Are you managing rental properties in Illinois? Landlords must stay fully compliant, which means getting to know state-specific regulations. And while you likely already know that Illinois landlord-tenant law can get complicated — especially for rental property owners in Chicago — it’s important to stay informed.
Knowing your unique landlord responsibilities in Illinois can make it easier to handle the day-to-day rental decisions that define your business. In this guide, we’ll cover the ins and outs of key Illinois rental laws, including municipality-level regulations across the state.
Illinois landlords have a few important responsibilities to handle during day-to-day rental property operations, though local regulations may require additional duties. Here’s what to know:
We’ll cover these responsibilities in more detail later in the article, including important deadlines, exceptions, and the statutes behind each requirement.
Learn more: Guide to Landlord-Tenant Relationships
Illinois landlord-tenant law gives residential renters a number of important rights statewide. Lease agreements and local ordinances may also grant other rights that don’t apply to tenants in the rest of the state.
We’ll cover these rights in more detail later in the article, including notice rules, dollar limits, and enforcement steps.
Learn more: Guide to Tenant Rights & Responsibilities
Application fee limits: Illinois does not set a statewide limit on ordinary rental application fees or require landlords to refund unused amounts. Landlords can’t charge a screening fee when an applicant provides a qualifying reusable tenant screening report (765 ILCS 705/30).
Permissible screening criteria: Landlords may review credit, conviction records, eviction history, and rental history, subject to fair housing law.
Illinois prohibits landlords from denying rental housing based on an arrest record, including arrests that didn’t lead to convictions, juvenile records, and criminal history that’s been expunged, sealed, or impounded (775 ILCS 5/1-103, 775 ILCS 5/3-102).
Look-back limits on criminal and eviction records: In Illinois, landlords can consider evictions and convictions from any time, though the state seals certain eviction files. Federal reporting rules usually limit civil suits in consumer reports to 7 years, while convictions have no federal cutoff.
In Cook County, landlords can only consider certain convictions from the previous 3 years (Cook County Just Housing Amendment Rules).
Source-of-income and voucher protections: Illinois prohibits landlords from considering source of income when making housing decisions, including Housing Choice Vouchers and Section 8 (775 ILCS 5/1-103, 775 ILCS 5/3-102).
Adverse action notice obligations: If a landlord denies housing because of a consumer report, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires them to provide an adverse action notice that identifies the reporting company and its contact information, states that the reporting company did not make the decision, and reminds the tenant of their rights.
Free resources: Send Rental Applications & Screen Tenants Online
Federal protected classes: The Fair Housing Act forbids landlords from making housing decisions based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability (42 U.S.C. § 3604).
State-added protected classes: Illinois also protects tenants against discrimination based on ancestry, age (40 and older), marital status, military status, unfavorable military discharge, sexual orientation (including gender identity), pregnancy, reproductive health decisions, order of protection status, source of income, immigration status, and arrest records (775 ILCS 5/1-103, 775 ILCS 5/3-102).
Reasonable accommodations and modifications: Landlords must consider reasonable disability-related accommodations and allow tenants to make qualifying modifications (775 ILCS 5/3-102.1).
Assistance animals aren’t considered pets, so a landlord can’t charge pet fees or deposits for them. If the disability or need isn’t apparent, the landlord may request reliable supporting documentation, but can’t require the tenant to provide a specific diagnosis (310 ILCS 120/10).
Discriminatory advertising language: Rental ads can’t indicate a preference or restriction based on a protected class. Phrases such as “no children,” “Muslim community,” or “no Section 8” can violate Illinois law (775 ILCS 5/3-102(F)).
Complaint filing routes and deadlines: Tenants who believe they’ve been discriminated against can file a complaint with the Illinois Department of Human Rights or the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development within 1 year of the alleged discriminatory act (775 ILCS 5/7B-102).
Learn more: How to Screen Applicants Fairly
Landlords in Illinois should always use a state-specific lease agreement rather than a generic form to ensure that they don’t miss any local laws. Here’s why:
Statute of frauds threshold: Illinois typically requires a written agreement or memorandum (signed by the party against whom enforcement is sought) for a lease of an interest in real property longer than 1 year (740 ILCS 80/2).
Mandatory lease terms: Illinois doesn’t require landlords to use one statewide residential lease form or general font size. Since Jan. 1, 2026, landlords need to attach the required Safer Homes summary as the first page of each written residential lease or renewal (765 ILCS 752/20).
Void and unenforceable clauses: Illinois won’t enforce a residential lease that waives either party’s right to a jury trial, or a clause that excuses a landlord’s negligence. Consumer confession-of-judgment provisions are also banned in Illinois (735 ILCS 5/9-108, 765 ILCS 705/1, 735 ILCS 5/2-1301(c)).
