Free tool for Illinois landlords
Is your lease ready for January 1, 2027?
A new Illinois law changes which fees landlords can charge and where they have to list them. Answer a few questions and see what to review before you sign leases next year. 90 seconds, no signup.
Is the rental in an owner-occupied building with 6 or fewer units?
For example, you live in one unit of your two-flat and rent the other.
What the new law does
- Page 1 or it's not owed. Every mandatory fee, one-time or recurring, has to be on the first page of the lease. If it isn't, the tenant doesn't have to pay it.
- Listings show the fees. Mandatory fees go in the listing (or a link with it), and the lease or listing says whether utilities are included.
- $50 application fee cap, including background checks, with a narrow exception for a higher third-party check cost you pay upfront and bill with receipts within 14 days.
- Banned fees: lease renewal or modification, eviction notices or filings before a court order, after-hours maintenance, contacting the landlord, repair travel, maintenance hotlines, routine upkeep, pest control the tenant didn't cause, and move-in or move-out walk-throughs.
- No renaming. A landlord can't rename a fee to get around the law.
- Who it covers: residential leases entered into after January 1, 2027, except leases in owner-occupied buildings with 6 or fewer units.
Get an email if this law changes
Illinois lawmakers can still amend this law before January 1. We'll send one short email if they do, plus Chicago rule changes, and save you a founding-member spot in Landlord's Desk.
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Chicago landlord? Also see the rent increase notice calculator and Chicago landlord law updates.
Keep every fee where it belongs
Landlord's Desk puts rent and charges on one ledger, imports your lease terms for you to check, and handles renewals with e-signatures. AI does the busywork; you approve every change. Founding members get up to 60 days free, then 30% off their first year.
This checkup is general information, not legal advice, and it doesn't review your actual lease. Talk to an Illinois attorney about your situation. Sources: 765 ILCS 705/35, added by Public Act 104-0479 (HB 3564); effective date changed to January 1, 2027 by Public Act 104-0514 (HB 5234). Checked October 9, 2026.