HB4768 EnrolledLRB103 37572 JRC 67698 b

1    AN ACT concerning civil law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Landlord Retaliation Act.
 
6    Section 5. Prohibition on retaliatory conduct by landlord.
7It is declared to be against public policy of the State for a
8landlord to take retaliatory action against a tenant. A
9landlord may not knowingly terminate a tenancy, increase rent,
10decrease services, bring or threaten to bring a lawsuit
11against a tenant for possession or refuse to renew a lease or
12tenancy because the tenant has in good faith done any of the
13following:
14        (1) complained of code violations applicable to the
15    premises to the relevant governmental agency, elected
16    representative, or public official charged with
17    responsibility for enforcement of a building, housing,
18    health, or similar code;
19        (2) complained of a building, housing, health, or
20    similar code violation or an illegal landlord practice to
21    a community organization;
22        (3) sought the assistance of a community organization
23    to remedy a code violation or illegal landlord practice;

 

 

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1        (4) complained or requested the landlord to make
2    repairs to the premises as required by a building code,
3    health ordinance, other regulation, or the residential
4    rental agreement;
5        (5) organized or become a member of a tenants' union
6    or similar organization;
7        (6) testified in any court or administrative
8    proceeding concerning the condition of the premises; or
9        (7) exercised any right or remedy provided by law.
 
10    Section 10. Remedies for violation of this Act. If the
11landlord acts in violation of this Act, the tenant has a
12defense in any retaliatory action against the tenant, and a
13landlord shall be subject to a civil action for damages and
14other appropriate relief, including, but not limited to, the
15following remedies:
16        (1) terminate the rental agreement and, if the rental
17    agreement is terminated, the landlord shall return all
18    security and interest recoverable under the Security
19    Deposit Return Act and all prepaid rent;
20        (2) recover possession of the premises if the landlord
21    has dispossessed, threatened to dispossess, or is in the
22    process of dispossessing; and
23        (3) recovery of an amount equal to and not more than 2
24    months' rent or 2 times the damages sustained by the
25    tenant, whichever is greater, and reasonable attorney's

 

 

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1    fees.
 
2    Section 15. Non-retaliatory actions. An action is not
3retaliatory if the landlord can prove a legitimate,
4non-retaliatory basis for the action; or the landlord began
5the action before the tenant engaged in the protected
6activity.
 
7    Section 20. Rebuttable presumption. In an action by or
8against the tenant, if within one year before the alleged act
9of retaliation there is evidence that the retaliation was
10against tenant's conduct that is protected under this Act,
11that evidence creates a rebuttable presumption that the
12landlord's conduct was retaliatory. The presumption does not
13arise if the protected tenant activity was initiated after the
14alleged act of retaliation.
 
15    (765 ILCS 720/Act rep.)
16    Section 95. The Retaliatory Eviction Act is repealed.