.

My crew always did extra work because we knew someone was eventually going to live there. We brought places closer to condo-level quality while others were doing the bare minimum to pass inspections and collect rent checks.

Nowadays I mostly do exterior work and work by myself. I burned myself out dealing with crews, landlords, and the constant “push, push, push — finish faster so we can rent it faster.”

And even now I still see the same mentality.

An old contact reached out to me back in March about a problematic roof. Furnaces and ductwork were exposed on the roof, and later I found out the tenants had been dealing with leaks since last September.

I finished the work a few weeks ago.

Today he called me saying they discovered mold and asked if I could handle it. I told him yes — I know exactly how to do it safely, what products to use, and that the tenants would need to be out of the unit for the entire day while we sealed the area, wore respirators, and ventilated the place properly.

He literally laughed on the phone and said:
“Forget it, I’ll have my maintenance guy do it.”

That bothered me more than it should have because now I just feel bad for the girls living in that unit.

Then a few weeks ago the same guy asked me for a quote to add laundry into another apartment unit. I said sure, thinking the lease was ending at the end of May and we’d have a month with the place empty to do it properly.

Then I get a text:
“We rented the place for June 1st and the tenants are okay with you doing the work around them. Should only take a month…”

Excuse me? Occupied unit?

You want walls and ceilings opened up while people are moving in? I’d need to cut into the kitchen for gas lines, open bathrooms for water and drains, drill through ceilings and exterior brick for venting — and somehow people are supposed to live normally in the middle of that?

I sent him a cold response back telling him that’s illegal and to never contact me again for jobs like that.

People need to understand:
if we let these management companies walk all over tenants and contractors, they absolutely will.

Not all landlords are bad. Some truly care. But there are way too many greedy people in this city treating housing like a pure extraction business with zero concern for the people actually living there.

Fresh paint and staged photos hide a lot of problems in Chicago apartments.

Toured it and really liked it, but I’m seeing a lot of reviews from ~1-2 years ago saying there is/was a major roach problem. Is that still the case?

Looking for someone to take over my 1-bedroom apartment lease starting in June in Uptown!
1 bedroom / 1 bathroom

$1525 a month, cats allowed,

Heat + gas included

Laundry in building

5-minute walk to the Wilson Red/Purple Line stop. 151 and 36 bus a few blocks away

Aldi, Target, and Jewel-Osco all nearby

Great location with easy access to transit, groceries, restaurants, and the lakefront

Message me if you’re interested or want more details/photos!

We have not looked in several years so I’m not sure how to understand the time in the market for Zillow.

So many posts talk about rabid competition but then I see apartments out there with 15-20 days on the market. Should I read anything into that? Does that indicate a problem?

These are all north side places. In the $3500-4200 range. Nothing fancy but decent. Something that I would have thought would go fairly quickly.

Wasn’t sure if listings stay up if leases have been signed but the new renter hasn’t yet taken over. Maybe they are using it as a lead magnet even though it’s not really for rent. Or maybe something is wrong with these places.

I’m subletting a 539 sq ft new construction studio in Edgewater starting in July to finish out my lease term to September 30. I’ve really enjoyed living here, my lease just doesn’t align with the person I’m moving in with. The layout makes it feel much bigger than your typical studio and provides a lot of storage space. It provides great access to the red line, several bus lines, and the lakefront is literally across the street.

The retractable bed is a unique feature – it can be mechanically raised or lowered to serve as a sofa or bed, making this place a great fit if you need to move quickly and don’t own a bed frame or mattress, or is at least a good conversation piece. Lastly, this is a very energy efficient building and I’ve only had to use the AC or heat on the most extreme days to keep it comfortable. 

Apartment Features:

• Dishwasher
• Gas range
• In-unit washer and dryer
• AC and heat
• Retractable bed (!)
• Good water pressure (!!)

 

Building Amenities:

• Full gym
• Dog run
• Rooftop lounge and event space
• Shared workspace
• Pet friendly (some fees, some larger dog breeds require an interview)

Utilities, including internet, are included in rent *except* for electric.

