Cook County RTLO: Deposits, Repairs, Entry, and Lockouts

The Cook County Residential Tenant Landlord Ordinance (RTLO) is the suburban Cook County rulebook for residential rentals. It sets limits on security deposits, late fees, and landlord entry; gives tenants a repair-and-deduct remedy; requires written notice before a lease ends; and bans lockouts countywide. Violations are enforced by tenants in court, and the penalties for mishandling a security deposit are steep enough that both sides should know the rules before anything goes wrong.

The ordinance covers nearly all rentals in suburban Cook County, including mobile homes and subsidized units. Chicago and Evanston are not covered, because each city has its own tenant ordinance.¹ Owner-occupied buildings with six or fewer units are exempt from most provisions, as is housing operated by religious or educational institutions for their members and short stays at hotels, motels, or medical facilities.² One exception runs the other way: the anti-lockout rules apply to every rental unit in the county, including the small owner-occupied buildings otherwise exempt.

Security Deposit Rules

Security deposits are the most detailed part of the RTLO and the area where landlords face the biggest penalty for getting it wrong.

A landlord cannot charge more than 1.5 times the monthly rent as a deposit. The money has to sit in a federally insured account at an Illinois financial institution, separate from the landlord’s personal or operating funds, and the tenant must be told in writing which institution holds it.²

After move-out, the landlord has 30 days to either return the full deposit or send a written, itemized explanation of any deductions. That is one deadline, not a longer one when deductions are involved. Only actual damage counts. Scuffed paint, worn carpet from regular use, minor nail holes, and other normal wear and tear are not deductible.

If a landlord overcharges, misses the 30-day deadline, fails to document deductions, or doesn’t return what’s owed, the tenant can sue for two times the deposit plus attorney’s fees. The penalty applies whether the mistake was deliberate or just sloppy. On a $2,000 deposit, that is $4,000 in damages before the tenant’s legal bill is added.²

Repairs and the 14-Day Rule

Landlords have to keep rentals in compliance with building codes, including working heat, safe plumbing, and sound structural conditions (Sec. 42-805). When something breaks, the tenant sends a written notice describing the problem and asking for a repair. The landlord then has 14 days to fix it.

If that window passes with no repair, the tenant can use the repair-and-deduct remedy: hire someone to do the work and subtract the cost from the next rent payment. The deduction is capped at the greater of $500 or half of one month’s rent. A tenant paying $1,400 could deduct up to $700; a tenant paying $800 could deduct up to $500. Before using this remedy, the tenant has to give the landlord notice of the planned repair date, and when rent is paid, receipts have to go with the reduced payment.²

Repair-and-deduct is designed for minor problems. For serious habitability failures like no heat in winter, sewage backup, or dangerous electrical issues, tenants may have additional remedies under Illinois law, including lease termination.

Late Fees and How Rent Payments Are Applied

The RTLO caps late fees at $10 for the first $1,000 of monthly rent. For any rent above $1,000, the cap is 5% of the monthly rent.¹

Just as important: when a tenant pays rent, the landlord has to apply the money to rent first, not to old fees or other charges. This blocks a tactic where a landlord quietly credits the payment to past late fees, then claims the current month’s rent wasn’t paid and starts an eviction.

When a Landlord Can Enter

For non-emergency entries like repairs, inspections, or showings, a landlord must give the tenant at least two days’ notice (Sec. 42-808). The notice can go by mail, phone, written note, or any method reasonably designed to reach the tenant. Entry has to happen between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. unless the tenant agrees to a different time.²

Emergencies are the exception. If the landlord needs immediate access to prevent damage or protect safety, no advance notice is required, but the landlord has to notify the tenant within two days afterward and explain what happened.

Lockouts Are Illegal Countywide

A landlord cannot lock out a tenant, shut off utilities, or remove the tenant’s belongings as a way to force them out. This applies to every rental unit in suburban Cook County, even those exempt from the rest of the ordinance.¹

Removal of a tenant has to go through the court eviction process. Changing locks, pulling a door off its hinges, or cutting off the gas is not legal regardless of what the tenant did, and a landlord who tries it faces liability and a court order letting the tenant back in.

Ending or Not Renewing a Lease

How much notice a landlord must give to end or decline to renew a lease depends on the lease term (Sec. 42-810). For leases longer than six months, the landlord must give at least 60 days’ written notice, delivered personally or by certified mail so there’s a record.²

If the full 60 days aren’t given, the tenant may stay up to 60 days from the date notice is actually served, at the existing rent. The landlord cannot raise rent or change terms during that holdover period.

Different timelines apply to lease violations. When rent is unpaid, the landlord can issue a 5-day notice. For other material lease violations, a 10-day notice is required. These shorter periods give the tenant a chance to cure the problem before an eviction case is filed.¹

Two groups have added protections beyond the RTLO. Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) tenants are covered by federal rules that require the landlord to send any eviction notice to the local Public Housing Authority and go through court for eviction.³ Active-duty servicemembers who receive permanent change of station or deployment orders of at least 90 days can terminate a lease early under the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act by giving written notice with a copy of the orders; for monthly leases, termination takes effect 30 days after the next rent due date following that notice.⁴

Lease Clauses That Won’t Hold Up

Some lease terms are void even if the tenant signed them. A landlord cannot include a confession of judgment clause, which would let the landlord get a court order against the tenant without notice or a hearing. A clause waiving the tenant’s right to notice before termination is equally unenforceable.²

Leases also cannot limit a landlord’s liability for negligence, shift maintenance duties onto the tenant, waive the tenant’s right to a jury trial, require the tenant to pay the landlord’s attorney fees beyond what a court orders, or charge the tenant for capital improvements. When one of these terms shows up in a lease, that clause is struck and the rest of the lease stays in effect.

How the Ordinance Is Enforced

There is no county agency that investigates RTLO complaints or imposes fines for a tenant. Enforcement runs through private lawsuits in court. The double-deposit-plus-fees remedy for security deposit violations is what gives tenants real leverage and gives attorneys a reason to take these cases on.¹

For tenants who can’t afford a lawyer, Cook County’s RTLO page points to legal aid organizations that handle landlord-tenant disputes. If something feels off, write it down. Keep copies of repair requests, deposit receipts, entry notices, text messages, and any notice the landlord serves. A paper trail is what turns a complaint into a case.

1
Cook County Government. Residential Tenant Landlord Ordinance
2
Cook County Government. Cook County Residential Tenant Landlord Ordinance Summary
3
eCFR. 24 CFR 982.310 – Owner Termination of Tenancy
4
U.S. Department of Justice. Financial and Housing Rights