Cook County RTLO: The Suburban Landlord Eviction Guide
This guide explains the Cook County RTLO and the rules for evicting a tenant outside Chicago. The good news comes first. The process is the same eight-step state process I use in the city. But the city-only rules drop away. Cases move faster. I walk each step in my Illinois eviction process guide. Read that page for the sequence. Read this page for what changes when your property sits past the city line.
Which Chicago Rules Stop at the City Line?
The Chicago RLTO is a City of Chicago ordinance. So is Chicago's Fair Notice Ordinance. City ordinances do not govern suburban rentals. Their disclosure rules, their interest rules, and their extra notice layers all stop at the border.
Outside Chicago, the Illinois Eviction Act controls the process. That is 735 ILCS 5, Article IX. The Act sets the notices, the filing, and the enforcement of the order. It applies in every county.
Suburban Cook County: The RTLO Still Applies
One county ordinance survives the trip out of the city. The Cook County Residential Tenant and Landlord Ordinance covers suburban Cook County rentals. It is not the Chicago RLTO. But it borrows many of the same ideas. I cover the details in my suburban Cook eviction guide.
Some suburbs opt out. A municipality with its own landlord tenant ordinance is exempt under RTLO sec. 42-801(D). Evanston, Oak Park, and Mount Prospect are exempt on that basis. Check your town before you rely on the county rules.
Cook County also runs the Early Resolution Program. It applies county-wide under General Administrative Order 2025-08. Every Cook County eviction passes through it, city or suburb. If a tenant raises an ordinance defense, my ordinance defense guide shows how I audit the file first.
DuPage and Kane: State Law Only
DuPage County has no county tenant ordinance. Kane County has none either. State law alone governs the eviction. No local disclosures. No local notice add-ons. This is why these cases move fast.
Kane County eviction cases are heard at the Geneva courthouse, Courtroom 250. I am there most weeks. See my county pages for local practice notes: DuPage evictions and Kane evictions.
The Notices Are the Same Statewide
The state notices do not change at the city line. You serve the same three notices everywhere in Illinois:
- A 5-day notice for unpaid rent. My 5-day notice guide covers it in full.
- A 10-day notice for lease violations.
- A 30-day notice to end a month-to-month tenancy.
Chicago's extra notice layers do not apply in the suburbs. The service methods are set by statute, 735 ILCS 5/9-211. You can serve the notice yourself if you do it right. My guide on serving the notice yourself shows the safe methods, and the free notice forms live in my eviction resources library.
How Long Does an Eviction Take Outside Chicago?
These are my practice figures, measured from notice to lockout. About 65 days in DuPage. About 95 days in Kane. About 150 days in Cook, because suburban Cook shares the pace of the Chicago courts.
| County | Notice to Lockout | Filing Fee | My Flat Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| DuPage | About 65 days | $298 | $895 |
| Kane | About 95 days | $314 | $995 |
| Suburban Cook | About 150 days | $389.25 | $895 to $1,250 by district |
| Chicago | About 150 days | $389.25 | $1,600 |
One deadline applies everywhere. An eviction order expires 120 days after entry under 735 ILCS 5/9-117. If the sheriff has not enforced it by then, you must move to extend it. Plan the enforcement step early.
What This Costs
I charge flat fees. $895 in DuPage. $995 in Kane. $895 to $1,250 in suburban Cook, by district. $1,600 in Chicago. Trial is included. There is no hourly billing. The court's filing fee is on top: $298 in DuPage, $314 in Kane, $389.25 in Cook.
One more reason to hire counsel if your property sits in an LLC. An LLC cannot represent itself in Illinois court. A member who files the case alone risks dismissal.
Suburban Eviction FAQ
Do Chicago eviction rules apply in the suburbs?
No. The Chicago RLTO and the Fair Notice Ordinance stop at the city line. Suburban Cook County rentals follow the Cook County RTLO instead. In DuPage and Kane County, state law alone governs the eviction.
How long does it take to evict a tenant outside Chicago?
Faster than in the city. In my practice, notice to lockout takes about 65 days in DuPage County and about 95 days in Kane County. Suburban Cook County runs about 150 days because it shares the Chicago courts' pace.
Does the Cook County RTLO apply to my suburb?
Probably. The RTLO covers most of suburban Cook County. A municipality with its own landlord tenant ordinance is exempt under section 42-801(D). Evanston, Oak Park, and Mount Prospect are exempt on that basis.
What notice do I serve outside Chicago?
The same state notices used everywhere in Illinois. A 5-day notice for unpaid rent. A 10-day notice for a lease violation. A 30-day notice to end a month-to-month tenancy. You do not add the Chicago-only notice layers.
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