Illinois REALTORS® in partnership with the Chicago Association of REALTORS® issued a Call For Action to REALTORS® who reside in Cook County on Nov. 12.  

The Cook County Board is poised to accept broad-sweeping new rules that would dictate the terms of rental property agreements. The Cook County Residential Tenant Landlord Ordinance (RTLO) imposes a strict set of rules governing how landlords and tenants interact and banning some common business practices in the rental industry. Chicago already has a Residential Landlord Tenant Ordinance (RLTO), but County Commissioners want to blanket all of Cook County with regulations that go far beyond Chicago’s existing laws. 

Cook County REALTORS® can make their voice heard by responding to the Call For Action they received via email or clicking here.  

Non-REALTORS® who reside in Cook County, such as landlord clients, can contact their County Board members too if they follow this link. They will need to fill in their name and address and will receive a confirmation code via email to send their message.  

County Board Commissioners’ intent is pure; they are concerned about the well-being of renters, especially during the COVID-19 crisis. The strict regulations, however, could have immediate and long-term negative impacts. The new laws will likely drive up rents and make smaller landlords subject to lawsuits that could ruin them. Over time regulations like these decrease the availability of affordable housing and make it much more difficult for mom and pop landlords to gain a foothold in the rental market.   

Your help is needed to fix these regulations and their unintended negative consequences. Please make your voice heard by responding to the Call For Action and sharing the Non-REALTOR® Call for Action with your clients.