Amendment of Municipal Code Chapter 5-12 regarding Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance
Legislation tracker › Housing and Real Estate
- Record number: SO2026-0026554
- Type: Ordinance; category: Municipal Code Amendments
- Status: Council Consideration (Deferred and Published)
- Sponsor: Johnson, Brandon
- Committee: Committee on Housing and Real Estate
- Submitted Date: Jun 25, 2026
- Introduction Date: Jun 29, 2026
- Official record: Office of the City Clerk
Impact report
Written by AI from the official document. AI can make mistakes; the official document always wins.
This ordinance would rewrite Chicago's Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance to require landlords to have a listed "just cause" to end or not renew a lease, pay relocation assistance in many cases, cap security deposits and fees, register rental units with the City each year, and give longer notice before raising rent.
Who it affects
- Renters in Chicago: Renters would gain a Tenant Bill of Rights, protection from eviction without a listed reason, 120 days' notice before a rent increase, larger repair-and-deduct limits, and relocation payments in many move-out situations.
- Landlords and property owners: Landlords would have to register each rental unit yearly, pay registration fees, follow new notice rules, limit deposits and fees, and pay relocation assistance when ending tenancies for certain reasons.
- Owners of owner-occupied buildings with six or fewer units: These owners would now be covered by several new rules, including just cause, relocation assistance of at least three months' rent or $3,000, and the rental registry, but would not pay registration fees.
- Not-for-profit housing owners: Nonprofit owners with affordable units would pay smaller relocation assistance (three months' rent or $3,000) if no other law or contract sets an amount, and would not pay registration fees.
- Low-income tenants facing eviction: Tenants earning 80 percent of area median income or less who get an eviction notice would get access to brief legal help, and full legal representation in some cases, if funds are set aside.
- Tenants in buildings being converted to condominiums: Starting January 1, 2027, any tenant (not just qualified tenants) in a building being converted to condos could choose relocation assistance under the new relocation rules.
What changes
- Landlords could only end or refuse to renew a lease for listed reasons, such as unpaid rent, serious lease violations, owner move-in, or major repairs, and must give 120 days' notice for many of them.
- Landlords would need to give 120 days' written notice before raising rent and 90 days' notice for a renewal on similar terms.
- Landlords could charge only a security deposit, up to one month of prepaid rent, and certain allowed fees, with written itemized descriptions before payment.
- Landlords would have to give tenants a copy of the unit's City rental registration at lease signing and disclose any use of rent-setting software.
- A new Bureau of Rental Housing Services would take complaints and 311 requests, investigate, and issue compliance notices, if funded.
Money
- Landlords pay tenants a relocation fee of five months' rent or $5,000 (whichever is greater) for owner move-in, condo conversion, major repairs, or demolition; ten months' rent or $10,000 for other reasons or when a tenant rejects a rent hike meant to push them out.
- Owners pay yearly rental registration fees of $20 per unit (1-4 unit buildings), $40 per unit (5-49 units), or $60 per unit (50+ units); fines for registry violations are $100, $250, then $500 per unit.
- Tenant application fees would be capped at actual costs or $20, whichever is less; security deposits capped at one month's rent; late fees capped at $10 per month for the first $1,000 of rent plus 5% of rent above $1,000.
- Landlords who illegally lock out tenants or cut services face fines up to $2,500 plus $1,000 per day; retaliation fines are $500 to $2,000.
- Tenants could repair and deduct up to the greater of $1,500 or one month's rent, and could recover $1,000 (up from $200) if a landlord fails to disclose a foreclosure.
Where: Jackson Park
When: Most of the ordinance takes effect January 1, 2027; the condo conversion relocation section takes effect upon passage and publication. The just cause, relocation assistance, and related remedy sections do not apply to leases first signed before January 1, 2027. Existing rental units must be registered by January 15, 2027.
Timeline
- Sep 16, 2026: Recommended to Pass, Committee on Housing and Real Estate. The matter was recommended to Pass by controlling legislative body.
- Sep 16, 2026: Substituted, Committee on Housing and Real Estate. The matter was Substituted in Committee.
- Sep 23, 2026: Deferred and Published, City Council. On request of Alderperson Ervin and Alderperson Sigcho-Lopez, the matter was Deferred and Published.
