1. Determine how much you want to spend on rent
   
2. Pick a neighborhood
   
3. Considering using a broker
   
4. Find an apartment for yourself using these techniques
5. Visit potential apartments
   
6. Know your rights before you sign
   

Home of the Sears Tower, hot dog vendors, and da Bears, Chicago has a lot of stuff that you'll never see in LA or NYC. Not only is Chicago windy (haven’t you heard?), but it is also sprawling, with its neighborhoods spread out across miles of land. Granted, it's not all nice space, but it's space nonetheless. This is great for you, because it means that there are tons of places where you can find your dream apartment. We'll show you how to get the job done quickly and correctly. Besides, how can you go wrong living in a city where 4.6 billion Oreos are made every year?

Maybe get yourself a roommate
If you decide to get a roommate to lower your housing costs, you can choose a friend/acquaintance yourself or you can use a roommate agency (such as Roommate Access). Either way, you must carefully choose your roommate or you will rue the day you opted to bunk with someone else. Obviously, not all strangers make good roommates, but less obviously, not all friends make good roommates. There are some people whose company you might well enjoy during the day, but who would drive you crazy if you lived with them. In order to exclude such unsuitable people from your life, you should ask all potential roommates the following questions to assess your compatibility:

• Have you ever had a roommate before?
• What, if anything, bothered you about your past roommates?
  
• Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend or other friend who will be staying here frequently?
• Are you promiscuous? (Do not be afraid to ask this one. You probably don't want strange people sleeping over a lot, and if you explain that this is the reason you're asking, it will establish what you consider unacceptable ahead of time.)
  
• Do you smoke? Drink? Do drugs? If yes to any, how often? If not, why not? And if not now, when?
  
• Do you stay out late on weekdays?
  
• Did/do you have any credit problems?
  
• Do you have any pets?
  
• What is your occupation?
  
• What do you like to watch on television?
  
• What music do you listen to?
  

Whatever you ask, in the end you should feel very comfortable with your future roommate. If you do not, you are taking a huge risk. Also let your potential roommate know about some of your weird living habits (such as how you like to walk around in the nude); the goal is to create as little friction as possible.

One last note about roommates: try to arrange it so that your roommate co-signs the lease. If your name is the only one on the lease, then you shoulder the entire burden of responsibility for the apartment from a financial standpoint. If your roommate loses his/her job (and by extension, a steady cash flow), you'll be stuck paying his/her share of the rent. Then you'd be angry, poor, and kicking yourself for not following our sage advice.

Now that you know how much you can spend, you can start to look for apartments in your price range. Chicago is divided into four main areas: North, South, West, and the center (commonly referred to as "The Loop"). To the east is Lake Michigan. With 29 miles of lakefront, there's a great chance that you can snag a lake view apartment. (If that floats your boat, check out http://www.lakefrontmgt.com/ for listings.)

You might think that you have to live in The Loop because it's where most people work. Wrongo. Chicago also has a great mass transit system called the "El." It's how the doctors on ER and Chicago Hope all get to work (though in real life, most of them drive BMWs).

• The Loop itself has three sub-sectors: the South Loop, the West Loop, and Streeterville. These areas of town are right along the Magnificent Mile (a strip of land covered with shops, restaurants, and the occasional movie set). The ever-popular Navy Pier is also part of The Loop. Rents range from $800 for a studio to more than $5,000 for a really nice three-bedroom apartment.
  
  
• The South Side of Chicago (which is divided up into smaller towns such as Chatham, Beverly, and Bridgeport) is the cheapest part of Chicago to live in. However, we should warn you that the South Side has a reputation as being the most dangerous part of Chicago—while you have to be careful no matter what part of the city you live in, the South Side has the highest incidence of crime. But the good news is that if you’re not deterred by the potential danger, you can find some real steals (apartment-wise, that is). We suggest that you check out the neighborhood and see how you feel. Look for rent to be in the $400 - $500 range (for a solid apartment in a safe part of the South Side).
  
  
• The North Side begins to wander slightly further away from the actual downtown area, but it's a bit quieter than the rest of the sectors (albeit more expensive). The Near North includes the Gold Coast, Old Town, Lincoln Park/De Paul, and Lakeview/Wrigleyville. These are definitely some of the poshest areas of the city, which is great for yuppie sightings. Rents range from $600 for a studio to $1600 for a nice two-bedroom apartment. The Mid North Side is home to Buena Park, Ravenswood, Roscoe Village, and St. Bens. Rents range from $500 for a studio to just over $1000 for a two-bedroom apartment. The Far North includes such towns as Andersonville, Edgewater, Rogers Park, and Evanston. Again, yuppyish. Rents range from $400 for a studio to $800 for a two-bedroom apartment.
  
  
• The West Side of Chicago is where suburbia begins to meld into the city system. If you don't care about taking the train into the city, you should consider looking at apartments on the Far West Side. Rents are often cheaper than those directly in the heart of Chicago, and they aren't too far from all the action, either. The Near West Side has a lot to offer, with neighborhoods like famous Wicker Park, Bucktown, River West, and Ukrainian Village. Rents range from $500 for a studio to $1000 for a very elegant two-bedroom apartment.

