Illinois Repair Request Letter to Landlord
A free Illinois repair request letter to landlord that follows Illinois law. Fill in the boxes, check the rules below, then print or copy it. Keep a copy and proof of how you sent it.
What Illinois law says
| Repair and deduct | Allowed for repairs costing no more than the lesser of $500 or one-half of monthly rent: tenant sends written notice by registered/certified mail; if landlord does not repair within 14 days (or sooner in an emergency), tenant may have a licensed, insured, unrelated tradesman do the work and deduct the paid bill from rent. Source: 765 ILCS 742/5, 742/10, 742/15 |
|---|---|
| Withholding rent | No general statewide rent-withholding statute. The AG lists, as an eviction defense, withholding a reasonable portion of rent where the landlord failed to maintain utilities or make repairs after notice. |
| Landlord retaliation | Landlord may not knowingly terminate, raise rent, decrease services, sue or threaten to sue for possession, or refuse to renew because the tenant in good faith complained of code violations to government or a community organization, requested repairs, joined/organized a tenants' union, testified about conditions, or exercised any legal right. Rebuttable presumption of retaliation if protected activity occurred within one year before the landlord's act. Remedies: defense to eviction, termination, recovery of possession, and the greater of 2 months' rent or 2 times damages, plus attorney's fees. |
| Heat | No statewide statute sets a heat requirement, minimum temperature, or heating season for private rentals. Heat is generally covered by the landlord's duty to keep the unit fit to live in and by local housing codes, which often set minimum temperatures (for example, in Chicago). |
| Mold | No statute — Illinois has no statewide mold disclosure or remediation law for rentals. Mold falls under the landlord's general duty to keep the unit fit to live in, make necessary repairs, and comply with state and local health and housing codes. For small repairs required by the lease or by law (lesser of $500 or half a month's rent), a tenant may use the statutory repair-and-deduct procedure after 14 days' written notice. |
Fill in your letter
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To: [landlord or manager name], [landlord address]
From: [your name], tenant at [rental address]
I am asking you to repair the following problems at my rental: [describe each problem, where it is, and when it started].
I first reported this on [date first reported] by [phone, text, email, portal or letter].
Please make these repairs by [date]. You may enter to make repairs after giving the notice required by law; times that work for me: [access times].
Illinois law protects tenants from retaliation for asking for repairs (765 ILCS 721/5-20 (Landlord Retaliation Act)).
Date: [today's date]
Tenant: [your name]
Signature: ____________________
How to send it: use a method you can prove — certified mail with return receipt, or email/text if your lease allows notices that way. Write down the date.
Repair Request Letter to Landlord templates for other states · All Illinois landlord-tenant rules · Free legal help in Illinois
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.