Non-Renewal and Rent Increase Notices in Illinois: 30, 60, or 120 Days
Part of the guide: Illinois Landlord Rights and Laws.
The lease ends December 31. You want the unit back, or you want more rent. You plan to tell the tenant in December. In Chicago, that plan can be four months late.
Illinois has four notice rules for this one decision. The rule depends on where the unit sits. In Chicago, it also depends on how long the tenant has lived there. A rent increase needs notice too. Pick the wrong rule and the tenant stays on the old terms.
The notice period depends on the location of the unit. Outside Chicago and suburban Cook County, end a month-to-month tenancy with 30 days' written notice under 735 ILCS 5/9-207(b). A fixed-term lease there ends on its own date under 9-213. In Chicago, give 30, 60, or 120 days' written notice, based on the length of the tenancy. The same Chicago notice covers a rent increase, under RLTO 5-12-130(j). In the Jackson Park pilot area, give 90, 120, or 180 days under 5-12-135. In suburban Cook County, the RTLO requires 60 days for every tenancy, under Cook County Code 42-109(c)(2). Give short notice and the tenant may stay on the old terms.
I represent landlords only, and I handle more than 150 eviction matters a year. Many of them start with a notice. This page gives you each rule from the ordinance and statute text. Find your row, count backward from the end date, and serve early.
Jump to a section
Which Notice Period Applies to Your Unit?
Find the row for your unit. Then read the section for that row. Each row below comes from the ordinance or statute named in the source line.
| Where the unit is | End or not renew | Raise the rent |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago, under 6 months | 30 days | 30 days |
| Chicago, 6 months to 3 years | 60 days | 60 days |
| Chicago, over 3 years | 120 days | 120 days |
| Jackson Park pilot area | 90, 120, or 180 days | 90, 120, or 180 days |
| Suburban Cook, RTLO unit | 60 days, any length | No RTLO rule |
| Rest of Illinois, month-to-month | 30 days | No statute |
| Rest of Illinois, year-to-year | 60 days | No statute |
| Rest of Illinois, fixed term | None; lease ends | No statute |
Sources: Chicago RLTO 5-12-130(j) and 5-12-135; Cook County Code 42-109(c)(2); 735 ILCS 5/9-205, 9-207(b), 9-213. Chicago and Jackson Park tiers count the length of the tenancy.
Minimum written notice before the stated termination date. Sources: 735 ILCS 5/9-207(b); Cook County Code 42-109(c)(2)(b); Chicago RLTO 5-12-130(j)(3) and 5-12-135(e).
Chicago: 30, 60, or 120 Days Under Fair Notice
Chicago's Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (RLTO) sets three tiers in section 5-12-130(j). The tier depends on the length of the tenancy:
- Less than six months: 30 days' written notice.
- Six months to three years: 60 days' written notice.
- Greater than three years: 120 days' written notice.
The notice must reach the tenant before "the stated termination date of the rental agreement." One rule covers three acts. The ordinance names each one: to "terminate a periodic tenancy, not renew a fixed-term rental agreement or increase the rental rate."
The tiers count the tenancy, not the current lease. A tenant on a third one-year lease is past three years. That tenant gets 120 days.
Small owner-occupied buildings do not escape this rule. The RLTO exempts owner-occupied buildings of six units or fewer. But section 5-12-020(a) keeps 5-12-130(j) in force "to every rented dwelling unit in such premises."
Serve it in August. Your Chicago lease ends December 31. Your tenant moved in four years ago. The 120-day notice must arrive by September 2. For a 60-day tenant, the date is November 1. For a 30-day tenant, it is December 1. These dates are my calculation from the ordinance, not a court ruling.
In Chicago, a raise needs the same notice as a non-renewal. In one April 2025 case, the landlord had raised rent $80 on 30 days' notice. Two years of those short notices cut about $2,000 from the rent we claimed. Read the full story.
Jackson Park Pilot Area: 90, 120, or 180 Days
A pilot program on the South Side replaces the citywide tiers. Section 5-12-135 covers the area bounded by 60th Street, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, South Chicago Avenue, 71st Street, and South DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Inside that area, the notice tiers rise:
- One year or less: 90 days' written notice.
- Twelve months to three years: 120 days' written notice.
- Greater than three years: 180 days' written notice.
The same notice covers termination, non-renewal, and a rent increase. The pilot applies to periodic residential leases that began on or after the section took effect. It expires no later than January 31, 2029. My Jackson Park pilot guide covers the boundary and the sale rules.
