Chicago, Illinois · City renter rules · Updated Oct 2026
Chicago Tenant Rights: Deposits, Evictions (2026)
What is different for renters in Chicago compared with Illinois state law: relocation payments, deposits, eviction protections and repairs. In plain English from official city sources.
Short answer
Most Chicago renters are covered by the city's Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (RLTO), which adds deposit, repair and anti-retaliation rules on top of Illinois law. The Fair Notice Ordinance gives you 60 or 120 days' notice before a rent increase or non-renewal. Illinois law bans rent control, and Chicago has no just-cause eviction rule.
- Rent control
- No city rent cap
- Just cause for eviction
- No city rule
- Relocation payments
- In some cases
- Free lawyer in eviction cases
- Yes, for eligible tenants
Rent control in Chicago
Chicago has no rent control of its own. Illinois law: No statewide rent cap. Local governments may not enact rent control (Rent Control Preemption Act, 50 ILCS 825/5).
Just cause for eviction in Chicago
Chicago has no just-cause eviction rule of its own; Illinois law decides when a landlord can end a tenancy. Eviction rules in Illinois
Relocation payments in Chicago
- The rule
- If your building is foreclosed, the new owner must, within 21 days, notify you and either offer you a new lease after good-faith negotiation or pay you $10,600 in relocation assistance. You can turn down the new lease and still take the $10,600. This covers buildings with one or more rental units, including single-family homes and condos.
Security deposits in Chicago
Under the RLTO your landlord must give you a signed receipt for your deposit (amount, who received it, date, and a description of the unit) and must keep deposits in a federally insured, interest-bearing account, separate from the landlord's own money. If the landlord holds your deposit or prepaid rent for more than six months, they must pay you interest each year at the rate the City Comptroller sets: 0.01% for January 1 to December 31, 2026. The landlord must give you an itemized statement of damages within 30 days after you move out before keeping any money, and return the deposit plus interest within 45 days. If the landlord breaks these deposit rules, you can be awarded two times the deposit plus interest.
Repairs and complaints in Chicago
Call 311 or go to chicago.gov to request a building inspection. The Heat Ordinance runs September 15 to June 1: in buildings with central heat, at least 68°F from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and 66°F from 10:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. Under the RLTO (MCC 5-12-110), if a serious problem is not fixed within 14 days after your written notice, you may: end the lease (your notice must give at least 14 days); have a minor repair done and deduct the cost from rent (only if it costs no more than $500 or half a month's rent, whichever is more, and you give the landlord the paid bill); or withhold an amount of rent that reflects the reduced value of your home. Read the rules carefully or get legal advice before withholding rent.
Eviction protections in Chicago
Fair Notice Ordinance: if you have lived in your unit more than 6 months but less than 3 years, your landlord must give 60 days' notice to end your lease or raise your rent; after 3 years it is 120 days. If you are being evicted for unpaid rent, you can stop the case at any time before an order of possession by paying all back rent plus the landlord's court filing fees (this does not apply if you live in a building of 6 units or fewer where the landlord also lives). The city's Right to Counsel program gives free lawyers to eviction-facing tenants with income at or below 80% of Area Median Income, and the Early Resolution Program hotline (855-956-5763) gives free legal advice to anyone.
Other Chicago rules
- The RLTO covers most rentals except units in owner-occupied buildings with 6 or fewer units, most hotel/rooming house units, dorms, shelters and owner-occupied co-ops.
- Your landlord must attach the city's RLTO summary to every written lease and renewal.
- Late fees cannot be more than $10 per month for the first $500 of monthly rent plus 5% of any rent above $500 (RLTO 5-12-140(h)). Example: on $1,500 rent the most is $10 + $50 = $60.
- Pending: the Protecting Renters Ordinance (introduced to City Council on June 29, 2026; substitute recommended by the Housing Committee on Sept 16 and deferred at the Sept 23 Council meeting) would rewrite parts of the RLTO (including the late-fee and repair-and-deduct limits), cap deposits at one month's rent, create a rental registry and make the eviction Right to Counsel program permanent. It is not law yet.
