Illinois landlord rules: deposits, late fees and notices

The rules Occupella applies to properties in Illinois, from our jurisdiction data. This is general information, not legal advice. Check the statute, or a local attorney, before you act.

Data version: 2026-08All 50 states and DC
Local rules apply here. Chicago is effectively its own regime (RLTO + rental registration)
  • Chicago: RLTO governs most rentals + rental registration; deposit rules so strict that move-in fees are commonly used instead; LLC landlords must appear through an attorney

Security deposit

Maximum deposit
No statewide cap
Return deadline
45 days after the tenancy ends
Penalty for late return
2x deposit
Interest owed
Not in our data
Note
itemized statement due in 30 days, return in 45 (applies to 5+ unit buildings); Chicago RLTO is stricter

Work out the return date for a move-out

Source: 765 ILCS 710

Late fees

Rule
$20 or 20% of monthly rent
Grace period
Not in our data

No statute cited in our data

Verify this with the statute or a local attorney before you act on it. The rule changed recently or has known ambiguity.

Notice periods

Notice to pay or quit
5 days
Ending a month-to-month tenancy
30 days
Notice before entering a unit
Not in our data
Note
no statewide entry-notice statute; Chicago RLTO requires 48h

Work out the last day of a notice

No statute cited in our data

Screening

Source-of-income protection
Yes, statewide. Refusing a housing voucher is illegal.
Note
statewide since 2023

No statute cited in our data

Licensing

To manage for others
A real-estate broker license, to manage property for others.

No statute cited in our data

How long an eviction takes

Slow: about 2 to 4 months. This is a rough tier from our data, not a court timeline.

Also worth knowing

  • Chicago RLTO replaces much of state law inside the city; Chicago move-in fees commonly used INSTEAD of security deposits to escape RLTO deposit rules
  • An LLC landlord must appear through an attorney in Cook County eviction court

Chicago deposit interest rate

Formula
rate set annually by the City Comptroller
This year's figure
This year's figure is not loaded in our data. Use the formula and check the publisher.
Published by
Chicago Comptroller, annually
Applies to
Chicago RLTO

Source: Chicago RLTO §5-12-081

A federal rule that can override this

Notice for nonpayment on covered properties
30 days
Note
Applies to 'covered properties' (federally backed mortgage or federal housing program). The 30-day notice requirement has no statutory sunset and courts are split - safest practice is a 30-day nonpayment notice on any covered property, regardless of shorter state timelines.

Source: CARES Act §4024

Data version 2026-08. This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, and the version is when our data was last reviewed, not a promise that every rule is still current.

Landlord rules for every state

Rules applied per property

Occupella looks up these rules for each property's own state and does the date arithmetic, like the day a deposit is due back. 14 days free, no card.

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