As a landlord searching for tenants, you’ve probably asked yourself, “Should I host an open house for my apartment?” Chicago’s current rental market is saturated with renters. If you’ve received a ton of interest in your property, holding an open house may seem like the logical solution to…

The familiar refrain in Chicago is that the summer months are so enjoyable because residents need to suffer through the winter in order to get there. But winter in Chicago doesn’t need to feel as miserable as the forecast sometimes suggests. Functioning heating and cooling systems, then, are an…

All Cook County landlords should be aware of the Just Housing Amendment to the Human Rights Ordinance, which went into effect on January 1, 2020, seeking to remedy unfair housing discrimination against individuals with criminal records. We’ve written about the new law requirements, and while…

Beware, Chicago Airbnb, HomeAway, and VRBO tycoons, because the carefree days of operating an illegal Chicago vacation rental are over. In 2016 and 2017, then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the City Council amended the Municipal Code to regulate better and tax vacation rentals and shared housing…

During the spring of 2020, as Illinois residents hunkered down to try to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, furlough notices and job losses started to lead to late or missing rent payments.  Initially, Mayor Lightfoot asked property owners to “give tenants some grace, whenever…

The Chicago City Council approved a revised version of the Fair Notice Eviction Ordinance on July 22, 2020. The ordinance, which provides renters with a one-time right to cure before entry of eviction, also modifies landlord notification requirements with varying periods for rental…

Landlords are among the first parties to receive that angsty phone call from tenants who experience an accidental lock-out. The causes for unintentional lock-outs are multitudinous: a key has gone missing; the key has broken off in the lock; tenants went out to walk the dog and left the key…

Winter brings its share of challenges for Chicago landlords and property managers. Ensuring safety and comfort for tenants in your apartment buildings should be at the top of a landlord’s checklist in winter. It’s not always the easiest work for apartment managers, but it makes you appreciate…