Chicago bars landlord retaliation under RLTO MCC 5-12-150 and layers Cook County's Just Housing Amendment to limit criminal-record screening. Tenants asserting RLTO rights are protected by a presumption of retaliation for one year.
MCC 5-12-150 forbids retaliation against tenants who complain to government, organize tenant unions, withhold rent for code violations, or assert RLTO rights. Acts within one year of the protected activity are presumed retaliatory, shifting the burden to the landlord. Remedies include two months' rent or twice the damages plus attorney fees. The Cook County Human Rights Ordinance Just Housing Amendment (Ord. 19-2394) bars blanket criminal-record bans and requires individualized assessments. Chicago Human Rights Ordinance MCC 6-10 layers source-of-income and other protected-class rules. Together these limit threats over Section 8 status, immigration questions, abuse of entry, and termination of essential services.
Retaliatory rent hikes, eviction filings, service shutoffs, or refusing to renew after a complaint expose landlords to two months' rent or actual damages plus attorney fees and county human rights enforcement.
Chicago, IL
Chicago landlords offering cash-for-keys to buy a tenant out of a lease must follow RLTO duty-of-good-faith rules under MCC 5-12-150. Coercive or undisclosed...
Chicago, IL
The Chicago Human Rights Ordinance MCC 6-10 and the Cook County Human Rights Ordinance prohibit landlords from refusing applicants because their rent comes f...
Chicago, IL
Chicago does not have a formal just cause eviction ordinance, but the RLTO (MCC 5-12) provides substantial eviction protections including anti-retaliation pr...
See how Chicago's tenant anti-harassment rules stack up against other locations.
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