When Can A Chicago Landlord Raise Rent?

Landlords love to pass costs off on to tenants and sometimes they use the flimsiest excuse to raise the rent.  The landlord can raise the rent as high as he likes, assuming he doesn’t do so for an illegal reason like retaliation or prohibited discrimination, but he can only raise the rent at certain times. 

If the tenant has a one-year (or longer) written lease, the landlord can only raise the rent when the lease comes up for renewal.  

If the tenant has a monthly or “oral lease,” the landlord can raise the rent with a 30-Day Notice that must in writing and hand-delivered 30 days before the next time the rent is due.  So, if the landlord wants to increase the rent for January 1, the landlord must give the tenant a 30-Day Notice on December 1 or earlier.   If the landlord drops the ball and serves the 30-Day Notice on, say, December 15, the Notice is technically good, but it’s not effective until February 1^st’s rent payment.