A Question To Self-Managed Landlords
How Compliant Is Your Lease?
You likely know, we manage HOA Associations in Illinois as well as residential rental homes, townhomes, condos, etc. throughout greater Chicagoland. On the residential side, our Residential Lead, Keith Jablonowski, pays very close attention to the legal side of this business to make sure we remain compliant with Illinois law.
As a HOA manager, when it's time for a lease renewal or a newly executed lease, I find many leases supplied to us from these landlords as non-compliant with Illinois law. One big change this year was the adoption of the Safer Homes Act. We provided a helpful blog on this very important change in Illinois residential lease requirements back in early January.
So, what are the risks if a self-managed landlord does not add the 4 pages of the Safer Homes Act in their Illinois lease?
The risk is real, although the severity depends on whether a tenant actually brings a claim.
Illinois Safer Homes Act
Beginning January 1, 2026, Illinois now requires residential landlords (including self-managed landlords) to attach the official "Summary of Rights for Safer Homes" as the first pages of every new residential lease and every lease renewal. The tenants must also acknowledge receipt as required by the statute.
If a landlord does not include the required Summary, they could face several potential consequences:
- Statutory liability. The statute provides tenants with a private right to recover damages for violations. A landlord may be liable for actual damages or statutory damages (subject to the terms of the Act), as well as attorney's fees in some circumstances.
- Difficulty enforcing the lease. While the law does not automatically invalidate the lease, failing to comply with a mandatory disclosure requirement can complicate an eviction or collection case if the tenant raises the issue. A judge may view the landlord as having failed to comply with Illinois landlord-tenant law.
- Increased litigation risk. If a dispute arises, a tenant's attorney will often review the lease for technical compliance. Missing required disclosures can become leverage in settlement negotiations or litigation, even if the underlying dispute concerns unpaid rent or lease violations.
- Regulatory complaints. Because the Summary informs tenants of important statutory protections, particularly for survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, and related circumstances, failure to provide it may expose a landlord to complaints alleging noncompliance with Illinois housing laws.
For a self-managed landlord, this is one of the easiest compliance issues to avoid. The best practice is to:
- Use the current official Illinois Department of Human Rights Summary.
- Place it at the front of every new lease and every renewal.
- Have each tenant initial or sign each page as required.
- Keep the signed copy with the lease file.
Conclusion
We review our lease package annually. Since 2026, Illinois has added several disclosure and procedural requirements, and it's much less expensive to update the lease once each year than to defend a claim later. If you're interested, we can provide you with a 2026 Illinois residential lease compliance checklist that includes every required state disclosure (not just the Safer Homes Summary) along with the Chicago and Cook County requirements where applicable.
If you feel you are overwhelmed, or worried that your current management company is not adequately protecting you with their lease, please reach out to our Residential Management Group.
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About the Author
Paul is a founding partner of PMI Service Group and has more than 24 years of experience owning and managing investment properties in Illinois and Indiana. Paul manages the Association side of the business today, working with HOA homeowners associations, condominium associations and commercial properties throughout northern Illinois. His experience includes board governance, reserve planning, construction oversight, capital improvement projects, collections, and Illinois community association operations.
About the Author
Keith is a founding partner of PMI Service Group and has more than 24 years of experience owning and managing investment in Illinois and Indiana. Keith manages the Residential pillar of the business today, working with real estate investors, accidental landlords, residential property owners and commercial property owners throughout northern Illinois. His experience includes property management, BRRR rehabs, off-market acquisitions, direct marketing, vendor oversight, construction oversight, capital improvement projects, collections / evictions, and Illinois leasing.
About PMI Service Group
Property Management
PMI Service Group manages residential rental homes, Associations, commercial properties and even commercial Associations. We also offer brokerage services for homeowners looking to sell their homes. We also conduct property acquisitions off-market, helping people who face foreclosure or private sales between real-estate investment clients looking to trim or add to their real estate portfolio(s). With many years of experience in construction, engineering, design, rehabs, investment property, property management and portfolio management, let's have a conversation about managing your Association.
Real-Estate Investors
We also conduct property acquisitions off-market, helping people who face foreclosure or private sales between real-estate investment clients looking to trim or add to their real estate portfolio(s).
Local Team
With many years of experience in construction, engineering, design, rehabs, investment property, property management and portfolio management, let's have a conversation about what good management really means. We're local and experienced and would love to hear from you.
PMI Service Group
630-912-8742
