Security Deposit Return Act

• The Security Deposit Return Act regulates what a landlord deducts from a security deposit and when he is required to return it. The security deposit is required to be returned 45 days after receiving possession of the rental unit if no repairs are needed. An itemized list of all deductions must be provided if damage has occurred to the rental unit. This list is due within 30 days of the tenant delivering possession of the rental unit, with an additional 30 days given for the landlord to get copies of all receipts. A tenant has the right to sue for twice the amount of the security deposit, plus lawyer and legal fees, if the landlord does not return the security deposit or provide an itemized list of deductions.
  
  

Sex Offender Disclosure

• Under the Landlord and Tenant Act, a landlord is required to disclose whether he or another tenant in the building is a registered sex offender if a renter is moving in with dependents younger than 18 years of age. If he does not, the tenant has the right to terminate the lease.
  
  

Retaliatory Eviction Act

• The Retaliatory Eviction Act protects tenants from landlord harassment or retaliation. A tenant has the right to complain to the local health department or housing authority if there are major defects in the home compromising the health and safety of its occupants. A landlord is not able to evict or terminate the lease due to a tenant complaints.
  
  

Rental Property Utility Service Act

• The Rental Property Utility Service Act applies to situations where a landlord controls some or all of the utilities in a rental unit. The landlord is required to keep the utilities on at all times during the tenancy. If he fails to supply the utilities, causes them to be shut off or turns them off, a tenant has the right to terminate the lease or to put the utility bill in his name and deduct the cost from the rent payment.
  
  

Residential Tenants' Right to Repair Act

• The Residential Tenants' Right to Repair Act regulates repair protocol in rental agreements in Illinois. A tenant sends a 14-day notice to the landlord for repairs or defects that must be fixed to comply with the landlord's lease agreement responsibilities, building codes or health codes. The tenant has the right to make the repairs himself if the landlord does not respond to the notice. Repairs that are either $500 or half a month's rent, whichever is smaller, can be deducted from the rent.