The Cook County Tenant and Landlord Ordinance is unfair and here’s why

Does the Cook County Board Really Want a Level Playing Field?

UPDATE: The vote on this proposed ordinance is scheduled to take place December 15, 2020.  Act now.

I have been training real estate agents, landlord groups, and real estate attorneys about Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (CRLTO) compliance for over 10 years.  During almost every one of my training sessions, there is a moment where one of the participants in the room get a wide-eyed look on their face as they come to realize that they have been violating the CRLTO on behalf of themselves or their clients.  At that point, panic kicks in. Their hand shoots up.  They ask the same question every time:

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What’s in the Cook County Residential Tenant and Landlord Ordinance and why all landlords must oppose it

Landlord Call to Action

Suburban landlords have been sleeping for decades.  And who can blame them?  Suburban renting is nothing like the complex procedure of Chicago (and Evanston) renting.  Sure, suburban housing providers have heard of the Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (CRLTO) for years.  Most don’t really know (or want to know) what’s in it.  What they do know is that it doesn’t apply to them.  Unless suburban landlords take a major stand, that’s all going to change soon with the newly proposed

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Well, some evictions can be filed…

Are evictions still banned?

UPDATE: The governor has issued a number of executive orders amending this original order.  This article should not be relied upon as current law.

One of my readers was quick to provide me with a copy of the Governor’s new executive order before it is available to the general public on the web, so here’s a breakdown.

For reasons that will become clear in a moment, let’s start in Section 2 which is going to provide the main rule for residential eviction filings.  The new order, known as Executive Order 2020

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Governor to allow SOME residential evictions

Relief for Landlords?

At his daily Covid-19 briefing, Illinois’ Governor addressed the residential eviction moratorium set to expire tomorrow, November 14, 2020.  The Governor announced that, once again, he will extend the moratorium on residential evictions for another 30 days.  The Governor qualified this indicating that the moratorium would apply only to renters who earn less than $90,000 in annual income or $198,000 for joint filers.  Obviously, we will have to wait to get a copy of the actual executive order, (UPDATE: We now have

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Ten Opportunities for Illinois Landlords While Evictions are Shut Down

Need something to do?

I’m tired.  I’m tired of explaining to landlords about all of the bad things that have happened to landlords during the course of this pandemic.  Throughout the last seven months, government – at every level – has waged a war on housing providers.  They’re an easy target.  The press and the public have no sympathy for landlords.  It’s an uphill battle.  It can be depressing and I’m getting tired of explaining all day long what landlords can’t do.  But, let’s talk about something positive today. 

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J.B. Pritzker leaves landlords in the dust… again

Like Britney Spears and to no one’s surprise, he did it again.  The Governor’s order prohibiting evictions was set to expire on September 18 – just two days from now.  I know this is going to come as a MAJOR SHOCK to many, but the Governor has once again extended that order.  He says the ban will be extended to October 22, 2020 (the actual paperwork will be filed over the weekend if he holds to previous form UPDATE: the prohibition was extended to October 17, 2020).  I can’t see

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