The Fair Notice Ordinance was approved by the Chicago City Council in July 2020 and creates new rights and responsibilities for tenants and landlords to give Chicago renters more stability in their homes. Show
Most importantly, the ordinance increases the amount of notice a landlord must give in order to non-renew or terminate a lease, or to raise a tenant's rent. The ordinance also extends the amount of time during which a tenant may end an eviction filing against them by paying the rent they owe and their landlord’s court filing fees. If Your Landlord Moves to Terminate Your LeaseUnder the ordinance, landlords must provide:
If Your Landlord Moves to Raise Your RentUnder the ordinance, landlords must provide:
These rules apply to all tenants, whether they have a written year-long lease or an informal month-to-month lease. It does not apply if the eviction process has begun to due to nonpayment of rent or another violation of the lease. If a landlord fails to give the required notice, tenants have the right to remain in the apartment for the required notice period or pay the prior rent for the required notice period. If You Have Been Given an Eviction Notice for NonpaymentYou now have the right to remain in your apartment and end the eviction case against you if you:
You are free to make these payments until a judge issues a formal eviction order against you, also known as an “order of possession.” Illinois eviction laws vary from county to county, but they still follow the same general eviction process:
Every eviction process is different and dependent on the lease/rental agreement signed by the tenant and the landlord. It is always best to exercise meticulous file-keeping to avoid errors that could be exploited by the tenant. This article details a summary for landlords to refer to when evicting a tenant. Confirm procedures with your justice court to make sure the entire process goes as smoothly as possible. Eviction Reasons1. Failure to comply with rent deadlinesRent is usually considered late a day past it is due. A grace period may be available if stated in the lease/rental agreement. Before a landlord can start the eviction process, they are required to give the tenant an official written 5-Day Notice to Pay. If rent is paid within those 5 days, then the filing for eviction does not continue. If they are unable to pay, the landlord reserves the right to continue filing for eviction. 2. Violation of the lease/rental agreementThe rental lease agreement has to be upheld by both tenant and landlord for the entire duration of their stay. Agreements may vary from tenant to tenant. If a tenant violates any terms from the lease agreement, the landlord has to issue a 10-Day Notice to Comply or Quit. If the tenant resolves these issues on time, the eviction process does not continue. Lease violations may include:
If the violations are not resolved or they remain on the property, then the landlord may continue with the eviction. 3. Conducting illegal activityIf a tenant has engaged in illegal behavior within the property, the landlord has to issue an official written a 5-Day Notice to Quit. Examples of illegal activities are:
The same applies if the tenant is involved in a class X felony. Examples of class X felonies include:
Landlords are advised to keep a close eye on their tenants to make sure illegal behavior does not go unnoticed. 4. Foreclosure of Rental PropertyIn this case, tenants are usually not allowed to renew their lease. The landlords have to issue a 90-Day Notice to Vacate. The tenant has no choice but to leave the premises before the end of the notice period. Landlords can continue with the eviction process if the tenant refuses to leave after the 90-day grace period. 5. Non-renewal of the lease after the rental period endsIn Illinois, landlords cannot evict a tenant or force them to vacate the property without probable cause. As long as the tenant does not violate any rules, they can stay until their rental period ends. But if they stay in the property even a day after their lease/rental agreement ends and have not arranged for a renewal, landlords can issue a written notice to move. The different notices include a 7-Day Notice to Quit, a 30-Day Notice to Quit, and a 60-Day Notice to Quit. Filing a Complaint1. How to File a ComplaintThe eviction process can only begin after the issuance of the appropriate written notice. Enough notice time must have been allowed before filing for eviction. The eviction process is as follows:
2. TimelineIt takes about 5 to 90 days from the issuance of the Notice to Vacate/Quit. Notice to ComplyBefore filing for an eviction with the court, you need to issue the tenant a notice to comply. You can either download the free PDF or Word template, or create your Illinois eviction notice from here using a step-by-step wizard that guides you through the entire process to make sure you are submitting the legally correct notice. Keep in mind, the step-by-step wizard will ask you to pay a small fee at the end - it's a small price to pay to ensure legal compliance and protection. The last thing you want is to go to court only to find out you did the first process incorrect. Serving the Tenant1. How to Serve a TenantThe documents have to be served at least 3 days before the hearing. An official from the court delivers the summons for the hearing and the complaint to the tenant. This official either be a professional process server, the sheriff, or someone no younger than 18 years old who is uninvolved in the case. There are several methods available:
