Eviction notice rules in Illinois
Nonpayment notice
5-day written notice demanding the exact rent due (735 ILCS 5/9-209). Must include the statutory sentence: 'Only FULL PAYMENT of the rent demanded in this notice will waive the landlord's right to terminate the lease under this notice, unless the landlord agrees in writing to continue the lease in exchange for receiving partial payment.'
Lease-violation notice
10-day notice to quit describing the specific lease term violated (735 ILCS 5/9-210).
Unconditional quit (no second chance)
Tenant uses the premises to commit a felony or Class A misdemeanor → landlord may void the lease and give 5 days' written notice to vacate (735 ILCS 5/9-120).
No-cause / end-of-tenancy notice
Month-to-month: 30 days (735 ILCS 5/9-207). Week-to-week: 7 days. Year-to-year: 60 days (§ 9-205).
How the notice must be served
Personal delivery to the tenant; leaving with a household member 13 or older; or certified mail with return receipt (§ 9-211). Posting on the door is valid ONLY if the unit is vacant. Defective service gets the case dismissed. Cook County: landlord must file within 30 days of serving notice or the right to file is lost.
Your right to fix it (cure)
Full payment within the 5-day period stops the eviction for that instance (9-209). Chicago (RLTO) and suburban Cook County (RTLO): most tenants have a one-time right to pay and stay even after the notice — pay full rent owed plus the landlord's filing costs and the case must be dropped.
How days are counted
Day of service is excluded; intermediate Saturdays and Sundays count as calendar days; if the last day falls on a weekend or legal holiday, the deadline extends to the next business day (5 ILCS 70/1.11).
After the notice expires
Landlord must file an eviction complaint under the Eviction Article of the Code of Civil Procedure (735 ILCS 5/Art. IX) in circuit court; tenant need not leave until a judge issues a judgment and the sheriff executes a writ of possession. Self-help lockouts are illegal.
Court timeline
Uncontested: typically 30-60 days from first notice to sheriff executing the writ (varies by county). Hearing scheduled a few weeks after filing; contested cases, jury demands, and stays extend it.
Retaliation & defenses
Landlord Retaliation Act (765 ILCS 721, eff. Jan 1, 2025, replacing the old Retaliatory Eviction Act): no termination, nonrenewal, rent increase, service decrease, or eviction for protected activity (code complaints, repair requests, union organizing, exercising legal rights); adverse action within 1 year is presumed retaliatory; tenant can recover ≥ 2 months' rent or 2x damages plus attorney fees. Chicago RLTO/Cook County RTLO add local overlays.
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