Bill
HB 3687
Creates a statewide landlord-tenant framework to strengthen protections, lets local governments enact rent control by voter referendum, and repeals the retaliatory eviction act.
Status & timeline
- Introduced: 02/18/2025 by Rep. Lilian Jiménez. Multiple co‑sponsors added (including Yolonda Morris, Carol Ammons, Norma Hernandez, Hoan Huynh, Will Guzzardi).
- Passed both chambers in May 2025; enrolled and sent to governor. Signed by the Governor 06/20/2025.
- Effective date: 09/01/2025 (per legislative actions).
Purpose and intent
- Establishes a new, statewide framework regulating landlord–tenant relationships (the "Let the People Lift the Ban Act") intended to expand and clarify tenant protections, set landlord and tenant rights and remedies, and promote safe, affordable rental housing.
- Declares the Act remedial and to be liberally construed to expand affordable, healthy, and stable rental housing.
Key substantive provisions
- New statutory chapter: creates and amends provisions codified in the Illinois Compiled Statutes (notably adding sections under 50 ILCS 825 and modifying related provisions).
- Definitions: provides core definitions (e.g., “dwelling unit,” “landlord,” “tenant,” “security deposit,” “move‑in fee,” and “harass/harassing”). Notable clarifications:
- “Rent” for damage calculations where tenant receives subsidized rent is defined as full market rent rather than the tenant’s income‑based portion.
- “Move‑in fee” permitted where reasonably related to landlord’s actual costs.
- Exclusions: expressly excludes certain occupancies (transient hotel/motel stays, medical/long‑term care facilities, shelters/transitional housing, dormitories, some institutional or specialized living situations).
- Tenant and landlord rights/obligations: establishes rules about rental agreements (oral or written), landlord duties, tenant obligations, remedies for breaches, rules on security deposits and the handling/identification of deposit proceeds, and statutory protections against lockouts and certain retaliatory conduct.
- Harassment standard: adopts a civil standard for “harass/harassing” based on knowing conduct that causes emotional distress and is not reasonably necessary.
- Remedies and enforcement: provides rights and remedies for tenants and landlords (text references tenant/landlord remedies though specific monetary/ procedural details are in the statute text).
Changes to rent‑control preemption and local authority
- Amends the Rent Control Preemption Act to permit local rent regulation in limited circumstances:
- A unit of local government may enact, maintain, or enforce rent control if the voters of that unit approve a referendum allowing rent control.
- Adds provisions allowing local rent regulation within subdivisions of a unit (districts, precincts, wards, or similar).
- Adjusts preemption/home‑rule language so that local units exercise concurrent home rule powers rather than the State having exclusive preemption in all cases.
Repeal
- Repeals the Retaliatory Eviction Act (statutory repeal referenced in bill).
Who is affected
- Tenants and renters across Illinois (including occupants of manufactured home lots when covered by a rental agreement).
- Landlords, owners, agents, and property managers.
- Unit(s) of local government—potentially empowered to adopt rent‑control measures via voter referendum or local subdivisions.
- Housing authorities, courts, and other enforcement bodies that will apply the new statute.
Potential impacts
- Strengthens and clarifies tenant protections and procedural rules for rental agreements and security deposits.
- Creates a pathway for local rent‑control measures by voter referendum and permits more localized regulation (wards/districts), which could lead to divergent local policies where voters authorize them.
- Replaces existing retaliatory eviction statute with a new framework addressing retaliatory conduct and evictions under the new Act.
Sponsors
- Primary: Rep. Lilian Jiménez. Co‑sponsors: Reps. Yolonda Morris, Carol Ammons, Norma Hernandez, Hoan Huynh, Will Guzzardi.
Note: This summary highlights the principal features reflected in the introduced and enrolled text and legislative actions. For precise statutory language, enforcement procedures, or detailed sections (e.g., exact security deposit accounting rules or remedies), consult the enacted bill text and the Illinois Compiled Statutes where the provisions are codified.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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