It’s only the first week of February, but Chicago landlords are already beginning to post May 1 vacancies on their websites. Early next month landlords will know how many additional apartments they’ll have available for May 1 occupancy.
The most desirable apartments typically rent quickly, and renters who wait until the last minute to look for their next apartment get to see only the remnants.
Many of the buildings on our at-a-glance apartment lists enable renters to see which units are available now and which will become available in the upcoming months. Quite a few of those buildings also offer an “availability alert” feature that sends an email notice when upcoming vacancies are added for a particular type of unit. If you know the buildings you’re interested in moving to, signing up for an availability alert can give you the edge on getting the apartments with the best views, amenities, etc.