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Requesting a Repair in Illinois

Send your landlord a written request with as much documentation as possible about the issue that you need repaired.


We've all been there: something very annoying or very serious is broken in our apartment and the landlord won't deal with it. Well, what can you do?

Your first step if you're in Chicago or anywhere else in Illinois should be to check that the issue is up to your landlord to fix. Assuming it is, the Illinois Residential Tenants' Right to Repair Act requires that you do your best to inform your landlord of the problem in writing via registered or certified mail. Send your request to the address listed in your lease agreement.

If it's the address isn't listed in your lease and you can't get in touch with the landlord then Illinois law directs you to send notice to their last known address, telling them about the problem and that you plan on fixing it yourself at their expense.

In the letter, you must specifically state the problem as well as document it. The law doesn't require that you bring in housing inspectors, but this never hurts especially if it's a serious issue. You should also include information about what you're planning on doing if your landlord ignores you - for example, fixing it yourself or withholding rent until it gets fixed.

You can assume that this is the required notice for all types of repairs - from small defects to major things that make your apartment unfit for living in.

If things are very serious, then you can always leave immediately or consider suing your landlord for damages.

The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice.