What are rooms for rent like in downtown Chicago, and how many are listed?
Central Chicago, the downtown district that takes in the Loop, the South Loop, River North, Streeterville and the Gold Coast, has been one of the city's fastest-growing residential areas in recent years, with the Loop alone estimated at about 46,000 residents in 2022. Almost all of that housing is high-rise, so a room for rent downtown usually means a private bedroom, often with its own bathroom, in a two- or three-bedroom unit in a tower with a doorman, gym and pool. Many rooms come from lease takeovers, where a tenant leaving early rents out their bedroom for the rest of the lease. Rooms for rent in Roomster's Central Chicago search right now: 9. Because downtown inventory moves fast, check back often and search the West Loop as well.
How much does a room for rent cost in downtown Chicago, and where are rooms under $1,300?
Private rooms downtown mostly ask between about $1,200 and $2,500 a month, with an average near $1,530 in Roomster's Central Chicago search. A master bedroom with its own bathroom in a Streeterville tower, utilities mostly included, recently listed at about $1,695, and a private bedroom and bathroom in a Loop building on East Lake Street with in-unit laundry and concierge at about $1,650. You can find rooms under $1,300 a month in shared and co-living rooms in Printer's Row and the South Loop, where shared rooms have listed for about $520 to $565 with bills included, and near the Merchandise Mart, where a furnished flexible-lease room listed at about $1,278. Rooms on the Gold Coast and in luxury buildings can reach $2,500.
Can I rent a room in downtown Chicago near Northwestern Memorial or Lurie Children's Hospital?
Yes. Streeterville, on the Near North Side, is home to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital and Northwestern University's medical and law schools, so thousands of nurses, residents, medical students and staff look for housing within walking distance. Rooms in Streeterville high-rises are among the most expensive downtown, but they let you walk to work in any weather, which matters for overnight shifts and Chicago winters. Rooms in River North or the Gold Coast are a short walk or a short ride on the Red Line from the hospital campus. If you work nights, ask your future roommates about quiet hours, and look for a building with 24-hour front-desk staff so late arrivals are easy.
Are there rooms for rent near downtown colleges like Columbia, Roosevelt and DePaul?
Yes, the South Loop and the southern Loop are one of the largest college districts in the city. Columbia College Chicago, Roosevelt University in the historic Auditorium Building on Michigan Avenue, DePaul's Loop campus and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago are all within a few blocks of State Street, and University Center, a large shared residence hall on State Street, houses students from several of these schools. Students who prefer an apartment share look at rooms in Printer's Row and the South Loop, where shared rooms are some of the cheapest downtown. Graduations in May and move-in week in late August are when most of these rooms change hands.
How do L trains, Metra and the Pedway affect where I rent a room in downtown Chicago?
They make almost any downtown room car-free. Every CTA L line, Red, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Pink and Purple, runs through or around the Loop, so you can reach most of the city without transferring, and the Blue Line runs 24 hours to O'Hare while the Orange Line runs to Midway. Metra's four downtown terminals, Union Station, Ogilvie, LaSalle Street and Millennium Station, connect to the suburbs. Underground, the Chicago Pedway links dozens of buildings and several L stations in the central Loop, which helps in winter. Parking is the main downside: a garage spot downtown often costs $200 to $300 a month on top of the rent, so drivers should get the parking cost in writing before signing.
Is a lease takeover a good way to rent a room in downtown Chicago?
Often, yes, especially if you want a short or flexible stay. Downtown high-rises are full of young professionals who move for jobs or to new apartments before their leases end, so many rooms are offered as lease takeovers or sublets, sometimes with a few months left and sometimes for a year or more. They can give you a room in a building with a gym, pool and concierge at the current rent, without signing a fresh 12-month lease. Before you agree, ask the current tenant for the building management's written approval, ask whether your name goes on the lease or on a sublease, and ask about move-in fees and elevator reservations. Building management usually has to approve a new occupant, so leave time for that.
