What's Actually Included in a Co-Living Rent? A Full Breakdown

What Does Co-Living Rent Actually Cover?

Nearly everything. Co-living rent at Post Chicago is a single monthly payment that covers your furnished private room, all utilities, high-speed WiFi, weekly professional cleaning, household supplies, and full access to building amenities. The only recurring costs outside your rent are personal groceries, renter's insurance, and any optional add-ons like parking. That simplicity is the entire point.

According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the average American renter manages 5 to 8 separate recurring payments related to their housing — rent, electric, gas, water, internet, renter's insurance, trash, and sometimes parking. Co-living collapses those into one.

Here is exactly what your rent includes at Post Chicago, broken down room by room and service by service.

What's in Your Private Room?

Every private room at Post Chicago is move-in ready. You show up with your personal belongings — clothes, laptop, toiletries — and everything else is already there, waiting.

Furniture included in your room:

• Bed frame and quality mattress — full or queen size depending on the room, with a premium mattress designed for nightly use, not the thin foam slab you find in most furnished apartments
• Desk and chair — a proper workspace, not an afterthought. Sized for a laptop, monitor, and your daily essentials
• Linens package — sheets, pillows, pillowcases, and a duvet. Laundered and fresh at move-in
• Closet or wardrobe space — built-in closet storage with hanging rod and shelf space
• Personal lock on your door — your room is your space, secured with a private lock

At Post Chicago, the furniture is not generic rental-grade particleboard. Every piece comes from Floyd and Article — brands known for quality materials, clean lines, and durability. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer data, furniture prices have risen 8.5% since 2020. Buying comparable pieces independently would cost $1,500–$2,500 for the bedroom alone.

What Makes the Furniture Different?

Most "furnished apartments" in Chicago provide the bare minimum: a metal bed frame, a thin mattress, a plastic desk, and a folding chair. They check the box without caring about your experience. The furniture at Post Chicago was selected with the same intention as a boutique hotel — pieces that look good, feel good, and last. Floyd bed frames are made from American steel and solid wood. Article sofas use kiln-dried hardwood frames and high-density foam. These are not temporary solutions. They are the real thing.

What Do Shared Spaces Include?

Your private room is one part of the equation. The shared spaces in your apartment — kitchen, living room, dining area — are the other, and they are furnished and stocked just as thoughtfully.

Living room:

• Sofa and accent seating
• Coffee table
• Media setup with smart TV
• Lighting and decor

Dining area:

• Dining table with chairs for all residents
• Adequate lighting for both meals and work

Kitchen — fully stocked:

• Full-size refrigerator
• Gas range and oven
• Microwave and dishwasher
• Cookware set (pots, pans, baking sheets)
• Complete dish set (plates, bowls, glasses, mugs)
• Full utensil set (knives, spatulas, serving spoons, can opener, cutting boards)
• Coffee maker

In-unit laundry:

• Full-size washer and dryer in every apartment — not a shared laundry room three floors away

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that in-unit laundry saves the average renter $600–$900 per year compared to commercial laundromat costs. At Post Chicago, it is included at no extra charge.

Utilities and Services Included

Utility bills are one of the most unpredictable costs of traditional renting. A mild October electric bill of $45 can balloon to $180 in January when Chicago's winter arrives. With co-living, every utility is bundled into your fixed monthly rent. No accounts to open. No deposits. No surprises.

Included utilities:

• Electricity — ComEd service, fully covered. Run your AC in August, your space heater in February. No metered billing.
• Gas / Heat — Peoples Gas service, fully covered. Chicago winters average 24 degrees in January, and heating costs can spike to $150/mo for a traditional apartment. Not your concern here.
• Water and sewer — fully covered.
• Trash and recycling — building-managed, fully covered.
• High-speed fiber WiFi — 500+ Mbps, pre-installed and managed. No router to buy, no Comcast appointment to schedule, no 2-hour installation windows. According to the FCC's Broadband Progress Report, the average American household pays $75/mo for internet service. That is $900/year included in your co-living rent.
• Weekly professional cleaning of shared spaces — kitchen, bathrooms, living areas, and common hallways cleaned by a professional crew every week. Household supplies (dish soap, hand soap, paper towels, trash bags, cleaning products) are restocked at every visit.

Utility	Traditional Apartment	Co-Living
Electricity	$1,020/yr	Included
Gas / Heat	$780/yr	Included
Water / Sewer / Trash	$480/yr	Included
WiFi	$840/yr	Included
Cleaning (biweekly)	$3,600/yr	Included
Household Supplies	$420/yr	Included
TOTAL	$7,140/yr	$0 additional

That is $7,140 per year in costs that simply do not exist in your co-living budget. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, Chicago-area households spend an average of $4,380 annually on utilities alone — and that figure does not include cleaning services or supplies.

