Cal. Civ. Code § 9-218
Rent payments at business office
Operative Text
Rent payments at business office. (a) If the lessor, or agent of the lessor, of residential real property, containing 100 or more residential units in either a single building or a complex of buildings, maintains a business office on the premises of the building or complex that has regularly scheduled office hours, then the lessor, or agent of the lessor, must accept rent payments from a lessee of any of those residential units at that business office during the regularly scheduled office hours and the lessor may not impose any penalty, fee, or charge for making rent payments in this manner that are otherwise considered timely under the lease, but the landlord may refuse to accept payment by cash when rent payments are made in this manner. (b) This Section applies to each lease and other rental agreement in effect on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly unless there is specific language in that lease or other rental agreement that conflicts with the provisions of this Section. If any provision of a lease or other rental agreement entered into, extended, or renewed on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly conflicts with the provisions of this Section, then that provision of the lease or other rental agreement is void and unenforceable.
Under 735 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5 § 9-218, when a residential property of 100 or more units has an on-site business office with regular hours, the landlord or their agent is required to accept rent payments at that office during those hours. No penalty, fee, or charge may be imposed on a tenant for paying rent this way, as long as the payment is otherwise timely under the lease. The landlord may, however, decline to accept cash as the form of payment when rent is tendered at the office. Lease provisions that conflict with this rule are void and unenforceable for agreements entered into, extended, or renewed after the law's effective date.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of residential properties with 100 or more units that maintain an on-site business office with posted regular hours are generally expected, under 735 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5 § 9-218, to accept rent payments at that office during those hours. Compliant operators refrain from charging any fee, penalty, or surcharge for payments made in this manner when those payments are otherwise timely. While cash may be refused as a payment method at the office, operators typically review their lease templates to ensure no conflicting language is included, since such provisions are rendered void and unenforceable under this section.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
735 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5 § 9-218 gives tenants in qualifying buildings—those with 100 or more residential units and an on-site business office with regular hours—the right to pay rent at that office without incurring any extra fees or penalties, provided the payment is timely under the lease. If a landlord imposes such charges or refuses to accept in-person payment in violation of this provision, a tenant may be able to raise the violation as a defense in a legal proceeding or file a complaint with a relevant local or state housing authority. Tenant-rights organizations in Illinois can help residents of qualifying properties understand how this provision applies to their situation and what general enforcement paths may be available.
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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