Understanding Leases: Evanston RLTO Attached to Lease

If you're a renter in Evanston, it's important to know your rights and responsibilities under the Evanston Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (RLTO).

One important provision of the RLTO is that landlords are required to provide a summary of the ordinance. This summary must be given with the rental agreement for the tenant to sign. The summary will also be available in different languages on the City of Evanston website. Section 5-3-10 of the Evanston RLTO.

What happens if the landlord does not provide a copy of the Evanston RLTO?

The tenant can end the rental agreement by giving written notice. However, before ending the agreement, the tenant must first give the landlord an opportunity to cure:

1. The tenant needs to tell the housing provider in writing about the problem. The written notice must also include the date they want to end the rental agreement, which must be no more than 30 days from the day the notice is given.
2. The housing provider must fix the issue within two (2) business days of getting the notice.
3. If the landlord doesn't give the copy of the summary by the deadline, then the tenant can terminate the lease.

If the housing provider and tenant have communicated electronically before, the notice can be sent by email or another electronic method.