Our advice is that you opt for an apartment on the Near West Side. You'll get the most space for your buck, and because it's so close to The Loop, you'll have access to the rest of the city. To see Chicago's official listing of the average cost of housing in its different neighborhoods, check out http://www.ci.chi.il.us/PlanAndDevelop/ChgoFacts/Housing.html.

When you start visiting neighborhoods during your apartment search, you will need to keep the following factors in mind:

• Is the rent affordable? Are the stores, shops, gyms, and bars in the area affordable? (No matter what they say ahead of time, most people spend their money in nearby establishments.)
  
• How close is the El (which you'll have to use to commute to The Loop)?
  
• What are the nearby schools like?
  
• Who lives in that neighborhood? Yuppies? Students? Old smelly people?
  
• Where will you park your car? If the apartment you're looking at doesn't include parking, how easy is it to park on the street?

And of course, one factor that deserves special attention is safety. A word to the wise: bring a friend/significant other/spouse/enemy with you and wander around the neighborhoods you're considering. You can get a pretty good idea of what life is like just by observing whether people walking past you are wearing ski masks in the summer. When in doubt about a neighborhood's crime rates and safety provisions, go to a local police station and do a little investigating of your own. Ask the cops for their opinions (believe us, they'll give 'em to you).

If you wanna learn more about your prospective neighborhoods and what they have to offer, check out http://www.mrremax.com/chi_links.html for a ton of links to Chicago landmarks, events, media, and other pertinent info for newcomers. Students, the site includes you too!

Once you have a basic idea of the neighborhood(s) you want to live in, you should decide whether or not you want to use a real estate broker. A broker is a person who does most (or all) of the apartment hunting for you. Of course, this service is not cheap. Brokers charge fees for finding you an apartment, and those fees vary. In Chicago, the fee depends largely on what area of town you are interested in. The important thing is to not be put off by these fees; brokers like to give the impression that the fees are set in stone, but a little negotiating often goes a long way and will save you money you can later spend on popcorn at any of the 200 parades Chicago has each year (don't you love how seamlessly we weave these
factoids in?).

Using a broker has several advantages. Brokers will do your leg work; they find apartments and make appointments to fit your schedule. If you are a workaholic who forgets what city you're in at any given time because you never see the light of day, a broker would probably be invaluable. Brokers also tend to have a wide selection of apartments from which to choose, and they occasionally have access to apartments not available to the general public (because some buildings are dubbed "broker buildings," in which the landlord will deal ONLY with brokers).

If you do decide to use a broker, there are several ways to find one. Many brokers advertise in the newspapers or in online classified ads; you can also find brokers in the Yellow Pages. If you decide to use a broker service, check out Habitat Realty. Habitat Realty has complete listings of available apartments in the larger high-rise buildings in Chicago, and their website is easy to use and contains photos of the areas. Another promising lead is to check out http://www.homes-condos.com/, provided by Chicago Apartments and Condos. Their listings are updated daily, so you can always get current information on rentals from them. Finally, many companies have associated brokers they use for relocating employees. If you work at a big company, ask your human resources person if there is a broker your company uses. In fact, your company might pay for the broker's fee.

It's not so hard to find an apartment in Chicago that you absolutely must have a broker, so you may find these techniques useful in your solo search:

Employer or school
Online
Newspapers and magazines
Bulletin board, postings
Walking around

Hit up your employer or school
You may want to begin your search by asking your employer if the company has any real estate services; some large companies hold apartments for employees or have very good contacts in the rental market.

Don't neglect area colleges and universities, as they have high turnover rates (leading to easier apartment searches). Many of the most reasonably priced apartment listings can be found littering the lightposts of college walkways. And Chicago has plenty of campuses to search. There's DePaul University, the University of Illinois at Chicago campus, University of Chicago, and Loyola University, all of which lie almost directly in the heart of the city. And Northwestern University in Evanston (North Side, remember?) would surely be a good resource if you plan to live outside the Magnificent Mile or The Loop.

Online
There are a bunch of apartment sites out there, but we like RENTNET® the best. RENTNET® apartments & rentals provides regularly updated listings of apartments available for rent in various neighborhoods based on options you select. They also offer moving tips, roommate advice, legal tips and other information useful to renters.

Newspapers and magazines
Newspapers and magazines are good sources for apartment listings. Here are some examples:

CHICAGO TRIBUNE - The classified ads section includes listings for apartments in various areas.

THE CHICAGO SUN TIMES - Perhaps not as extensive as the Chicago Tribune, but it will still have listings worth a glance. And it also has that adorable Roger Ebert.

THE DAILY HERALD - Check this one out for a really fantastic listing of available real estate in the Chicagoland area.

Bulletin boards, postings
Aside from letting you know what the area is like, driving around the areas in which you would like to live can be helpful in uncovering leads. People often post flyers offering nearby apartment sublets and rentals at churches, gyms, recreation centers, bus stop shelters, schools, and telephone booths in the neighborhood. Go. Look.

