House & Apartment

Illinois renters have the right to a habitable unit. Some municipalities and counties have their own requirements for rental property. You may be able to find locally specific information on their websites or by calling them.

Habitability requirements

The landlord must keep the rental unit in a livable and safe condition.

The landlord must maintain all services that are the landlord's responsibility under the lease. These may include:

• Heat,
• Running water,
• Hot water,
• Electricity,
• Natural gas,
• Plumbing, and
• Internet service.

The landlord must comply with relevant local building and maintenance codes.

The landlord must supply pest extermination for insect, rodent, or wildlife issues, including bedbugs.

Repairs must be made in a timely manner after the tenant provides notice of any problems.

Note: Tenants must provide access to their unit as required by their lease and local law, including:

• Emergency access to address urgent problems with the tenant's unit, other units, or common areas, and
• Access during normal business hours for repairs to the tenant's unit, other units, or common areas.

This can be stressful for tenants. However, tenants must allow the landlord to carry out their duties to maintain the building. Landlords can evict a tenant for withholding access to complete necessary repairs.

Common local code requirements

Examples of local building and maintenance code requirements include:

• Screens for windows,
• Garbage facilities,
• Fire prevention methods, such as fire alarm systems and fire extinguishers,
• Carbon monoxide detectors,
• Locks or other security devices,
• Adequate lighting in common areas,
• Safe and working elevators, stairways, porches, and basements, and
• Accessible exits.

Heating standards

Landlords must maintain adequate heating systems in buildings and individual units. 

Some areas have specific temperature requirements, while others have no specific temperature range. Typically, requirements are included in your county's building or maintenance code. 

In Chicago and suburban Cook County, from September 15 through June 1, the inside temperature must be at least:

• 68 degrees from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and
• 66 degrees from 10:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m.

State law requires rental properties for people 55 years of age or older to operate cooling systems from June 1 to September 30 when the heat index exceeds 80 degrees.

Lead hazards

Illinois law requires some landlords to give tenants information about the risks of lead exposure. This only applies if the building or unit was built before 1978.

Landlords must also disclose known lead hazards to tenants before renting, such as the presence of lead-based paint.

Inspection requirements

Some localities have mandatory rental dwelling inspection programs. These make it illegal to rent a unit unless it passes inspection and a special permit has been issued.

In Carbondale, landlords must register rental units. They must allow inspectors access at least once every three years.

In Mt. Vernon, rental property must pass inspection before the landlord and tenant sign a lease.

Punishing a tenant for complaining

Tenants have the legal right to: 

• Request repairs,
• Complain about building or health code violations,
• Join tenant organizations, and
• Act on any other lawful remedies.

Landlords can't use these activities as a reason to:

• Raise rent,
• Evict a tenant, or
• Retaliate against the tenant in any other way.