765 Ill. Comp. Stat. 750 § 25
Penalty for violation of lock-change provisions
Operative Text
Penalty for violation of lock-change provisions. (a) If a landlord takes action to prevent the tenant who has complied with Section 20 of this Act from changing his or her locks, the tenant may seek a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction, or permanent injunction ordering the landlord to refrain from preventing the tenant from changing the locks. A tenant who successfully brings an action pursuant to this Section may be awarded reasonable attorney's fees and costs. (b) A tenant who changes locks and does not make a good faith effort to provide a copy of a key to the landlord within 48 hours of the tenant changing the locks, shall be liable for any damages to the dwelling or the building in which the dwelling is located that could have been prevented had landlord been able to access the dwelling unit in the event of an emergency. (b-1) A landlord who changes the locks and does not make a good faith effort to provide a copy of a key to the tenant within 48 hours of the landlord changing the locks shall be liable for any damages to the tenant incurred as a result of not having access to his or her unit. (c) The remedies provided to landlord and tenant under this Section 25 shall be sole and exclusive for violations of the lock-change provisions of this Act.
Section 25 of 765 Ill. Comp. Stat. 750 establishes a two-way accountability framework around residential lock changes. When a landlord interferes with a tenant's right to change locks after complying with Section 20, the tenant may seek court-ordered relief and recover attorney's fees and costs. Conversely, both tenants and landlords who change locks without making a good-faith effort to share a key copy within 48 hours can be held financially responsible for resulting damages. The remedies spelled out in Section 25 are the exclusive ones available for violations of the Act's lock-change provisions.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Section 25 of 765 Ill. Comp. Stat. 750, compliant property operators generally avoid interfering with a tenant's lock change once the tenant has met the requirements of Section 20. When a landlord changes locks on a unit, standard practice includes making a good-faith effort to provide the tenant with a copy of the new key within 48 hours, since failure to do so can expose the landlord to liability for any damages the tenant suffers from being locked out. Because Section 25 designates its remedies as sole and exclusive for lock-change violations, operators benefit from understanding the full scope of obligations under this Act.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 25 of 765 Ill. Comp. Stat. 750 gives tenants who have complied with Section 20 a legal pathway if a landlord tries to block them from changing their locks — including the ability to seek a temporary restraining order, injunction, or preliminary injunction, and potentially recover attorney's fees and costs if successful. Tenants who change their own locks should be aware that a good-faith effort to provide the landlord a key copy within 48 hours is required, or they may face liability for emergency-related damages. Tenants who believe a landlord has violated the lock-change provisions may consider consulting a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider to understand the remedies available exclusively under Section 25.
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 2, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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