Using Craigslist to find Chicago housing: any thoughts or experiences?
 

Has anyone used Craig's list to find temporary housing/rentals? This may not be the correct forum, but we need a place to rent for a month in Chicago in July - a luxury place - and someone referred Craig's List.

I have used it a couple of times to find housing and I've had mixed results. One place looked nothing like the photos and was quickly nixed, the second place was perfect and dealing with the poster was great. Just be aware of what's being said and be safe and you will be fine.

My friend actually bought an engagement ring off of CL and flew to SEA to pick it up. His transaction was great.

http://www.vrbo.com/

(Vacation Rentals By Owner) may also be helpful. If anything, it will simplify the searching process.

While eating lunch at home right now, I have one of those awful judge shows on - the dispute is a craigslist rental.

I used it to find a place in Honolulu which turned out to be great. It was from the acutal owner of the place rather than an agency. I prefer it that way to avoid any extra fees an agency might charge.

When craigslist started, it was a very small, very community oriented place.

I used to love it as a place where you would often find decent offerings of various things by decent people.

I think there is still some of that, but a lot of knuckleheads have infiltrated and it's hard to separate who's who.

It's worth a look, but proceed with every caution that you would if you found the ad in a newspaper or anywhere else...

I am moving this over to the FT Chicago board where some of our Chicago-based FT'rs most likely will help you.
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

Try this link - I have never used them but I recognize many of the buildings. When you use the word 'luxury' in your post, I assume that price is not the most important factor.

http://www.corporatehousingbyowner.com

If you do a search on google for 'corporate housing chicago' you will get a lot of hits. If you wonder if a certain location is good, post and we will reply. Not sure where you need to be in the city.

You might want to try the Chicago Reader. It is a free local paper that's pretty widely distributed and heavy on the classifieds. It was probably THE source for this sort of thing pre-Craig's List.

I talked to some folks I know who are in the rental business in Chicago. They only advertise in the Trib. Because, according to them, their experience is that ads elsewhere bring in very low class folks.

By the way, traditionally, in Chicago, especially in the "real" neighborhoods, the only advertising done is to post a little sticker on the front door of the building.

http://www.housingmaps.com/ - very useful Craigslist housing/Google Maps mashup. Look under sublets in Chicago in your price range ($1000+?).

FWIW, I found my last 2 apartments and my car on Craigslist.

I think either is a good source, but I think you'll find things in the Reader that won't be in the Tribune.

http://classifieds.chicagoreader.com...n=oid%3A8&

In the past i have used www.sublet.com with great results.

I rented out my condo to a great tenant through CL last year.

I have also bought and sold items from CL