2017 CRLTO Chicago Interest Rate Summary Available

Posted on January 10, 2017 by

2017 rate of interest summary security deposit bilingual2017 Rate of Interest on Security Deposits released by Chicago Building Department!

It took a few days, but the 2017 Chicago RLTO interest rate summary is now available.  Remember, the interest rate for leases governed by the CRLTO entered into in 2017 is .01%.  This summary – the WHOLE THING – needs to be attached to any new or renewal lease pursuant to 5-12-170 of the ordinance.  For leases entered into in 2017, do NOT use the 2016 form! Continue reading →

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New recycling ordinance requires another summary from Chicago landlords

Posted on January 10, 2017 by

Chicago recycling ordinanceNew Chicago Recycling Ordinance requires recycling flyer

Last summer, the City of Chicago updated the Chicago Recycling Ordinance.  That new law went into effect on January 1, 2017.  The new ordinance has a direct effect on certain Chicago landlords.  This law is not optional!  The City of Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation will be conducting inspections to enforce the new law.  Continue reading →

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New lead law affecting Illinois landlords kicks off 2017

Posted on January 3, 2017 by

Amendments to Lead Poisoning Prevention Act regarding lead mitigation effective January 1, 2017

Back in August, 2016, the State passed amendments to the Illinois Lead Poisoning Prevention Act that affect landlords.  Many landlords are aware of the federal law that requires landlords of residential rentals built prior to 1978 to disclose information (reports, pamphlets, etc.) of potential lead-based hazards in their real estate.  However, many Illinois landlords are unaware of their obligations under the Illinois Lead Poisoning Prevention Act.  The new amendments deal with mitigation notices for lead paint hazards in an Illinois rental building governed by the law. Continue reading →

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2017 Chicago Security Deposit Interest rate released!

Posted on January 1, 2017 by

2017 Chicago security deposit interest rateCity of Chicago retains same interest rate to be paid on Security Deposits under RLTO for third year in a row

On Friday, the City of Chicago released the new 2017 security deposit interest rate.  The rate is the for security deposits held for leases governed by the Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (RLTO).  The rate has remained steady at 0.01% since 2015.   Continue reading →

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2016-17 Cook County Sheriff Holiday Eviction Moratorium

Posted on December 7, 2016 by

Cook County Sheriff eviction holiday moratoriumCook County Eviction winter “stay” starts soon

It is that time of year where the Cook County Circuit Court extends some holiday cheer to tenants (certainly not to landlords) and prohibits the Sheriff from enforcing eviction orders.  By way of a general order, the court has ordered that the Sheriff not evict any tenants beginning on December 19, 2016 and extending to January 2, 2017.

The good news is that, based on my own personal experience (your experience may vary), the Sheriff does not have a major backlog at this time.  As such, the moratorium is just two weeks and it can be expected that the additional delay will not be as bad as in past years assuming that our mild weather keeps up.

Remember, the courts still work during the holidays, so the “legal” side of an eviction lawsuit will continue.  It is just the enforcement of the eviction order that is halted.

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4 Mistakes Landlords Make with the 5 Day Notice

Posted on December 6, 2016 by

5 Day Eviction Notice TipsDon’t make these mistakes with the 5 Day Notice

The five day notice for non-payment of rent (by the way, it is 10 days in Evanston, thank you very much) – it’s that “simple” little notice that is the beginning of many eviction cases.  And boy can it mess up an Illinois eviction lawsuit if it is done wrong!  Section 9-209 of the Illinois Forcible Entry and Detainer Act governs the “demand for rent” that must be provided in an action for possession.  Most versions of the 5 day notice form that float around are pretty simple.  However, many landlords and even some of their agents (who should know better) mess up the form with regularity.  And, if the notice is wrong, the eviction case is unlikely to succeed.

Here at Reda | Ciprian | Magnone, LLC, Continue reading →

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Chicago Association of Realtors issues a Security Deposit Receipt

Posted on August 3, 2016 by

receiptNew Receipt Form issued by CAR for Deposits

As readers of my blog should be well aware, I do not advocate the use of security deposits in those rentals governed by the Chicago Residential Landlord Tenant Ordinance.  While many landlords and landlord advocates agree with me, there are still some landlords who insist on taking a deposit.  The Chicago Association of Realtors (CAR) has just released a new form that hopes to ease the burden on landlords providing a security deposit receipt. Continue reading →

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City clarifies confusion about CRLTO summary

Posted on May 5, 2016 by

Chicago clarifies about CRLTO summaryChicago Landlords Catch A Break

Please Note: The summary now says “Approved by the Cirty of Chicago, June 2013; summary revised 2016” – always check to be sure you are using the latest summary!

In April, I reported being disturbed to find that the City of Chicago had updated their “Rents Right” website sometime recently to include a CRLTO summary purporting to have been approved in 2013.  My concern was that landlords using the July 2010 summary might be out of compliance with the ordinance despite the June, 2013 ordinance summary not being made widely available. Continue reading →

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HUD issues fair housing “guidance” on landlord use of criminal background checks

Posted on April 19, 2016 by

stupidNot good news for Chicago landlords

April is fair housing month and to celebrate, the Office of the General Counsel of HUD has released “Guidance on Application of Fair Housing Act Standards to the Use of Criminal Records by Providers of Housing and Real Estate-Related Transactions“.  This little ditty is a wonderful little gift to landlords throughout Chicagoland!  If you think that the application of fair housing to landlord screening procedures was hard before, just wait until you get a load of this one.  Unfortunately, folks, it’s the law (or at least, it’s HUD’s position on how the law will be enforced) and you need only head over to their website to see gleeful press releases related to big dollar settlements with landlords for fair housing violations to see the logical result of noncompliance.  This law applies to private landlords as well as public housing entities.  This one is going to get a bit long, so buckle up. Continue reading →

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New CRLTO Summary Available

Posted on April 14, 2016 by

Chicago landlord alertPlease Note: The summary now says “Approved by the City of Chicago, June 2013; summary revised 2016” – always check to be sure you are using the latest summary!

The City of Chicago has placed a NEW version of the Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance Summary on its “Chicago Rents Right” website.  The summary is somewhat concerning in that it purports to have been approved in June, 2013.  Interestingly, to my knowledge, the July 2010 version was still available on the City’s website as recently as last month (maybe even last week!  I’m making efforts to find out).  I am wondering if the City of Chicago’s website team has been in a time warp for the last three years because if this was approved in 2013 (which would make sense as that’s when the bedbug law was passed and that’s the change to the summary), it was most certainly not made available generally on the website until 2016!  In any event, for any lease executed beginning today, landlords should use the June, 2013 version!  Landlords should no longer use the July, 2010 version.  Failure to use the new version of the ordinance summary (along with the entire security deposit interest rate disclosure for 2016 in both English and Spanish) will subject landlords with tenancies covered by the CRLTO to penalties under Section 5-12-170 of the ordinance.

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