Free help for Chicago renters.

Paying utilities

In suburban Cook County, the tenant has the right to disclosure of utility costs. A landlord must disclose if the tenant or landlord is responsible for the utility cost. When the tenant pays the cost, the landlord must disclose the utility costs for the past 12 months. This disclosure does not apply in Evanston, Oak Park, and Mount Prospect. 

In Oak Park, the tenant has the right to disclosure of utility costs. A landlord must disclose if the tenant or landlord is responsible for the utility cost. When the tenant pays the cost, the landlord must disclose the utility costs for the past 12 months.

If areas outside a unit are included in the utility meter, a landlord may only put the utility in the tenant’s name if they:

• Tell the tenant in writing that areas outside the unit are on the meter;
• Give the tenant copies of that meter’s last 12 months of bills; and
• Propose in writing how much the tenant's rent will be decreased for paying a utility bill that includes more than their unit.

If a landlord agrees to pay for utility services but does not pay them, the tenant can pay the utility company directly to avoid a shut-off. The tenant can do this for utilities in a common area in the apartment building too. The tenant can then let the landlord know of the payments they made and their plan to subtract the amount they paid from their rent payment. If the building has 3 or more apartments, the utility company cannot cut off service without giving notice to the tenants.

Utility Assistance

LIHEAP helps low-income people who can't afford their utility bills. Find out how to apply. You may apply regardless of immigrant status. Funding for this program was increased. It is now available to households with incomes up to 200% of the federal poverty level. That is $53,000 a year for a family of four.
 
 
To get the status of an application you can visit the Illinois LIHEAP website or or call the Illinois LIHEAP Hotline at 1-877-411-9276.
 
Learn more about Covid-19 protections for people struggling to pay their utilities.

Paying rent

Starting in 2024, a landlord cannot make a tenant pay by electronic funds transfer. This includes systems that automatically transfer money on a regular basis.

Late fees

Late fees must be agreed to in a written lease.

Illinois does not have a limit on how much landlords can charge for late payment fees. Late fees cannot be used to punish tenants who pay late. This means that they can only cover interest charges and the landlord’s administrative costs. Any amount more than 5% of monthly rent is probably too much. In Chicago, the late fee amount is limited to $10 for the first $500 of rent and 5% on the rest. In suburban Cook County, the late fee amount is limited to $10 for the first $1,000 of rent and 5% on the rest. These fees do not apply to Chicago, Evanston, Oak Park, and Mount Prospect.

Landlords do not have to give a grace period for the tenant to pay rent after the due date. There is an exception for mobile home parks. A landlord must offer a 5-day grace period for tenants in mobile home parks. 

Working for rent

A tenant can pay rent by working on the building. An agreement between the landlord and tenant must be made before work is done. If not, a court will assume the work was a gift to the landlord.

If work is being done in exchange for rent reductions, the landlord and tenant should agree in writing how much rent is being reduced and what work is being done. Oral agreements can be valid, but it is difficult to prove their terms. Without written proof of what was agreed, it ends up being an argument between the tenant and landlord.

Roommates

When there are several tenants living together each tenant that signed the lease is responsible for the full amount of rent, not just their share. If one roommate doesn’t pay their share, the landlord may serve a 5-day notice and then file for eviction against any of the tenants for that roommate’s portion.

Example: Two roommates rent an apartment and sign a lease with a monthly rent of $1,000. They agree with each other that each roommate will pay $500 toward the rent. One roommate moves out of the unit before the lease is over. The landlord can sue either one or both roommates for any unpaid rent.

Struggling to pay rent because of the Covid-19 pandemic

You can talk to your landlord about lowering your rent. But the process for asking your landlord to lower your rent due to the crisis depends on whether you live in public or private housing.

In public housing, you or your building get help from the government so you can pay lower rent. In private housing, you pay your rent to your landlord without any help from the government.

You can also talk to your landlord about a payment plan, if you need help catching up. Be sure to get this payment plan in writing.
 
Depending on where you live, your income level, and your housing situation, you might be eligible to receive money from your federal, state, or local government to help pay your rent. Learn more about emergency rental assistance programs online.

Illinois Housing Help

Illinois Housing Help pays for rent and limited utilities. You must receive a referral from an Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) partner to apply.
 
To be eligible, you must:

• Live in Illinois,
• Be behind on rent at least 30 days,
• Be under 80% of the Area Median Income, and
• Have experienced hardship due to the pandemic.

Priority is given to immigrants, refugees, and mixed-status households. Priority is also given to households below 50% of the Area Median Income. You can contact the IDHS call center at (312) 793-1546.

Emergency Court-Based Rental Assistance Programs

There are Emergency Court-Based Rental Assistance Programs that can help you pay rent depending on where you live. You do not have to be a citizen to apply. 
 
Renters outside Cook County in eviction court may qualify for up to 15 months of rent. Visit the Illinois Housing Development Authority website to apply. Apply as soon as possible. The program is available until funds run out.

Increases in rent

There are certain rules for rent increases depending on the type of lease. They are explained below.

Note: There is no law that limits how much a landlord can increase rent, but landlords cannot use rent increases to punish or discriminate against tenants. 

Written lease

The landlord may not increase rent until after the lease expires, unless the lease says rent can be increased.

If a lease expires, but the tenant doesn't move out and the landlord keeps accepting rent, the lease will continue. It will be a month-to-month lease. The same terms from the written lease will apply. If the landlord wants to increase the rent after this, they must give the tenant a 30-day notice. In Chicago, if the landlord wants to increase the rent, they must give the tenant a 60-day notice if the tenant has lived in the apartment for more than 6 months but less than 3 years. The landlord must give 120 days of notice if the tenant has lived in the apartment for more than 3 years.

No written lease

In some places the landlord can increase rent by giving the tenant a 30-day notice stating the new rent amount and the date of increase. In Chicago, the landlord can increase rent by giving the tenant a 60-day notice if the tenant has lived in the apartment for more than 6 months stating the new rent amount and the date the increase starts. The landlord must give the tenant 120 days notice if the tenant has lived in the apartment for more than 3 years.

Mobile home parks

The landlord must give written notice 90 days before any rent increase. Landlords in mobile home parks must also offer 24-month written leases. Landlords of mobile home parks can also put in the lease a rent increase between the first and second year of this 24-month lease. The tenant does not have to accept a 24-month lease. This means that the landlord and tenant can create a one-year lease or a month-to-month lease as long as the landlord has offered the 24-month lease in writing.

Subsidized housing

Subsidized housing includes Section 8 and public housing. The tenant pays rent based on their income and must report any change in income. Learn more about Rent changes in subsidized housing.