So you’re moving to Chicago

This guide is for people moving to Chicago from elsewhere and suburbanites moving into the city. It covers how to pick a neighborhood by train line, how the rental calendar works, what property taxes look like when you buy, the city sticker and parking rules that catch newcomers, and what to set up in the first week.

The city’s housing stock is mostly older walk-ups, courtyard buildings and two-flats. The trade-offs are winter, a property tax system that takes time to learn, and a parking regime with a permit or sign on nearly every block.

Choosing a neighborhood

Start with the L map. Where you can walk to a train shapes daily life here, and rents tend to be lower on blocks far from a station.

North Side along the Red and Brown lines

Many transplants rent their first place in Lakeview: the Red, Brown and Purple lines all run through it, the lakefront is a walk east, and grocery stores, gyms and bars are on nearly every commercial street. Farther north, Uptown and Andersonville and Rogers Park and Edgewater are quieter and generally cheaper, with the Red Line and beaches at the ends of many east-west streets. The ride to the Loop is longer. West of there, Lincoln Square and Ravenswood sit on the Brown Line and the Union Pacific North Metra line, which runs downtown to Ogilvie in the West Loop.

Northwest Side along the Blue Line

The Blue Line runs through Logan Square and the neighborhoods around it, 24 hours a day, and goes to O’Hare, a real advantage if you fly often. The boulevards and greystones are the draw; parking near the stations is tight. Avondale and Irving Park, one step farther out, have more two-flats and bungalows and somewhat lower prices.

South and Southwest Sides

On the Lower West Side, Pilsen is on the Pink Line, a short ride from the Loop. Hyde Park is tied to the University of Chicago and connects downtown on the Metra Electric line, which is faster than any bus. Beverly is a neighborhood of houses and big lots on the Rock Island Metra line, popular with city workers because of Chicago’s residency rules for many municipal jobs. Walk the route from the apartment to the train before you sign.

Renting: seasons, brokers and what to expect

Most Chicago leases start on the first of the month, and the busiest months are late spring through summer, when graduates, new hires and students are all moving at once. If you can move between November and February, you will see fewer listings but tend to face less competition for them.

Agents and fees

Many renters use an apartment-finding agent; the landlord usually pays the agent’s commission, so ask up front whether you will owe anything. Expect an application fee per adult, and in many buildings a nonrefundable move-in fee instead of a security deposit. A security deposit is refundable and regulated; a move-in fee is not.

Your rights under the RLTO

Most rentals in the city fall under the Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance, which covers deposits, repairs, landlord entry and lockouts. According to the city’s rental rights summary, the big exception is a unit in an owner-occupied building of six units or fewer, which describes a lot of two-flats. Landlords holding a deposit owe interest; the city set the 2026 rate at 0.01%. The Fair Notice Ordinance, which covers all tenants, requires 60 days’ notice before a landlord ends or does not renew a tenancy of six months to three years, and 120 days after three years. The heat ordinance requires 68 degrees from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and 66 degrees overnight from September 15 to June 1 in units without their own heat controls.

Buying: taxes, assessments and the two-flat

Property taxes are the number to study before you make an offer. Cook County reassesses property on a three-year cycle by region. In 2026 the south and west suburbs are being reassessed; city properties change this year only for permits, splits and similar special cases. Look up a property’s tax bill history on the Cook County Treasurer’s site before you bid.

If you live in the home, file for the Homeowner Exemption. The Assessor’s Office says it cuts a property’s equalized assessed value by $10,000 and saves an average of about $950 a year, and it renews automatically once it is on the record. Missed exemptions can be recovered for several prior years through a certificate of error.

At closing, the buyer pays the city’s share of the real property transfer tax: $3.75 per $500 of the price, which comes to $3,000 on a $400,000 home. The seller generally pays the $1.50 per $500 CTA portion.

The two-flat

The two-flat, a brick building with one apartment stacked on another, is the classic Chicago starter home. Live in one unit, rent the other, and the rent helps cover the mortgage. Owner-occupants of small buildings sit outside most of the RLTO, but the Fair Notice rules still apply, and you are now the person the tenant calls when the boiler quits in January. Have the inspector look hard at the roof, masonry, boiler and basement.

Income-eligible buyers can look at the city’s HomeGrown Purchase Assistance Program, announced June 1, 2026, which gives grants of $10,000 to $70,000 toward down payment and closing costs depending on income and location. Buyers must complete homebuyer education and put in at least 1% of the price from their own funds.

