How Much Can a Landlord Raise Rent in Illinois?

There’s no legal limit on how much your landlord can raise your rent in Illinois, but they must inform you ahead of time with a written notice.
Written by Bonnie Stinson
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
background
While
Illinois
does not have rent control, there are limitations to when and why your landlord can raise your rent. It mostly depends on whether you’re in a fixed-term (e.g. year-long) or periodic (weekly or monthly) agreement. 
Whether you live in
Chicago
or a more rural part of the state, rent increases are universally unpleasant. After receiving a rent increase notification from your landlord, you’re probably wondering how you’ll afford it and whether it’s even legal.
Jerry’s
got your back. We’re a
super app
for car insurance comparison, but we also love helping people navigate tricky situations related to home ownership,
renting
, and car ownership. So here’s everything you need to know about the legalities, timelines, and cost-savings hacks if a landlord tries to raise your rent in Illinois.  
RECOMMENDED
Compare auto insurance policies
No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms
Find insurance savings

How much can a landlord raise rent in Illinois?

There is no legal limit to how much your landlord can raise your rent in Illinois
Illinois has a Rent Control Preemption Act (1997) that prevents cities from controlling rent prices on private property. For tenants, a landlord could theoretically decide to raise your rent by $1,000 once your lease term is up. No legal ordinances stand in their way.
Now, enormous rent increases to the tune of $1,000 or more are certainly possible but they’re also unlikely. Instead, landlords typically raise rent gradually to retain existing tenants and to align with the expectations of the renters’ market
There’s one more important factor here: the term of your lease. 
A landlord may only raise the rent in Illinois at the end of the lease term on a fixed-term lease. If your lease expires in October, you can’t be asked to pay more in August and September. But with a periodic lease (month-to-month or week-to-week), landlords can increase rent with less notice
Note that some cities like Chicago have
specific rules
about how much notice the landlord must give before a rent increase.

How much notice does a landlord need to give before they raise the rent?

Illinois law requires landlords to give written notice to tenants of any rental increase. This notice should include information such as: 
  • How much the rent will increase by 
  • When the increase takes effect
  • How tenants can submit rental payments 
If you have a fixed-term lease, an Illinois landlord is not legally required to provide any advance notice of a rent hike. However, it’s worth checking your lease documents to see whether they stated a period of notice.
If you have a periodic lease, Illinois landlords must provide notice within the time frame of the lease term. 
  • For month-to-month leases, the law requires notice of a rent increase 30 days in advance
  • For week-to-week leases, the law requires notice of a rent increase 7 days in advance
Be aware that Illinois landlords can terminate your lease without providing a reason. However, they must provide proper notice if they decide to terminate your lease. Month-to-month tenants must be given 30 days’ notice and year-to-year tenants must be given 60 days’ notice

When is it illegal to raise rent in Illinois?

In most situations, landlords can raise the rent in Illinois by any amount if they have provided the correct amount of notice. But there are some situations where a rent increase is illegal:
  • As retaliation for tenants exercising their rights (e.g., forming a tenants’ union, reporting health and safety issues) as protected by the
    Retaliatory Eviction Act Illinois
  • Discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, familial status, or religion is protected by the
    Federal Fair Housing Act
You can file charges if you feel that your landlord has raised the rent in an attempt to drive you off the property based on retaliation or discrimination. If you need support for a tenant rights situation in Illinois, check out
these resources
.

How to respond to a rent increase

You have several options when it comes to responding to a rent increase notification. If you want to stay in the unit and you believe there has been proper notice, simply accept the higher rent and increase your payment once the lease renews.
Otherwise, here’s how to respond to a rent increase:
  • If you believe your landlord raised the rent as a form of retaliation or discrimination, find a lawyer and take legal action against them
  • If you think your landlord violated the lease terms by not giving sufficient notice, file a lawsuit against the landlord.
  • If you cannot pay the higher rent but wish to stay in the apartment, attempt to negotiate a lower rent
  • If the COVID-19 pandemic has affected your ability to pay a higher rate, check with 
    your local emergency rental assistance program (ERAP)
    for resources. 

How to save money on renter's insurance

When you move into a new apartment, you want to make sure your belongings are safe. One of the best ways to ensure your personal property is protected is by getting a renters insurance policy. 
But don’t worry about adding hundreds of dollars to your monthly spending. The average renters insurance policy only costs a few dollars a month!
Jerry
, the super app for insurance, can make sure that you find a renters policy that meets your needs. 
Simply download the app, answer a few questions, and the app will send you quotes that meet your needs. Once you make your choice, Jerry will take care of all of the paperwork—making savings and protection as easy as possible.
"I have a really bad record, so all of my previous insurance quotes were pretty high. I started using
Jerry
and the fantastic app saved me $130 a month on my insurance.” —Jett A.
Compare renters insurance rates in minutes
* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score
Find Rates & Get Covered
* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score

FAQs

You could save 15% or more on renters insurance by bundling
Bundle your renters and auto insurance with Jerry and save!
Try Jerry

Easiest way to compare and buy car insurance

√
No long forms
√
No spam or unwanted phone calls
√
Quotes from top insurance companies
Find insurance savings