Cook County RTLO Leases: Landlord Should Disclose Utility Costs
Under Section 42-805(B) of the Cook County Residential Tenant and Landlord Ordinance, the landlord must disclose utility costs.
- The landlord must say who is responsible for paying for which utilities (landlord or tenant).
- If the tenant is responsible for paying utilities directly to the utility company, the landlord must inform in the lease the annual cost of service from the previous 12 months.
- If the tenant is responsible for paying utilities to the landlord, the landlord must inform in the lease the annual cost of service from the previous 12 months.
- EXCEPTION: If the landlord did not own the unit in the previous 12 months, the landlord may instead provide the cost of service for a similar unit.
- EXCEPTION: If the landlord did not pay the utility costs on behalf of the tenant during the previous 12 months, the landlord may instead provide the cost of service for a similar unit OR state that they don’t know the utility costs.
The above article provides information about legal issues but is not the same as legal advice. Legal advice is when a lawyer applies the law to your specific situation. The information in this article does not replace the advice or representation of a licensed attorney. Law Center for Better Housing cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information in this article and is not responsible for any consequences that may result from using it. You should consult with a licensed attorney to ensure the information in this article is appropriate for your specific situation. Using the information in this article does not create a relationship between Law Center for Better Housing and you as your attorney.