Building Amenities at No Extra Cost

Your rent at Post Chicago also grants full access to the building's shared amenities. There are no extra membership fees, no "amenity charges" tacked onto your lease, and no usage limits.

Fitness and wellness:

• Fitness center — fully equipped with cardio machines, free weights, and resistance equipment. Open to residents around the clock. A comparable gym membership at Equinox Lincoln Park runs $260/mo. Even a budget gym like Planet Fitness costs $25/mo. This is included.
• Yoga studio — dedicated space for stretching, yoga, and meditation. No signup required.

Work and productivity:

• Co-working spaces — dedicated work areas with WiFi, power outlets, and comfortable seating for remote work or studying.
• Phone booths — private, soundproofed pods for video calls, phone meetings, or focused work. Finding a quiet spot for a Zoom call in a shared apartment is a real problem. Phone booths solve it.

Outdoor and social:

• Rooftop terrace — furnished with seating areas, a fire pit, and a grill. Views of the Chicago skyline. Available to residents for personal use and building events.
• Community events — regular resident gatherings organized by the building. Movie nights, rooftop grills, holiday parties, networking mixers. These are optional, but they are how most residents meet their neighbors and build a social circle in the city.

Convenience:

• Secure package lockers — no more stolen Amazon packages or missed deliveries. Packages are stored securely until you retrieve them.
• Bike storage — secure indoor bike storage at no additional charge. According to the Chicago Department of Transportation, Lincoln Park has some of the highest cycling rates in the city, and bike theft is a real concern. Indoor storage matters.
• Keyless entry — modern electronic access to the building and your apartment. No keys to lose, no locksmith to call.

What You'll Still Need to Budget For

Transparency builds trust, and the honest answer is that co-living does not cover literally everything. Here are the costs that remain your responsibility.

Personal food and groceries — $300–$600/mo

Your kitchen is fully equipped, but the food is up to you. The good news: Lincoln Park has excellent grocery options within walking distance, including Trader Joe's (0.4 miles), Whole Foods (0.6 miles), and ALDI (0.8 miles). Cooking at home in a fully equipped kitchen is significantly cheaper than eating out. The BLS estimates Chicago-area residents spend an average of $450/mo on food, split roughly evenly between groceries and dining out.

Renter's insurance — $15–$25/mo

Most co-living operators, including Post Chicago, require renter's insurance. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the national average for renter's insurance is $15–$25/mo, and policies from Lemonade or State Farm can often be set up in under 10 minutes online. This is a small cost that protects your personal belongings against theft, fire, and water damage.

Personal items and decor — variable

Your room comes fully furnished, but making it feel like yours is up to you. Photos, art prints, a favorite throw blanket, plants, a Bluetooth speaker — these personal touches are what transform a furnished room into a home. Budget $50–$200 as a one-time cost, or nothing at all if you prefer the space as-is.

Parking — if needed

Post Chicago offers building parking for an additional monthly fee. The exact rate varies, so check with the leasing team. However, many residents find a car unnecessary in Lincoln Park. The CTA Red and Brown Lines are steps away, Divvy bike-share stations are on every other block, and rideshare costs are minimal for a neighborhood this walkable. According to Walk Score, the Post Chicago address earns a Walk Score of 90+ and a Transit Score of 80+.

Pet deposit — if applicable

Post Chicago is pet-friendly (dogs and cats welcome), but a pet deposit is required. Ask the leasing team for current rates. Monthly pet rent may also apply depending on the unit.

How This Compares to a Traditional Lease

A traditional apartment lease in Chicago typically includes your base rent and nothing else. Everything beyond the walls of your empty apartment is your problem to source, set up, and pay for separately.

What a traditional lease usually does NOT include:

• Furniture (you buy it, move it, store it, sell it)
• Utilities — electric, gas, water, trash (separate accounts, separate bills, separate deposits)
• WiFi (your own account with Comcast, RCN, or AT&T — typically $60–$90/mo)
• Cleaning service (your responsibility, or $150–$300/visit to hire someone)
• Household supplies (dish soap, trash bags, paper towels — $30–$40/mo)
• Building amenities (many traditional apartments charge $50–$150/mo in amenity fees on top of rent)
• In-unit laundry (most Lincoln Park apartments have shared laundry facilities, and many have no in-unit machines at all)

When you compare the sticker price of a traditional apartment ($2,100/mo) to a co-living private room ($1,350/mo at 14 months), the co-living price is already lower. When you add in all the costs that co-living includes and a traditional lease does not, the gap widens to $1,000–$1,300 per month.

See the full cost comparison

The financial case is clear. But the less quantifiable benefit may matter just as much: the hours you do not spend opening utility accounts, assembling furniture, interviewing cleaning services, troubleshooting your router, and arguing with roommates about whose turn it is to buy dish soap. That time is yours. Use it for something that actually matters.

Read the complete co-living guide

Furnished apartments for 3-month stays