Under the “common law”, it was lawful for a landlord “with force and arms” to retake possession of real estate and retain such possession by force from a tenant who failed to pay rent or breached a lease. “Self-help” such as this was prohibited by statute in the Illinois Forcible Entry and Detainer Act.
The Illinois Forcible Entry and Detainer Act, at 735 ILCS 5/9-101 provides: