Security deposit limits, eviction notices, rent control, and more for Illinois.
Every rule on this page is drawn from state statutes and municipal codes and summarized with AI assistance. Each one cites the statute it's based on and links to a published text of that law so you can read it firsthand. Where a page says a city or county has no local rule on a topic, that means none was found for the topics covered here — not that none exists. Local governments also regulate rental housing in ways these pages don't track, including registration, licensing, inspections and habitability standards. These summaries may be incomplete or out of date, laws change often, and every property and tenancy has specifics a summary can't capture — so treat this as a starting point for your own research, not as legal advice, and check with the local jurisdiction and a qualified attorney before acting on your particular situation.
Sources last checked August 2026
Illinois sets no cap on a security deposit’s amount, but a landlord withholding any part must itemize the damage within 30 days of move-out, or return the deposit in full within 45 days absent a statement, under 765 ILCS 710/1 — a duty that, since Public Act 103-224 took effect January 1, 2024, covers every rental regardless of building size, not just buildings of five or more units as before. A 1997 preemption statute, 50 ILCS 825/5, bars any Illinois locality from capping a rent increase, though Chicago and Cook County layer their own stricter eviction-notice and deposit rules on top.
When a written lease specifies a cleaning, repair, or replacement cost, the landlord may withhold that amount only for damage beyond normal wear and tear and only when the charge is reasonable to restore the premises. The itemized statement must identify the lease provision and include the relevant lease portion.
A landlord of residential property containing at least 25 units in one building or in a complex on contiguous parcels must pay interest on a security deposit held for more than six months, subject to the statutory timing and default rules.
After rent is due, a landlord may serve a written demand stating that the lease will terminate unless the demanded rent is paid within a period of at least five days after service. If the tenant does not timely pay, the landlord may treat the lease as terminated and commence an eviction or ejectment action without further demand.
For nonpayment of rent an Illinois landlord must notify the tenant in writing that unless payment is made within a time stated in the notice, not less than 5 days after service, the lease will be terminated (735 ILCS 5/9-209). For a default in any other term of the lease, it is not necessary to give more than 10 days' notice to quit (735 ILCS 5/9-210). Eviction proceeds through the courts, and local ordinances in Chicago and in suburban Cook County add further requirements for the properties they cover.
If the landlord does not provide the required damage statement and receipts, the landlord must return the security deposit in full within 45 days after the tenant vacated. The return must be delivered in person or by postmarked mail.
Either party may end a periodic tenancy in Illinois on written notice: 30 days for a tenancy of any term less than one year other than week-to-week, which includes month-to-month, and 7 days for a week-to-week tenancy (735 ILCS 5/9-207). A lease for a fixed term expires at the end of that term. Chicago is stricter under its Fair Notice Ordinance, which scales notice to how long the tenant has lived in the unit: 30 days under six months, 60 days from six months to three years, and 120 days after three years. A Chicago landlord ending a long tenancy therefore needs substantially more notice than the state minimum.
Before offering an initial or renewal lease, accepting a security deposit, or otherwise entering the rental agreement, the landlord must provide written disclosures identifying areas and appurtenances served by the tenant's meter, the nature of utility uses, prior 12 months of utility bills unless waived in writing, and any rent reduction offered for outside-unit usage. The landlord may not require or suggest that the tenant collect money from neighboring tenants.
Non-optional fees must be disclosed clearly and conspicuously in the rental listing or an accompanying web link. The listing or lease disclosure must state whether utilities are included in rent.
For a written lease involving a rent concession, the lessor must place the words “Concession Granted” across the face and text of the lease at or immediately after lease execution. The words must be plainly legible and at least one-half inch high, and the lease must include a memorandum stating the amount or extent and nature of each concession.
A landlord may not demand a tenant's proportionate share of master-metered public utility services unless the lease or another written agreement first provides the allocation formula. The total building charge for a billing period may not exceed the amount demanded by the utility, and the underlying bill must be made available upon request.
Trenly monitors landlord-tenant laws and keeps your operations aligned — so you don't have to track every rule change yourself.
