Chicago renters who’ve lived in their apartments for years now have a stronger legal shield against sudden displacement, thanks to an ordinance the City Council approved.
The new law clarifies and strengthens the city’s 2020 Fair Notice Ordinance, which already required landlords to give written notice before ending a tenancy or raising rent. What’s new: if a landlord skips that required notice, tenants now have an explicit “right to remain” in their unit—with clear protections from eviction filing during that period.
How long you can stay depends on your tenure
Renters who’ve lived in their unit for fewer than three years get up to 60 days to stay after proper notice is finally given. Renters with more than three years in the same home get up to 120 days. During either window, all existing lease terms (including rent) remain in effect.
The underlying notice periods themselves didn’t change: 30 days for tenants of six months or less, 60 days for those between six months and three years, and 120 days for long-term renters past the three-year mark.
Why this matters now
“Every tenant deserves the right to locate alternate housing and avoid an unjust eviction filing,” said Ald. Anthony J. Quezada, who introduced the ordinance and represents the 35th Ward. Quezada credited the Law Center for Better Housing with helping shape the measure, and said it has backing from both tenant rights groups and property owner organizations…