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1 | AN ACT concerning property.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Landlord and Tenant Act is amended by adding | |||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Sections 10 and 15 as follows: | |||||||||||||||||||||
6 | (765 ILCS 705/10 new) | |||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Sec. 10. Prohibition of lock-out. | |||||||||||||||||||||
8 | (a) A landlord shall not lock a tenant out of the tenant's | |||||||||||||||||||||
9 | unit. The following actions constitute a lock-out:
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10 | (1) plugging, changing, adding, or removing any lock or | |||||||||||||||||||||
11 | latching device;
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12 | (2) blocking any entrance into the dwelling place; | |||||||||||||||||||||
13 | (3) removing any door or window from the dwelling | |||||||||||||||||||||
14 | place; | |||||||||||||||||||||
15 | (4) interfering with services to the dwelling place, | |||||||||||||||||||||
16 | including gas, hot or cold water, plumbing, heat, or | |||||||||||||||||||||
17 | telephone service; | |||||||||||||||||||||
18 | (5) removing the tenant's personal property from the | |||||||||||||||||||||
19 | dwelling place; | |||||||||||||||||||||
20 | (6) removing or incapacitating appliances or fixtures; | |||||||||||||||||||||
21 | (7) using force or violence against a tenant; | |||||||||||||||||||||
22 | (8) threatening to use force or violence against a | |||||||||||||||||||||
23 | tenant; or | |||||||||||||||||||||
24 | (9) any other act making the dwelling place or any part | |||||||||||||||||||||
25 | of the dwelling place or any personal property of the | |||||||||||||||||||||
26 | tenant in the dwelling place inaccessible or | |||||||||||||||||||||
27 | uninhabitable.
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28 | (b) The following actions do not constitute a lock-out:
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29 | (1) eviction by the Sheriff after a judgment for | |||||||||||||||||||||
30 | possession has been obtained through Article IX of the Code | |||||||||||||||||||||
31 | of Civil Procedure; | |||||||||||||||||||||
32 | (2) temporary interference with possession only as |
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1 | necessary to make needed repairs or inspection and only as | ||||||
2 | provided by law and with proper written notice; and | ||||||
3 | (3) entry after all tenants have abandoned a unit. | ||||||
4 | (c) In addition to any other remedy supplied in this Act or | ||||||
5 | under other law, if the landlord violates this Section, the | ||||||
6 | tenant may file suit and shall be entitled to both injunctive | ||||||
7 | relief and damages. Injunctive relief includes, but is not | ||||||
8 | limited to, restoration of possession of the tenant's dwelling | ||||||
9 | place, personal property, utility service, and relief against | ||||||
10 | future interference. Damages shall be in the amount of either | ||||||
11 | twice the tenant's actual damages or 6 times the monthly rent | ||||||
12 | for the unit, whichever is greater, plus the tenant's | ||||||
13 | reasonable attorney's fees and court costs. | ||||||
14 | (765 ILCS 705/15 new)
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15 | Sec. 15. Condition violation. | ||||||
16 | (a) If the condition of a dwelling place falls below the | ||||||
17 | standard required by this Act due to the action or omission of | ||||||
18 | the landlord, and if the condition violation was not caused by | ||||||
19 | the tenant, the tenant may, within 10 days of learning of the | ||||||
20 | violation, give the landlord written notice of the alleged | ||||||
21 | condition, and permit the landlord 10 days to remedy the | ||||||
22 | violation.
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23 | (b) If the violation is not substantially remedied within | ||||||
24 | those 10 days, the tenant may obtain an estimate of the cost of | ||||||
25 | repair. If the tenant fails to obtain an estimate of the cost | ||||||
26 | of repair, the tenant may not withhold more than one month's | ||||||
27 | rent to cover repair costs actually paid by the tenant, but may | ||||||
28 | proceed under subsection (d) of this Section so long as a | ||||||
29 | reasonable person would assume that the repair cost was greater | ||||||
30 | than one month's rent. No estimate need be obtained to proceed | ||||||
31 | with the remedies for denial of an essential service. | ||||||
32 | (c) If the estimate of the repair is equal to or less than | ||||||
33 | one month's rental payment, the tenant may pay for the repair | ||||||
34 | and deduct the actual cost of repair and the cost of the | ||||||
35 | estimate from rent due. |
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1 | (d) If the estimate of the repair is greater than one | ||||||
2 | month's rent, the tenant may withhold one-half of the monthly | ||||||
3 | rental amount in satisfaction of the tenant's rental obligation | ||||||
4 | until the violation is substantially repaired. In addition, the | ||||||
5 | tenant may deduct the cost of the estimate. | ||||||
6 | (e) If the estimate of the repair is greater than one | ||||||
7 | month's rent, and if the landlord commences repair within the | ||||||
8 | 10 days provided, but is unable to complete repair within that | ||||||
9 | time, the tenant may deduct one-quarter of the monthly rental | ||||||
10 | amount in satisfaction of the tenant's rental obligation until | ||||||
11 | the violation is substantially repaired. However, if the | ||||||
12 | landlord fails to make a good faith effort to complete the | ||||||
13 | repairs in a timely fashion, the tenant may increase the | ||||||
14 | withholding to one-half of the monthly rental amount until the | ||||||
15 | violation is substantially repaired. | ||||||
16 | (f) If the violation amounts to a denial of an essential | ||||||
17 | service, such as failure to supply sufficient heat, running | ||||||
18 | water, hot water, electric, gas, or other basic shelter issue, | ||||||
19 | the tenant may begin withholding all of the monthly rent | ||||||
20 | beginning the day after the tenant gives the landlord notice of | ||||||
21 | the denial of the essential service. Concurrently, the tenant | ||||||
22 | may procure reasonable amounts of the essential service not | ||||||
23 | supplied and bill the landlord for the cost of that service, or | ||||||
24 | deduct the cost of service from the rent. | ||||||
25 | (g) If the violation of the essential service continues for | ||||||
26 | 72 hours, the tenant may either continue with the remedies | ||||||
27 | specified in subsection (f) of this Section, or may give the | ||||||
28 | landlord notice that the tenant will terminate the lease and | ||||||
29 | vacate the property at will.
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30 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
31 | becoming law.
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