Chicago, Ill., Mun. Code ch. 5-12 § 5-12-170
Summary of ordinance attached to rental agreement (Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (RLTO))
Operative Text
The Commissioner of Housing shall prepare a summary of this chapter, describing the respective rights, obligations and remedies of landlords and tenants hereunder, and shall make such summary available for public inspection and copying. The commissioner shall also, after the city comptroller has announced the rate of interest on security deposits on the first business day of the year, prepare a separate summary describing the respective rights, obligations and remedies of landlords and tenants with respect to security deposits, including the new interest rate as well as the rate for each of the prior two years. The commissioner shall also distribute the new rate of security deposit interest, as well as the rate for each of the prior two years, through public service announcements to all radio and television outlets broadcasting in the city. A copy of such summary shall be attached to each written rental agreement when any such agreement is initially offered to any tenant or prospective tenant by or on behalf of a landlord and whether such agreement is for a new rental or a renewal thereof. Where there is an oral agreement, the landlord shall give to the tenant a copy of the summary. The summary shall include the following language: "The porch or deck of this building should be designed for a live load of up to 100 pounds, per square foot and is safe only for its intended use. Protect your safety. Do not overload the porch or deck. If you have questions about porch or deck safety, call the City of Chicago non- emergency number, 3-1-1." If the landlord acts in violation of this section, the tenant may terminate the rental agreement by written notice. The written notice shall specify the date of termination no later than 30 days from the date of the written notice. If a tenant in a civil legal proceeding against his landlord establishes that a violation of this section has occurred, he shall be entitled to recover $100.00 in damages. (Prior code § 193.1-17; Added Coun. J. 9-8-86, p. 33771; Amend Coun. J. 11-6-91, p. 7196; Amend Coun. J. 5-14-97, p. 45166; Amend Coun. J. 10-1-03, p. 9163, § 4.13; Amend Coun. J. 11-19-08, p. 47220, Art. VIII, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-17-10, p. 106597, Art. IX, § 5; Amend Coun. J. 11-26-13, p. 67481, Art. I, § 16; Amend Coun. J. 11-14-18, p. 90308, Art. I, § 30)
Under Chicago, Ill., Mun. Code ch. 5-12 § 5-12-170, the Commissioner of Housing is required to prepare and make publicly available a summary of tenant and landlord rights, obligations, and remedies under the city's residential landlord-tenant ordinance, including a separate summary covering security deposit rules with current and prior interest rates. A copy of this summary must be attached to every written rental agreement—whether new or a renewal—at the time it is first offered to a tenant, and must be given directly to tenants in oral rental arrangements. The summary must also include a specific safety notice about porch and deck load limits, and landlords who fail to comply face the possibility of lease termination and a $100 damages award to the tenant.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators subject to Chicago, Ill., Mun. Code ch. 5-12 § 5-12-170 generally obtain the current Commissioner of Housing summary—including the updated security deposit interest rate summary—before presenting any written lease to a prospective or renewing tenant, and attach it to the agreement at the time of the initial offer. For oral rental arrangements, compliant operators provide the tenant with a physical copy of the summary. Because the provision specifies a $100 damages remedy and the right of the tenant to terminate the agreement by written notice, maintaining documentation that the summary was delivered at the correct time is a standard practice among careful property managers.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under Chicago, Ill., Mun. Code ch. 5-12 § 5-12-170, tenants are entitled to receive a copy of the city's official landlord-tenant rights summary—including the porch and deck safety notice—attached to any written lease when it is first offered, or handed over directly in the case of an oral agreement. If a landlord fails to provide this summary, the provision gives tenants the right to terminate the rental agreement by delivering written notice specifying a termination date no more than 30 days out, and to seek $100 in damages through a civil legal proceeding. Tenants who believe this right has been violated may consider contacting the Chicago Department of Housing, a local tenant-rights organization, or consulting with an attorney to understand the options available to them.
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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