Default rules absent a written lease: If a tenant refuses to leave after their lease expires, Illinois allows landlords to pursue eviction after 7 days’ written notice for a week-to-week tenancy, 30 days’ notice for tenancies shorter than 1 year, and 60 days’ notice for year-to-year tenancies (735 ILCS 5/9-205, 735 ILCS 5/9-207).
Illinois-specific leases: Custom Online Lease Builder
Illinois landlord-tenant law requires landlords to provide tenants with a series of important disclosures. Cook County and Chicago require additional disclosures, which are listed below:
Learn more: Online Lease Agreement Template
Maximum deposit amount: Illinois doesn’t limit residential security deposits at the state level.
Fees and deposits counting toward the cap: Since there is no statewide limit on security deposits, landlords can charge additional deposits, prepaid rent, key fees, and cleaning charges as they see fit. Illinois security deposit law doesn’t broadly prohibit nonrefundable fees, although local ordinances may have additional restrictions.
Account and interest requirements: Illinois doesn’t require every landlord to store security deposits in a separate or escrow account. Landlords of properties with 25 or more units in a single building or complex must pay interest on deposits held longer than 6 months (765 ILCS 715/1).
Return deadline and triggering event: Landlords who want to deduct for damage must provide an itemized damage statement within 30 days after the tenant moves out. A landlord who misses that deadline has to return the full security deposit within 45 days of move-out (765 ILCS 710/1).
Itemized statement requirements: For damage deductions, landlords must identify each damaged item, provide its estimated or actual repair cost, and attach paid receipts or copies (765 ILCS 710/1).
Wear and tear versus tenant damage: Landlords can’t charge tenants for normal wear and tear, such as faded paint or carpet wear. Repair costs specified in a written lease must be for damage beyond normal wear and tear and must be reasonable to restore the unit to its original condition (765 ILCS 710/1).
Penalties for wrongful withholding: A landlord who refuses to provide the required statement, or provides one in bad faith, and fails to return the correct amount of the security deposit can be ordered to pay twice the amount due, plus court costs and reasonable attorney’s fees (765 ILCS 710/1(c)).
Learn more: How Security Deposits Work
Due date and lawful payment methods: Illinois landlords can’t require electronic funds transfers for most residential leases. If a third-party payment portal charges a transaction fee, landlords must offer paper check, cash, or another fee-free payment method (765 ILCS 705/4, 765 ILCS 705/3.5).
Statutory grace period: Illinois has no statewide grace period for residential rent payments, so the lease agreement determines when rent is considered late. However, landlords who wish to evict tenants for nonpayment must first give a 5-day notice (735 ILCS 5/9-209).
Late fee cap: Illinois doesn’t impose a statewide cap on late fees for ordinary residential leases.
Partial payment consequences: Accepting partial rent won’t invalidate a pending 5-day eviction notice as long as the notice contains the required full-payment language. A landlord may also agree in writing to continue the lease agreement after accepting a partial payment (735 ILCS 5/9-209).
Helpful tool: Collect Rent Online for Free
Notice periods by tenancy type: Illinois doesn’t have a rent-increase notice statute. Instead, a landlord must let a periodic tenancy end and offer new terms. This takes 7 days’ written notice for week-to-week tenancies and 30 days’ for month-to-month tenancies (735 ILCS 5/9-207).
Mid-lease increase restrictions: Landlords can’t raise the agreed-upon rent mid-lease unless the lease allows an increase.
Statutory caps on increase amount: Illinois doesn’t limit ordinary residential rent increases and prohibits local rent control measures for private residential property (50 ILCS 825/5, 50 ILCS 825/10).
Service and delivery requirements: Illinois doesn’t require a statewide service method solely for rent increases.
Landlords can deliver notices personally, leave them with a resident age 13 or older, use qualifying certified or registered mail, or post them when nobody occupies the premises (735 ILCS 5/9-211).
Retaliatory and discriminatory increases: Landlords can’t raise rent because tenants report code violations, request required repairs, organize, testify about property conditions, or exercise legal rights (765 ILCS 721/5).
Fair housing law also prohibits landlords from enacting discriminatory rent increases (775 ILCS 5/3-102).
Learn more: Guide to Rent Increase Laws
Illinois doesn’t impose statewide rent control or rent stabilization on private residential rentals. That means landlords may set rent amounts as they see fit, subject to the lease agreement terms and other applicable laws (50 ILCS 825/5).
Learn more: How to Raise Rent Legally
The implied warranty of habitability: Landlords must keep rental properties fit to live in throughout the tenancy (Glasoe v. Trinkle, 107 Ill. 2d 1 (1985)).
