House & Apartment

Illinois housing providers must:

• Maintain a safe and livable environment,
• Respect tenants’ rights,
• Comply with federal, state, and local laws,
• Follow the terms of rental agreements, and
• Only use lawful methods to remove people.

Trying to force a person out by changing locks, turning off utilities, or creating an unsafe or unlivable environment is illegal. Landlords are also responsible for ongoing maintenance. Learn more in Rental repair rights and landlord access.

An illegal lockout happens when a housing provider tries to force a person to move by:

• Preventing a person from accessing their unit or room, or
• Making the person’s living space unsafe or unlivable.

Illegal lockouts take many forms. For example:

• Changing locks without providing a new key,
• Blocking entrances,
• Removing or disabling appliances,
• Removing doors or windows of the unit,
• Shutting off the heat, water, electricity, or other essential utilities,
• Removing belongings from the unit, and
• Threatening or injuring people or damaging belongings.

Lockouts are prohibited even if:

• The tenant has not paid rent (learn more in Dealing with unpaid rent),
• The tenant violated the lease or engaged in criminal activity (learn more in Addressing lease violations), or
• The lease has ended and was not renewed.

Learn how property owners can lawfully remove a person in Understanding eviction.

Contact the landlord or property manager immediately:

• Ask to have the problem fixed, and
• Explain that it is urgent.

The situation may be an illegal lockout if the landlord does not have a court order to remove anyone from the unit and:

• Refuses to respond,
• Tells people they cannot return,
• Says to move out,
• Demands money before allowing entry to the unit or making emergency repairs, or
• Makes threats.

An illegal lockout can also happen when a landlord fails to make emergency repairs.

Sometimes, a property is severely damaged due to reasons beyond the landlord's control, and everyone living there must move. Talk to a lawyer for help in these situations. Use Get Legal Help to find local legal resources or contact:

• Eviction Help Illinois statewide, or
• Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt in Cook County.

Start by contacting the landlord. If that does not help:

• Call 911 in an emergency, or
• Call the local police department or 311 service (like Aurora 311, Chicago 311, or Evanston 311) if there is more time to resolve the issue.

Explain that there is an illegal lockout. Request help from the police. Useful phrases for calling include:

• “I live at [property address]. My landlord illegally locked me out by [explain what happened].”
• “Under Illinois law, landlords cannot evict people without a court order.”
• “I need an officer here to document the problem, tell my landlord that their conduct is illegal, and help me regain rightful possession of my home.”

If a printer is available, use the End lockout letter program to make letters to hand to the landlord and the police. 

When the problem is not solved quickly, call:

• A housing advocate or lawyer,
• For people who pay rent with a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), the local Public Housing Agency (PHA), and
• The local building department or township.

Use Get Legal Help to find local legal resources or contact:

• Eviction Help Illinois statewide, or
• Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt in Cook County.

Take photos and video of:

• The condition causing the lockout, and
• Any written notes or posted papers related to the lockout.

Save screenshots of text messages and emails.

Ask for copies of written reports, dispatch records, and service requests from:

• Law enforcement officers who respond to the lockout,
• Public housing authority, local building department, and township officials who investigate the lockout, and
• If utilities are involved, the utility provider.

People who are locked out illegally can sue the landlord:

• To get back in, and
• For money.

To preserve legal rights, talk to a lawyer before signing any agreements with the housing provider related to the lockout. Use Get Legal Help to find local legal resources or contact:

• Eviction Help Illinois statewide, or
• Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt in Cook County.

Lockouts are illegal when the purpose is to force a person to move.  However, housing providers may:

• Change locks for safety (and give tenants new keys),
• Temporarily block access to a unit to make repairs,
• Temporarily remove or disable appliances, doors, or windows for repair or replacement,
• Temporarily turn off utilities for repairs, or
• Temporarily move a person’s belongings due to an emergency situation (like a flood).

Utility providers may also need to temporarily turn off service, such as for repairs or law enforcement purposes.

When everyone living in a unit has moved out, landlords can change locks, shut off utilities, or modify a unit so that it is unlivable. This usually means:

• The tenant has told the housing provider in writing that they have moved out (learn how to Negotiate a move-out agreement without going to court),
• The lease has ended and will not be renewed, the tenants have taken their belongings and left, and the keys have been returned to the landlord, or
• The housing provider followed Illinois law to file an eviction case, a judge entered an eviction order, and the sheriff enforced the order to remove the occupants.

Rental units can be abandoned in two ways:

• Everyone living in the unit has told the landlord in writing that they are leaving and will not return, or
• The people living in the unit have all left for a set period of time, rent is unpaid, and nobody has told the landlord they plan to keep living there and paying rent.

