House & Apartment

Preventing pests is part of keeping rental housing safe and livable. In Illinois, common pests include ants, cockroaches, mice, rats, raccoons, and possums. Bed bugs may also appear in residential buildings.

Avoiding pests

Most pests come inside looking for food, water, or shelter. Bed bugs are different. They travel by hitching rides on people, clothing, bags, or furniture. 

Once inside a building, pests may reproduce rapidly. 

To reduce the chance of pests:

• Seal cracks, gaps, or holes in doors, windows, or old plumbing,
• Wipe up spills and crumbs right away,
• Store food in sealed containers,
• Use screens on doors and windows,
• Keep clutter to a minimum,
• Clean up after pets, and
• Cover trash and recycling bins.

Tenants are responsible for keeping their units clean. Landlords are responsible for keeping the building safe and sealed against pests.

Getting help from your landlord

Tenants can ask landlords to help prevent or treat pest problems. This might include:

• Sealing When a criminal record is hidden from most of the general public, but not law enforcement holes or cracks that lead outside,
• Paying for pest control,
• Using safe treatments for pets and plants, and
• Choosing traps, bait, or chemical treatments.

Bed bugs

Bed bugs are small, flat, brown insects about the size of an apple seed. They do not spread disease but do bite. Bed bugs hide in beds, couches, and other tight spaces. They can also move through cracks in walls or floors. Learn more from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

To prevent bed bugs:

• Avoid bringing home used bedding or furniture without checking for bed bugs,
• Do not take furniture from the trash,
• Check luggage after travel,
• Wash sheets often, and
• Use a mattress cover.

Landlords must pay for removal unless they can prove the tenant brought in the bed bugs, which is usually difficult.

Bed bug laws in Chicago

In Chicago, the Bed Bug Ordinance splits duties between landlords and tenants:

• Landlords must give tenants a brochure about bed bugs when a lease begins,
• Tenants must report signs of bed bugs within 5 days,
• Landlords must have the unit inspected by a professional within 10 days of the report,
• If bed bugs are found, nearby units must also be inspected,
• Treatment only happens if bed bugs are confirmed, and
• The city can fine landlords or tenants up to $2,000 for violations.

Bed bug laws in Evanston

Evanston landlords must give tenants information about bed bugs at lease signing. The materials explain how to spot, report, and treat bed bug problems. This is required by Evanston's Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance, section 5-3-5-2(F).

Landlord responsibilities

Landlords in Illinois must provide safe and livable housing. This requires dealing with pest problems, including bed bugs.

If a landlord will not fix a pest issue, the tenant can:

• Send a 14-day repair notice,
• Contact local housing officials,
• Report the issue to the housing authority if the unit is subsidized, and
• Use our Get Legal Help tool to find additional resources.

Pest control providers

In most situations, landlords do not need to hire pest control professionals to offer pest treatments. They can use store-bought products and ask property maintenance Money the court orders one spouse to pay the other spouse after their divorce (formerly called alimony) workers to perform treatments. In Chicago, however, bed bug cases require specific services.

Tenants cannot:

• Choose the vendor,
• Add new rules about the visit, or
• Change the treatment process.

Tenants may refuse the landlord's pest treatment, except for Chicago bed bug inspections and control measures. Tenants must still keep the unit clean and free of pests.

Letting pest control providers in

Pest control visits can be disruptive. Tenants may have concerns about privacy, work-from-home needs, or exposing lease violations. These might include guests, pets, or smoke in a non-smoking unit.

Landlords do not have to give more notice than the pest company offers. They may allow the company to enter the unit even if the tenant is not home.

If the landlord believes a tenant caused the pest problem or is not keeping the unit safe, they may charge the tenant or give a lease violation.