‘I don’t even have a couch’: Tenant gets notice rent is going up. She can’t believe how much landlord is asking for a studio
‘Chicago is on literal crack right now.’
A Chicago resident in a studio apartment is fuming over a rent increase her landlord is slapping on her—but according to the grapevine, she might be living in a ritzy part of town, based on what other city locals are saying.
The uproar comes courtesy of TikToker Alexa Kosior (@alexakosior), whose video alarmed over 409,000 viewers, snatching a whopping 21,700 likes. The video’s opening pitch?
Kosior’s Instagram account identifies her as a “digital creator,” and her LinkedIn lists her as the Social Media Marketing Manager at ShoutOut, “a community-centric influencer marketing company born with local businesses in mind.” She may be experiencing the rent hikes that are currently affecting many Chicagoans.
According to Axios, “In the Chicago metro, rent was up for mid- and higher-end apartments at the end of 2023, according to real estate firm CoStar Group, which rates buildings based on design, amenities, location and certifications.” The article shows that middle-tier apartments were up 4.1 percent between the fourth quarters of 2022 and 2023, with luxury apartments up 1.9 percent in the same time frame. It also assesses that “Many Chicagoans are unlikely to catch a break on rent this year.”
However, a dialogue with various commenters revealed that she’s living in a more expensive neighborhood. While commenters guessed she lived in either the Chicago Loop or Lincoln Park, the TikToker alluded to her apartment being part of the Flats group, which manages apartments in various tony Chicago neighborhoods.
One commenter offered, “Is this a flats apartment?? lmaaoaooo HATE flats!!”
“SAME,” Kosior replied.
Other viewers shared cheaper rents they were paying for bigger apartments, with one named Beth Fischer saying, “I instantly knew this was a flats. Chicago has so many better deals, high rise or not. Personally, I pay $1300 in bucktown for a 2 bed inclusive of my own w/d, parking spot, central air etc.” Fischer went on to say it was a Craigslist find and “not even the best apartment steal I’ve had.”
