Cal. Civ. Code § 5

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prevent a utility company from pursuing any other action or remedy that it may have against the lessor, landlord or his agent for any amounts due and owing to the utility company and nothing in this Act shall be construed to prevent a utility company from acting in the interest of public safety

In Force
Verified 9/18/2026 · Next check 9/25/2026
effective 9/18/2026IllinoisRent Regulation

Operative Text

Cal. Civ. Code § 5
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prevent a utility company
from pursuing any other action or remedy that it may have against the lessor,
landlord or his agent for any amounts due and owing to the utility company
and nothing in this Act shall be construed to prevent a utility company
from acting in the interest of public safety.
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Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Under 765 Ill. Comp. Stat. 735, the broader Act governing utility service and rental properties does not strip utility companies of any independent legal rights or remedies they may already hold against a landlord, lessor, or the landlord's agent for unpaid amounts. Separately, the Act also does not limit a utility company's ability to take action when public safety is at stake. In other words, the Act's tenant-protective provisions coexist with, rather than replace, whatever other legal tools a utility company may have against a landlord.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on September 18, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Property owners and managers operating under 765 Ill. Comp. Stat. 735 should be aware that compliance with the Act's tenant-protection requirements does not resolve or extinguish any separate debt or liability owed directly to a utility company. A utility company retains the ability to pursue independent legal or contractual remedies against a landlord or the landlord's agent for outstanding balances, regardless of how the Act otherwise governs the landlord-tenant-utility relationship. Operators who maintain current accounts with utility providers and promptly address billing disputes are generally better positioned to avoid such separate actions.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

For tenants, 765 Ill. Comp. Stat. 735 clarifies that the Act's protections exist alongside—not instead of—a utility company's own rights against a landlord. This means a utility company may still take independent action against a landlord for unpaid bills or act on public-safety grounds even while the Act's tenant-protective rules remain in effect. Tenants who believe their utility service is being affected by a landlord's unpaid obligations may wish to contact a local tenant-rights organization or the Illinois Attorney General's office to understand what options 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.

Effective Timeline

Current
Sep 18, 2026
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Source Information