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Chicago to continue pursuit of bad landlords

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newlawChicago’s Tenant Protection Ordinance is Powerful.

In case you missed it, back in January, the City of Chicago passed the Eri’ana Patton Smith and Coleman/Clark Kids Tenant Protection Ordinance.  The Ordinance aims to keep bad landlords from doing more business in the City and establishes new and greater fines for building code scofflaws.  Besides incorporating a number of new tenant protections, and prohibiting problem landlords from getting permits or receiving zoning changes, the most visible result is that the City will now publicize a list of the “worst landlords”.  Beginning next month, the City will have the authority to fine a landlord between $500 and $1000 per day under the new law and “problem landlords” will be ineligible to do business with the City, to obtain business licenses, permits, or zoning changes. 

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Tougher smoke and carbon monoxide detector penalties for Chicago Landlords

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detectProposed amendment closes detector compliance loophole

Chicago landlords who fail to comply with the City of Chicago smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector ordinances will face much stiffer penalties.  A proposed amendment to the municipal code for Chicago which passed out of committee this week will close a loophole that allowed landlords cited for failure to comply with the ordinance’s requirements for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to avoid penalty by complying with the ordinance after being cited but before the building department hearing.

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Sad reminder about landlord liability

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jailChicago Landlord lands in jail over deaths related to code violations

Channel 7 is reporting that the landlord who owned the building where Chicago Firefighters died in a roof collapse has been sentenced to jail time and penalties for criminal contempt of court.  The landlord has previously been cited by the City of Chicago for building code violations and failed to make those repairs.

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April 1 proposal seeks to overturn RLTO

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stampactREPEAL IS AN OPTION (April Fools)!

A daring new proposal seeks to repeal the RLTO.  After years of tyranny against landlords, this must end.  “Let justice be done though the heavens should fall” said one legislator.  For years, landlords have faced burdensome regulatory requirements governing security deposits, lease provisions, and disclosure obligations.  The penalties under the ordinance are severe, unfair, and wildly out of proportion to the interests being protected.

“It is time to level the playing field – fair is fair”, one landlords’ rights advocate said. 

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New CRLTO Opinion released

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Just a heads up that there is a brand new CRLTO case opinion released by the appellate court today.  I haven’t had time to do a full write up but there is some pretty interesting stuff inside on whether or not a lease constitutes a receipt and whether paying interest on the 1st of every … Read more

Medical Marijuana and the Illinois Landlord and Tenant

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cannabisNew Illinois pot law could get landlords in the soup!

On January 1, 2014, the “Illinois Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act” took effect making Illinois the twentieth state in the union to permit some form of lawful medical marijuana.  This may be a great victory for people who are sick and people who want to try to play the system to get recreational drugs, but it creates a whole new world of regulation and requirements for Illinois landlords.

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Speaking Engagement!

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It was great to get a chance earlier today to speak to the agents at Re/Max Signature about recent legislative changes affecting the Chicago rental market!  We had a great discussion about CRLTO compliance, the new Keep Chicago Renting Ordinance, Lock Changes, amendments to fair housing granting Section 8 participants protected class protections, and bedbugs.  … Read more

Highland Park’s Proposed Rental Registration Program

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The Lake County Property Investors Association has issued a release to its members indicating that the City of Highland Park is considering a “rental registration” program.  They indicate that there is not yet a written ordinance but that the program envisioned would include annual registration of all rental properties (whether multi-unit or single family) and … Read more

The 5 stages of “grief” for Landlords with CRLTO problems

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The Kübler-Ross Model of the stages of grief deals with the feelings people experience in response to death or terminal illness. There are five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. There is no real “order” to the stages and many people move from one stage to the other and back again. Eventually, people move on to a peaceful acceptance of death.

Interestingly, in my landlord-tenant practice, I have found that Chicago landlords who have violated the Chicago Residential Landlord Tenant Ordinance go through these same stages after being served with a complaint or a nasty attorney letter threatening legal action based upon violations of the Chicago Residential Landlord Tenant Ordinance.

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