Urgent Call to Action on Rent Control

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Richard Magnone

The Illinois Rental Property Owners Association has issued a call to action for today on attempts to repeal the rent control law. At the link, you will links to file a witness slip to oppose House Bill 0255.  I could explain it, but they do a great job of doing so over there, so click on the link and file a witness slip!

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County Releases Additional Information on Just Housing Amendment

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Richard Magnone

Better than Nothing

Well, we had heard rumors that the County was going to release some additional guidance on the application of the Just Housing Amendment in practice.  Earlier this week, they did just that.  The materials do not clear up many of the questions plaguing those of us “on the ground” and some of the information in the materials is contrary to the actual verbiage in the rules (so landlords need to carefully evaluate these materials).  We will try to discuss some of this in the coming days.  In the meantime, here is a link to the Cook County Human Rights Commission’s Continue reading →

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Seattle Bans Winter Evictions – Could it Happen in Chicago?

Posted on February 11, 2020 by Richard Magnone

Eviction to be Banned in Seattle

We all know about the annual winter moratorium on evictions in Chicagoland.  Every year, around Christmas and New Year’s Day, the courts stop the Sheriff from enforcing eviction orders.  The Cook County Sheriff is also ordered not to evict when it is too cold or weather conditions make an eviction dangerous for the tenants or Sheriff’s officers.  However, the moratorium is temporary, fairly short, and eventually, things get back on track.  The City of Seattle has thrown those concepts right out the window.  The Seattle City counsel yesterday voted 7-0 (that’s right, a unanimous vote) to BAN most evictions for a three month period.  Could it happen in Chicago? Continue reading →

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Rent Control Preemption Act Repeal is BACK

Posted on February 4, 2020 by Richard Magnone

Bill to repeal ban on rent control returns

We warned you it might happen.  The House version of Rent Control (House Bill 0255), Will Guzzardi’s Rent Control Preemption Act, is back.  The bill was assigned to the house Judiciary committee today.  As a reminder, this version of the attempt Continue reading →

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HUD issues new guidance on Support Animals

Posted on January 28, 2020 by Richard Magnone

Some Tenants Ruin it For the Disabled

This afternoon, HUD issued new guidance for landlords in regard to support animals with respect to Fair Housing and reasonable accommodations.  Unfortunately, landlords regularly report fraud on the part of renters who don’t really need an emotional support animal but who don’t like being told “no” by landlords with a “no pets” policy.  Sadly, this ruins things for people who are disabled and really need a reasonable accommodation.  This guidance should provide help with that.  I haven’t even had time to dive into it, but I wanted to make it available as soon as possible.  I’ll report back soon with an in depth analysis.

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Rent Increase Provisions for 2020?

Posted on January 16, 2020 by Richard Magnone

New Residential Lease Concepts?

As 2020 begins, Illinois landlords are finding a business landscape that is not hospitable.  There are new regulations (Just Housing Amendment) and threats of new regulations (just cause for eviction and rent control).  They are facing a looming triennial reasessment by Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi who is clearly targeting multi-unit residential properties.  They face higher taxes, higher fees, and higher utility charges.  What’s to be done? Continue reading →

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What’s New in the 2020 Chicago Association of Realtors Lease?

Posted on January 7, 2020 by Richard Magnone

New Lease Form Released

Late last week, the City of Chicago finally released its separate summary of security deposit interest rates for the new year.  Once the summary was available, the Chicago Association of Realtors (CAR) was able to go live with the 2020 version of their residential Chicago lease for properties governed by the Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance.  Based on my own experience, the CAR form seems to be the most widely used lease in the City of Chicago.  While the content of the form has not changed too much this year, there are some new changes in formatting that make the lease easier and smarter to use.  Let’s take a look at those: Continue reading →

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IDFPR releases Illinois Security Deposit Interest Rate for 2020

Posted on January 6, 2020 by Richard Magnone

Better Late Than Never

Well, I guess January 6, 2020 is as good a day as any for the IDFPR to finally announce the Security Deposit Interest rate for security deposits governed by the Illinois Security Deposit Interest Act.  That law applies to lessors “of residential real property, containing 25 or more units in either a single building or a complex of buildings located on contiguous parcels of real property”.  Continue reading →

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Chicago releases separate interest rate summary

Posted on January 3, 2020 by Richard Magnone

Compliance with 5-12-170 of the CRLTO

On December 31, 2019, the City of Chicago released the new interest rate for 2020 security deposits for those rental agreements governed by the Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance but it was not until today that they released the separate summary that must be attached to a lease to be in compliance with 5-12-170 of the ordinance.  Continue reading →

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Cook County Just Housing Ordinance Goes Live 1/1/2020

Posted on January 2, 2020 by Richard Magnone

Are you ready for this?

I have discussed, at length, on this page, the criminal background check rules contained in the Cook County Just Housing Amendment to the Cook County Human Rights Ordinance and why they are flawed and fairly ridiculous.  Cook County has passed their final set of rules and they will go into effect at midnight on December 31, 2019.  That means that landlords throughout Cook County need to be aware of and in compliance with these rules beginning then if they want to do a criminal background check. Continue reading →

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