Key takeaway: To move into a Chicago apartment, plan on first month’s rent plus either a security deposit or a non-refundable move-in fee (commonly $350 to $700), an application fee that Illinois caps at $50 starting January 1, 2027, and about $510 for movers for a one-bedroom.
Moving costs are easy to plan once you know which charges are legal, which are refundable and what’s changing. Here’s the full list for a Chicago apartment in 2026.
What you pay up front
| Cost | Typical amount | Refundable? |
|---|---|---|
| First month’s rent | Your rent | No |
| Security deposit | Often one month’s rent; no cap in the RLTO today | Yes, with interest |
| Move-in fee (instead of a deposit) | $350 to $700 | No |
| Application fee | $50 to $100 today; capped at $50 from January 1, 2027 | No |
| Movers, one-bedroom | About $510 | No |
| Renters insurance | About $17 a month | No |
Source: move-in and application fee ranges from Domu; the 2027 cap from Public Act 104-0479; movers from FreightWaves Checkpoint, October 2026; insurance from NerdWallet, September 2026 (see our renters insurance guide). Deposit rules from the City of Chicago RLTO summary.
Security deposit rules in Chicago
Most Chicago apartments are covered by the Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (RLTO). Under it, a landlord who takes a deposit must (City of Chicago RLTO summary):
- Give you a receipt, and tell you in writing within 14 days which bank holds the deposit.
- Keep it in a federally insured, interest-bearing account at an Illinois institution, separate from their own money.
- Pay interest every year on deposits held more than six months, in cash or as a rent credit.
- Send an itemized list of any damage deductions within 30 days of move-out.
- Return the deposit within 45 days of move-out.
If a landlord breaks these rules, a tenant can recover two times the deposit plus interest. The 2026 interest rate set by the City Comptroller is 0.01% (Chicago Association of Apartment Professionals; method in the City notice), so the interest itself is small. Statewide, the Security Deposit Return Act sets the same 30 and 45 day deadlines for buildings with five or more units (Public Act 103-0224).
Move-in fee or security deposit?
Many Chicago landlords charge a non-refundable move-in fee instead of a deposit, commonly $350 to $700 (Domu). It’s legal today, and the 2027 state fee law leaves move-in fees alone (Chicago Association of Realtors). A move-in fee costs less up front than a full month’s deposit, but you won’t get it back. A deposit costs more up front and comes back if the apartment is in good shape.
Application and screening fees
Since January 1, 2025, a landlord can’t charge an application or screening fee if you bring a qualifying reusable screening report from the past 30 days that the landlord can access for free (Illinois Realtors).
Starting January 1, 2027, Illinois caps rental application fees, background checks included, at $50 unless third-party screening actually costs more and the landlord shows receipts (Public Act 104-0479; effective date per Chicago Association of Realtors and Gould and Ratner). The same law bans fees for lease renewals, move-in and move-out walk-throughs, after-hours maintenance requests and several other charges, and requires every fee to be on the first page of the lease. Owner-occupied buildings with six or fewer units are exempt.
Movers
| Home size | Average local move |
|---|---|
| Studio | $368 |
| 1 bedroom | $510 |
| 2 bedrooms | $821 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,892 |
Source: FreightWaves Checkpoint, Chicago moving costs, October 2026. It puts typical Chicago rates at about $100 an hour with a two-hour minimum. Many condo and rental high-rises also require you to reserve the elevator for a move; ask the building what it charges before you book movers.
Broker fees
In Chicago, rental agents are typically paid by the building, not the renter (YoChicago, updated November 2024). Ask before you tour if anyone expects a fee from you.
Rules that could change
Two competing renter ordinances are before the City Council. The Mayor’s Protecting Renters Ordinance would ban move-in and move-out fees; the FAIR ordinance would keep move-in fees and cap deposits at 1.5 months’ rent (WTTW). The council deferred both on September 29, 2026 (The Real Deal), and neither had become law in the latest reporting we found. We’ll update this page when the council acts.
A sample move-in budget
| Item | With a move-in fee | With a deposit |
|---|---|---|
| First month’s rent | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| Move-in fee or deposit | $500 | $2,000 |
| Application fee | $50 | $50 |
| Movers, one-bedroom | $510 | $510 |
| Total up front | $3,060 | $4,560 |
Source: our calculation for a $2,000 one-bedroom, using a $500 move-in fee from the middle of Domu’s range, a $50 application fee and FreightWaves’ one-bedroom average. For rent by size and ZIP, see Chicago rent by ZIP code and one-bedroom rent in Chicago.
Sources
- City of Chicago: RLTO summary
- City of Chicago: 2025 deposit interest notice
- CAAPTS: 2026 deposit interest rates
- Illinois Public Act 103-0224 (Security Deposit Return Act)
- Illinois Public Act 104-0479 (rental fees)
- Chicago Association of Realtors: HB 3564
- Gould and Ratner: 2027 rental fee changes
- Illinois Realtors: reusable screening reports
- Domu: costs to rent in Chicago
- FreightWaves Checkpoint: Chicago moving costs
- WTTW: competing renter proposals
- The Real Deal: council defers renter ordinances
- YoChicago: rental agent pay