Illinois has a 14% cheaper average rent than the rest of the country, at $1,800 per month.
It is up to your landlord, though, because Illinois does not have any rules that say how much rent can go up. Your rent could go from being reasonable to being way too high with just one change to your lease. This would make it hard for you to pay for your house.
Do not worry, though. It is not against the law for owners in Illinois to raise rent, but they can not do it whenever they want. They have to give you a lot of notice before they raise your rent, and there are rules about when they can do it.
We are here to help you understand the specifics of Illinois’s rules on rent increases. We will explain how often and by how much your owner can raise your rent, as well as what you can do about it.
- Illinois Rent Increase Laws
- How To Spot an Illegal Rent Increase in Illinois
- How To Negotiate a Rent Increase in Illinois
- Final Thoughts: Illinois Rent Increase Laws and How To Handle Them
Illinois Rent Increase Laws
Illinois does not have any rent control rules right now. This means that landlords in Illinois can raise rent by any amount they want, as long as they let tenants know ahead of time.
For a week-to-week lease, they have to give you seven days’ notice. For a month-to-month lease, they have to give you thirty days’ notice. However, if you have a fixed-term lease, like a one-year deal, your owner can only raise your rent when the lease ends.
However, this could soon change as major congressional efforts point to possible changes on the horizon.
The Tenant Protection Act, backed by Rep. Edgar Gonzalez, Jr., Theresa Mah, and others, along with the Rent Control Act sponsored by Rep. Hoan Huynh, show that there is a strong push in the Prairie State to pass rent control rules.
If these bills become law, rent control measures could be put in place to protect renters from big rent hikes and make the rental market more stable.
In this case, the Rent Control Act says that the property manager can only raise your rent by 15% once every 12 months. But they have to give you 90 days’ notice first.
Along with the Rent Control Act, the Tenant Protection Act makes sure that your rent can not go up by more than the Consumer Price Index (CPI) change over the same one-year time or 3%, whichever is less.
City-Specific Rules on Rent Increase in Illinois
In Illinois, rent control rules may be a little different in different cities. For instance, the Fair Notice Ordinance in Chicago has specific rules about when your owner can raise the rent.
If you have lived in your rental home for more than six months but less than three years, your owner should let you know 60 days in advance if they want to raise your rent. People who have lived in their flat for more than three years have 120 days to give notice.
No matter what kind of lease you have—a formal one-year deal or an informal month-to-month one—these rules apply.
Always check with your city or town’s government to see if similar rent control laws exist. Rules can be very different from one city or town to the next.
You should also check with your city or town to see if there are any landlord-tenant rules that protect both landlords and tenants.
How To Spot an Illegal Rent Increase in Illinois
Even though there are not any statewide rent control rules, there are times when raising rent might be against the law.
If your rent goes up even more than these times, you might need to talk to a lawyer:
Breaking the terms of the lease: If you have a fixed-term lease, like for a year, it is illegal to try to raise the rent before the lease ends without a clause that lets you do so.
Not enough notice: For month-to-month or week-to-week leases, your owner should give you the right amount of written notice before raising the rent. If they don’t, the rent rise is against the law.
Discrimination: It is against federal and state fair housing rules for rent to go up because of things like race, religion, gender, family status, or nationality.
As punishment for exercising your legal rights, like telling a health inspector that the living conditions in your rental property are unsafe, it is against the law for your owner to raise your rent.
Violating local laws: In places like Chicago, where the Fair Notice Ordinance is in place, your landlord must follow longer notice periods when raising your rent based on how long you have been living there. If they do not follow these local rules, the rent rise is against the law.
Where to Report Illegal Rent Increases in Illinois
If you think your landlord is improperly raising your rent, you can get help from a number of places, such as
- Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR)
- Illinois Attorney General’s Office
- Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA)
- Tenant Unions and Advocacy Groups like Housing Action Illinois and Metropolitan Tenants Organization (MTO)
How To Negotiate a Rent Increase in Illinois
It can be stressful to be told that your rent is going up, but if you know what to do, you can work out a deal that works for both of you.
Let us look at some useful steps that will help you deal with this.
Understand the Market
Find out about the rental market in your area right now. If the market is strong and homes rent quickly for higher prices, your landlord may be in a good spot. If, on the other hand, there are a lot of empty units and rent goes down, you may have a better chance of getting a cheaper price.
Show You’re a Good Tenant
If you have been a good renter by paying your rent on time and taking good care of the place, let your landlord know. Your landlord might not want to raise your rent if you have a past of being reliable.
Propose Alternatives
If the rent has to go up, you might want to try to work out other terms that will lessen the effect. Changing the rental deal to lock in the current rate for a longer time could be part of this.
Be Ready To Compromise
There are two sides to every negotiation. So, be ready to find a middle ground with your landlord, whether that means agreeing to a smaller rise than what was originally asked for or some conditions that are good for both of you.
Get Renters Insurance
If you have renters insurance, you can show your owner that you are responsible and want to protect your home, which could help you in the negotiation process.
Know When To Walk Away
If talks fail and the rent raise is too much for you to pay, you may need to leave. But keep in mind that moving costs might be higher than the rent increase, so carefully think about your choices.
Final Thoughts: Illinois Rent Increase Laws
Your owner can raise the rent whenever they want, but they have to tell you first. They also can not do it to be unfair or get back at someone.
There may be better news for Illinois renters soon, though. The Rent Control Act and the Tenant Protection Act are two possible new rules. These rules might help keep prices stable and rent from going up too much.
Something that will always happen while we wait for these rules to be changed is making sure your stuff is safe. Now is the time when Goodcover renters insurance can really come in handy.
Goodcover can help you protect your things if you rent in Illinois. It might also help you talk down your rent.
