If you’re a landlord in Illinois and you are renting your property to a single tenant for a set amount of time (six months or a year, for example), you need this Illinois-specific lease to get every tenancy off to a good start. Designed to comply with state law, including specific clauses for property subject to the City of Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance, this lease from Nolo lets you:
- specify the length of the lease, who can live on the property, the amount of rent, and how it’s to be paid
- set the security deposit and explain how it will be used and returned
- explain your rights to enter the rental and the tenant’s and landlord’s upkeep responsibilities
- include important restrictions on guest stays, use of the property, and the consequences of late rent
- comply with Chicago requirements by including two additional forms concerning heating costs and security deposits
- make required disclosures regarding environmental hazards and other significant issues
The lease comes with a full set of clause-by-clause instructions, explaining the meaning of each clause and how to fill in the required information. Use the word processing program on your computer (or print the form and fill in the blanks) to create a legal, binding lease that embodies the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants in Illinois, all in plain English.
For the complete kit, including 4 lease forms specifically tailored to Illinois, see Nolo's Illinois Landlord Kit.