The 2025 Chicago Residential Lease is now available on our Forms & Contracts webpage. Changes to this year’s lease include:
- NEW DISCLOSURE: An Amendment to the Illinois Landlord Tenant Act went into effect on January 1st, 2025, requiring a landlord to make certain disclosures before a lease is signed, and again within the lease, disclosing whether the property is located in a floodplain and how many times it has flooded within the last 10 years. Additionally, there is a similar requirement for leased units in a “lower level” which is defined as any garden-level unit, basement unit or first-floor unit, to disclose whether the property has flooded at all within the last 10 years, and then how many times. Because the amended act requires both a disclosure prior to lease signing and then disclosure again within the lease, the lease has been amended to include the required language from the amended act and a separate disclosure form is available so a landlord can provide disclosure to their tenant prior to signing a lease as well.
- Portions of the Security Deposit paragraph were updated to mirror language in the Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (RLTO).
- The use of premises was updated to the occupants listed on the lease, not in the application.
- Window A/C units and a quantity were added to the personal property owned by the Landlord.
- Slight updates were made to Notices and Tenant’s Personal Property.
The Chicago Residential Lease is an excellent member benefit for all Chicago REALTORS® and their landlords. This lease is vetted each year by practitioners and attorneys to ensure compliance with Chicago ordinance. It is well recognized by judges and attorneys across the city, and we highly recommend use without alteration. Members should cease using any earlier version of the Chicago Residential Lease. Ensure you are using the new lease, which is fillable, available here.
The 2025 Exclusive Rental Listing Agreement is also available to download on our Forms & Contracts page. This Agreement is updated to include the 2025 Security Deposit Interest Rate Sheet.
Please note the 2024 lease document was designed to expire at midnight on Dec. 31. This was meant to protect members from using old leases, which could cause liability to themselves and/or their clients.
A reminder that the Chicago Residential Lease, and all of the Chicago Association of REALTORS®’s forms and contracts, are an exclusive member benefit for use only by Chicago Association of REALTORS® members or those who are party to a transaction facilitated by a Chicago Association of REALTORS® member. Distributing or posting any of the Chicago Association of REALTORS®’s forms and contracts is a copyright infringement and a violation of the terms of use of our forms.