Your rights

Educate yourself and your neighbors on your rights as tenants.

In Chicago, your rights are laid out in the Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (RLTO).

If you have a question about your rights, we recommend calling the Metropolitan Tenants Organization (MTO) Tenants’ Rights Hotline at 773-292-4988.

Many landlords use “portals” to interact with tenants. Often, these portals charge fees for rent payment. You do not have to use a portal to pay rent. Under Illinois HB 4206, you may pay rent by check or cash to avoid junk fees.

Rent

Source of income

Under the Illinois Human Rights Act, it is illegal for a landlord to discriminate against a current or potential tenant based on source of income. This means that landlords must accept Section 8 vouchers and cannot discriminate against tenants who receive income from Social Security, among other things.

Heat

Under the Chicago Heat Ordinance, your landlord must provide heat between the months of September and April - no exceptions. Failing to provide heat may result in a fee of $500-$1000 per day per violation. Contact 311 and report your landlord if you are without heat during cold months.

Repairs

If your unit needs repairs, you may give your landlord a 14-day warning to complete repairs, and after 14 days, you may pay for repairs yourself and deduct the cost of repairs from the next month’s rent. Use this form to alert your landlord that repairs are needed and that you may exercise your repair-and-deduct right.

Fair notice

Your landlord must provide minimum notice for lease nonrenewal. The amount of notice they are required to provide depends on how long you have lived in your unit.

• 30 days of notice to terminate a month-to-month tenancy, decline to renew your lease or raise your rent if you have lived in your apartment for less than six months.

• 60 days of notice for the same if you have lived in your apartment for more than six months but less than three years.

• 120 days of notice for the same if you have lived in your apartment for more than three years.

Source: Chicago Residential Landlord Tenant Ordinance