Photos in replies, DM me for additional info, happy to answer questions.

https://preview.redd.it/vj9yihjild2h1.png?width=998&format=png&auto=webp&s=1836b158788868e12423f802d76ee0db28d048c0

To help cut down on the number of posts, I am making this guide with all of the Chicago housing groups on Facebook I can find. This will be updated every so often with new ones that pop up.

Some of these groups are PUBLIC, so be aware of scammers. The private ones are more reliable but you may have to wait to be allowed in.

If you have any suggestions for groups to add to this list or there are any issues with any of these groups/links, please dm me!

General groups:

Chicago Sublets, Apartments & Roommates

CHICAGO - Housing, Apartments, Rooms, Sublets

Chicago Housing, Rooms, Apartments, Sublets

Chicago Apartment Rentals, Houses, Sublets and Rooms

Chicago (IL) - Housing, Rooms, Roommates, Sublets

Chicago City - Housing, Rooms, Apartments, Sublets, Roommates

CHICAGO Housing, Rooms, Apartments, Sublets, Roommates (SPAM/SCAM FREE)

Chicago Apartments and Housing (NO SPAM) 🏡

Chicago Housing, Rooms, Apartments, Sublets

Apartments for Rent/Sale Chicago

Apartments FOR RENT in Chicago

Chicago Apartments for rent

Rooms & Apartments for Rent Chicago

Chicago Homes for Rent !!

Home/Apartments for rent and Sale in Chicago

Chicago Housing, Rooms, Apartments, Sublets

Chicago Rental Houses, Rooms & Roommates by Cirtru.com

CHICAGO Housing, Rooms, Apartments, Sublets, Roommates, Roomster

Chicago Rent/Buy/Sell a room/apartment/house/home/condos/property

Chicago Housing

Rooms & Apartments for Rent Chicago

Chicago - One bedroom apartment for rent

Chicago, Illinois ⭐️ Rent Sale Homes / Apartments ⭐️

Chicago - Housing, Rooms, Apartments, Sublets

Roommate groups:

CHICAGO Housing, Rooms, Apartments, Sublets, Roommates, Roomster

Chicago Roommates

CHICAGO Housing, Rooms, Apartments, Sublets, Roommates, Roomster

Chicago Roommates: Rooms For Rent, Apartments, and Rentals

Apartments And Homes For Rent In Chicago Illinois

Apartments for rent in Chicago

Chicago Apartments - Rent Apartments Houses Rooms

Sublet/Short-term stay groups:

Chicago Sublets

Chicago Housing, Rentals, and Sublets-monthly stays, flexible leases, rooms

Short & Long Term Housing in Chicago Area

Short & Long Term Housing in Chicago Area

Groups by neighborhood:

Chicago Northwest, North, & near North, Rooms, Apartments,Sublets SPAM-FREE

Lakeview - Housing, Rooms, Apartments, Sublets, Roommates, Chicago

Edgewater (Chicago) Neighbors

Andersonville Neighborhood News & Discourse

Friends Living In Rogers Park (FLIRP)

Ravenswood, Chicago Online Community Group

Lincoln Square - Chicago IL

Roscoe Village/North Center Real Estate

Andersonville / Edgewater / Ravenswood Chicago Buy Sell Trade Super GROUP

West Loop - Housing, Rooms, Apartments, Sublets, Roommates, Chicago

Logan Square Chicago City Apartments For Rent

Logan Square Chicago Apartments For Rent

Edgewater Neighborhood Apartments & Real Estate For Rent/Sale

Edgewater - Housing, Rooms, Apartments, Sublets, Roommates, Chicago

Chicago Lakeview Apartments For Rent

Lincoln Park Apartments and Roommates

South Loop - Housing, Rooms, Apartments, Sublets, Roommates, Chicago

Apartments for Rent in Lincoln Square

Ravenswood Manor

Hyde Park, IL | Off Campus Club (Housing, Furniture and more) NO SPAM

Streeterville - Housing, Apartments, Sublets, Roommates, Chicago

Apartments under $1500:

Chicago $1500 & under -Rooms rentals & sublets & apartments

Cheap Apartments For Rent In Chicago

Queer housing groups:

Chicago Queer Exchange

Chicago Queer Exchange (different group)

