House & Apartment

Contact a legal help provider as soon as possible. Free help may be available for both tenants and landlords at every stage of the eviction process, including:

• Questions about how to handle common situations that can lead to eviction, like Dealing with unpaid rent, Addressing lease violations, Ending a lease, and Trespassers and squatters,
• Resolving disputes without going to court,
• Making sense of Written eviction notices,
• Filing or defending against an eviction case (learn How eviction cases work), and
• Sealing When a criminal record is hidden from most of the general public, but not law enforcement older eviction cases.

Do not wait to request help. Finding help can take time. Providers may conduct detailed intakes before deciding whether they can help. Even when someone qualifies for free help, the provider may not be able to discuss the situation right away. A person can decline help later if it is no longer needed, but getting access to services may take weeks.

For help with legal questions about eviction, use Get Legal Help or contact:

• Eviction Help Illinois statewide at (855) 631-0811, or
• Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt in Cook County at (855) 956-5763.

When safety is a concern in shared living situations, including roommates, romantic partners, and adult Any person 18 years old or over family members who are part of the same household, contact:

• The Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline at (877) 863-6338, or
• The National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-7233.

Write down all deadlines, court dates, and appointments as soon as you learn about them. Eviction A court case brought by a landlord to get a tenant to move out situations can escalate quickly and lead to serious consequences. Keep tracking this information even if you are still looking for legal help.

Attend all court dates, whether in person or by video. Go to all scheduled appointments.

Mark these dates on a calendar or keep them in a place where you can find them easily:

• The date a written notice was given or received,
• The deadline to respond to a notice or court paper,
• The court date listed on a summons, A notice to a defendant that a lawsuit against them was filed in a court and that the defendant has to show up in court
• Any deadlines set by a judge, and
• Appointments related to the housing situation.

Collect papers and information about the housing situation or eviction A court case brought by a landlord to get a tenant to move out case. Keep them in a private place where you can easily access them, such as a file folder or an online drive.

Gather materials, including:

• A written lease, if one exists,
• Written eviction notices,
• Court papers,
• Rent payment records, receipts, bank statements, or money order stubs, if the dispute involves unpaid rent,
• Text messages, emails, or letters between the people involved, and
• Photos, repair requests, or reports about the condition of the home.

Write down:

• Important conversations, including spoken (oral) agreements,
• The outcome you are seeking, such as time to move, payment arrangements, or dismissal of the case, and
• The names of possible witnesses.

Communicate in a respectful and lawful way with other people involved in the housing situation. Keep personal conflicts private. Share details only when necessary, such as with lawyers, advocates, or counselors helping with the case. A judge or the other party’s A person or business involved in a court case in a role like plaintiff, petitioner, defendant, respondent, or intervenor. lawyer Someone who represents clients in courts or who gives legal advice may review messages and behavior.

Do not threaten, harass, or intimidate anyone involved. Limit communication to issues related to the housing arrangement, such as:

• Paying or requesting rent and keeping proof of payment,
• Reporting or responding to repair or safety concerns,
• Delivering or responding to written notices, and
• Discussing possible agreements to resolve the dispute.

Keep copies of all messages and papers related to the situation. Add them to your file folder or online drive.

Follow up with providers you are seeking help from, unless they have told you they cannot help. You may need to:

• Complete a full intake, The screening process children who are arrested go through before seeing a judge. Intake procedures are often conducted by intake officers, probation staff, case and social workers, or police.
• Provide updates about changes in your situation, or
• Request help from a different provider.

While waiting to hear Listen to and judge a case from a provider, learn about eviction laws. Many common questions are answered in Written eviction notices and How eviction cases work.

For help with specific issues, read:

• Dealing with unpaid rent,
• Addressing lease violations,
• Ending a lease,
• Evicting friends, unmarried partners, and family members,
• Lockouts and emergency rental repairs,
• Rental repair rights and landlord access, and
• Dealing with pests in rental housing.