Conditions constituting a violation: Illinois does not specify exactly which conditions make a property “fit to live in.” Instead, it’s up to the courts to determine whether a substantial defect makes the home unsafe, unsanitary, or unfit to occupy.
Tenant notice requirements: For habitability issues, tenants must notify the landlord and allow a reasonable amount of time to make repairs. Before attempting repair-and-deduct methods, tenants have to provide written notice by registered mail, Certified Mail, or another restricted delivery service to the proper landlord address (765 ILCS 742/5).
Landlord response deadlines: Under Illinois landlord-tenant law, landlords have 14 days after receiving a qualifying notice to complete ordinary repairs. An emergency that poses immediate harm to health, safety, or the property requires faster action (765 ILCS 742/5).
Repair-and-deduct, withholding, and escrow remedies: Tenants who follow the required notice steps may repair and deduct, but only if the repair itself costs no more than the lesser of $500 or half the monthly rent. The Act exempts condos, co-ops, public housing, and owner-occupied buildings with 6 or fewer units (765 ILCS 742/5).
Illinois has no statutory rent escrow, but tenants may raise a habitability breach as a defense to nonpayment and seek rent abatement.
Helpful tool: Rental Property Maintenance Coordination
Advance notice requirements: Illinois does not require a statewide notice period, written notice, or particular service method for ordinary landlord entry.
Chicago requires landlords to give at least 2 days’ notice by mail, telephone, written notice to the unit, or another reasonable method before entering (Chicago Municipal Code 5-12-050).
Lawful reasons for entry: Chicago allows landlords to enter rental units to make repairs, conduct inspections, hold showings, provide services, or check lease compliance. Entry typically must occur at reasonable times (8 a.m. to 8 p.m. is presumed reasonable) (Chicago Municipal Code 5-12-050).
Emergency exception: In Chicago, emergencies or unexpected repair needs elsewhere in the building may justify landlord entry without advance notice, though a suspected lease violation doesn’t count as an emergency (Chicago Municipal Code 5-12-050).
Remedies for unlawful entry and refused access: Chicago tenants may seek an injunction, terminate the lease in qualifying cases, or recover statutory damages. If a tenant unlawfully refuses the landlord access, the landlord may seek an injunction, terminate the agreement, and recover damages (Chicago Municipal Code 5-12-060).
Free form: 24-Hour Notice to Enter
No-cause termination: Illinois allows no-cause termination of periodic tenancies by written notice when the reason isn’t otherwise illegal (735 ILCS 5/9-205, 735 ILCS 5/9-207).
Statutory early termination rights: Eligible service members can terminate a lease agreement early with written notice and military orders. Illinois’ Safe Homes Act releases tenants facing domestic or sexual violence from future rent if they give written notice before or within 3 days of vacating (50 U.S.C. 3955, 765 ILCS 750/15).
Legal grounds for eviction: Common grounds for a residential eviction include unpaid rent, lease violations, holding over after lawful termination, and qualifying criminal activity (735 ILCS 5/9-102, 735 ILCS 5/9-120).
Notice periods by ground: Local laws or federally assisted housing rules may require landlords to give additional notice before filing for eviction, but these are the typical Illinois eviction notice periods:
Curable versus unconditional notices: Full payment of all overdue rent within the 5-day eviction notice period prevents landlords from terminating the lease agreement at that time.
However, Illinois landlord-tenant law doesn’t give tenants the right to cure the problem after a 10-day lease-default notice or 5-day criminal-activity notice has been issued (735 ILCS 5/9-209, 735 ILCS 5/9-210, 735 ILCS 5/9-120).
Court filing and appearance: After the notice period ends, the landlord must file a complaint and serve a summons setting a court appearance 7 to 40 days after issuance (735 ILCS 5/9-106, Illinois Supreme Court Rules 101(b)(2) and 181(b)(2)).
Writ of possession and execution: Only the sheriff or another authorized officer can physically remove a tenant under an eviction order, which expires after 120 days unless extended (735 ILCS 5/9-117).
Self-help eviction penalties: Illinois forbids forcible self-help evictions (including lockouts or removing a tenant’s property).
If a landlord shuts off utilities, they may have to provide 100% rent abatement plus consequential damages, with additional damages applied when the landlord acts deliberately, recklessly, or in bad faith (735 ILCS 5/9-101, 765 ILCS 735/1.4, 765 ILCS 735/2.1).
Learn more: Illinois Eviction Laws
Squatter, holdover tenant, and guest distinctions: A squatter occupies a property without lawful authority, while a holdover tenant stays after a tenancy ends, and a guest enters with permission from the tenant. Each can involve a different removal process (735 ILCS 5/9-102).
