Data as of November 8, 2026 · Published November 8, 2026
Key takeaways
- As of November 8, 2026, 97 Chicago apartment buildings are advertising a move-in special on Chicago Move In Specials, across 27 neighborhoods and 18 of the city's 77 community areas.
- Free rent is the most common special: 74 of the 97 buildings (76%) offer weeks or months free. 15 offer a dollar rent credit, 7 waive fees and 1 offers a perk.
- 62 buildings (64%) offer at least one month of free rent, 14 offer six weeks or more, and 6 offer up to two months free.
- The typical free-rent special is one month free. At each building's lowest advertised rent, that is worth a median of about $2,226.
- Downtown dominates: 58 of the 97 buildings (60%) are in the Near North Side, Loop, Near West Side and Near South Side community areas.
- 26 specials have a stated deadline of December 1, 2026 or earlier, so many November offers are set to expire at month end.
This is the November 2026 edition of the Chicago Move-In Specials Report, a monthly summary of the move-in specials Chicago apartment buildings are advertising. It is the first edition, so it sets the baseline that future months will be compared against. Figures come from the 97 active specials on Chicago Move In Specials as of November 8, 2026.
How many Chicago apartments are offering specials?
97 Chicago apartment buildings were advertising a move-in special as of November 8, 2026, across 27 neighborhoods and 18 official community areas. Free rent is by far the most common offer.
| Type of special | Buildings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Free rent (weeks or months) | 74 | 76% |
| Dollar rent credit | 15 | 15% |
| Fees waived (admin, move-in) | 7 | 7% |
| Perk (free parking) | 1 | 1% |
| Total | 97 | 100% |
How much free rent are buildings offering?
The typical free-rent special is one month free. Of the 74 buildings offering free rent, 47 offer exactly one month, and only 6 offer up to two months. Dollar credits range from $500 to $3,000, with a median of $1,500.
| Free rent offered | Buildings |
|---|---|
| About 2 weeks (or half a month) | 12 |
| 4 weeks to 1 month | 48 |
| 6 weeks to 1.5 months | 8 |
| Up to 2 months | 6 |
27 of the 97 headlines say “up to,” meaning the full amount applies only to some apartments or lease lengths. Use the net effective rent guide to compare offers on a monthly basis.
Where are the specials?
Specials are concentrated downtown. 58 of the 97 buildings (60%) are in four central community areas: the Near North Side, Loop, Near West Side and Near South Side. The Near West Side has the richest offers, with 12 of its 15 buildings offering at least one month free. Only 8 of the Near North Side’s 23 buildings offer a month or more; most offer two weeks free, a dollar credit or waived fees.
| Neighborhood | Buildings with specials | 1+ month free |
|---|---|---|
| South Loop | 12 | 7 |
| West Loop | 10 | 9 |
| River North | 10 | 2 |
| Uptown | 9 | 7 |
| Loop | 8 | 5 |
| Hyde Park | 7 | 4 |
| Old Town | 6 | 3 |
| Gold Coast | 4 | 2 |
| Edgewater | 4 | 3 |
| Official community area | Buildings with specials | 1+ month free |
|---|---|---|
| Near North Side | 23 | 8 |
| Loop | 16 | 10 |
| Near West Side | 15 | 12 |
| Uptown | 9 | 7 |
| West Town | 5 | 5 |
| Hyde Park | 5 | 3 |
| Near South Side | 4 | 2 |
| Edgewater | 4 | 3 |
See every neighborhood on the neighborhoods page.
Which buildings offer the most?
Six buildings advertise up to two months of free rent as of November 8, 2026:
- 1233 N Hoyne (Ukrainian Village): 2 months free, 4- and 5-bedroom units
- Ashland224 (West Loop): 2 months free
- Inside Info Fremont (Old Town): up to 2 months free
- K2 Apartments (Fulton River District): 2 months free
- 1100 North LaSalle (Gold Coast): 2 months free on a 2-year lease
- 63 E Lake (Loop): up to 2 months free
The largest dollar credit is up to $3,000 off at Foundry in Old Town.
Do newer buildings offer bigger specials?
