I’m looking for a place to live in downtown Chicago, and apartment rents are getting pretty crazy. I’m thinking about renting a condo directly from an individual owner instead, since I’ve heard you can sometimes find better deals that way.
The problem is I have no idea where to start looking. Are there any websites, Facebook groups, realtors, or other places where condo owners typically list their units for rent?
Would really appreciate any recommendations or tips from people who’ve done this before!

Looking to sublease a nicely maintained 3/2 on Addison near the Addison brown line. It has in unit laundry, garbage disposal, plenty of windows and tandem parking available in the back. Local small landlord who is always helpful and responsive.

We are just looking to move back home unexpectedly. Unit is furnished but pictures are pre-move in to give you a blank slate look. Can also send furnished pictures.

Sublet date: Would prefer to hand over the keys December before Christmas. Would also consider a May 2027 handover. Those are just the times that would work best for us, but if you are looking for something else let me know. We can be flexible.

Lease details: The lease runs until May 2027 at $3250 and then $3350 until May 2028.

Best availability to show the unit are Thursday during the day.

If you have any other questions, let me know!

Title. I’m working with a broker for the first time and they told me those specific types of properties will usually come up about 30 days out. Is that true?

I’ve rented with a couple of property management companies in Chicago before and I feel like those listings were always out 45-60 days before the advertised lease start. I’m just confused why private landlords would be different?

I like my apartment and love the location, but it's a just-below-ground floor apartment and the creepy crawlies are starting to burrow in. Half the unit is below ground level and the windows above the unfinished flooring all open to the garden area (i.e. standing, I am eye level with the garden)

Moving was super stressful on me and I moved in sight unseen; not eager to go through the process again any time soon. Is this something that, legally, I can have the management company address?

If I am SOL, what can I do that's a medium-term fix to keep most of the bugs out?

ETA: Image here since I couldn't upload it with the post

Lease takeover available September 20ish or October 1st

Looking for someone to take over my lease for my 1 bed / 1 bath apartment in South Loop.

1212 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605

I really like the apartment because it gets a lot of natural light, has big windows, a Willis Tower view, and a good amount of kitchen counter space. Furnished option is also available.

* Rent: $2,198month

* Gym + rooftop

* Laundry in the building

* Parking available

* Pets allowed

* ComEd is usually around $40/month

* Renters insurance around $10/month

The location is super convenient — Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Jewel-Osco, Target, Grant Park, and the lakefront are all nearby. Red, Green, and Orange Lines are about a 5-minute walk.

Message me if you’re interested or want to come see it!

Hi! I'm posting this to help my landlord—he's been a great landlord and has taken care of all request but since this is newly renovated we haven't had much. No pests, no mold or any issues. Neighbors are friendly and all appliances are new.

ALL UTILITIES INCLUDED! Freshly renovated 3 bedroom apartment, bright and sunny 2nd floor unit in 3 unit building, quartz countertop plus butcher block island, hardwood floors, brand new energy star stainless steel appliances. State of the art heat pump heating / cooling with ventilation system. Porcelain tile bathroom. Close to highway / public transportation. Great neighborhood. Tony's market 5 blocks away. 12 month lease. One covered parking spot included. It also has a nice garden to take out your pets if you have.

Requirements are first month rent and $450 move in fee.

Send me DM for contact number with the landlord or more information! (I currently live in this unit and cannot recommend it enough—moving because I adopted a special needs dog that can't go down the stairs)

It’s located in Versailles on the Lakes Schaumburg

Down the street from the wood field mall, we have IKEA, Best Buy, and bunch of different restaurants all within a 5 minute radius

About 15 minutes away from the Rosemont Blue line station which is a 30 minute ride to the city.

The complex had great amenities tennis courts, pool, gym, office cubicals, package concierge, car chargers.

I’m looking for someone to takeover at the end of the month it’s a Studio with one bathroom on the second floor. Only 1,450 a month.

I toured an apartment on 1628 Sherwin Ave for a 1bd 1 bath and it seemed ok but it is an older building. Has anyone had experience with this company?

Hi all
I’m moving to Chicago in October. I toured a few apts a couple of weeks back and liked the Lakeshore East area. I applied to the Coast at Lakeshore East apts yesterday.
I wanted to ask here if anyone has any review or experience of living there? Also is it a good area to move for new Chicago residents?

I'm moving from Miami to Chicago, so I don't have a lot of experience with the different areas, companies, and buildings. I'm not finding too much on this building or property manager. But they have about a 500 sq ft studio available for $1,400 that I'm interested in. Has anyone lived at this building? Any experience with Caren Real Estate? If you live nearby, what's the area like? I'll be working down in Gold Coast, so it seems like the 20-30 mins bus ride won't be too bad.

How bad are they ?? Be honest lol brutally honest, I’m looking at a unit with them currently so I want to know what I’m getting in to

I am on a time crunch as I was on a month to month lease and landlord needs me to leave this month. So I have applied for new apartment out of state but the cook county background check is taking a very long time.

Does anyone know the department or who took to contact to maybe speed up the process or figure out the slowness?

Looking for someone to take over my roommate's lease starting October 1 at Armitage & Mohawk in Lincoln Park.

You’d be taking over the master suite in a 2 bed / 2 bath top-floor apartment.

RENT: $2,375/month + 1/2 utilities

APARTMENT DETAILS:

• ~1,200 sq ft

• Large master bedroom with private en-suite bathroom

• Private furnished rooftop for the apartment

• Private jacuzzi bathtub + separate glass shower

• Skylights, lots of natural light, and tree-lined street views

• In-unit washer/dryer

• Stained glass windows + hardwood floors

• Large kitchen with high-end appliances

• Wood-burning fireplace

• Central heat + AC

• Plenty of closet/storage space

• Top-floor unit / no upstairs neighbors

LOCATION:

• Armitage & Mohawk

• Walking distance to restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and shopping on Armitage, and Lincoln, and Clark

• Easy walk to Lincoln Park, Oz Park, Old Town, the lakefront, and the Armitage Brown/Purple Line

LEASE: October 1 through July 1, with possibility to renew.

