DeKalb, IL Municipal Code Ch. 10 Landlord-Tenant Regulations § 10.07
TENANT’S RIGHT TO A COPY OF THE LEASE
Operative Text
Every Tenant shall receive a complete copy of the executed lease no later than one (1) week from the Landlord’s receipt of the signed lease from the Tenant. Failure to provide a complete copy of an executed lease to the Tenant shall be punishable by a minimum fine of Fifty Dollars ($50.00) for every week of the non-receipt of the executed lease by the Tenant, beginning one (1) week after the date the Landlord receives the signed lease from the Tenant. An executed lease shall include the Landlord and Tenant signatures and may be sent electronically, by mail, or presented in person to the Tenant.
Under DeKalb Municipal Code § 10.07, once a landlord receives a signed lease from a tenant, the landlord must provide the tenant with a fully executed copy — bearing both parties' signatures — within one week. Delivery may occur electronically, by mail, or in person. If the landlord fails to meet this deadline, a fine of at least $50 accumulates for each additional week the tenant goes without the executed copy.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Section 10.07 of the DeKalb Municipal Code places a clear one-week deadline on returning a fully countersigned lease to the tenant after receiving the tenant's signed copy. Compliant operators typically establish a consistent workflow — whether email, mail, or in-person handoff — to ensure delivery is documented and timely. Because the $50-per-week minimum fine begins accruing after that first week, maintaining records of when the signed lease was received and when the executed copy was sent is a standard practice for demonstrating compliance.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
DeKalb Municipal Code § 10.07 gives every tenant the right to receive a complete, fully executed lease — with both signatures — within one week of the landlord receiving the tenant's signed copy. If that deadline passes without delivery, a minimum fine of $50 per week is assessable against the landlord for each week the executed copy remains outstanding. Tenants who believe this right has been violated may consider contacting the City of DeKalb's code enforcement office, consulting a local tenant-rights organization, or reviewing whether this violation may be relevant to any related legal proceeding.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 10, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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