Summary of the Chicago Landlord Tenant Ordinance

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Before the commencement of any written or oral Chicago rental apartment lease, and upon each and every lease renewal, Chicago landlords with dwelling units governed by the Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (the CRLTO) are required to provide their tenants with a summary of the Chicago ordinance itself. Most Chicago apartments and traditional dwelling units in the city are governed by the CRLTO, although the most common exemption is owner-occupied buildings of six apartments or less. (The types of dwelling units exempted from the CRLTO are identified in Chapter 5, Section 12-020, of the Chicago Municipal Code.) The Commissioner of the Department of Housing and Economic Development prepares an official city-approved summary.