In either of these situations, the housing provider can change locks, shut off utilities, and remodel. The tenant may still be responsible for some unpaid rent if they had agreed to lease the unit for a longer amount of time.

Some local laws set specific rules for when a property will be considered abandoned if the tenants do not give written notice that they are moving out. These rules only apply when nobody who lives in the unit has told the landlord they plan to keep living there and paying rent:

• Chicago tenants have abandoned a unit if everyone who lived there has not paid rent and has left the property for 21 days (or, for a rental period less than a month, one rental period) and removed their belongings, or 32 days if they did not remove their belongings.
• Evanston tenants have abandoned a unit if everyone who lived there has not paid rent and has left the property for 32 days (or, for a rental period less than one month, one rental period), and removed their belongings.
• Mt. Prospect tenants have abandoned a unit if rent has not been paid, the landlord provided a written eviction notice, the deadline on the notice has passed, and everyone who lived there has left the property for 10 days.
• Oak Park tenants have abandoned a unit if everyone who lived there has not paid rent and has left the property for 32 days (or, for a rental period less than one month, one rental period), and removed their belongings.
• Suburban Cook County tenants have abandoned a unit if everyone who lived there has not paid rent and has left the property for 32 days (or, for a rental period less than one month, one rental period), and removed their belongings.
• Urbana tenants have abandoned a unit if everyone who lived there has not paid rent and has left with visible intent not to return.

Note: In an emergency, such as an active fire, call 911 first. First responders are trained to save lives and limit damage.

Some property issues are so severe that they require an emergency response from the landlord. Conditions that pose an immediate threat to the health or safety of tenants or will cause irreparable harm to the property are emergencies. To learn more about non-emergency repairs, read Rental repair rights and landlord access.

Emergencies include:

• Structural issues, such as fire, flooding, or sinkholes,
• Serious plumbing problems,
• Gas leaks,
• Issues that make a home uninhabitable, and
• Building problems that threaten life or safety.

When emergency repairs are needed, a housing provider can access a tenant's unit without notice. They can also allow repair personnel and inspectors to enter a tenant’s unit to address an emergency condition. The tenant does not have to be present or give permission.

Blocking access may have serious consequences, such as:

• A court order requiring the tenant to grant access,
• Having to move out,
• Being required to pay the landlord money for damages and attorney’s fees, and
• Legal and financial responsibility for additional property damage caused by the dangerous condition.

Utility and essential service disruptions are emergencies that a housing provider must fix if:

• The landlord has agreed to provide the essential service, and
• The landlord (not the utility supplier) is responsible for the disruption. 

Utilities may be temporarily turned off in an emergency. Landlords are expected to supply 7 days’ written notice for temporary shutoffs due to building repairs or rehabilitation. This rule is in section 1.3 of the Residential Property Utility Service Act.

For all other utility problems, call the utility company right away to raise any questions or complaints. If the company does not resolve the issue immediately, the Illinois Commerce Commission is available to help people with public utility problems:

• File informal complaints online, or
• Call ICC Consumer Services at (800) 524-0795 (or by TTY at (800) 858-9277)

Note: In an emergency, such as an active fire, call 911 first. First responders are trained to save lives and limit damage. 

After contacting emergency services if needed, discuss any property issues that require repair with the landlord.

For tenants who pay rent with a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV):

• Notify the housing provider,
• Send the landlord a Rental repair letter by certified mail if needed, and
• For people who pay rent with a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), tell the local Public Housing Agency (PHA).

Reporting the issue to local building authorities may also help. Some local authorities set timelines for repairs:

• In Mt. Prospect, contact Mt. Prospect Code Enforcement, and
• In Urbana, contact the Urbana Building Safety Division), 

Emergency repair problems can escalate quickly to lockouts, eviction, and retaliation claims. Talk to a lawyer before withholding rent or moving out. These options are not available in all situations. When withholding rent or moving out is possible, carefully follow state and local laws to avoid eviction, debt collection, and other issues.

Many Illinois tenants have additional legal options when repairs are not made. Use Get Legal Help to find local legal resources or contact:

• Eviction Help Illinois statewide, or
• Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt in Cook County.

For tenants who pay rent with a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), tell the local Public Housing Agency (PHA) right away if a landlord delays an emergency repair. If the problem is life-threatening, the PHA:

• Must inspect within 24 hours after the tenant tells them about the problem except in extraordinary circumstances (like a natural disaster), and
• Notify the owner if a life-threatening issue is confirmed.

