If you’re a first-time renter in one of Chicago’s attractive apartment towers you might be enraptured by visions of creature comforts and neglect to consider some oft-encountered aspects of high-rise living that can make you very uncomfortable at the worst, or mightily disappointed at the least.
Some examples:
The sun may not shine on your beautifully-landscaped sundeck for more than an hour during the day, and it may be an hour when you’re never home
If you’re renting in a building with a 2-pipe heating / cooling system seasonal temperature variations may make you miserable.
If you’re arachnophobic, you’ll keep all your windows closed and stay off your balcony during spider season.
There may be periods where all but one of the elevators in your building is out of commission and you face a 20-minute wait to make it to the lobby. There might be times when none work. There might never be a time when your neighbors’ dogs leave any elevator urine-free.
You’re not going to have a natural tree in your apartment for Christmas.
You’ll almost certainly be required to buy and show proof of renter’s insurance. Be sure to budget for it. Unexpected fees, for which some buildings are noted, might break your budget.
Enough, for now.