LANDLORD GUIDE · ILLINOIS
Reviewed November 13, 2026
For an existing private residential tenancy. Fixed-term changes, assisted housing, mobile-home spaces and required local forms need a separate review. This guide explains selected rules; it is not a coverage determination or legal advice for a particular property.
The statewide starting point is not the whole answer
Illinois Attorney General guidance describes 30-day notice in the ordinary monthly-tenancy setting and distinguishes a lease that fixes rent for a term. Read the lease's duration, renewal and notice clauses before changing rent. A fixed lease paid monthly is not automatically a monthly tenancy.
Local protections can require substantially longer notice. Identify the actual municipality and tenancy length before using the state's planning floor. The tool cannot infer city coverage from the state selection alone, so enter any verified longer local period and obtain separate review where a required document or remedy goes beyond timing.
Build a timeline from occupancy, not just the newest lease
Record when the tenant first moved into the unit, any interruptions, each renewal and the proposed effective date. A newly signed lease or property sale should not be assumed to restart an occupancy-based local clock.
Keep the original move-in records and lease history. Verify actual delivery rather than relying on the date printed on the notice. Where the tenancy is near a local threshold, review the precise ordinance wording and applicable dates instead of rounding years or months.
Cook County and other municipalities: check the actual rule
Cook County's RTLO has its own coverage and obligations. A 60-day provision described for nonrenewal is not automatically a 60-day rent-increase rule. Read the provision relevant to the action you intend, and check whether the property's municipality has its own applicable ordinance.
Record the jurisdiction decision and the source with the lease. This guide's city examples are not a list of every Illinois local requirement.
Chicago
Chicago Code §5-12-130(j) uses 30 days for a tenancy shorter than six months, 60 days for six months through three years, and 120 days for more than three years when giving the specified notice of an increased rental rate. The city's Fair Notice protections extend to informal monthly arrangements as well as written leases.
Insufficient or defective notice can preserve the prior terms during the required notice period. Do not collect the higher amount merely because the original proposed date arrived. Review the exact ordinance, including any special geographic provisions, and correct the timeline.
For example, a tenant who has occupied the unit for four years needs the applicable 120-day schedule, even if the owner normally uses 30 days elsewhere. The increase amount and any separate contract restrictions still require review.
[2] Chicago Code §5-12-130 - Fair Notice [5] Chicago Department of Housing - Fair Notice guidance
Evanston
Evanston's revised Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance requires 90 days' written notice of a proposed increase for covered tenancies. If proper notice is not given, the current terms continue for the required period after notice.
Check the ordinance's coverage and any required tenant documents. Do not use Chicago's occupancy tiers as Evanston's rule or assume that being in Cook County makes the cities interchangeable.
[3] City of Evanston - Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance
Example and final review
Rent changing from $1,500 to $1,575 rises by $75 or 5%. The calculation is the same in different cities, but the notice schedule may differ. Establish the amount, tenancy history, city rule and agreement first; then prepare a notice with one unambiguous date.
Keep the current contract, local-rule check, signed notice and delivery record. Describe any additional fee or service change properly. If the tenant disputes the date, review it before posting arrears. A continuing-tenancy letter does not itself end occupancy or authorize a lockout.
The local sections are selected examples, not an exhaustive municipal directory. Verify city boundaries and unit coverage. A longer notice period does not authorize an otherwise prohibited increase.
Official sources and updates
Dated caps apply only to the periods stated. Check the official sources before preparing a later increase.