Illinois law that also applies
City rules add to state law. Where they differ, the stronger protection usually applies; if you are unsure, ask the city agency below.
- Deposit limit
- No statewide limit
- Deposit back within
- 45 days
- Notice for unpaid rent
- 5 days
- Notice before entry
- No statute
- Rent increase notice
- No specific statute.
Where to get help in Chicago
Free tools
These tools use Illinois state law. Chicago's rules above may give you more time or more money.
Deposit calculator
Check Illinois's deadline to return your deposit.
Eviction notice timeline
See the dates under Illinois law.
Repair request letter for Illinois
Ask your landlord in writing to fix the problem by a date. A written, dated request is the first step in almost every state, and it is proof that the landlord knew. Check the problems, add dates, then download the letter as PDF or Word (or copy it). Sign it, keep a copy and photos, and send it in a way you can prove.
Questions about renting in Chicago
Is there rent control in Chicago?
Chicago has no rent control of its own. Illinois law: No statewide rent cap. Local governments may not enact rent control (Rent Control Preemption Act, 50 ILCS 825/5).
What eviction protections does Chicago have?
Fair Notice Ordinance: if you have lived in your unit more than 6 months but less than 3 years, your landlord must give 60 days' notice to end your lease or raise your rent; after 3 years it is 120 days. If you are being evicted for unpaid rent, you can stop the case at any time before an order of possession by paying all back rent plus the landlord's court filing fees (this does not apply if you live in a building of 6 units or fewer where the landlord also lives). The city's Right to Counsel program gives free lawyers to eviction-facing tenants with income at or below 80% of Area Median Income, and the Early Resolution Program hotline (855-956-5763) gives free legal advice to anyone.
Do I get relocation money if I have to move out in Chicago?
If your building is foreclosed, the new owner must, within 21 days, notify you and either offer you a new lease after good-faith negotiation or pay you $10,600 in relocation assistance. You can turn down the new lease and still take the $10,600. This covers buildings with one or more rental units, including single-family homes and condos.
Are there city rules on security deposits in Chicago?
Under the RLTO your landlord must give you a signed receipt for your deposit (amount, who received it, date, and a description of the unit) and must keep deposits in a federally insured, interest-bearing account, separate from the landlord's own money. If the landlord holds your deposit or prepaid rent for more than six months, they must pay you interest each year at the rate the City Comptroller sets: 0.01% for January 1 to December 31, 2026. The landlord must give you an itemized statement of damages within 30 days after you move out before keeping any money, and return the deposit plus interest within 45 days. If the landlord breaks these deposit rules, you can be awarded two times the deposit plus interest.
How do I report repair problems in Chicago?
Call 311 or go to chicago.gov to request a building inspection. The Heat Ordinance runs September 15 to June 1: in buildings with central heat, at least 68°F from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and 66°F from 10:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. Under the RLTO (MCC 5-12-110), if a serious problem is not fixed within 14 days after your written notice, you may: end the lease (your notice must give at least 14 days); have a minor repair done and deduct the cost from rent (only if it costs no more than $500 or half a month's rent, whichever is more, and you give the landlord the paid bill); or withhold an amount of rent that reflects the reduced value of your home. Read the rules carefully or get legal advice before withholding rent.
- Chicago DOH: Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance
- Chicago DOH: Security Deposit Interest Rates (2026)
- Chicago DOH: Know Your Rights: Fair Notice Ordinance
- Chicago DOH: Protecting Tenants in Foreclosed Properties (Keep Chicago Renting)
- Chicago DOH: Right to Counsel
- Chicago Department of Buildings: Heat Ordinance
- Chicago DOH: Protecting Renters Ordinance (pending)
- Chicago City Clerk eLMS: SO2026-0026554 (Protecting Renters Ordinance substitute, shows current RLTO text with proposed changes)
Last checked: Oct 2026.