Chicago, Illinois · Rent Increases

Rent Increases in Chicago: What Are My Rights?

This is not legal advice. We explain what the law says. We cannot tell you what to do in your situation. For that, talk to a lawyer. Find free legal and rent help in Chicago.

Chicago does not limit how much your landlord can raise your rent. But your landlord must tell you in writing before any increase. The notice time depends on how long you have rented your home. This page explains each rule and what you can do when your landlord breaks one.

How much notice you get

  1. Your landlord cannot raise your rent in the middle of a fixed-term lease. A fixed-term lease has a set end date, for example a 1-year lease. The new rent can start only after the lease ends. This rule comes from Illinois law and applies in Chicago.

    Source:
    1. Rent Increases, Illinois Attorney General. A government guide.

  2. Your landlord must give you written notice at least 30 days before a rent increase if you have rented there less than 6 months. Count the days from the day you receive the notice. A spoken warning does not count. Keep the written notice.

    Source:
    1. § 5-12-130(j)(1), American Legal Publishing / City of Chicago. Law.

  3. Your landlord must give you written notice at least 60 days before a rent increase if you have rented there 6 months to 3 years.

    Your landlord must give you written notice at least 120 days before a rent increase if you have rented there more than 3 years. Check your move-in date to see which notice period protects you.

    Source:
    1. § 5-12-130(j)(2), American Legal Publishing / City of Chicago. Law.

  4. The notice rules also protect you if you rent month to month. A month-to-month rental renews every month with no set end date. The law calls this a periodic tenancy (no set end date). Your notice time depends on how long you have rented overall, not on the 1-month rental period.

    Source:
    1. § 5-12-130(j)(1), American Legal Publishing / City of Chicago. Law.

  5. The notice rule covers almost every rented home in Chicago. It applies even if your landlord lives in your building and the building has 6 or fewer units. Most other parts of Chicago's renter law skip those small owner-occupied buildings. The rent increase notice rule does not.

    Source:
    1. § 5-12-020(a), American Legal Publishing / City of Chicago. Law.

  6. Did your landlord give you less notice than the law requires? If you have rented there 3 years or less, you get extra time. You may stay for up to 60 days. Count the 60 days from the day you get the written notice. During those days your rent and lease terms stay the same. You do not owe the higher rent during that time.

    Source:
    1. § 5-12-130(j)(2), American Legal Publishing / City of Chicago. Law.

  7. If you have rented there longer than 3 years, this protection lasts longer. When the notice is late, you may stay for up to 120 days. Count the 120 days from the day you get the written notice. Your rent and lease terms stay the same during that time.

    Source:
    1. § 5-12-130(j)(3), American Legal Publishing / City of Chicago. Law.

  8. Your landlord cannot force you to decide about renewing your lease more than 90 days before it ends. If your landlord asks for an early answer, you can collect 1 month's rent or your actual losses, whichever is more. You can bring this claim in court.

    Source:
    1. § 5-12-130(i), American Legal Publishing / City of Chicago. Law.

Check the new rent

  1. No law limits the size of a rent increase in Chicago. Illinois has no rent control law. Illinois law also stops Chicago from creating its own rent cap. Your protections are about notice and timing, not the amount.

    Sources:
    1. 50 ILCS 825/5, Illinois General Assembly. Law.
    2. Rent Increases, Illinois Attorney General. A government guide.

If the increase is not allowed

  1. Your landlord may not raise your rent to punish you. This punishment is called retaliation. Chicago law forbids a rent increase as punishment for using your rights. Protected acts include asking for repairs and complaining to a city agency about code problems. They also include joining a tenant group and testifying about the condition of your building.

    Source:
    1. § 5-12-150, American Legal Publishing / City of Chicago. Law.

  2. The court helps you prove retaliation. Did you complain to the city, ask for repairs, or do another protected act within 1 year before the rent increase? Then the court starts from the assumption that your landlord raised your rent to punish you. Your landlord must prove there was a different reason.

    Source:
    1. § 5-12-150, American Legal Publishing / City of Chicago. Law.

  3. If a court finds retaliation, you choose what happens next. You can stay in your home, or you can end your lease. Either way, your landlord must pay you up to 2 months of rent or 2 times your actual losses, whichever is more. For example, 2 times $1,000 in losses is $2,000. Your landlord must also pay your reasonable lawyer fees. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

    Sources:
    1. Our editorial rules.
    2. § 5-12-150, American Legal Publishing / City of Chicago. Law.

Published by Nazanin, August 27, 2026. Sources checked August 27, 2026. Is something on this page wrong or out of date? Tell us.