Free resources
Renting, credit & your rights
Straight answers for renters and landlords in Chicago. Everything here is free and open — no account needed.
Chicago Security Deposit & Interest Law: The RLTO Rules
Chicago is one of the only major cities that requires landlords to pay tenants annual interest on their security deposit — plus a strict itemization deadline and a real penalty for getting it wrong.
Read guide → Renter rightsThe RLTO Summary: The Disclosure Every Chicago Lease Must Include
Chicago law requires landlords to attach a city-prepared summary of tenant rights to every covered lease. Here's what it has to say and what it means if yours never got one.
Read guide → Renter rightsChicago's Heat Ordinance: Minimum Temperatures Landlords Must Provide
From September 15 through June 1, Chicago law sets a minimum indoor temperature landlords must maintain — with real fines for landlords who don't.
Read guide → Renter rightsGot an Eviction Notice in Chicago? What the 5-Day and 10-Day Notices Mean
Illinois' 5-day notice for unpaid rent, the RLTO's 10-day notice for lease violations, and Chicago's Fair Notice rules for ending a tenancy without cause — explained.
Read guide → Renter rightsChicago Repair & Habitability Rights Under the RLTO
How to force a landlord to fix a serious problem in Chicago — the notice steps, when you can withhold rent, and when you can repair it yourself and deduct the cost.
Read guide → Renter rightsDoes Illinois Have Rent Control? What Chicago Renters Should Know
A 1997 state law bans local rent control almost everywhere in Illinois, including Chicago — here's exactly what that means and what it doesn't.
Read guide → Your buildingWho Owns My Building in Chicago?
Find the real owner behind the LLC using free, official Cook County property records — step by step.
Read guide → Renter rightsDoes the RLTO Cover My Apartment? The Owner-Occupied Exemption, Explained
Chicago's tenant-protection ordinance doesn't cover every rental in the city — owner-occupied buildings with 6 units or fewer are exempt from most of it. Here's how to tell if it applies to you.
Read guide → Renter toolsRent Certificate: A Real, Verified Proof of Your Rent-Payment History
A downloadable, QR-verified PDF proving your bank-verified rent-payment history — for benefits applications, tax filing, immigration paperwork, loans, eviction defense, or a new landlord.
Read guide → Renter rightsHousing Voucher Discrimination in Chicago: Your Source-of-Income Protections
Illinois banned source-of-income discrimination statewide in 2023, and Chicago's own Fair Housing ordinance has protected Housing Choice Voucher holders for even longer — with no owner-occupied exemption. Here's how it actually works.
Read guide → Renter rightsBreaking a Lease Early in Illinois After Domestic or Sexual Violence: The Safe Homes Act
The Illinois Safe Homes Act lets survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and stalking end a lease early without owing future rent, and forces a fast lock change — if you follow the required notice steps.
Read guide → Renter rightsChicago's Fair Notice Ordinance: How Much Notice You're Owed Before a No-Fault Move-Out
30, 60, or 120 days — Chicago's Fair Notice Ordinance ties the notice a landlord must give before ending a no-fault tenancy or raising rent to exactly how long you've lived there.
Read guide → Renter rightsRenting a Condo in Chicago: How It's Different From a Regular Apartment
A condo unit rented out by its owner is still covered by the RLTO the same way an apartment is — but the condo association adds a second layer of rules an apartment landlord doesn't have. Here's what changes.
Read guide → Renter rightsSubletting in Chicago: What Renters Need to Know
The RLTO gives Chicago tenants a real, conditional right to sublet that most other markets don't have — plus a specific process for when a landlord can and can't say no.
Read guide → Renter rightsRoommate Agreements in Chicago: What They Do (and Don't) Protect
If you and your roommates are all on the lease, your landlord can typically demand the full rent from any one of you. Here's what a written roommate agreement actually covers instead.
Read guide → Renter rightsPet Policies, Pet Deposits, and Assistance Animals in Chicago
What a landlord can charge for a pet, what counts as an assistance animal under Illinois and federal law, and why the RLTO treats a "pet deposit" as part of your security deposit.
Read guide → Renter rightsSmall Claims Court in Illinois: How to Sue Your Landlord (or Vice Versa)
Illinois small claims court handles disputes up to $10,000 without needing a lawyer — the dollar limit, where to file, and what a rent-related case actually looks like.
Read guide → Renter rightsThe Chicago Move-Out Checklist: Get Your Full Deposit (and Interest) Back
A step-by-step move-out timeline tied to the exact RLTO deadlines that control your security deposit, your interest payment, and your notice obligations.
Read guide → CreditDoes Renting Build Credit? Chicago Renter Guide
Paying rent on time doesn't build your credit by itself. Here's how rent reporting works, what it can't do, and other ways to build a credit file alongside it.
Read guide → CreditBest Rent Reporting Services in Chicago (2026)
A straight comparison of rent reporting options for Chicago renters — prices, which bureaus, and the honest truth most reviews won't tell you about credit scores.
Read guide → Landlord guideChicago Security Deposit Compliance for Landlords: The Complete RLTO Checklist
The interest-bearing account, the annual interest payment, the 30-day itemization deadline, and the two-times-the-deposit penalty for getting it wrong — every RLTO security-deposit obligation in one place.
Read guide →