Adverse possession elements and statutory period: Adverse possession is a legal doctrine that can allow someone to gain ownership of property after possessing it for a certain period without the owner’s permission. In Illinois, a squatter needs 20 years of actual, continuous, hostile, open and notorious, and exclusive possession under a claim inconsistent with the owner’s rights (735 ILCS 5/13-101).
Color of title and property tax payment: Good-faith color of title, along with possession and payment of all assessed taxes for 7 successive years, can shorten a squatter’s timeline to establish ownership (735 ILCS 5/13-109, 735 ILCS 5/13-110).
Lawful removal routes: Since Jan. 1, 2026, Illinois landlord-tenant law expressly confirms that the eviction statute doesn’t stop police from enforcing criminal trespass laws or removing trespassers. In a civil possession dispute, owners may pursue eviction or, where appropriate, ejectment (735 ILCS 5/9-102, 720 ILCS 5/21-3, 735 ILCS 5/6-101).
Practical likelihood of a successful claim: Adverse possession claims rarely succeed in Illinois, since the squatter has to prove every element by clear and unequivocal evidence.
Owners can help prevent unauthorized occupancy by inspecting vacant properties, securing doors and windows, posting no-trespassing notices, and keeping up with routine maintenance.
Learn more: Illinois Squatter’s Rights
Abandoned property after move-out: Illinois doesn’t have any statewide storage, notice, or disposal deadlines for abandoned property. Chicago requires landlords to leave or store abandoned belongings for 7 days before disposal, though they may discard valueless or perishable property immediately (Chicago Municipal Code 5-12-130(f)).
Local ordinances that add to state law: Chicago, Evanston, Urbana, Oak Park, and suburban Cook County have local rental rules that affect security deposits, notices, screening, and eviction procedures.
Smoke and carbon monoxide detector requirements: Smoke detectors must be installed within 15 feet of sleeping rooms and be ceiling-mounted or 4 to 6 inches below the ceiling on a wall. Battery-powered models need sealed, long-term batteries once newly installed, after 10 years, or if they fail a test (425 ILCS 60/3).
Carbon monoxide alarms must be placed within 15 feet of sleeping rooms and may use battery, plug-in, or hardwired power. The property owner is responsible for installation, and tenants are responsible for testing, maintaining, and replacing alarm batteries (430 ILCS 135/10).
Renters insurance requirements: Illinois doesn’t require renters insurance statewide or limit the coverage a landlord can require (though landlords may make it a condition of the lease agreement).
Utility billing and submetering: For master-metered utilities, landlords may allocate charges after providing the written allocation formula. Total collections can’t exceed the sum the utility demanded (765 ILCS 740/5).
If a tenant’s individual meter also serves common areas or other units, landlords will have to provide additional disclosures before leasing (765 ILCS 735/1.2).
Recent and pending statutory changes: Reusable screening-report protections and the Landlord Retaliation Act took effect Jan. 1, 2025 (765 ILCS 705/30, 765 ILCS 721/1).
The Safer Homes lease-summary requirement took effect on Jan. 1, 2026. Statewide fee-transparency rules for covered leases take effect starting Jan. 1, 2027 (765 ILCS 752/20, 765 ILCS 705/35).
Illinois provides a series of important resources to help tenants and landlords address everything from legal disputes to binding lease agreements:
Illinois falls somewhere between landlord- and tenant-friendly. Under Illinois landlord-tenant law, there’s no rent control system, security deposit limits, or statewide entry-notice period. However, Illinois renters have significant rights regarding habitability, discrimination, retaliation, deposits, and eviction.
Illinois doesn’t require a statewide notice period for ordinary landlord entry. Chicago, Evanston, Oak Park, and covered suburban Cook County rentals require landlords to give 2 days’ notice, while Urbana requires 24 hours’ notice for non-emergency entry.
Illinois landlords typically have 45 days after a tenant moves out to return their security deposit. If a landlord wants to deduct any amount for property damage, they must provide an itemized statement and supporting documentation within 30 days.
No. For month-to-month rentals, landlords typically need to provide at least 30 days’ notice before raising rent, and for year-to-year tenancies, landlords need to give at least 60 days’ notice.
An Illinois eviction can take several weeks to several months from start to finish, depending on the required notice period, court scheduling, and whether the tenant contests the case.
Illinois renters have rights regarding habitable housing, lawful security deposit handling, protection from discrimination and retaliation, proper eviction procedures, and qualifying repair remedies.
An Illinois landlord may review credit, rental history, eviction records, and qualifying criminal convictions when selecting a new tenant. They can’t base housing decisions on protected arrest records, and in Cook County, landlords can only consider certain convictions from the previous 3 years.