Parking, permits and the alternate side

The city sticker

Every Chicago resident who keeps a car in the city needs a city sticker, even with out-of-state plates. The City Clerk’s sticker FAQ says to buy one within 30 days of moving in. A standard passenger sticker costs $105.18 a year in 2026; buy late and you pay a $60 late fee plus back charges. Bring proof of your move-in date, like a lease, to avoid those.

Residential permit zones

Many side streets, especially near L stops, are residential permit zones. If your address is in one, add the zone number to your city sticker for an extra yearly charge, and buy daily guest passes, good for 24 hours, for visitors. The Clerk’s zone page notes a limit of 45 guest passes per household every 30 days.

Street cleaning and snow

Chicago does not have a daily alternate-side system. Instead, street sweeping runs from April 1 through November, and bright orange temporary no-parking signs go up two days before your block is swept. Look at them every time you park. From December 1 to April 1, a winter overnight parking ban covers 107 miles of main streets from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m., snow or not; the city’s 2024 notice listed a minimum $150 tow, a $60 ticket and $25 a day in storage.

Moving day

To hold curb space for a truck, CDOT issues a moving-van parking permit through its online permit portal. Apply well ahead of the move, and ask the building where trucks load before you pick a truck size, since many alleys are too narrow for a big one.

If you would rather hire movers, the Illinois Commerce Commission requires anyone who moves household goods for pay to hold an ICC license and file its prices. Check the number before you book. Moovers Chicago, a family-owned company founded in 2014 with a main office at 5201 W. Grand Ave. and a second office on North Kedzie Avenue, lists an ICC license number on the company website and does packing, storage and load-only jobs for people who rent their own truck.

Utilities, internet and the first week

Gas, electric, water and garbage

Electricity comes from ComEd and natural gas from Peoples Gas; both let you start service online before move-in. Ask the landlord which utilities are in your name; a drafty older unit with its own furnace can run a big gas bill in January. Water, sewer and city garbage go on one city utility bill, usually paid by the owner. The city collects garbage only from single-family homes and buildings of four units or fewer, and charges $9.50 a month per unit.

Internet

Before signing, ask the landlord which providers are already wired into the building. Many older walk-ups have only one or two choices, and fiber service is available on some blocks and not others. Check the exact address, not the ZIP code, and book the install early.

Getting around

Load a Ventra card or use a contactless card. The CTA’s current fares are $2.50 for the L, $2.25 for the bus and $75 for a 30-day CTA and Pace pass. Divvy’s annual membership is $143.90, with a $99 offer for new members listed on the Divvy pricing page. If you would rather own a bike, Kozy's Cyclery at 3712 N. Halsted St. in Lakeview, a few blocks from the Addison Red Line stop, sells commuter and electric bikes and includes two free fall tune-ups with each purchase.

Keys, tools and furniture

For keys and repairs, Clark-Devon Hardware at 6401 N. Ashland Ave. in Rogers Park, near where Clark crosses Devon, has been run by the same family since 1924. The locksmith counter is open seven days a week for rekeying and key copies, including mailbox keys. On the North Side, Crafty Beaver Home Centers at 1522 W. Lawrence Ave. in Uptown is a locally owned lumberyard and hardware store dating to 1934, useful for paint, shelving and anything cut to size.

For furniture, The Brown Elephant at 5404 N. Clark St. in Andersonville sells donated furniture and housewares, with proceeds going to Howard Brown Health; a short walk south, Village Discount Outlet at 4898 N. Clark St. is a large thrift store open daily. Both are on the 22 Clark bus. For better pieces, Dovetail at 1452 W. Chicago Ave. in West Town has sold vintage furniture, lamps and housewares since 2008. Salvage One at 1840 W. Hubbard St. sells architectural salvage, doors, lighting and old hardware; the store is open Thursday through Sunday and by appointment.

Good to know

• Checked September 28, 2026.
• The City Council is considering the Protecting Renters Ordinance, introduced June 29, 2026. It would ban hidden junk fees, standardize fees and deposits, create a rental registry and add just-cause eviction rules. Check its status before you sign a lease.
• The 2025 second-installment Cook County property tax bills were mailed September 1, 2026, and are due October 1, 2026.
• The winter overnight parking ban starts December 1, 2026. Street sweeping runs through November, weather permitting.
• The heat ordinance is in effect now, through June 1, 2027.

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