Neither the landlord nor their lawyer is allowed to serve the documents to the tenant in this step of the eviction process. 2. After Serving the Summons and ComplaintThe tenant has at least 3 days before the eviction hearing to prepare. 3. TimelineThe documents should be served to the tenant at least 3 days before the hearing is scheduled. Want a complete overview of the Illinois landlord-tenant laws? Visit DoorLoop's Complete Guide to Illinois's Landlord-Tenant Laws to learn more. Asking for Possession1. Filing a Motion to Obtain Judgement and get a Judgement for PossessionThe landlord has to provide a strong argument backed up by solid evidence against the tenant. Should the tenant fail to show up to the hearing, the landlord wins by default. But the tenant can ask to reschedule the hearing within 30 days of the default judgmentif they were unable to attend it. 2. Next procedure if the tenant disagreed and repliedIn the state of Illinois, a reply from the tenant is not necessary for a court date to be scheduled. They only have to show up to the hearing. Although optional, tenants can file a written reply to the Complaint. During the hearing, the landlord needs to support the claim with evidence and show it during the hearing. This could include, but is not limited to the following:
3. TimelineEviction hearings are scheduled 7 to 40 days after the complaint was filed and a summons is issued to the tenant. Getting Possession1. After the landlord wins the caseProvided that the tenant does not appeal for reconsideration, a Writ of Executionis issued within a few hours to a few days. The Writ of Execution gives the tenant 7-14 days to vacate the property depending on the type of eviction. Evictions related to illegal activity gives tenants only 7 days to vacate the property. 2. Move out processThe sheriff, police officer, constable, or bailiff executes the Writ. Once the Writ is given to the tenant and/or pasted on the entrance to the rental unit, the tenant has to move out. A tenant has a maximum of 14 days to move out unless they are being evicted for engaging in illegal activity. Only the sheriff or the proper authorities are allowed to remove the tenant by force. Even if the landlord wins the case, they are not allowed to engage in illegal methods of eviction. The state of Illinois does not specify what to do with a tenant’s belongings if they are outside the city of Chicago. If any belongings are left behind, landlords are advised to contact the tenant and give them a reasonable timeframe to claim them. After the timeframe has passed, the tenant’s property may be sold or disposed of. However, if the rental property is within the limits of the city of Chicago, the landlord is required to store the belongings for at least 7 days. Beyond that, they made throw it out. Any money earned by the landlord for the tenant’s belongings can be used to cover unpaid rent and any other outstanding costs. 3. TimelineThe tenants have 7-14 days upon receiving the Writ of Execution to vacate the property Below is the average timeline for a complete eviction process. This timeline does not include special cases such as requests for an appeal or continuance.
On average, it would take anywhere between 3 weeks to 6 months for a complete eviction process. This does not include any appeals for reconsideration. Showing Evidence1. How to keep good recordsIf the tenant disagrees with the eviction request and they reply to the court, it’s important that you keep extremely good records of everything so you can provide proof to the judge and win your case. This part can make or break your entire eviction request in the event of a dispute. You can stay organized by:
2. Evidence to show for not paying rentIf the tenant doesn’t pay rent, and they dispute that claim, it’s important that you show the judge the following:
3. Evidence to show for lease violationsIf you are evicting the tenant for lease violations, for example, noise complaints, unauthorized pets, or property damages, it’s important to show proof from any of the following methods:
Can a landlord evict you without a court order in Illinois?The landlord must give the tenant notice and go through the court process to get an Eviction Order. Then they must get the Sheriff to remove the tenant from the unit. The landlord cannot change the locks or remove the tenant's property until the Sheriff enforces the Eviction Order.
Can a landlord evict you in 5 days in Illinois?In Chicago, eviction notices are called a “5-day notice.” In Illinois, a landlord may not file an eviction process unless the tenant fails to pay the outstanding rent within five days after service of a written demand for payment.
How long does it take to evict a tenant in Illinois?From start to finish, an eviction in Illinois can be completed in two weeks to five months. However, it can take longer depending on the reason and whether the tenant contests it.
What a landlord Cannot do in Illinois?Under the federal Fair Housing Act and Illinois law, it is unlawful for a landlord to discriminate in the leasing of a dwelling house, flat, or apartment against prospective tenants who have children under the age of 14 years.
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