Suburban Cook County: 60 Days, Any Length of Tenancy
The Cook County Residential Tenant Landlord Ordinance (RTLO) covers most of suburban Cook. Its notice rule is section 42-109(c)(2)(b) of the Cook County Code:
"The landlord shall notify the tenant in writing at least 60 days prior to the stated termination date of the rental agreement of the landlord's intent to terminate a month-to-month tenancy or not renew an existing rental agreement."
The rule has no tiers. A tenant of two months and a tenant of ten years both get 60 days. The rule does not mention rent increases. Chicago's rule does. Older sources cite the same text as section 42-809. The county renumbered the RTLO as sections 42-101 to 42-116.
Some units fall outside the RTLO. Section 42-102(a) excludes them. Two exclusions matter most to small landlords:
- Owner-occupied buildings of six units or fewer.
- A single-family home or condominium unit that meets all four tests in 42-102(a)(7). It must be the owner's only rental. The owner or an immediate family member must have lived there. That stay must be at least one month in the 12 months before marketing. The owner must manage it personally. And the owner must not be a corporation.
Excluded units fall back to state law. Chicago keeps its notice rule for small owner-occupied buildings. Cook County does not. Some suburbs also have their own landlord tenant ordinance, and section 42-101(d) exempts them from the RTLO. Check your town first. My Cook County RTLO guide covers the exemptions.
In one of my suburban Cook cases, the landlord gave 53 days instead of 60. We could not file for almost three months. See the case.
The Rest of Illinois: 30 Days, 60 Days, or None
Outside Chicago and suburban Cook, the Eviction Act sets the notice. Three rules cover most rentals:
- Month-to-month: 30 days' written notice. Section 9-207(b) covers "tenancy for any term less than one year."
- Year-to-year: 60 days' written notice, to end the tenancy at the end of the year. Section 9-205 lets you give it "at any time within 4 months preceding the last 60 days of the year."
- Fixed-term lease: no notice. Under section 9-213, the tenant "is then bound to surrender possession, and no notice to quit or demand of possession is necessary."
Watch what you accept after the end date. If you take rent after the lease expires, you create a month-to-month tenancy on the old terms. Then you need the 30-day notice after all. My guide to waiting for the lease to end covers the holdover trap.
A fixed-term lease in DuPage or Kane ends on its own date. The statute requires no notice. If the tenant leaves on time, you need no lawyer. I still suggest a short letter 60 days out. It costs nothing, and it tells you early whether the tenant plans to leave.
Rent Increases: Notice, Not a Cap
Illinois bars local rent control. The Rent Control Preemption Act, 50 ILCS 825/5, stops any unit of local government from controlling "the amount of rent charged." So the ordinances regulate the notice for an increase, not its size.
In Chicago and the Jackson Park area, the increase needs the full tier of notice. The tenant counts the days, and so does the tenant's lawyer.
In suburban Cook, the RTLO sets no notice period for a rent increase. Outside Cook County, no statute sets one either. For a month-to-month tenant, I serve a full termination notice. The notice ends the old tenancy and offers a new one at the new rent. That is 60 days in suburban Cook and 30 days in the rest of Illinois.
During a fixed-term lease, the lease sets the rent until it ends.
Timing matters too. Chicago and Cook County both bar a rent increase or non-renewal made in retaliation for a good-faith tenant complaint. The rules are RLTO 5-12-150 and Cook County Code 42-112. In Cook County, the presumption of retaliation "shall not arise if the tenant made the complaint after written notice of a proposed rent increase." Serve the increase notice before trouble starts. My guide to a tenant who claims retaliation covers the defense.
What Happens If Your Notice Is Short?
A short notice does not end your plan. It delays it. The tenant stays on the old terms for a set period, measured from the day you finally give proper notice.
| Location | Tenant may stay | Key detail |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago, up to 3 years | Up to 60 days | No filing until it runs |
| Chicago, over 3 years | Up to 120 days | No filing until it runs |
| Jackson Park pilot area | 30, 120, or 180 days | Tiered by lease length |
| Suburban Cook, RTLO unit | Up to 120 days | Last month's terms apply |
| Rest of Illinois | See below | No statutory rule |
Sources: Chicago RLTO 5-12-130(j)(1) to (4), as amended April 15, 2026; 5-12-135(f); Cook County Code 42-109(c)(2)(b).
Chicago. If the notice is "insufficient or defective," the tenant "may retain possession of the dwelling unit" for the stay period. The rent stays at the rate for "the month of tenancy immediately preceding the notice." The City Council tightened the rule on April 15, 2026. New subsection 5-12-130(j)(4) says a landlord "shall wait the specified period" before filing any eviction action. File early, and the tenant may raise the short notice "as a defense to the action."
