Rent Cap Ledger

Chicago · No rent cap

How much can a landlord raise rent in Chicago?

No cap

No rent cap in effect · checked Oct 18, 2026

There's no limit on how much a landlord can raise rent in Chicago: Illinois law bars local rent control. What Chicago does regulate is notice: at least 30, 60 or 120 days in writing, depending on how long you've lived there.

In effect
No cap in effect
Next change
No fixed date
Set by
Illinois law (Rent Control Preemption Act); City of Chicago (RLTO) · No rent cap
Last checked
October 18, 2026

Illinois law bars local rent control, so Chicago can't cap increases. The Fair Notice rules set how far ahead a landlord must tell you.

§ 1 · The law

Why Chicago has no rent cap

No cap

There's no formula, because there's no cap. Illinois' Rent Control Preemption Act says a home rule unit like Chicago may not regulate or control the amount of rent charged for private housing. Chicago's Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance does control timing: 30, 60 or 120 days' written notice depending on how long the tenant has lived there.

Law: No rent control: Illinois Rent Control Preemption Act (50 ILCS 825); Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (notice rules).

§ 2 · Coverage

What still limits an increase

What applies

  • Written notice before any increase: at least 30 days (tenancy under six months), 60 days (six months to three years) or 120 days (more than three years)
  • No retaliatory increases for complaining about code violations, asking for repairs or joining a tenants' union (RLTO § 5-12-150)
  • A lease's rent is fixed for its term unless the lease itself allows a change

Limits that don't apply

  • No limit on the size of the increase: state law preempts rent control in Chicago
  • The notice tiers apply whether the tenant has a written year-long lease or a month-to-month arrangement

§ 3 · Timing

Notice, and when it changes next

Notice: At least 30 days' written notice if the tenant has lived there less than six months, 60 days for six months to three years, and 120 days for more than three years (Municipal Code § 5-12-130(j)). A pilot area near Jackson Park requires longer notice.

Next change: No change is scheduled. A cap would first need the Illinois General Assembly to change the Rent Control Preemption Act.

§ 2a · Local rules

What Chicago's tenant ordinance requires

  • Notice grows with tenure

    Under the Fair Notice Ordinance, a tenant who has lived in the unit more than six months but less than three years gets 60 days' notice of an increase; more than three years, 120 days.

    Source: “60 days of notice to raise your rent if you have lived in your apartment for more than six months but less than three years”

  • Short notice doesn't take effect on time

    If the notice is short or missing, the tenant may stay on the old terms for up to 60 days after the written notice is given.

    Source: “the tenant may remain in the dwelling unit and may retain possession of the dwelling unit for up to 60 days after the date on which written notice is given to the tenant”

  • No retaliatory increases

    A landlord may not raise rent because a tenant complained about code violations, asked for repairs or joined a tenants' organization.

    Source: “A landlord may not knowingly terminate a tenancy, increase rent, decrease services, bring or threaten to bring a lawsuit against a tenant for possession or refuse to renew a lease or tenancy because the tenant has in good faith”

  • Jackson Park pilot: longer notice

    In a pilot area bounded by 60th St., Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., South Chicago Ave., 71st St. and South DuSable Lake Shore Dr., notice runs up to 180 days for tenancies over three years. The pilot ends no later than January 31, 2029.

    Source: “at least 180 days prior to the stated termination date of the rental agreement of the landlord’s intent to terminate a periodic tenancy, not renew a fixed-term rental agreement, or increase the rental rate for a tenancy lasting a period of greater than three years”

Cost of living here

Rents and prices around Chicago

Official figures only, each for the area named. Prices are for the wider metro area; rents and incomes are for the city itself.

Price level

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area · BEA 2024

All items103.6
Housing112.0

Regional Price Parities: an index where the US average price level for all items = 100. Housing is BEA’s “Services: Housing” line (US = 100.6).

Fair Market Rents

Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area · HUD FY2027

HUD Fair Market Rent per month by unit size, Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area
Studio$1,678
1 bedroom$1,780
2 bedrooms$2,011
3 bedrooms$2,586
4 bedrooms$2,954

Monthly gross rent (rent plus utilities). HUD: FMRs are “estimates of 40th percentile gross rents for standard quality units”.

Rents and incomes

Chicago city, Illinois · ACS 2020–2024 5-year

Median gross rent
$1,440/mo US $1,413/mo
Median household income
$77,902 US $80,734
Median rent as % of household income
29.3% US 30.6%

Gross rent includes utilities. The rent-to-income figure is for renter households (Census table B25071).

Sources

  1. BEA Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area (MARPP) ↗ · 2024 (released February 19, 2026) · about the data ↗ · retrieved Oct 18, 2026
  2. OMB metropolitan area delineations (Census list 1, July 2023) ↗ · July 2023 (OMB Bulletin 23-01) · retrieved Oct 18, 2026
  3. HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027 (county-level data file) ↗ · FY2027 · about the data ↗ · retrieved Oct 18, 2026
  4. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (tables B25064, B19013, B25071) ↗ · 2020–2024 · about the data ↗ · retrieved Oct 18, 2026

Compare Chicago with another city → All places ranked → Can I afford my rent? →

§ 4 · Sources

Official sources

  1. Illinois General Assembly · home rule preemption 50 ILCS 825/10 (home rule preemption) ↗
    “A home rule unit may not regulate or control the amount of rent charged for leasing private residential or commercial property.”
    Last checked October 18, 2026 · ilga.gov
  2. Illinois General Assembly · headline figure 50 ILCS 825/5 (Rent Control Preemption Act: rent control prohibited) ↗
    “shall not enact, maintain, or enforce an ordinance or resolution that would have the effect of controlling the amount of rent charged for leasing private residential or commercial property.”
    Last checked October 18, 2026 · ilga.gov
  3. City of Chicago (Municipal Code, via American Legal Publishing) · notice, retaliation Municipal Code of Chicago § 5-12-130 (Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance) ↗
    “For any residential tenancy of less than six months, the landlord shall notify the tenant in writing at least 30 days prior to the stated termination date of the rental agreement of the landlord’s intent to terminate a periodic tenancy, not renew a fixed-term rental agreement or increase the rental rate.”
    Last checked October 18, 2026 · codelibrary.amlegal.com
  4. City of Chicago, Department of Housing · notice tiers Know Your Rights: Fair Notice Ordinance ↗
    “120 days of notice to raise your rent if you have lived in your apartment for more than three years”
    Last checked October 18, 2026 · chicago.gov

See something out of date? The methodology page explains how we check figures.

§ 5 · Questions

Frequently asked

How much can a landlord raise rent in Chicago?

There's no limit on how much a landlord can raise rent in Chicago: Illinois law bars local rent control. What Chicago does regulate is notice: at least 30, 60 or 120 days in writing, depending on how long you've lived there.

How much notice is required for a rent increase in Chicago?

At least 30 days' written notice if the tenant has lived there less than six months, 60 days for six months to three years, and 120 days for more than three years (Municipal Code § 5-12-130(j)). A pilot area near Jackson Park requires longer notice.

How often can rent be raised in Chicago?

We haven't found a once-a-year limit on the official sources we track; a fixed-term lease usually can't be changed mid-term unless it says so.

Could Chicago adopt rent control?

No change is scheduled. A cap would first need the Illinois General Assembly to change the Rent Control Preemption Act.

Where does this Chicago information come from?

From Illinois General Assembly: “50 ILCS 825/10 (home rule preemption)”, which we last checked on October 18, 2026, plus the other official sources listed on this page. Always confirm with the agency or a lawyer before relying on it.

Elsewhere

Other jurisdictions