Chicago Queer Housing

Private Landlord

Chicagoland Landlords, Tenants, & Housing Connect

CHICAGOLAND LANDLORDS

Chicago Friendly Landlord Group

Student Housing

University of Illinois, Chicago UIC Housing, Room Rentals, Sublets Roommate

University of Chicago Apartments, Housing Roommates Short-Term & Sublets 🏡🏢

🇺🇸 Chicago 2026/2027 Student Housing: Sublets, Apartments, Accommodation

Chicago Student Accommodation 2025

University of Chicago Apartments and Housing (No Spam) 🏡

University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Housing, Rooms, Apartments, Sublets

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Housing, Sublets & Roommates

University of Chicago (UChicago) Housing, Sublets & Roommates

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) - Housing, Sublets & Roommates

University of Illinois Chicago UIC Looking Apartment House Rentals Sublease

DePaul University Off Campus Housing Rooms Sublets & Roommate Search

Hyde Park, IL | Off Campus Club (Housing, Furniture and more) NO SPAM

IIT Chicago Housing for International Students - AddaDesi

Loyola University Chicago (LUC) Housing, Sublets & Roommates

Illinois Institute of Technology Student Housing and Apartments (NO SPAM)

Northwestern Apartments and Housing (No Spam) 🏡

University of Illinois (UIUC) Housing, Sublets & Roommates

DePaul University DPU Looking Housing Room Rentals, Sublet Roommate Chicago

Loyola University Chicago LUC Looking Housing, Room Rentals Sublet Roommate

NIU Apartment and Roommate Finder

Chicago Student-to-Student Subleasing

Loyola University Chicago (LUC) Apartments and Housing (NO SPAM)

Loyola University Chicago Off Campus Housing Sublease & Roommate Search

Northwestern University Housing, Roommates, Tenants, Apartments

University of Chicago (UOFC) Housing, Sublets & Roommates

University of Illinois, Chicago UIC Housing, Room Rentals, Sublets Roommate

University of Illinois (UIUC) Apartment, House Rentals & Sublease, Housing

DePaul University Apartments and Housing (No Spam) 🏡

Illinois Institute of Technology Housing, Roommates, Tenants, Apartments

Illinois State University (ISU} Looking Apartment, House Rentals & Sublease

University Illinois Chicago UIC off Campus Housing, Looking Rental Roommate

University of Chicago (UofC) Housing, Sublet & Roommates

University of Illinois (UIUC) Looking Housing, Room Rental, Sublet Roommate

Northwestern University NU Looking Housing, Room Rentals, Sublets, Roommate

,

• Move In Date: June 6th
• Price Per Month: $2600 max
• Locations:
  • River North
  • South Loop (Closer to Harrison station such as printers row)
  • Lincoln Park
  • Lakeview
• Size
  • 650 sq ft plus
• Bed/Bath
  • 1BR / 1Ba
• Pets
  • No Pets needed
• Any other amenities
  • In unit washer would be nice but is not a deal breaker.

Feeling extremely lucky and grateful that my fiancee and I found our dream apartment that has all of our wants & needs at a price point less than what we budgeted for. Sending good vibes to those who are searching for a new home!!

• Neighborhood: Lincoln Square/Ravenswood
• Rent: $1400/mo
• 2 Bed, 1 Bath
• 900 SQ FT
• In-unit W/D
• Central HVAC
• Dishwasher
• Backyard space
• Quiet street
• Private landlord

My roomates and I are planning on moving to Chicago later this year, we are targeting a september 1st or 15th move in. We are looking for 3 bed 3 bath condos/apartments. Our budget is $4500 max. We all will work downtown and would like a 35 minute max commute. We like milwaukee avenue and are targeting wicker park/Ukranian vllage/West Towne area. We've heard that negotiating power is stronger for renters in this time period and we hope to find a good deal.

What does the September market look like compared to July?

What will inventory look like in this time period?

Any advice on searching for listings with September move in?

hey everyone,

i just found a roach in my living room this evening after having found one in my bathtub a few weeks ago (4/28). my landlord did come out and spray the building, but i just found another one today. i’ve never had a bug problem and am new to this. i live in an older building in old town. should i consider breaking my lease or is this something that can / will be resolved? thanks!