The landlord must fix life-threatening issues within 24 hours of the PHA’s notification.

Tenants with an HCV can contact the HUD office if problems continue.

Tenants have the right to report unsafe or unsanitary conditions to their local government. Some cities and townships are directly involved in solving repair issues. These include Mt. Prospect Code Enforcement and Urbana Building Safety Division.

Usually, the most helpful offices are code enforcement, building, and health departments. These agencies can:

• Inspect the unit,
• Issue violations to the landlord,
• Order the landlord to make repairs, and
• Provide written reports that help the tenant prove the problem existed.

To find the right department, call the:

• City,
• County, or
• Local 311 service, like Aurora 311, Chicago 311 and Evanston 311.

Landlords are prohibited from retaliating against tenants for contacting local officials about necessary repairs.

Illinois tenants in private housing, including people who pay rent with a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), can request emergency lock changes. Learn more about Housing protections for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault.

Help is available for people experiencing domestic violence. For more information, read Domestic violence common questions or contact:

• The National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-7233 (or text START to 88788),
• The Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline at (877) 863-6338, or
• The local domestic violence victim service agency in the directory maintained by the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Note: In an emergency, such as an active fire, call 911 first. First responders are trained to save lives and limit damage.

In Chicago (except for owner-occupied dwellings with 6 or fewer units), landlords have 24 hours after written notice to correct:

• Dangerous code violations,
• Material noncompliance with a written lease that causes immediate danger, or
• A problem with essential services they agreed to provide (heat, running water, hot water, electricity, gas, or plumbing).

Seek help:

• Right away, for a lockout that is not immediately fixed, or
• 24 hours after a written repair request, if emergency repairs are not completed.

For Chicago emergency repairs or a continuing lockout:

• Call Chicago 311,
• Talk to the Metropolitan Tenants Organization (call (773) 292-4988),
• Use Get Legal Help or contact Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt for legal assistance (call (855) 956-5763), and
• For tenants who pay rent with a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), tell the Chicago Housing Authority right away.

When problems with essential services persist for more than 72 hours after notice, the tenant may tell the landlord in writing that they plan to vacate within 30 days. If the tenant does not actually move out within 30 days, this notice is considered withdrawn.

Chicago tenants have other legal options if the problem is not fixed. Talk to a lawyer before taking these steps:

• Withholding a portion of rent,
• Getting services and deducting the cost from rent,
• Finding temporary housing, and
• Suing the landlord.

These rules are in section 5-12-110(f) of the Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance.

Note: In an emergency, such as an active fire, call 911 first. First responders are trained to save lives and limit damage.

In Evanston, landlords have 7 days after written notice to correct a problem with essential services they agreed to provide (heat, running water, hot water, electricity, gas, plumbing, air conditioning, or internet access).

Seek help:

• Right away, for a lockout that is not immediately fixed, or
• 7 days after a written repair request, if emergency repairs are not completed.

For Evanston emergency repairs or a continuing lockout:

• Call Evanston 311, and
• Use Get Legal Help or contact Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt for legal assistance (call (855) 956-5763), and
• For tenants who pay rent with a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), tell the Housing Authority of Cook County right away.

When problems persist, the tenant can give the landlord written notice that:

• If the issue is not fixed within 7 days, the lease will end, and they will move out (this rule is in section 5-3-7-4 of the Evanston Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance), or
• If the issue is not fixed within 10 days, the lease will end, and they will move out (this rule is in section 5-3-7-1). The 10-day notice is automatically withdrawn if the tenant does not actually move out within 30 days.

Evanston tenants have other legal options if the problem is not fixed. Talk to a lawyer before taking these steps:

• Withholding a portion of rent,
• Getting services and deducting the cost from rent,
• Finding temporary housing, and
• Suing the landlord.

Note: In an emergency, such as an active fire, call 911 first. First responders are trained to save lives and limit damage.

In Mt. Prospect, landlords have 36 hours after written notice to correct a problem with essential services they agreed to provide (heat, running water, hot water, electricity, gas, or plumbing).

Seek help:

• Right away, for a lockout that is not immediately fixed, or
• 36 hours after a written repair request, if emergency repairs are not completed.

For Mt. Prospect emergency repairs or a continuing lockout:

• Call Mt. Prospect Code Enforcement at (847) 870-5668, and
• Use Get Legal Help or contact Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt for legal assistance (call (855) 956-5763), and
• For tenants who pay rent with a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), tell the Housing Authority of Cook County right away.

When problems persist, the tenant can give the landlord written notice that:

• The problem must be fixed within 14 days, or
• The lease will end, and they will move out. 

