Renters Rights under the Municipal Code of Chicago

 

 The Municipal Code of Chicago gives residential renters

 powerful rights.  Here are selections from the Code that govern

 condo, apartment, and house rentals in the City of Chicago. 

 

 

 

 

TITLE 5: Housing & Economic Development

 

     CHAPTER 5-8 - CHICAGO FAIR HOUSING REGULATIONS

     CHAPTER 5-12 - RESIDENTIAL LANDLORDS AND TENANTS
     CHAPTER 5-16 - DISCLOSURE OF HEATING COSTS TO TENANTS

     CHAPTER 5-20 - WINTER GAS SERVICE TERMINATION

 

TITLE 13: Buildings & Construction

 

     CHAPTER 13-4 - DEFINITIONS
     CHAPTER 13-10 - REGISTRATION OF MULTIPLE DWELLINGS

     CHAPTER 13-56 - CLASSIFICATION OF BUILDINGS BY OCCUPANCY

     CHAPTER 13-164 - SECURITY DEVICES IN RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS

     CHAPTER 13-196 - EXISTING BUILDINGS – MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

 

 

 

RENTERS' RESOURCES

Chicago City Council

Tell your alderperson you vote for the RLTO

Chicago Building-Related Court Search

Search for code enforcement action taken against a building

Chicago Zoning Map

Find your building's legal address and PIN

Cook County Court Case Search

Search your building address or landlord for circuit court cases

Chicago Security Deposit Lawyer

Attorney Mark A. Silverman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER 5-8 - CHICAGO FAIR HOUSING REGULATIONS

5-8-010     City policy generally.

5-8-020     Discrimination prohibited.

5-8-030     Unfair housing practices.

5-8-040     Definitions.

5-8-050     Exemptions.

5-8-060     Applicability.

5-8-070     Complaint procedure.

5-8-120     Severability.

5-8-130     Violation – Penalty.

5-8-140     Notice of conviction.

5-8-010  City policy generally.

     It is hereby declared the policy of the City of Chicago to assure full and equal opportunity to all residents of the city to obtain fair and adequate housing for themselves and their families in the City of Chicago without discrimination against them because of their race, color, sex, gender identity, age, religion, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, military discharge status or source of income.

(Prior code § 198.7B-1; Amend Coun. J. 12-21-88, p. 23526; Amend Coun. J. 11-6-02, p. 96031, § 4)

5-8-020  Discrimination prohibited.

     It is further declared to be the policy of the City of Chicago that no owner, lessee, sublessee, assignee, managing agent, or other person, firm or corporation having the right to sell, rent or lease any housing accommodation, within the City of Chicago, or any agent of any of these, should refuse to sell, rent, lease, or otherwise deny to or withhold from any person or group of persons such housing accommodations because of his race, color, sex, gender identity, age, religion, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, military discharge status or source of income of such person or persons or discriminate against any person because of his race, color, sex, gender identity, age, religion, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, military discharge status or source of income in the terms, conditions, or privileges or the sale, rental or lease of any housing accommodation or in the furnishing of facilities or services in connection therewith.

(Prior code § 198.7B-2; Amend Coun. J. 12-21-88, p. 23526; Amend Coun. J. 11-6-02, p. 96031, § 4)

5-8-030  Unfair housing practices.

     It shall be an unfair housing practice and unlawful for any owner, lessee, sublessee, assignee, managing agent, condominium association board of managers, governing body of a cooperative, or other person, firm or corporation having the right to sell, rent, lease, sublease, or establish rules or policies for any housing accommodation, within the City of Chicago, or any agent of any of these, or any real estate broker licensed as such:

     A.     To make any distinction, discrimination or restriction against any person in the price, terms, conditions or privileges of any kind relating to the sale, rental, lease or occupancy of any real estate used for residential purposes in the City of Chicago or in the furnishing of any facilities or services in connection therewith, predicated upon the race, color, sex, gender identity, age, religion, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, military discharge status or source of income of the prospective or actual buyer or tenant thereof.

     B.     To publish, circulate, issue or display, or cause to be published, circulated, issued or displayed, any communication, notice, advertisement, sign or other writing of any kind relating to the sale, rental or leasing of any residential real property within the City of Chicago which will indicate or express any limitation or discrimination in the sale, rental or leasing of such residential real estate, predicated upon the race, color, sex, gender identity, age, religion, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, military discharge status or source of income of any prospective buyer, lessee or renter of such property.

     C.     To refuse to sell, lease or rent, any real estate for residential purposes within the City of Chicago because of the race, color, sex, gender identity, age, religion, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, military discharge status or source of income of the proposed buyer or renter.

     D.     To discriminate or to participate in discrimination in connection with borrowing or lending money, guaranteeing loans, accepting mortgages or otherwise obtaining or making available funds for the purchase, acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair or maintenance of any residential housing unit or housing accommodation in the City of Chicago because of race, color, sex, gender identity, age, religion, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, military discharge status or source of income.

     E.     To solicit for sale, lease or listing for sale or lease, residential real estate within the City of Chicago on the ground of loss of value due to the present or prospective entry into any neighborhood of any person or persons of any particular race, color, sex, gender identity, age, religion, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, military discharge status or source of income.

