Not that landlords who deal in more than consonants are always better. Once you've decided on the first of those three factors, you can use the fourth. With about 30 apartment-locator services in the Chicago area, there's no shortage of choices for apartment information. You speak to a consultant, who asks you questions to help determine your budget, preferences and any amenities you may be seeking. That information is then fed into a computer and a list of choices is produced.
Some services provide listings, while others set up visits to rental units.
Typically, the service is free to the prospective tenant, though some services, particularly on the South Side, charge to receive a listing. If you're going to use a locator service, it helps if you consider the type of apartment you're looking for before you pick up the phone. That's doubly true if you're going to look jointly with a roommate. Apartment seekers who make less than 80 percent of the median local income can visit the DOH and work with a consultant to view affordable properties. Word of mouth.