Chicago landlord guide · Updated September 2026
Chicago rent increase rules for landlords
Raising rent in Chicago isn't about how much, since there's no rent cap. It's about when. The city's Fair Notice Ordinance sets how much written notice you owe your tenant, and the answer depends on how long they've lived there.
The short version
- Tenant there less than six months: at least 30 days' written notice.
- Six months to three years: at least 60 days.
- More than three years: at least 120 days.
- The same notice applies to raising rent, not renewing a lease, and ending a month-to-month tenancy.
- It covers every rental in Chicago, including owner-occupied two-flats.
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How much notice you need
Under the Fair Notice Ordinance (the 2020 changes to Chicago's Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance), a landlord must give a tenant who isn't in the eviction process written notice before raising the rent, declining to renew the lease, or ending a month-to-month tenancy:
- 30 days if the tenant has lived in the unit for less than six months.
- 60 days if they've lived there more than six months but less than three years.
- 120 days if they've lived there more than three years.
Count from the day your tenant receives the notice, not the day you write it, and allow extra days if you mail it.
Who it covers
This is the part many small landlords miss. Much of the RLTO doesn't apply to owner-occupied buildings with six or fewer units, but the city says these notice rules apply to all residential units, whether or not the rest of the RLTO covers them. If you live in one unit of your two-flat and rent the other, the 30/60/120-day rules still apply to you.
Is there a limit on how much you can raise the rent?
No. Chicago has no rent cap, and Illinois law bars cities from adopting rent control. What you can't do is raise rent to retaliate: the RLTO prohibits increasing rent because a tenant complained to the city, joined a tenant group, or used their legal rights. Keep your reasons, and your approach, consistent across tenants.
Fixed-term leases
If your tenant is on a lease, the rent usually can't change until the lease ends unless the lease itself allows it. In practice, most Chicago rent increases happen at renewal, so send your renewal offer with the new rent early enough to meet the notice period. For a tenant of more than three years, that's four months before the lease ends.
How to send the notice
- Put it in writing. Show the current rent, the new rent and the date it starts.
- Deliver it in a way you can prove. Hand delivery with a signed acknowledgment, certified mail, or whatever your lease specifies.
- Log it. Note the date, the method and how many days of notice it gave.
- Put the lease end date on your calendar. Work backward from it by 30, 60 or 120 days, plus a cushion.
Our free rent increase letter kit has a notice of rent increase, a lease renewal offer your tenant signs, a worksheet to price the increase against a vacancy, and a delivery log.
Before you raise it: price in a vacancy
One empty month plus cleaning, paint and listing time can cost more than a year of a small increase. Check what similar units nearby rent for, then weigh the increase against what it would cost if a good tenant leaves. The worksheet in the kit does this math for you.
Questions landlords ask
Is there a limit on how much a landlord can raise rent in Chicago?
No. Chicago has no rent cap, and Illinois law bars cities from adopting rent control. What a landlord can’t do is raise rent to retaliate against a tenant for complaining to the city, joining a tenant group or using their legal rights.
How much notice does a Chicago landlord have to give to raise rent?
At least 30 days’ written notice if the tenant has lived there less than six months, 60 days from six months to three years, and 120 days after three years.
Do the notice rules apply to an owner-occupied two-flat?
Yes. The city says the 30/60/120-day notice rules apply to all residential units, including owner-occupied buildings with six or fewer units.
Can a landlord raise rent in the middle of a lease?
Usually not, unless the lease itself allows it. Most Chicago rent increases happen at renewal, so send the renewal offer early enough to meet the notice period.
When does the notice period start?
From the day your tenant receives the notice, not the day you write it. Allow extra days if you mail it.
Get the free rent increase letter kit
A notice of rent increase, a lease renewal offer, a rent increase worksheet and a delivery log. Word and printable PDF, no email required.
Landlord's Desk keeps every lease end date in view and sends renewals for e-signature in the same place as rent and leases. You approve every change before it goes out. Create your account by December 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM Central and you’re a founding member: 60 days free from the day you choose a plan, then 30% off your first 12 monthly payments or your first yearly payment. Claim the offer by choosing a plan by March 1, 2027 at 11:59 PM Central.
Not ready yet? Join the waitlist by December 1 to keep the founding offer.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change; check the current ordinance or talk to a local attorney. Source: City of Chicago Department of Housing, Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance summary (Fair Notice Ordinance and retaliation provisions). Checked September 28, 2026.