Landlords in Illinois may run into a situation where they need to evict a renter. The eviction process is highly regulated by the law. It is essential for a landlord to follow the law during the process to protect his or herself from legal liability. Doing something illegal could cause a landlord to face a lawsuit. It could also lead to difficulties in removing the tenants.
According to Illinois Legal Aid Online, there are specific rules for when a landlord can evict a tenant. Tenants cannot be evicted based on any characteristic that is protected by equal housing laws, such as marital status, sexual orientation, race or religion. Landlords also cannot evict a tenant based on his or her military status or because the tenant uses a rental assistance program. A tenant who makes valid complaints to an inspector is also protected from being evicted due to this action. If the tenant has left the property due to domestic violence, he or she also cannot be evicted for not paying rent.
Situations where a landlord can evict a tenant include any time the tenant breaks an agreement that is stated in the lease, when the lease period ends or if the tenant damages the property. Furthermore, if the tenant does not pay the rent on time, an eviction can take place.
To evict a tenant, a landlord must follow the outlines steps in the landlord-tenant laws. This begins with giving the tenant a written notice of eviction and waiting out the notice period to give the tenant time to vacate. If the tenant corrects whatever violation led to the evicition, the process can be stopped. If this does not happen and the tenant does not leave, the landlord may then file an eviction case in court, have the tenant served with eviction papers and get a court order for removal of the tenant.