This rule is in section 23.1808 of the Mt. Prospect Residential Landlord and Tenant Regulations.

Mt. Prospect tenants have other legal options if the problem is not fixed. Talk to a lawyer before taking these steps:

• Withholding a portion of rent,
• Getting services and deducting the cost from rent,
• Finding temporary housing, and
• Suing the landlord.

Note: In an emergency, such as an active fire, call 911 first. First responders are trained to save lives and limit damage. 

In Oak Park (unless the rental is excluded from the ordinance, which the owner must make clear in marketing and application materials), landlords have 24 hours after written notice to correct a problem with essential services they agreed to provide. This applies to heat, running water, hot water, electricity, gas, plumbing, and internet access.

Seek help:

• Right away, for a lockout that is not immediately fixed, or
• 24 hours after a written repair request, if emergency repairs are not completed.

For Oak Park emergency repairs or a continuing lockout:

• Call Oak Park Community Relations Division at (708) 358-5405
• Use Get Legal Help or contact Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt for legal assistance (call (855) 956-5763), and
• For tenants who pay rent with a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), tell the Oak Park Housing Authority right away.

When problems with essential services persist for more than 72 hours after notice, the tenant may tell the landlord in writing that they plan to vacate within 30 days. If the tenant does not actually move out within 30 days, this notice is considered withdrawn. This rule is in section 12-6-6 of the Oak Park Residential Tenant and Landlord Ordinance.

Oak Park tenants have other legal options if the problem is not fixed. Talk to a lawyer before taking these steps:

• Withholding a portion of rent,
• Getting services and deducting the cost from rent,
• Finding temporary housing, and
• Suing the landlord.

Note: In an emergency, such as an active fire, call 911 first. First responders are trained to save lives and limit damage.

In suburban Cook County (unless the rental is excluded from the ordinance, which the owner must make clear in marketing and application materials), landlords have 24 hours after written notice to correct a problem with essential services they agreed to provide. This applies to heat, running water, hot water, electricity, gas, plumbing, and internet access.

Seek help:

• Right away, for a lockout that is not immediately fixed, or
• 24 hours after a written repair request, if emergency repairs are not completed.

For suburban Cook County emergency repairs or a continuing lockout:

• Call the local building department or township, and
• Use Get Legal Help or contact Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt for legal assistance (call (855) 956-5763), and
• For tenants who pay rent with a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), tell the Housing Authority of Cook County right away.

When problems with essential services persist for more than 72 hours after notice, the tenant may tell the landlord in writing that they plan to vacate within 30 days. If the tenant does not actually move out within 30 days, this notice is considered withdrawn. This rule is in section 42-106 of the Cook County Residential Tenant and Landlord Ordinance.

Suburban Cook County tenants have other legal options if the problem is not fixed. Talk to a lawyer before taking these steps:

• Withholding a portion of rent,
• Getting services and deducting the cost from rent,
• Finding temporary housing, and
• Suing the landlord.

Note: In an emergency, such as an active fire, call 911 first. First responders are trained to save lives and limit damage. 

In Urbana, the Building Safety Division sets deadlines for landlord repairs.

Seek help:

• Right away, for a lockout that is not immediately fixed, or
• 24 hours after a written repair request, if emergency repairs are not completed.

For Urbana emergency repairs or a continuing lockout:

• Call the Urbana Building Safety Division,
• Talk to the Champaign-Urbana Tenant Union,
• Use Get Legal Help or contact Eviction Help Illinois for legal assistance (call (855) 631-0811), and
• For tenants who pay rent with a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), tell the Housing Authority of Champaign County right away.

Urbana tenants have other legal options if the problem is not fixed. Talk to a lawyer before taking these steps:

• Withholding a portion of rent,
• Getting services and deducting the cost from rent,
• Finding temporary housing, and
• Suing the landlord.

There are limits on how frequently Urbana tenants can use these rights. If the landlord is cited more than 3 times in 12 months for similar problems, the tenant can end the lease. If the tenant does not actually move out within 30 days, this notice is considered withdrawn. These rules are in section 12.5-23 of the Urbana Landlord-Tenant Ordinance.

Talk to a lawyer about:

• Illegal lockouts that are not fixed immediately,
• Threats of eviction or retaliation,
• Emergency repairs that take too long,
• Reducing rent due to repair issues,
• Moving out because of repair disputes, and
• Suing for money and attorney’s fees.

To find a lawyer for a lockout or emergency repair problem, use Get Legal Help or contact:

• Eviction Help Illinois statewide, or
• Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt in Cook County.