Illinois Landlord-Tenant Law 2026: The Plain-English Guide
Illinois is a two-track state: the statewide rules are moderate, but Chicago's Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (RLTO) is one of the strictest municipal codes in the country. Most Illinois landlords who get in trouble get in trouble with the RLTO. Know which track you're on.
Security deposits
Statewide (Security Deposit Return Act):
- No state cap on the amount.
- Return within 45 days of move-out with an itemized statement of deductions.
- If you withhold, you must provide the itemized list within 30 days.
- Penalty: bad-faith withholding = up to 2x the deposit.
Chicago (RLTO) — stricter:
- Deposits must be held in a separate interest-bearing account in an Illinois bank, and tenants earn interest annually.
- Prepaid rent is treated as a deposit under the RLTO.
- Commingling = serious penalties, including 2x damages plus attorney's fees.
Use our Security Deposit Deadline Finder and deductions guide.
Rent rules
- No rent control — Illinois law prohibits local rent control ordinances (a frequent legislative battleground, but still the law).
- Late fees must be in the lease and reasonable.
- Raising rent: 30 days' notice for month-to-month tenancies. See how to raise rent legally.
Eviction in Illinois
- Nonpayment: 5-Day Notice.
- Lease violation: 10-Day Notice to Cure (or quit for serious violations).
- Month-to-month termination: 30 days' written notice.
- Cases go to Circuit Court — slower and more formal than the small-claims-style courts in some states. Uncontested cases typically take 6–10 weeks; Chicago cases can take longer.
- Cook County has additional procedural requirements and a historically tenant-friendly bench — build extra time into your planning.
Self-help is illegal statewide. Full process: how to evict a tenant.
Repairs and habitability
- Implied warranty of habitability applies statewide and can't be waived.
- Chicago RLTO gives tenants powerful remedies: after proper written notice and 14 days, tenants can repair-and-deduct (up to $500 or half a month's rent, whichever is greater) or withhold rent under strict procedures.
- Retaliation is broadly prohibited — the RLTO presumes retaliation if you act against a tenant within 1 year of a complaint.
Entry rights
- Statewide: no statute; 24–48 hours' notice is standard practice — put it in the lease.
- Chicago RLTO: 48 hours' notice required except for emergencies, and entry must be at reasonable times. This is stricter than most states.
The bottom line
Outside Chicago, Illinois is a straightforward state: 45-day deposit returns, 5-day nonpayment notices, no rent control. Inside Chicago, the RLTO demands precision — separate interest-bearing accounts, 48-hour entry notice, and retaliation presumptions. Chicago landlords should treat the RLTO as required reading.
This is general information, not legal advice. Chicago's RLTO is detailed — consult an Illinois landlord-tenant attorney for specific situations.