Tenant Rights Lawyer

Over Three Decades of Chicagoland Real Estate Law Experience

MacDonald, Lee & Senechalle, Ltd. has more than 35 collective years of real estate legal experience.  Our seasoned Hoffman Estates attorneys advise and help individuals and companies facing issues concerning tenant rights under state and Chicago municipal law.  This area of law is rapidly evolving.  Staying on top of all relevant rights and obligations requires a steady, detail-oriented legal mind, dedicated to the practice of real estate law.  If you are dealing with a dispute over a matter involving tenant rights, let us help ensure that you protect your finances, your business, and your home.

Providing Across-the-Board Services for Landlord-Tenant Disputes

The seasoned real estate attorneys at MacDonald, Lee & Senechalle represent landlords and tenants in all manner of tenant rights issues, including but not limited to the following:

• Eviction and termination proceedings. Illinois and local laws lay out specific procedures that must be undertaken before a landlord can terminate a tenancy and/or evict a tenant.  Tenants facing eviction have a number of rights to exercise before the eviction proceeding is finalized and may benefit from additional delays and forbearances as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic.  A savvy real estate and tenant rights attorney can help ensure that you are satisfying your legal obligations and protecting your rights before and during an eviction.
• Security deposit disputes. Chicagoland tenants and landlords are subject to the Chicago Municipal Residential Landlord Tenant Ordinance (RLTO).  The RLTO sets out several landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities, including restrictions on the collection, repayment, and use of security deposits.  Security deposits are also regulated by two Illinois statutes:  the Security Deposit Interest Act, 765 ILCS 715/0.01, and the Illinois Security Deposit Return Act, 765 ILCS 710/.01.  Landlords who collect or administer security deposits improperly may find themselves liable under state or local law.
• Clearing eviction records. Tenants who are facing eviction or who have been evicted may fear that the eviction will permanently tarnish their credit report and other records.  There are means to have an eviction removed from a tenant’s record and to prevent a harmful judgment from impacting their finances.
• Landlord-tenant lawsuits. Whether a tenant causes damages or withholds rent, or a landlord is violating tenant rights guaranteed by Illinois law, the tenants’ rights attorneys at MacDonald, Lee & Senechalle are ready to step in and get the matter resolved.

Tenant Rights and Landlord Obligations

Illinois law and Chicago ordinances offer many protections for tenants, as well as a number of rights and obligations for Chicago landlords.  Failure to adhere to these responsibilities or acknowledge these rights can land tenants and landlords in hot water.  Some of these rights and duties include:

• Landlord disclosures. Landlords must provide prospective and renewing tenants with several disclosures prior to signing, including information about municipal code violations, plans to shut off water or power, tenant rights to lease termination due to lack of habitability, and tenant rights to recover damages for lease violations.
• Rent raise rules. State law sets certain limitations and requirements concerning the raising of rent.  Landlords must, for example, give sufficient notice (at least 30 days) of a rent increase.
• Landlord access to tenant property. Tenants have certain protections against landlords entering their property without their knowledge or consent.
• Landlord retaliation. Landlords cannot retaliate against tenants for exercising their legal rights.
• Procedures for tenant abandoned property. Landlords must follow specific rules when claiming abandoned property left behind by tenants.
• Fair housing rights. Landlords must take care to avoid discrimination in offering or administering leases.

If you’re in need of dedicated, effective, and talented legal representation for your Chicago-area tenant rights dispute, contact the offices of MacDonald, Lee & Senechalle, Ltd. for a consultation, in Hoffman Estates at 847-310-0025, or in Des Plaines at 847-298-5030