House & Apartment

Free help for Chicago renters.

This article goes over what the Chicago Residential Landlord Tenant Ordinance (RLTO) says about utilities.

What does the RLTO require for utilities?

The RLTO requires landlords to make sure that their units are provided with "essential services."

What are "essential services" under the RLTO?

“Essential services” under the RLTO include heat, running water, hot water, electricity, gas, and plumbing. You can take certain actions if the landlord fails to provide essential services when the landlord is obligated to pay certain utilities and fails to do so. Note that if the landlord intentionally shuts off any of these services, the conduct may constitute an illegal lockout.

Your landlord must provide notice of shutoff

Under the RLTO, if an essential service is scheduled to be shut off by the utility company or the City of Chicago, your landlord must give you the details of the shutoff by written notice. If your landlord fails to provide you with this notice, you may be able to terminate the lease upon written notice.

What should I do if my water is shut off?

Before shutting off your water, the City of Chicago will post a shutoff notice at your residence. If the shutoff is due to your landlord’s failure to fulfill his/her obligations under the lease, you will have the following options:

• Pay the City of Chicago Water Authority and deduct payment from rent; 
• Stay and withhold from the rent an amount that reasonably reflects the reduced value of the premises;
• Move out of dwelling unit and stay in a motel until the water is restored; or 
• Terminate the lease upon written notice.

Before taking any of the actions above, you must give your landlord notice of the problem.

Learn more about a landlords' failure to make repairs.

What should I do if I have no heat?

It is illegal for a landlord to cut off heat services. The Chicago Heat Ordinance requires that from September 15 to June 1, temperatures in Chicago residential dwelling units should be at least:

• 65 degrees from 7:30 am to 8:30 am
• 68 degrees from 8:30 am to 10:30 pm
• 63 degrees from 10:30 pm to 7:30 am

If you have no heat in your unit, you should call 311 to report the building to Chicago’s Department of Buildings. If the weather is extremely cold, you should ask for 311 to direct you to a warming center. Then, you should call your landlord and write a 72-hour demand letter. If the heat is not restored after 72 hours, you will be able to terminate the lease upon written notice. If you do not wish to terminate the lease, you can restore the heat by paying the utility company directly and deduct the payment from your rent.

What if my unit has heat, but it is too cold?

If your unit is too cold, you should record the temperature in the dwelling unit 3 times a day for 3 days. If the temperature is below what is required by the city ordinance, you should write a demand letter for your landlord to increase the temperature. 

You should make a complaint to the city’s 311 Call Center by dialing 311. You may also call (312) 744-6599 to file your complaint with city building inspectors.

What if I lose one of the other listed essential services?

If you lose any other essential service other than water or heat due to your landlord’s failure to fulfill his/her obligations, you may follow the options listed above for water shutoff.