Chicago, Ill., Mun. Code ch. 5-12 § 5-12-100
Notice of conditions affecting habitability (Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (RLTO))
Operative Text
Before a tenant initially enters into or renews a rental agreement for a dwelling unit, the landlord or any person authorized to enter into a rental agreement on his behalf shall disclose to the tenant in writing: (a) Any code violations which have been cited by the City of Chicago during the previous 12 months for the dwelling unit and common areas and provide notice of the pendency of any code enforcement litigation or administrative hearing proceeding pursuant to Section 14A-3-301.2.2 of this Code affecting the dwelling unit or common area. The notice shall provide the case number of the litigation and/or the identification number of the administrative hearing proceeding and a listing of any code violations cited. (b) Any notice of intent by the City of Chicago or any utility provider to terminate water, gas, electrical or other utility service to the dwelling unit or common areas. The disclosure shall state the type of service to be terminated, the intended date of termination; and whether the termination will affect the dwelling unit, the common areas or both. A landlord shall be under a continuing obligation to provide disclosure of the information described in this subsection (b) throughout a tenancy. If a landlord violates this section, the tenant or prospective tenant shall be entitled to remedies described in Section 5-12-090 . (Prior code § 193.1-10; Added Coun. J. 9-8-86, p. 33771; Corrected. 9-12-86, p. 33919; Amend Coun. J. 11-6-91, p. 7196; Amend Coun. J. 4-10-19, p. 100029, Art. II, § 82)
Under Chicago, Ill., Mun. Code ch. 5-12 § 5-12-100, landlords must provide written disclosures to prospective and renewing tenants before a rental agreement is signed or renewed. These disclosures must cover any city-cited code violations from the prior 12 months affecting the unit or common areas, any pending code enforcement litigation or administrative proceedings, and any notices of intent to terminate utility services. The obligation to disclose utility termination threats continues throughout the entire tenancy, not just at the start.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Compliance with Chicago, Ill., Mun. Code ch. 5-12 § 5-12-100 generally means preparing a written disclosure document before each new or renewed lease that identifies any code violations cited by the City of Chicago in the past year, includes relevant case or proceeding numbers, and notes any pending utility shutoff notices. Because the utility-termination disclosure duty is ongoing, compliant operators typically have a process for notifying current tenants whenever a new shutoff notice is received during the tenancy. Keeping organized records of code enforcement correspondence and utility notices supports consistent compliance with this section.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Chicago, Ill., Mun. Code ch. 5-12 § 5-12-100 gives tenants and prospective tenants the right to receive written notice of code violations and utility termination threats before signing or renewing a lease, and landlords must continue providing utility-related disclosures throughout the tenancy. If a landlord fails to meet these disclosure requirements, the provision states that tenants may pursue the remedies set out in Section 5-12-090 of the Chicago Municipal Code. Tenants who believe a disclosure was withheld or incomplete may consider contacting the Chicago Department of Housing or a local tenant-rights organization to understand available options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 18, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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