Free Illinois Lease Agreement Template

Last updated July 17, 2026

What is an Illinois residential lease agreement?

An Illinois residential lease agreement is the written record of a rental arrangement for a home in Illinois. It sets the parties, premises, rent, term, utilities, maintenance, and required disclosures. Illinois does not use a single landlord-tenant code: residential tenancies run on a family of Acts in 765 ILCS — led by the Landlord and Tenant Act (765 ILCS 705) — together with the termination-notice rule in 735 ILCS 5/9-207 and the radon disclosure in 420 ILCS 46/26. Each Act sets its own scope. The free PDF and Word versions on this page are labeled for Illinois and are a practical starting document — not a substitute for checking which statutes, disclosures, and local rules apply to a particular property, because Chicago and Cook County layer their own ordinances on top of the state Acts.

Illinois security deposits, interest, and rental fees

Illinois sets no statewide dollar cap on a security deposit, but the Security Deposit Return Act (765 ILCS 710/1) controls its return. For a property-damage deduction, the itemized statement and paid receipts are due within 30 days after the later of the tenant vacating or the landlord's right to possession ending; when a cost estimate is used, the paid receipt follows within 30 additional days. Skip that workflow, and the Act requires the full deposit returned within 45 days.

Under the Security Deposit Interest Act (765 ILCS 715/1 and 715/2), a building — or set of contiguous buildings — with 25 or more units owes statutory interest on a deposit held more than six months, within 30 days after each twelve-month rental period, subject to the public-housing exclusion. And since July 1, 2026, Public Act 104-479 (765 ILCS 705/35) requires every non-optional fee on the lease's first page and in the listing, a statement of whether utilities are included in rent, a $50 cap on an application and background-check fee (with a documented actual-cost exception), and a ban on the fees listed in section 35. Small owner-occupied buildings of six or fewer units are excepted.

Condition, disclosures, and repairs in Illinois

Before signing, the landlord must give the flood disclosure under 765 ILCS 705/25 — FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area status plus known flooding and its frequency, and for a lower-level unit any qualifying flooding in the last ten years — signed by both parties in the lease or renewal. For a covered dwelling leased after December 31, 2023, the radon disclosure under 420 ILCS 46/26 requires the IEMA pamphlet, the radon records and reports, and the statutory disclosure form before execution. Pre-1978 housing also triggers the separate federal lead-based-paint process.

The Residential Tenants' Right to Repair Act (765 ILCS 742) lets a tenant repair and deduct only when the landlord has a lease, statutory, or local duty to fix the condition — after written notice and a cure opportunity, using a paid tradesperson's bill, capped at the lesser of $500 or one-half of one month's rent, and subject to the section 10 property exclusions.

Notice, termination, and tenant protections in Illinois

Under 735 ILCS 5/9-207, ending a week-to-week holdover takes 7 days' written notice, and ending another tenancy under one year takes 30 days' written notice — before you separately check foreclosure status (735 ILCS 5/9-207.5) and any local just-cause or longer-notice rule. The Landlord Retaliation Act (765 ILCS 721) independently screens a rent increase, service reduction, non-renewal, or possession action: when it follows protected activity such as a code complaint or a repair request, a one-year rebuttable presumption and statutory tenant remedies can apply.

What to include in an Illinois lease

• Parties and premises — full legal names, the complete Illinois property address, and any included parking, storage, or shared spaces.
• Term and rent — the term type, rent due dates, and accepted payment methods; Illinois will not enforce a term forcing electronic funds transfer without a no-fee alternative such as paper check or cash (765 ILCS 705/4).
• Deposits and fees — each deposit and every non-optional fee, itemized on the first page under the Public Act 104-479 rules.
• Condition, disclosures, and repairs — the signed flood and radon disclosures, repair responsibilities, and how notice and access are handled.
• Prohibited terms — no clause exempting the landlord from liability for its own negligence, which 765 ILCS 705/1 voids.

Before signing an Illinois lease

Compare the completed lease with the current Acts above and the property's facts. Location drives the analysis: Chicago's Residential Landlords and Tenants Ordinance (Municipal Code chapter 5-12) and the Cook County Residential Tenant Landlord Ordinance each replace conflicting state-only deposit, entry, disclosure, and notice terms, so confirm the city and county first. Public or subsidized housing, Housing Choice Voucher tenancies (see the Safe Homes Act, 765 ILCS 750), manufactured-home communities, and owner-occupied rooms can each follow additional rules.

Give every party the same final version, deliver the signed lease with its first-page summary, and keep the executed copy. For an eviction or disputed termination, unusual fees, regulated housing, or a property in a municipality with extra renter protections, get specific advice before relying on a template.