Illinois Eviction Notice Law
Illinois's notice period for unpaid rent is 5 days (5-day landlord's demand for rent). For a lease violation it is 10 days, with no statutory chance to cure.
Last verified: · Researched and cited by MakeLease · not yet attorney-reviewed
Not legal advice. A defective notice can restart an eviction case; ask a Illinois attorney or court self-help center before serving one. See our disclaimer.
Illinois eviction notice rules at a glance
| Notice for unpaid rent | 5 days (5-day landlord's demand for rent)735 ILCS 5/9-209, 735 ILCS 5/9-211 (service) |
|---|---|
| Notice for a lease violation | 10 days (no statutory cure period)735 ILCS 5/9-210 |
| Ending a month-to-month tenancy (no-fault) | 30 days (either side)735 ILCS 5/9-207, 735 ILCS 5/9-205 |
What Illinois law says
What notice must an Illinois landlord give before filing an eviction for unpaid rent?
For unpaid rent, the landlord must serve a written demand giving the tenant at least 5 days to pay before the lease may be terminated and an eviction filed (735 ILCS 5/9-209).
How much notice is required for a lease violation in Illinois?
For a breach of lease terms other than rent, the landlord may terminate with a 10-day written notice to quit; the statute does not require an opportunity to cure (735 ILCS 5/9-210).
How much notice ends a month-to-month tenancy in Illinois?
A landlord may end a month-to-month (or any under-one-year periodic) tenancy with 30 days' written notice, and a week-to-week tenancy with 7 days' notice (735 ILCS 5/9-207).
How Illinois compares
16 of 49 verified jurisdictions use a shorter unpaid-rent notice.
None of Illinois's 5 neighbors follows the same rule.
Local rules in Illinois
Chicago's Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (Mun. Code ch. 5-12) adds deposit interest and receipt rules, a 45-day return deadline, a late-fee cap ($10/month on the first $500 of rent plus 5% of the excess), 2 days' notice before entry, and (via the Fair Notice ordinance) 30/60/120-day notice for non-renewal or rent increases based on length of tenancy. Suburban Cook County's Residential Tenant Landlord Ordinance (eff. 2021) caps deposits at 1.5 months' rent, requires return within 30 days and caps late fees at $10/month on the first $1,000 plus 5% of the excess. Evanston (21-day deposit return), Oak Park and Mount Prospect have their own ordinances. These local figures come from secondary summaries and were not verified against ordinance text.
Recent changes in Illinois
- Eviction Article does not shield squatters (effective ): The Eviction Article may not be read to stop police from enforcing criminal trespass or from removing people or property when there is a criminal trespass, which helps owners deal with squatters who never had a tenancy (735 ILCS 5/9-102(e)). 735 ILCS 5/9-102(e), Public Act 104-0029
- Minors cannot be named in eviction suits (effective ): An eviction complaint may not name a person under 18 (unless emancipated) as a defendant; if it does, the whole case is dismissed against all defendants and sealed, and a willfully named minor can recover fees, damages and $1,000 (735 ILCS 5/9-106(b)-(d), 9-121(c)). 735 ILCS 5/9-106, Public Act 104-0317
- Landlord Retaliation Act replaces 1963 law (effective ): Landlords may not end a tenancy, raise rent, cut services, sue or threaten to sue for possession, or refuse to renew because a tenant in good faith complained of code violations, asked for repairs, joined a tenants' union, testified about conditions or used any legal right; tenants get a defense and damages (765 ILCS 721/5, 721/10). 765 ILCS 721/5, Public Act 103-0831