Your Chicago apartment to do list

Looking for a new Chicago apartment? Congratulations! Use our helpful checklist to help you through the apartment rental process with ease and grace.

1. Before you begin your apartment search, make a list of all of the amenities you’d like to have in your new place. Divide this list into things you “must have,” would “like to have,” and consider “optional.”
2. Prepare your advance application materials, like a credit report, personal and past rental history reference list.
3. Assess the neighborhoods of Chicago that you’d most like to live in. Make a list, in descending order, with your first choice through your last.
4. If you have any friends or colleagues who live in the neighborhood you are trying to move to, ask them for any insights or input on available apartments.
5. Begin searching the apartment listings for Chicago apartments.
6. After you’ve identified 4 or 5 properties with many of your must haves, begin making appointments to see the available apartments.
7. If you love any of the places you see, submit an application. If you can tell that the apartment you’re interested in will have high tenant demand, continue your search while you wait to hear from the property manager.
8. If your application is successful, establish a move-in date, give notice at your current apartment, and get ready to move?
9. What’s that? Are we available to carry your boxes? Sorry, gotta run…