Chicago’s new renter rules, in plain English
What City Council is actually voting on right now — and what it means for your rent. No spin, no legalese.
The two bills moving right now
For the first time in about 40 years, Chicago is rewriting its landlord–tenant law. Two competing proposals are in play:
- PRO (backed by the Mayor’s office) — cleared the Housing Committee on Sept 16. If it passes: a citywide rental registry so owners can’t hide behind an LLC, a ban on most junk move-in fees, security deposits capped at one month, and a new city office to handle complaints.
- FAIR (a competing proposal) — also creates a registry, but with no registration fees and lighter rules for small “mom-and-pop” landlords.
What got dropped — be careful here
An earlier version would have made landlords pay tenants (up to 5 months’ rent or $5,000) when they weren’t renewed. That part was removed. So don’t count on a “moving-money” check if your lease isn’t renewed — it is not in the bills as they stand.
The catch: nothing changes overnight
Even if a bill passes at full Council, it rolls out over roughly 12–24 months. A working public database of owners could be a year or more away.
What this actually means for you
A registry is a phone book: it tells you the legal name on a building. It won’t tell you the thing you actually need before you sign — is this place worth the rent? How they handle repairs. Whether you can even find who owns it. And what you really pay once the “mystery” fees are added up.
That’s WURTHIT. Real tenants rate the experience, name who they actually deal with, and list every fee — so the WURTHIT Score reflects the true cost and quality, not just five stars. The city might spend a year building a list. You can grade the list today.
Informational only, not legal advice. Bill details can change as Council votes — we update this as the facts do.