For most Chicagoans, finding an affordable apartment is a long and painful process. Sifting through Craigslist ads and talking to Realtors can make even the most level-headed person rip out a chunk of their hair. But for a small, privileged faction of city dwellers, finding a place to rent is a whole different game. Some renters shell out upwards of $15,000 per month for homes, many of which are also listed on the market for more than $1 million.
For those who want to see how the one percent lives in Chicago, RENTCafé scraped through all of the major listing sites and brokerage firms across town and found the 10 most expensive homes currently for rent in the city. So grab a bottle of whiskey and check out some places you'll probably never be able to afford—though it's still fun to imagine.
10. 1302 N Ritchie Court—$16,000/month
Photographs: Courtesy Berkshire Hathaway
This four-bedroom, 5,500-square-foot spot is your classic Gold Coast row house. It's currently on the market for $3.295 million, and the listed rent price is still cheaper than the $22,225 in property taxes that the homeowners paid in 2013.
9. 118 E Erie St, #34E—$16,500/month
Photographs: Courtesy Related Realty
With just 2,750 square feet and three bedrooms, this 34th-floor condo in the Ritz-Carlton Residences isn't as spacious as the price tag might suggest. But with two terraces, a screening room and a massive wine cooler that could make a sommelier wet their pants, the place is simply bananas. It's also for sale at $3.269 million.
8. 336 W Wisconsin Ave—$17,000/month
Photographs: Courtesy Berkshire Hathaway
Lincoln Park will give renters a bit more bang for their buck than Gold Coast, and this home is a good example. It's also on the market for $3.5 million, and its five bedrooms, five bathrooms, indoor swimming pool and sauna make the place the stuff of dreams. If that's not enough, The Fugitive was shot there in the '90s, so there might be some of Harrison Ford's DNA lying around.
7. 11 E Walton St, #4201—$18,500/month
Photographs: Courtesy Baird & Warner
It costs an arm and a leg to stay at Waldorf Astoria's hotel, and it pretty much costs all of your limbs to live in a residence there. This three-bedroom, 3,500-square-foot condo feels like somewhere Royal Tenenbaum would live, or some other detached mogul of the sort.
6. 55 E Erie St, #SH-2—$19,500/month
Photographs: Courtesy @Properties
This four-story townhome is a stone's throw from Mag Mile, and the price is pretty telling as to how valuable that many floors are in one of the city's most expensive areas. The home has an internal elevator and a massive rooftop terrace, which is perfect for a tenant who wants to feel superior to the leagues of commoners passing by on the street. This home is also for sale at $3.195 million, which is cheaper than any of the previous homes on this list.
5. 1242 N Astor St—$20,000/month
Photographs: Courtesy Baird & Warner
This 5,100-square-foot brownstone was originally built in 1891. It's undergone some recent renovations to give it less of a "World's Fair" vibe and more of an "I'm an executive" feel. Five fireplaces and a cherry staircase might help justify its $3.9 million asking price, but who's to say?
4. 2550 N Lakeview Ave, #S2502—$23,000/month
Photographs: Courtesy Baird & Warner
For just two bedrooms and 3,000 square feet, the price tag on this Lincoln Park condo seems a little ambitious. But it comes with custom furnishings that could save a tenant thousands. The pad isn't as secluded as some of the Gold Coast homes on this list, and it has one of the best views of the lake that a business degree can buy. It's also on the market for a whopping $3.985 million.
3. 50 E Chestnut St, #601—$25,000/month
Photographs: Courtesy Koenig Rubloff
Unlike some of the other Near North Side homes on this list, this duplex is goddamn massive. It boasts six bedrooms, 7.5 bathrooms, four private balconies and nearly 8,000 square feet of living space. It's for sale at $4.5 million, which is understandable given its location and amenities.
2. 415 E North Water St, PH05—$35,000/month
Photographs: Courtesy @Properties
This dream penthouse listed earlier this year for $12.95 million, making it one of the most expensive homes currently on the Chicago market. It's also open to renters, and with two stories, a 67-foot terrace that wraps around the building, an in-unit basketball court, a 500-gallon hot tub and more, the pad makes Kevin McCallister's stay at the Plaza Hotel in Home Alone 2 feel shabby. The place also contains more than $1 million worth of "exotic stone," which probably brings with it a security deposit more costly than your salary.
1. 401 N Wabash Ave, #86A—$35,000/month
Photographs: Courtesy Point2Homes
Of course Chicago's most expensive rental is in the Trump Tower. The glassy blue building jets up into the skyline as if it's The Donald's giant middle finger saying, "You can't afford to live here." This three-bedroom, six-bathroom penthouse has unobstructed views in all directions and is just three floors below another penthouse that sold for $17 million last December (the biggest residential real estate sale in the city's history). In a lot of neighborhoods across the city, you could rent an entire city block for $35,000 per month. I suppose there's something validating to living in one of the highest residences in Chicago, though.