Effective January 1, 2025, the Illinois Landlord Retaliation Act will prohibit landlords from retaliating against tenants who exercise their legal rights. Retaliatory actions, such as terminating leases, increasing rent, decreasing services, or threatening lawsuits, are banned. Protections apply to tenants who report code violations, request repairs, join tenant unions, or exercise other legal rights.
Tenants facing retaliation can terminate rental agreements, reclaim security deposits, recover possession of their unit, and seek damages of up to two months’ rent or double actual damages, plus attorney’s fees.
Replacing the 1963 Retaliatory Eviction Act, this law expands protections to cover a broader range of actions. Landlords are encouraged to document tenant interactions to ensure compliance.
