Do this today
- Read the lease: fixed term or month-to-month, and any clause about increases.
- Keep the increase notice, including the date and how it arrived.
- Check whether your city runs a rent board or just-cause program.
- Do not agree to a new amount on the spot if you are unsure it is allowed.
What does the lease control?
A fixed-term lease in Illinois usually locks the rent until that term ends, unless the lease itself says otherwise in a way Illinois tenancy and eviction-related statutes allows. A month-to-month tenancy is a different system. Read the paper you signed before you assume the increase is automatic.
What about the city?
Rent stabilization and just-cause eviction are usually local. Illinois state law is the floor. If you live in a city with a rent board, that board's rules may limit when and how rent can change — confirm the address is covered before you rely on it.
Is Illinois the same as Chicago for renters?
No. Illinois statutes are the statewide floor. Chicago’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (Municipal Code ch. 5-12) covers a large share of Chicago units — and not every unit, and not the suburbs. Cook County suburbs are a different ordinance. Confirm the address.
The Illinois chapter
Illinois tenancy and eviction-related statutes (765 ILCS 705 to 755) is the starting point. We name it. We do not paraphrase a day-count or a dollar cap out of it.
Illinois has a statewide Landlord and Tenant Act, but a large share of Illinois renters are covered by a city ordinance that adds to it. Chicago and several suburbs and counties have their own residential landlord–tenant ordinances.
Chicago has a Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance. Cook County, Evanston and other Illinois municipalities have adopted their own ordinances. Which one applies depends on the address and sometimes on the size or type of the building.
Official sources
- StatuteIllinois Landlord and Tenant Act (765 ILCS 705)Illinois General Assembly, the state's official statute publisher.
- Free legal helpIllinois Legal Aid Online — Landlord-tenant lawsStatewide legal-aid guides, including which local ordinance covers an address.
- Statute indexCornell LII landlord-tenant table765 ILCS 705 to 755
- FederalHUD — Illinois
- Free legal helpLawHelp.org — Illinois
Common questions
Can my landlord in Illinois raise rent whenever they want?
It depends on the lease, Illinois tenancy and eviction-related statutes, and any city overlay. There is no national percentage. A fixed-term lease and a month-to-month tenancy are different.
Does Illinois have statewide rent control?
Some states limit local rent control; some allow it; some have statewide rules. Whether any of that covers your unit is a Illinois and city question. This site does not guess from a ZIP code.
What if the increase came after I complained?
That sequence is worth writing down. Whether Illinois treats it as retaliation is a state-and-facts question for legal aid.
Is Illinois the same as Chicago for renters?
No. Illinois statutes are the statewide floor. Chicago’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (Municipal Code ch. 5-12) covers a large share of Chicago units — and not every unit, and not the suburbs. Cook County suburbs are a different ordinance. Confirm the address.
The national rent increase guide has the full sequence. Open the rent increase guide
People also ask
- Is there a legal limit on how much my rent can go up?
- Can my landlord raise the rent in the middle of my lease?
- Does my landlord have to give notice in writing?
- New fees appeared but the base rent stayed the same. Is that a rent increase?
- Can I negotiate?
- Can my landlord raise rent the same way in every state?
Last reviewed 8 September 2026. Legal information, not legal advice. Not a law firm. hello@renterprotection.org