Jackson Park. Section 5-12-135(f) keys the stay to the length of the lease, not the tenancy. On a year-to-year lease, or one longer than a year, the stay is up to 180 days. It is 120 days on a lease of one month to under a year. It is 30 days on a lease of one month or less.
Suburban Cook. The tenant "may remain in the dwelling unit for up to 120 days after the date on which such required written notice is given." That is twice the 60 days you owed. The terms stay "the same as the terms and conditions during the last month of tenancy."
Rest of Illinois. A notice with too few days does not end the tenancy on your date. No statute says what a short notice does. So I serve a new, full-length notice. I file only after that notice runs.
Find the longest notice that could apply to the unit. Count it backward from the end date. Add a week. Serve on that day.
How to Serve the Notice
Every rule above says "in writing." None of them says how to deliver it. The Eviction Act does, in 735 ILCS 5/9-211. It lists four methods:
- Hand the notice to the tenant.
- Leave it with a person age 13 or older who lives on or possesses the premises.
- Send it by certified or registered mail, with a returned receipt from the tenant.
- Post it on the premises, but only when no one is in actual possession.
I serve in person whenever I can. Certified mail and posting invite problems. The Cook County RTLO defines written notice to include email and text messages, in section 42-103. I still serve by a 9-211 method, so the proof matches the Eviction Act.
Put the unit address, every tenant's name, and the end date in the notice. For a rent increase, add the new rent and the date it starts. Keep a copy, and write down the date, time, and method of service. My guide to serving a notice yourself covers each method and its traps.
"The notice date is set months before the lease ends."
Free Call. The Right Notice Period Before You Serve.
Send me the address, the lease, and the move-in date. On a free 30-minute call, I will tell you which rule applies and the last safe day to serve. I represent property owners only.
I represent property owners only. My Chicago landlord attorney page covers evictions at a $1,600 flat fee, RLTO defense, and leases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much notice do I need to not renew a lease in Illinois?
It depends on where the unit is. Outside Chicago and suburban Cook County, a month-to-month tenancy ends on 30 days' written notice under 735 ILCS 5/9-207(b). A year-to-year tenancy needs 60 days under 9-205. A fixed-term lease ends on its own date, and section 9-213 requires no notice. Chicago and suburban Cook County add longer rules.
How much notice do I need to not renew a lease in Chicago?
Chicago's RLTO section 5-12-130(j) requires written notice before the stated end date. Give 30 days for a tenancy under six months. Give 60 days from six months to three years. Give 120 days for a tenancy over three years. The tiers count the whole tenancy, not the current lease. Inside the Jackson Park pilot area, the tiers are 90, 120, and 180 days.
How much notice is required for a rent increase in Chicago?
The same notice as a non-renewal. Section 5-12-130(j) applies one rule to ending a periodic tenancy, not renewing a fixed-term lease, and increasing the rental rate. So a tenant of four years gets 120 days' written notice of a raise. Illinois bars local rent control, so the ordinance regulates the notice, not the size of the increase.
What notice does the Cook County RTLO require to end a tenancy?
Sixty days' written notice, for any length of tenancy. Cook County Code section 42-109(c)(2)(b) requires it to end a month-to-month tenancy or not renew a rental agreement. The rule covers most of suburban Cook County. It does not apply inside Chicago. It also skips excluded units, such as small owner-occupied buildings, and suburbs with their own landlord tenant ordinance.
What happens if I give the tenant too little notice?
The tenant stays on the old terms for a while. In Chicago, the tenant may keep possession for up to 60 or 120 days after proper notice. You cannot file until that period runs. In suburban Cook County, the tenant may stay up to 120 days after proper notice. In both places, the rent stays at the old rate during the stay.
Related Reading
- Can I Just Wait for the Lease to End?
- Ending a Tenancy in the Jackson Park Pilot Area
- Chicago Landlord Rights: The RLTO Summary Form
- The Cook County RTLO for Suburban Landlords
- Can You Serve an Eviction Notice Yourself?
- When a Tenant Claims Retaliation
- Evicting a Tenant Without a Lease
Sources
- 735 ILCS 5/9-205, 9-207, 9-211, 9-213 (Eviction Act, Code of Civil Procedure), ilga.gov, read October 12, 2026.
- 50 ILCS 825/5 (Rent Control Preemption Act), ilga.gov, read October 12, 2026.
- Municipal Code of Chicago 5-12-020, 5-12-130(j) (as amended April 15, 2026), 5-12-135, 5-12-150, American Legal Publishing, 2026 S-74, read October 12, 2026.
- Cook County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 42, Article IV, sections 42-101, 42-102, 42-103, 42-109, 42-112 (Ord. No. 20-3562), Municode, read October 12, 2026.