Illinois Rental Agreement

Last Updated: May 20, 2025 by Roberto Valenzuela

An Illinois rental agreement is a legal contract between a landlord overseeing a rental property and a tenant using the property. Illinois landlord-tenant law governs and regulates these agreements.

Illinois Rental Agreement Types

14 pages
Residential Lease Agreement

An Illinois residential lease agreement (“rental agreement”) is a legal contract for a tenant to rent a residential property from a landlord, subject to terms and conditions agreed by all parties.

10 pages
Month-to-Month Rental Agreement

An Illinois month-to-month lease agreement is a contract (not necessarily written) where a tenant rents property from a landlord. The full rental term is one month, renewable on a month-to-month basis.

3 pages
Rental Application Form

Illinois landlords may use a rental application form to screen prospective tenants. A rental application collects information relating to finances, rental history, and past evictions.

7 pages
Residential Sublease Agreement

An Illinois sublease agreement is a legal contract where a tenant ("sublessor") rents (“subleases”) property to a new tenant (“sublessee”), usually with the landlord’s permission.

9 pages
Roommate Agreement

An Illinois roommate agreement is a legal contract between two or more people (“co-tenants”) who share a rental property according to rules they set, including for things like splitting the rent. This agreement binds the co-tenants living together, and doesn’t include the landlord.

8 pages
Commercial Lease Agreement

An Illinois commercial lease agreement is a legal contract arranging the rental of commercial space between a landlord and a business.

Common Residential Rental Agreements in Illinois

  • Illinois (City of Evanston) Model Lease Agreement – This form is specific to residential rentals in Evanston. It outlines the local Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinances as well as Illinois state law. This model lease is written with an easy-to-read approach and extensive rules and procedures about issues like habitability and tenant responsibilities.
  • University of Chicago Model Lease Agreement – This sample agreement covers basic residential purposes. It covers essential terms and conditions, as well as some less common ones like waterbeds.

Illinois Required Residential Lease Disclosures

  • Radon Hazard Disclosure (required for all leases) – Illinois landlords must provide all new tenants with a state-approved pamphlet warning about the dangers of radon exposure. The law also requires copies of any records or reports which might indicate a radon hazard on the premises.
  • Carbon Monoxide (required for some leases) – Illinois landlords must comply with the Carbon Monoxide Detector Act by providing tenants with information about a property’s carbon monoxide detector testing and maintenance history.
  • Smoke Detector (required for all leases) – Illinois landlords must comply with the Smoke Detector Act by providing tenants with information about a property’s smoke detector testing and maintenance history.
  • Concession Granted (required for some leases) – Illinois landlords must, in writing, disclose any concession for rent that they grant.
  • Shared Utility Arrangements (required for some leases) – Illinois landlords must disclose how utilities are billed on properties which share a utility meter with other units. The Tenant Utility Payment Disclosure Act provides the specific requirements.
  • Lead-Based Paint Disclosure (required for some leases)Landlords must provide an EPA-approved disclosure and informational pamphlet to tenants renting any property built before 1978.
  • Flood Zone Disclosure (required for some leases) – Illinois rentals must provide a disclosure if they’re on a lower level or fall within a FEMA flood zone. The law provides a sample disclosure which covers all required elements.

To learn more about required disclosures in Illinois, click here.

note
Some Illinois cities, like Chicago, have more comprehensive rules than the statewide standard. Always check local laws.

Illinois Landlord Tenant Laws

  • Warranty of Habitability – Illinois landlords can only rent out habitable property. This means providing certain basic health and safety features like heat, plumbing, and electricity. Landlords must repair any issues within 14 days after proper notice. Failure to repair lets a tenant repair and deduct from the rent, or report the landlord to housing authorities. Tenants can’t easily terminate a lease early or withhold rent.
  • Evictions – Illinois landlords may evict for rent nonpayment, lease violations, or illegal acts, among other things. Before filing eviction, landlords must serve tenants with prior notice to pay, comply or quit, depending on the eviction type. This means most evictions in Illinois take a matter of weeks. However, properties covered by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act receive a minimum 30 days of advance notice before a landlord can file eviction for nonpayment of rent or fees.
  • Security Deposits – Illinois has no cap on the amount of a security deposit. When a lease ends, a landlord has 30 days to return a security deposit by default. If making deductions, a landlord has 45 days to return any unused portion.
  • Lease Termination – Illinois allows tenants to end a month-to-month lease with 30 days of advance notice. Terminating a fixed-term lease early requires (in most cases) active military duty, landlord harassment, uninhabitable property, or domestic abuse.
  • Rent Increases and Fees – Illinois landlords may raise rent by any amount, with no specific requirements for justification or advance notice. Late fees in Illinois must be “reasonable.” Returned check fees are capped at $30 or all costs incurred from collection (whichever is greater).
  • Landlord Entry – Illinois landlords may enter rental property for reasonable business purposes like maintenance and inspections. While the law doesn’t provide specific numbers, landlords may enter at reasonable times of day using reasonable advance notice, unless the lease agrees otherwise. Customary advance notice is 24 hours or more. Entry requirements are temporarily suspended in emergencies.
  • Settling Legal Disputes – Illinois lets small claims courts hear landlord-tenant disputes, as long as the amount in controversy is under $10,000.

To learn more about landlord tenant laws in Illinois, click here.

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