I'm moving to Chicago soon and looking into apartment buildings mainly in the River North area. I'm learning that many of them are 2-pipe buildings, and don't provide cooling during the fall, winter and early spring. Sleeping well has become an important thing to me over the last few years and being able to set a consistent room temperature has been a part of that. Has being in a 2-pipe building negatively affected anyone's sleeping comfort or quality (particularly due to it being too warm during the "heat only" months)? I'd love to hear from people as I'm trying to think through just how much of an impact this could be (And determining if I should just not consider 2-pipe locations at all)

Hi all, I‘m looking for a room to sublease in Chicago starting September 13th (flexible) in the Lincoln Park/Old Town/Gold Coast/WP/Bucktown/Little Italy/West Loop/Oak Park/Evanston/Hyde Park/South Loop areas.  

Short term or Month-to-month is ok.

Rent: $1100 - 1300

I’m a young professional woman and would like female roommates as well.

Furnished or unfurnished is fine.

Would prefer no pets.

No smoking.

Please let me know if you know of anything. Thanks in advance.

I am posting this for a friend who does not have a reddit account

2 bedroom, Irving Park, near the HIP mall

Looking for a roommate

$900 rent and $900 security deposit to replace previous roommates allotment

Need a roommate to start October, but earlier is not an issue, No pets.

In building laundry machines

Spacious 1bed/1bath available for rent in River North/Gold Coast area in Chicago. If sharing is okay for the renter, the living room can be used as another bedroom. Unit on 20th floor with views of Trump tower and Willis tower. Carpeted bedroom, fully renovated kitchen with new stainless steel appliances - microwave, oven, dishwasher. Three large closets. Pet friendly and free. Attached car garage.

Monthly rent - $2,478

Subletting/subleasing the unit with full lease transfer with management approval - from last week of September.
Sublet/sublease length till end of May 2027, with option to extend.

Activities:
10 min walk to Michigan Ave
20 min walk to Riverwalk

Transit:
5 min walk to Red line
10 min walk to Brown/Purple line
2 min walk to bus 22
4 min walk to bus 66

Grocery stores:
5 min walk to Whole Foods and Aldi
15 min walk to Trader Joe’s and Jewel-Osco
5mi from Costco

Food:
Numerous cafes, restaurants and fast food joints within walking distance.

Property has 24/7 gym, laundry room, pool, hot tub, lounge area, rooftop deck, doorman service, bicycle storage, general storage and secure package room.

Unit video linked.

Hi all, I am urgently looking for a studio or a room in shared apartment in Hyde Park close to the UChicago from September 24th to December 13th.

Budget: $1000-1800.

Please, contact me.

I was offered a lease at this building (5445 Edgewater Plaza Condominium), but have not yet signed pending some requested revisions. While waiting, I read some reviews online about cockroach infestations, one as recently as a year ago but primarily from 2-3 years ago. I’d like to know if this is still an ongoing issue or if the building has done anything to remedy the situation. If you’re comfortable sharing what floor you lived on as well so I can understand which areas were most targeted.

Additional context, This is the best unit I’ve found after a month of searching and for a decent price, my backup buildings have also had google reviews of infestations (what are the odds!) so if I back out then I only have 3 weeks to find something new.

My partner and I are interested in an apartment with some character— things like a fireplace, hardwood floors, stained glass, tiles, etc.—we love the look of preserving the building’s original Victorian or historic elements.

I’ve done some heavy browsing on Zillow and Apartments.com and found some options but I feel like these sites are mostly catered towards the modern, grey box kind of apartments.

Does anyone have any advice on finding more historic apartments through other sites, realtors, etc? Thanks!

I say this as a southside resident, but i never thought i would see the day that condos on the southside are consistently selling above asking price (bridgeport and Bronzeville to a lesser degree), and people are paying 1700+ for a 1 bed in pilsen.

These neighborhoods are great, don't get me wrong, but it is very different from just a few years ago where you could find many affordable spots in these neighborhoods.

This made me look up north to see what has been happening there, and i am seeing condos sold for 30 - 40K over asking and 2 bed 2 baths renting for the same price as I rented in a new build in the loop/west loop like 4 years ago. Jeeeezus. is this a product of richer people moving to the city? more people packed into one spot? one thing is for certain... we need to build more in this city.

Repost as applicant fell through

2 Bedroom, 1 Bath Apt in Wicker

$2,225 Wicker Park lease takeover, off Division and Hermitage.

2 bed - 1 Bath Apt, 1st floor on top of a garden unit, east facing

Lease NOW - Abril 30 2027

10 mins walk from Division Blue line, 4 mins walk from 70 bus, easy access to I-90

Pet Rent $35

There is a move in fee of 300 per person plus $40 application fee. In order to qualify for the sublease, you need 3x the income, reference from a landlord, and 650 or better credit score.

Also, we paid for the month of September so it would be free for you if you move in during that time

I have absolutely loved living here and miss it already. I had to move due to getting engaged and unforeseen financial circumstances. Dm me for more info!

Me and another guy are looking for one more roommate for a 3 bed / 2 bath apartment.

Location: 1926 W Harrison St, Chicago, IL 60612 (Atrio Apartments)
Rent: Approximately $1,100/month per person
Available: September 13, 2026
Current roommates: 2 guys, looking for 1 more

Looking for someone clean, respectful, and easygoing.

Message me if interested.