Apartment Hunting Checklist: 20 Questions to Ask Before You Sign a Chicago Lease

TL;DR Before you sign a Chicago lease, run through 20 questions covering the unit (water pressure, light, storage), the building (laundry, heat type, parking), the money (all fees, what is included), and the lease (length, renewal, pet policy). Here is the full checklist to take on every tour.

It is easy to fall for an apartment's good lighting and forget to check whether the water pressure is any good. A checklist keeps you objective. Here are the 20 questions to run through on every Chicago tour, grouped so nothing slips by.

The unit (the things photos hide)

1. How is the water pressure and hot water? Run the shower and a faucet.
2. How much natural light does it get, and which way does it face?
3. Is there cell signal in every room? Check your phone.
4. How is the storage: closets, and any building storage unit?
5. What is the noise like? Listen for street, hallway, and L-train sound.
6. Are the appliances in good shape, and is there a dishwasher and microwave?
7. Is there in-unit laundry, and if not, where is it?

The building

8. Where is the laundry, and is it in-unit, on the floor, or in a shared room?
9. What kind of heat does it have: radiators (often heat-included) or forced-air?
10. How does parking work: assigned or first-come, self-park or valet, and is there a waitlist?
11. How are packages handled? A package room or lockers matter more than you think.
12. What amenities are included, and are any an extra monthly fee?
13. Is there a doorman or on-site management, and what are the maintenance response times?

The money

14. What is the total move-in cost, including first month, move-in fee or deposit, application fee, and admin fee?
15. Which utilities are included, and which are in my name? (Heat is the big one.)
16. Is there a separate amenity, pet, or parking fee each month?
17. Are there any concessions, like a free month, and what is the net-effective rent?

The lease

18. How long is the lease, and what are the start and end dates?
19. What is the renewal policy, and roughly how much do renewals typically increase?
20. What are the pet, guest, sublet, and early-termination policies?

Print this and bring it

Take the list on every tour, and jot the answers for each place so you can compare them side by side later. When you are looking at three apartments in a day, the details blur fast, and the notes are what keep your decision honest.

A few extra tips. Test things, do not just look: actually run the shower, open the closets, and check your phone signal. Ask the money questions out loud, since the headline rent rarely tells the whole story (our utility costs guide explains why heat-included matters so much). And read the lease before you sign, which our how to read a Chicago lease guide walks through clause by clause.

To make the most of a day of tours, pair this with our tour apartments efficiently guide and plan your route by transit. Then browse current openings and book a tour.

Hero image: Photo by Daniel Andraski on Pexels