Understanding Tenant Rights: Essential Services in Illinois
As a tenant in Illinois, knowing your rights regarding essential services is important. Essential services are utilities like heat, hot water, and electricity, which are necessary for your health and safety.
What are essential services that the landlord needs to provide?
- Gas
- Electricity
- Plumbing
- Heat
- Water (running water and hot water)
What can a tenant do if the landlord fails to supply essential services?
- Contact the landlord immediately with written notice.
- Make a complaint to the local building department.
- Lockout: Contact the local police, if the landlord intentionally shut off the essential service.
- Landlord stopped paying for the utilities: sue the landlord or pay for the service.
As a tenant, keeping records of any issues you have with essential services is important. This can include notes about when the service was disrupted, photos of the issue, and any communication you have with your landlord. These records will be helpful if you need to take legal action.
By knowing your rights and keeping records of any issues, you can protect yourself and make sure you have a safe and comfortable place to live.