Free Illinois Lease Agreement Template

An Illinois lease agreement is a legally binding contract between a landlord and a tenant that sets out the terms for renting a residential property. The tenant agrees to pay rent and follow the rules in the lease, and the landlord agrees to provide a habitable place to live.

This agreement explains key terms such as the security deposit amount, rent due date, late fees, and each party’s responsibilities. Having everything written down helps prevent misunderstandings and makes it easier to resolve disputes if they arise.

To be enforceable, an Illinois residential lease agreement must follow state landlord-tenant laws. Important rules include:

• Security deposit maximum: No statewide cap on security deposits.
• Security deposit interest: Landlords with more than 25 rental units must hold deposits in an interest-bearing account at the State of Illinois’s previous year interest rate if they keep the deposit for more than six months. Interest must be paid to tenants every 12 months (765 ILCS 715/1).
• Security deposit return: Deposits must be returned within 45 days after the lease ends. If the landlord deducts for damages, an itemized list of repairs and costs must be provided within 30 days (765 ILCS 710/1).
• Rent control: Local rent control is prohibited under the Rent Control Preemption Act.
• Late fee limit and grace period: Landlords may charge a late fee of $20 or 20% of the monthly rent, whichever is greater, only after a 5-day grace period (770 ILCS 95/7.10).
• Cash payments: For leases entered after January 1, 2025, landlords must accept cash rent payments and cannot require electronic payment only (765 ILCS 705/4).
• Landlord entry: Illinois has no statewide notice requirement for landlord entry, but some cities (such as Chicago) set their own rules.

Document Genius’s step-by-step questionnaire helps you reflect these rules in your Illinois lease agreement.

Illinois gives landlords flexibility in setting security deposit amounts but adds extra protections for tenants when deposits are held long term.

• Maximum amount: State law does not set a maximum security deposit, so landlords and tenants may agree on any amount.
• Interest-bearing accounts: Landlords with more than 25 rental units who hold a deposit for more than six months must place it in an interest-bearing account at the State of Illinois’s previous year interest rate and pay interest to the tenant every 12 months (765 ILCS 715/1).
• Return deadline: Security deposits must be returned within 45 days after move-out. If the landlord deducts for damage, they must provide an itemized statement and receipts or estimates within 30 days (765 ILCS 710/1).
• Allowed deductions: Deposits may be used for unpaid rent, damage beyond normal wear and tear, and other costs allowed by the lease.

Including clear deposit amounts, timelines, and deduction rules in your Illinois lease agreement helps reduce disputes when the tenancy ends.

Illinois has specific rules for late fees, grace periods, and some repair-related deductions.

• Rent due date: Rent is typically due on the first of each month unless the lease sets a different date.
• Rent control: The Rent Control Preemption Act prevents cities and counties from adopting their own rent control ordinances.
• Local notice rules: Some local governments, such as the City of Chicago, have additional rules on rent increases and notice periods for tenants (Chicago Fair Notice Ordinance).
• Late fees and grace period: Landlords may charge a late fee of $20 or 20% of the monthly rent, whichever is greater, if rent is more than five days late. If rent remains unpaid, landlords may issue a 5-day notice to quit for nonpayment of rent (770 ILCS 95/7.10).
• Cash rent payments: For leases entered after January 1, 2025, landlords must accept cash rent payments and cannot require tenants to pay only electronically (765 ILCS 705/4).
• Repairs and rent deduction: In some situations, tenants may pay for essential repairs and deduct the cost from rent. The repair must be required by the lease or by law, and the tenant generally must give at least 14 days’ written notice before arranging the repair (765 ILCS 742/5).

Document Genius prompts you to enter rent due dates, late fees, and accepted payment methods so your Illinois lease agreement clearly explains how and when rent must be paid.

Illinois does not have a single statewide rule for landlord entry, but best practices and local ordinances still apply.

• Statewide notice: Illinois law does not require landlords to give prior notice before entering a rental unit. However, giving at least 24 hours’ notice for non-emergency entry is considered reasonable.
• Local rules: Some cities have their own entry rules. For example, Chicago generally requires two days’ notice before a landlord enters a unit, except in emergencies (Chicago Municipal Code). In Chicago, entry is generally required between the hours of 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM unless the tenant agrees otherwise.
• Rekeying between tenancies: After a unit is vacated, landlords must change or rekey its immediate access before a new tenant moves in (765 ILCS 705/15).

Adding entry rules to your Illinois lease agreement helps set expectations and avoid privacy concerns.

Both landlords and tenants share responsibility for keeping the property safe and livable.

• Landlord responsibilities: According to guidance from the Illinois Attorney General, landlords must keep rental properties habitable, follow health and safety standards, make necessary repairs in a reasonable time, and set reasonable rental terms.
• Tenant responsibilities: Tenants must keep their space clean and safe, dispose of trash properly, use fixtures and appliances in a reasonable way, and avoid damaging the property.

Document Genius helps you describe these repair duties in your Illinois lease agreement so both sides understand their day-to-day responsibilities.

Illinois landlords must provide certain disclosures and notices along with the lease. These help tenants understand safety features, utility charges, and any special conditions affecting the property.

• Smoke and carbon monoxide disclosure: Landlords must confirm that the unit has required smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors when the tenant moves in (Smoke Detector Act, Carbon Monoxide Alarm Detector Act).
• Radon disclosure: For certain residential properties, landlords must provide information about the potential presence of radon gas (420 ILCS 46/).
• Shared utilities notice: When utilities are shared or allocated between units, landlords must explain the formula for splitting charges and clarify that utilities are separate from rent (765 ILCS 740/).
• Rent concessions disclosure: Any rent concessions, such as free months or discounted rent, must be disclosed in writing (765 ILCS 730/).
• Flood risk disclosure: Landlords must disclose if a unit is in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, has recently flooded, or is at garden-level, basement-level, or on the first floor (765 ILCS 705/25).
• Lead-based paint disclosure: For housing built before 1978, landlords must provide information about potential lead-based paint hazards and give tenants an EPA-approved lead safety pamphlet (42 U.S.C. § 4852d).

Document Genius makes it easy to include these required disclosures in your Illinois lease agreement so your tenant receives all key safety and risk information up front.

Illinois law explains how month-to-month tenancies can end and what landlords must do if a tenant leaves early.

• Month-to-month termination: Either the landlord or the tenant may end a month-to-month tenancy by giving written notice at least 30 days before the next rent due date (735 ILCS 5/9-207).
• Mitigating damages: If a tenant breaks a lease early, the landlord must make reasonable efforts to re-rent the unit instead of leaving it vacant and charging the tenant for the entire remaining term (735 ILCS 5/9-213.1).
• Abandonment: Illinois law does not define abandonment by a fixed number of days, so landlords should look at the overall circumstances—such as removal of belongings, nonpayment, and lack of communication—and follow legal procedures before reclaiming the unit.

By including notice rules and early termination terms in your Illinois lease agreement, you help both landlord and tenant plan ahead and reduce the risk of conflict at the end of the tenancy.