Yes, among buildings with a known completion year. 20 of 27 buildings completed in 2018 or later (74%) offer at least one month free, compared with 16 of 29 older buildings (55%). New high-rises still leasing up tend to use free rent to fill units.
How do specials vary by rent level?
| Lowest advertised rent | Buildings | 1+ month free |
|---|---|---|
| Under $1,500 | 9 | 7 |
| $1,500–$1,999 | 18 | 12 |
| $2,000–$2,499 | 50 | 31 |
| $2,500–$2,999 | 15 | 8 |
| $3,000 and up | 5 | 4 |
The median lowest advertised rent among buildings with specials is $2,260 a month, close to Zillow’s typical Chicago asking rent of $2,275 in June 2026.
When do the specials end?
35 of the 97 specials have a stated deadline. 26 end on or before December 1, 2026, most on November 30, and 9 run into December. The other 62 have no stated end date and can change at any time. The December report will show how many November offers were renewed, changed or ended.
How does Chicago compare nationally?
Chicago landlords offer concessions less often than landlords nationally. In Zillow’s June 2026 rental report, 23.3% of Chicago-area rental listings offered a concession, compared with 39.7% of listings nationwide, while Chicago’s typical asking rent rose 5.2% from a year earlier.
How this report is made
Figures cover every active special on Chicago Move In Specials on November 8, 2026: 97 buildings, 93 recorded from ApartmentHomeLiving and 4 from Apartments.com. The list is not a census of every Chicago rental, so counts describe buildings found advertising a special, not the whole market. Free rent is converted at 4.33 weeks per month. Estimated savings use each building’s lowest advertised rent. Community areas follow the City of Chicago’s 77 official community areas. See How We Track Move-In Specials for source rules, and download the current data as CSV or JSON.
November 2026 report: FAQ
How many Chicago apartments are offering move-in specials in November 2026?
As of November 8, 2026, 97 Chicago apartment buildings advertise a move-in special on Chicago Move In Specials, across 27 neighborhoods. 74 offer free rent, 15 offer a dollar rent credit, 7 waive fees and 1 offers a perk. The count covers buildings found on building websites and apartment listing sites, not every rental in Chicago.
What is the typical move-in special in Chicago right now?
The typical Chicago move-in special in November 2026 is one month of free rent. 62 of the 97 buildings on Chicago Move In Specials offer at least one month free, and the median free-rent offer is about 4.3 weeks. At each building's lowest advertised rent, one month free is worth a median of about $2,226.
Which Chicago neighborhoods have the most move-in specials in November 2026?
South Loop has the most move-in specials on Chicago Move In Specials as of November 8, 2026, with 12 buildings, followed by West Loop and River North with 10 each, Uptown with 9 and the Loop with 8. By official community area, the Near North Side leads with 23 buildings, then the Loop (16) and the Near West Side (15).
What is the biggest move-in special in Chicago in November 2026?
The largest advertised specials in November 2026 are up to two months of free rent, offered by six buildings: 1233 N Hoyne, Ashland224, Inside Info Fremont, K2 Apartments, 1100 North LaSalle and 63 E Lake. Several of these limit the full amount to certain units or longer leases, such as 1100 North LaSalle's two-year lease requirement.
When do November 2026 move-in specials expire?
Of the 97 specials on Chicago Move In Specials, 35 have a stated deadline. 26 of those end on or before December 1, 2026, most on November 30. The other 62 specials have no stated end date, which means they can change or end at any time. Each building page shows its deadline and the date the offer was last updated.
Are Chicago move-in specials common compared with other cities?
Chicago offers fewer concessions than the national average. In Zillow's June 2026 rental report, 23.3% of Chicago-area rental listings offered a concession, compared with 39.7% nationally. Chicago's typical asking rent rose 5.2% from a year earlier to $2,275, and specials are concentrated in newer downtown high-rises.
Sources
Cite as: Chicago Move In Specials, “Chicago Move-In Specials Report: November 2026,” data as of November 8, 2026, chicagomoveinspecials.com/reports/november-2026/. Corrections: joe.bjorklund@bairdwarner.com.