Illinois House Bill 3564 (HB3564), introduced by Representative Nabeela Syed (IL-51), aims to reshape tenant-landlord dynamics in the state by prohibiting certain fees and strengthening housing rights. The bill, currently under review by the House Rules Committee, represents a significant step toward addressing tenant affordability and preventing discriminatory practices in housing.
Key Provisions of HB3564
HB3564 proposes amendments to the Illinois Landlord and Tenant Act and the Illinois Human Rights Act, focusing on tenant protections and equitable access to housing:
- Ban on Move-In Fees: Landlords would be prohibited from imposing move-in fees or charging for application processing, reviewing, or acceptance. Nursing homes and similar institutions are exempt from this provision.
- Late Rent Fee Restrictions: The bill limits late payment fees to $10 for rent amounts up to $1,000 and 5% for amounts exceeding $1,000. Late fees can only be applied if rent is unpaid for more than five days past the due date.
- Prohibition on Fee Renaming: Landlords cannot rename or reclassify fees to circumvent these restrictions.
- Void Lease Provisions: Any lease terms attempting to waive or limit these protections would be deemed unenforceable as against public policy.
Housing as a Fundamental Right
HB3564 also amends the Illinois Human Rights Act by affirming that access to housing is a fundamental human right. It seeks to prevent discrimination based on familial status or source of income in real estate transactions. Notably, it redefines “source of income” to prohibit landlords from requiring credit checks or move-in fees as alternatives to security deposits.
The bill is unfair. Illinois is not for landlords. They are for tenants tearing up your property and stiffing you with unpaid rent. They disobey the lease, don’t keep up the property, move in their non working boyfriend, keep a fifthy house, don’t cut the grass and don’t pay their water bills. Stop acting as if they are innocent as they have responsibilities to uphold as a renter. Stop acting like landlords are rich when they have a mortgage taxes insurance repairs labor fees city inspections fees and crime free housing fees. The taxes are ridiculous to the point of no return. Illinois is a rip off state that takes and takes and takes from hard working people trying to make a living and gives gives and gives to the people who sit at home all day and watch the workers go to work to make sure they get everything free. All renters are not bad but the bad this comment is about the ones who abuse the system.
These are all well and good laws but what are we going to do about evictions which significantly impacts our housing crisis as we know it especially as it pertains to at the minimum public housing. People who are struggling to survive should not have to wait 7yrs to be able to have a place to live as a taxpaying citizen. This information should also not be public knowledge as we all know discrimination is still very real in the housing world.
That’s the most incredible step for people to live in Illinois. My experience in that field is terrible. I have been paying for deposit, late fee, application form, even if I left the house because of coack roach they force me to pay the whole year and when I left they rent the appartment to someone else while I was still paying Cagan.
In Illinois housing or renting a house is very complex.
Good job guys.