Chicago is one of the most exciting cities in the United States, offering its inhabitants a staggering range of restaurants, shopping, sporting, and cultural events. You can rent a condo in almost any neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, but if you are a young professional, your chances of finding a hip but comfortable home in a safe area will be best in neighborhoods like the Gold Coast, Old Town, Streeterville, Lincoln Park, and Lakeview. Your options range from condos in older, smaller buildings where you will have only a few neighbors, to the tall glass-and-steel towers that line the major streets and face Lake Michigan.


Finding the right Chicago condo to rent requires you to think carefully and clearly about what you need. Sit down and make two lists. The first should include everything that you absolutely have to have in the condominium itself. How much space do you need? Can you manage in a studio apartment, or do you need four bedrooms and three bathrooms to accommodate your family? Do you have to have 24-hour security? Building-wide wifi? Washer and dryer hookups in the condo? A concierge? A fitness center in the building? An indoor parking space? Do you need to be able to walk your dog several times a day?


Next, make of list of features that you would like to have, but can live without. Would you like to have a view of Lake Michigan? A balcony? A little roof garden where you can enjoy the evening breezes?


Armed with this information, start thinking about what would be the best location for you to rent a Chicago condo in. If you’d like to live close to where you work, or close to a particular train or bus route, that requirement will help you eliminate a lot of neighborhoods from your list. If you are willing to make a longer commute, then you can widen your search area accordingly.


Next, figure out exactly how much rent you can afford to pay each month for a Chicago condo. If you’re willing to pay a little higher rent to live in a particular neighborhood, that’s fine, but it’s best to be realistic about what you can afford at the outset. Settle on the highest possible figure and resolve not to spend more than that.


Now, with your lists of must-haves amenities, your general locations, and your rent range, you can search for your Chicago condo. Start by looking at available properties at www.rentchicagocondos.com, an online condo rental service. The agents at www.rentchicagocondos.com are brokers who handle a lot of properties owned by many different companies, so they can help you find the condo that matches your needs exactly. Besides the neighborhoods already mentioned, they also have properties in Wrigleyville, Loop, South Loop, Wicker Park, Bucktown, Ravenswood, West Loop, Edgewater, Logan Square, Pilsen, River North, Ukrainian Village, and Uptown. All these areas have advantages and amenities you may not find elsewhere, so it will pay you to be a little open-minded about location when you start looking for your Chicago condo.


By beginning your search online, you can look at a lot of properties without having to leave your home or office. This preliminary search will help you determine whether the sort of condo you want to rent is available in your preferred location and price range, or whether you will need to downscale your expectations or look elsewhere. At www.rentchicagocondos.com, you will find the addresses of all the properties listed, so you can get an idea of the location just from that information.


When you see a Chicago condo building that looks like it could be the one for you, however, you should get out of your chair, get into your car or catch a train or a bus, and go to the address for some on-the-ground research. The pictures of the condo itself might look great, but nothing beats firsthand knowledge. Spend an hour or two just wandering around the neighborhood, checking out the surroundings.


If the Chicago condo you’re considering doesn’t have a lot of amenities in the building, be sure to look for the ones you need close by. Is there a grocery store you can get to easily? How far is it to the closest branch of your bank? Are there hospitals nearby? What about a dry cleaners, or restaurants, or a vet or groomer for your dog?


After you’ve looked over a few locations, call the phone number listed at www.rentchicagocondos.com and make an appointment to see all the Chicago condos you’re thinking about renting. Ask the rental agent a lot of questions. Are utilities included in the rent? Are you expected to pay the building association fees? If a pipe breaks or the neighbors are too loud, who do you call? Are pets allowed? Can you make any alterations to the condo, like painting the walls a different color?


In most cases, you will have to sign a lease to rent a Chicago condo. Find out exactly what such a contract obliges you to do. If you have to move out before the lease is up, you will probably be on the hook to pay the rent through the end of the lease period. In some cases, however, you can avoid this by finding someone else to rent the condo, or by subletting it till the lease expires. Be sure to ask the rental agent about all these possibilities. Also, ask what you are expected to do to make sure you get your security deposit back when you move out.


Before your meeting with the rental agent ends, ask for references from other residents who live in the building. You can also look at online ratings sites, many of which will have comments fields where people will have rated their experiences living in the building or with the management company. You should take these evaluations for what they’re worth, but if they consistently are critical, you should consider that a red flag.


No doubt after all this work, you will find the Chicago condo to rent that will perfectly fit your lifestyle and your needs. Then you can sign the lease and move in, relaxed and at ease, and ready to enjoy your new home to the fullest. The folks at www.rentchicagocondos.com are waiting for your call.