     F.     To distribute or cause to be distributed, written material or statements designed to induce any owner of residential real estate in the City of Chicago to sell or lease his property because of any present or prospective change in the race, color, sex, gender identity, age, religion, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, military discharge status or source of income of persons in the neighborhood.

     G.     To deliberately and knowingly refuse examination of any listing of residential real estate within the City of Chicago to any person because of race, color, sex, gender identity, age, religion, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, military discharge status or source of income.

     H.     To interfere with the religious observances or practices of any lessee or condominium or cooperative unit owner, by restricting or prohibiting such persons from placing or affixing a religious sign, symbol or relic on the door, door post or entrance of an individual apartment, condominium or cooperative housing unit owned or leased by such person; provided that imposing reasonable rules necessary to avoid substantial damage to property or an undue hardship to other unit owners or lessees shall not be deemed a violation of this subsection.

(Prior code § 198.7B-3; Amend Coun. J. 12-21-88, p. 23526; Amend Coun. J. 11-6-02, p. 96031, § 4; Amend Coun. J. 3-31-04, p. 20916, § 2.8; Amend Coun. J. 12-14-05, p. 67149, § 1)

5-8-040  Definitions.

     Wherever used in this chapter, the terms “age”, “religion”, “disability”, “sexual orientation”, “marital status”, “parental status”, “military discharge status”, “gender identity” and “source of income” shall have the same meanings as described in Chapter 2-160 of this Code.

(Prior code § 198.7B-4; Amend Coun. J. 12-21-88, p. 23526; Amend Coun. J. 11-6-02, p. 96031, § 4)

5-8-050  Exemptions.

     No provision of this chapter shall be construed to prohibit any of the following:

     (a)     Restricting rental or sale of a housing accommodation to a person of a certain age group (1) when such housing accommodation is authorized, approved, financed or subsidized in whole or in part for the benefit of that age group by a unit of state, local or federal government; or (2) when the duly recorded initial declaration of a condominium of community association limits such housing accommodations to persons above the age of 50; provided, that a person or the immediate family of a person owning or renting a unit in such housing accommodation prior to the recording of the initial declaration shall not be deemed to be in violation of the age restriction as long as the person or the person’s immediate family continue to own or reside in the housing accommodation.

     (b)     A religious organization, association or society, or any not-for-profit institution or organization operated, supervised or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious organization, association or society, from limiting the sale, rental or occupancy of a dwelling which it owns or operates for other than a commercial purpose to persons of the same religion, or from giving preference to such persons of the same religion, or from giving preference to such persons, unless membership in such religion is restricted on account of race, color or national origin.

     (c)     Restricting the rental of rooms in a housing accommodation to persons of one sex.

(Prior code § 198.7B-4.1; Amend Coun. J. 12-21-88, p. 23526)

5-8-060  Applicability.

     Any owner, lessee, sublessee, assignee, managing agent, or condominium association board of managers, governing body of a cooperative, or other person, firm or corporation having the right to sell, rent, lease, or establish rules or policies for any housing accommodation within the City of Chicago who shall exercise any function of selling, renting, leasing, subleasing, or establishing rules or policies for any housing accommodation within the City of Chicago shall be deemed subject to all applicable provisions hereof. Any real estate broker who shall exercise any function of a real estate broker within the City of Chicago shall be subject to all applicable provisions hereof.

(Prior code § 198.7B-5; Amend Coun. J. 12-14-05, p. 67149, § 1)

5-8-070  Complaint procedure.

     Any person aggrieved in any manner by any violation of this chapter may file a written complaint with the commission on human relations. The complaint shall include the name and address of the complainant and of every person against whom the complaint is made, and shall set out the facts giving rise to the complaint. No person shall refuse or fail to comply with any subpoena, order or decision issued in the course of or as a result of an investigation of a complaint.

(Prior code § 198.7B-6; Added Coun. J. 3-21-90, p. 13523)

5-8-120  Severability.

     If any section, subdivision, paragraph, sentence or clause of this ordinance is for any reason to be invalid or unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect any remaining portion, section or part thereof.

(Prior code § 198.7B-11)

5-8-130  Violation – Penalty.

     Any owner, lessee, sublessee, assignee, managing agent, condominium association board of managers, governing body of cooperative, or other person, firm, corporation, or real estate broker, who shall violate or fail to comply with any of the provisions of this ordinance, as determined by this commission, shall be punished by a fine in any sum not exceeding $500.00. Nothing herein contained shall be construed so as to preclude any aggrieved person from pursuing such other and further legal and equitable relief to which he may be entitled.

(Prior code § 198.7B-12; Amend Coun. J. 7-8-98, p. 72891; Amend Coun. J. 12-14-05, p. 67149, § 1)

5-8-140  Notice of conviction.

     The corporation counsel shall file with the Department of Professional Regulation of the State of Illinois a notice of the conviction of any licensed real estate broker or salesperson found guilty of violating this chapter.

(Prior code § 198.7B-13; Amend Coun. J. 3-21-90, 13523)

 

This website is not legal advice, and makes no guarantee of providing an accurate or up-to-date version

of  the Code sections set forth herein.   The City Council can amend the code at any time without notice.