this post was submitted on 27 Apr 2026
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I moved to Chicago a few years. I go to rent an apartment. It has a "move-in" fee.
I'm like what's that.
Oh it's $500 that you don't get back.
I say. What about the deposit? They say. Oh yeah we don't require that. Isn't that great ,?
I'm like. So move in fee is my deposit but it's just guaranteed I won't get it back.
Them: well it's different. It's a move in fee. We don't require a deposit but if you don't clean out the apartment to this list of specifications, we will charge you per item you miss.
Example. Refrigerator not cleaned :$150 Floors not clean : $200
Etc.
So I was super unhappy about this and complained to anyone who would listen. To which my new Chicago neighbors and friends were like "that's how it's always been here,"
Bro. Y'all getting fucked. Hard. Non refundable deposit where you still have to clean out the old apartment.
Wtf. Should be illegal.
that's why you stiff em the last month's rent
At least in Chicago, many landlords require references from past landlords when you are applying for a new apartment, so flaking on rent or trashing a place before moving out can doom your future endeavors.
Unless you get lucky and find a private owner to rent from that doesn't bother with checking backgrounds.
Then you just have to deal with them taking ages to repair anything and letting themselves into your apartment unannounced to 'check on things'.
In my experience the private landlords are the ones who actually fix shit. Last corp landlord I had lost a civil suit for 20 million in Cambridge mass for not maintaining the property.
It's very hit or miss. Not all landlords are good or bad.
I know and I've been lucky in that regard...I will never rent from a corporate landlord again...I highly recommend avoiding Northland property.
as well as any llc
I've had the opposite experience but I think it's always a gamble with landlords. Especially when moving to a new city and you can't ask around.
Just give your landlord a burner phone number. Don't even clean the jizz stains when you leave.
What the fuck? So it's just a deposit you're garuanteed to not get back? What if you don't "miss" anything when cleaning up? You're not getting your money back anyway so why clean anything when you're moving out?
Yeah there was a whole list of things and the fine for not cleaning the items. So you had to make sure you got it super clean or you would get all the fines.
Of which amounted to something close to $1000.
I spent 2 days cleaning it when I moved out to make sure I didn't get any of the fines.
You can basically get black listed as a renter if you don't clean well.
A "move in" fee is not a deposit. It's more like a goodwill payment, or you could call it a front pocket fee, even if there's nobody else in queue. Obviously whoever is willing to pay the most gets the first choice.
It's shady as fuck and also illegal where I live, but people still pay it instead of risking not getting the apartment. Sadly, nobody cares enough to take these scumbags to court over it. You can choose not to pay it but then you just don't get the apartment, and if so, why'd you want to waste your time and money on a lawyer, when there's nothing to win from doing so.
Florida does both