Walking around
A lot of landlords are too lazy, cheap, and illiterate to place ads anywhere at all, so all they do is dust off the old "For Rent" sign, write a barely legible phone number on it in lime green crayon, and set it up somewhere near their building. In order to see these advertisements, you have to walk by them. It's really handy to have a cell phone when you're on these
excursions, but if you're not into brain cancer or you can't afford one, you can use pay phones or write down the info and worry about it later. It's hard to tell you exactly where to search for these signs. They're not usually in the fancier areas (such as the Gold Coast), so don't bother to try this technique there. Heading a little further away from yuppie towns may
yield results, though.

Also, if you don't mind commuting by train and/or bus, consider looking for apartments in Oak Park. It's a large town right outside the city proper with easy access to local transportation, and the neighborhood is not only safe, it's pretty too. It's particularly good for car owners. For information, check out http://hometown.aol.com/rentinop/oprhc.html.

Once you've found a listing that sounds promising, call immediately to schedule an appointment. You can't afford to wait because the good deals go fast. If you reach an answering machine, leave a clear, concise message; say that you are calling about the apartment that was listed in X publication. Give your name and telephone number, and ask the person to call you back at his/her earliest convenience to schedule an appointment to see the apartment. Follow up with another (polite) call in 24 hours if you don't get a call back. There are times when apartment renters are swamped and won't return your call, but if you catch them while they're around, you can usually work yourself an appointment.

If you are able to schedule an appointment, be sure to make a good impression. Arrive on time, dress neatly, and, in general, act like a mature, responsible individual who isn't going to skip rent payments, trash the apartment, or hang obscene signs out the windows. Also remember to ask intelligent questions - asking questions will not only make you look responsible, but it will also give you a chance to learn information that may affect your decision to rent a particular apartment. Here is a list of general questions you should ask when you see an apartment:

• How long is the lease?
  
• Do I have the option to renew?
  
• How large is the security deposit? Are there provisions for getting it back?
  
• Are utilities included in your rent? Which ones (gas, electric, water, cable, etc.)?
  
• Are you allowed to keep pets in the apartment?
  
• Are you allowed to sublet if you go away?
  
• What sort of security does the building have?
  
• Does the building have laundry facilities?
  
• Does the building have a super or some sort of arrangement for repairs?
• Does it cost extra?
  
• Does anyone else have keys to the apartment?
  
• Do you need special permission to make superficial changes, e.g., painting or hanging pictures?
  
• What are the guidelines for moving in?

And also remember that if you plan to live with a roommate, you should ask whether it is possible to co-sign the lease with your roommate so that you aren't responsible for his/her portion of the rent.

Also get a gander on the landlord. Is he crabby? Unpleasant? Rude? Does he live on-site and does he fix any problems with the apartment? He could make or break your living experience, so be sure you can tolerate him before you sign a lease.

Beyond that, you should also discretely check for other important features that the landlord/real estate broker may conveniently "forget" to show you:

• Are there sturdy locks?
  
• Is there cable TV hookup?
  
• What is the condition of the floors/walls?
  
• Do the windows open?
  
• Does the fridge/freezer work?
  
• What about the stove/oven?
  
• How is the water pressure?
  
• What is the condition of public areas in the building?
  
• Who would your neighbors be if you moved in? (e.g., 25 years old or 105 years old?)
  
• How's the ventilation?
  
• Are there problems with roaches, ants, rats, or feral midgets?

These aspects of apartment hunting are easy to overlook. After all, you're in a prospective apartment for only a few minutes before it's time for you to grab it or move on. Don't let the person showing you the apartment pressure you into making a quick decision. If you need to take another walk around the place to be sure of its condition, do it. You should also bring a tape measure, particularly if you already have furniture. Measure the door frame so you know what size furniture you'll be able to get through the door, and measure the lengths of the rooms so you can also plan appropriately. It only takes a few minutes to do, and it could save you plenty of hassles later on.

Once you've found an apartment, it is vital that you know your rights and responsibilities as a tenant. Your rights are best protected if you have a written lease. If you have an oral lease, you may be subject to restrictions that you aren't aware of. Just do what we say and get a written lease. Be sure that there are no hidden expenses that will come out to
surprise you later. Ask and ask again about ALL expenses you're expected to cover before signing anything. If the current tenants of the apartment are around while you're looking at the place, you might try to ask them some questions: how did they enjoy living there? Why are they moving out? Where do they do laundry? Shop for groceries? How soundproof are the walls?

Another suggestion while we're at it: if you decide to take an apartment, but you notice beat-up cabinets or a semi-functional faucet, have the landlord write the defects on the lease agreement so you aren't later held responsible for the damage. A full list of your rights as a tenant in Chicago can be found here: http://links.cnt.org/~mto/english.htm.

And you are now ready to brave the Windy City! The only thing left is to blend into the local life by mourning the wussiness of the Chicago Cubs . . .

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