Documents
- O2026-0026554 Ordinance.pdf (Legislation)
- SO2026-0026554 Housing Landlord Renter.pdf (Legislation)
- O2026-0026554 Transmittal Letter.pdf (Miscellaneous)
Lobbying and money
Computed links; money near a vote is not evidence that it influenced the vote.
Who lobbied on it
- Chicagoland Apartment Association: LOBBY ORDINANCE 02026-0026554 (1 filing, Apr 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2026; Michael Kasper; matched by record number)
- Chicagoland Apartment Association: LOBBYING ORDINANCE 02026-0026554 (1 filing, Jul 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2026; Michael Kasper; matched by record number)
- Chicagoland Apartment Association: DISCUSSED VARIOUS LANDLORD-TENANT ISSUES (1 filing, Jan 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2026; Michael Mini; matched by semantic tfidf)
- Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance: DISCUSSION OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE RESIDENTIAL LANDLORD TENANT ORDINANCE (1 filing, Apr 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2026; Joseph Moore; matched by semantic embedding)
- Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance: DISCUSSION ON PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE RESIDENTIAL LANDLORD TENANT ORDINANCE (1 filing, Jan 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2026; Joseph Moore; matched by semantic embedding)
- Chicagoland Apartment Association: AMENDMENT TO VARIOUS LANDLORD TENANT ORDINANCES, INCLUDING 2026-24086; 2025-1993 (1 filing, Jan 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2026; Michael Kasper; matched by semantic tfidf)
Alderpersons who received money from these interests
| Member | Amount | From |
|---|---|---|
| Scott Waguespack | $2,500 | Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance (company); Chicagoland Apartment Association (company) |
| Gilbert Villegas | $2,250 | Chicagoland Apartment Association (company); Joseph Moore (lobbyist for Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance) |
| Samantha Nugent | $1,583 | Michael Kasper (lobbyist for Chicagoland Apartment Association); Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance (company); Joseph Moore (lobbyist for Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance) |
| Matthew J. O'Shea | $1,250 | Michael Kasper (lobbyist for Chicagoland Apartment Association); Joseph Moore (lobbyist for Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance) |
| Michelle A. Harris | $1,000 | Michael Kasper (lobbyist for Chicagoland Apartment Association) |
| Jason C. Ervin | $1,000 | Michael Kasper (lobbyist for Chicagoland Apartment Association) |
| Andre Vasquez Jr. | $1,000 | Michael Kasper (lobbyist for Chicagoland Apartment Association); Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance (company) |
| Anthony Beale | $833 | Chicagoland Apartment Association (company); Joseph Moore (lobbyist for Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance) |
| Nicole T. Lee | $833 | Michael Kasper (lobbyist for Chicagoland Apartment Association); Joseph Moore (lobbyist for Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance) |
| Desmon C. Yancy | $667 | Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance (company); Joseph Moore (lobbyist for Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance) |
| Brian Hopkins | $650 | Chicagoland Apartment Association (company) |
| Felix Cardona Jr. | $583 | Joseph Moore (lobbyist for Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance); Chicagoland Apartment Association (company) |
| Ronnie L. Mosley | $500 | Michael Kasper (lobbyist for Chicagoland Apartment Association) |
| Lamont J. Robinson | $375 | Joseph Moore (lobbyist for Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance) |
| Raymond A. Lopez | $333 | Joseph Moore (lobbyist for Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance) |
| Monique L. Scott | $250 | Joseph Moore (lobbyist for Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance) |
| Ruth Cruz | $250 | Joseph Moore (lobbyist for Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance) |
| Nicholas Sposato | $250 | Joseph Moore (lobbyist for Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance) |
| Timothy R. Knudsen | $250 | Joseph Moore (lobbyist for Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance) |
| James M. Gardiner | $250 | Chicagoland Apartment Association (company) |
Related legislation
More from Johnson, Brandon
- Executive Order No. 2026-7 (Senior Bill of Rights and Establishing the Mayor's Office on Aging) (F2026-0029547, introduced Dec 8, 2026, Placed on File)
- Issuance of general obligation bonds (2027-2028 General Obligation Borrowing Ordinance) (O2026-0029650, introduced Oct 21, 2026, Referred)
- Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Recommendations (O2026-0029642, introduced Oct 21, 2026, Referred)
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