How to Report a Landlord in Chicago

If you or your loved ones have been injured in a rental property due to a property owner’s or landlord’s negligence, you may need to know how to report a landlord in Chicago. Our personal injury lawyers have compiled these legal resources to help you deal with a bad landlord.

How to Report a Landlord in Chicago – Explained By Andrew Kryder, Esq.

Resources for Tenants

There are multiple free government agencies with legal services, resources, and sources of information available for tenants.

Call 311

Contact 311 to register complaints and report building code violations about your landlord. A Chicago Department of Buildings building inspector will follow up on building code violations. Inspectors check safety devices and exits, issue violations if a violation is found, and reinspect if access is denied.

Protections Under the Chicago Residential Landlord Tenant Ordinance (CRLTO)

CRLTO ensures Chicago landlords meet their legal responsibilities to provide habitable, safe rental properties. For example, they must:

• Provide essential services, such as heat, hot water, electricity, and working plumbing
• Maintain watertight roofs and promptly fix a roof leak
• Provide fire extinguishers for buildings greater than three stories

Sealed-Battery Smoke Alarm Law

In February of 2021, the Chicago City Council passed a new law mandating the use of sealed-battery smoke alarms and imposing fines on landlords who fail to provide them or intentionally disable them.

Cook County Contacts

In Cook County, similar tenant rights ordinances exist. Violations of renters’ rights should be notified in writing to the landlord and your municipality.

The Chicago Department of Public Health: Healthy Homes

The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) provides key resources in CDPH Healthy Homes, guiding tenants and landlords on health safety measures, such as preventing lead poisoning or how to deal with bed bugs.

Chicago Apartment Accidents

Chicago-area landlords are notorious for failing to provide safe housing free of health violations for their tenants. Consequently, tenants are at an increased risk of accidents resulting in costly medical care, missed work, and a painful recovery process. Many accidents may be life-altering or even fatal.

Do I Have a Personal Injury Case?

To prove your rental unit accident case, you must show that there existed unreasonably dangerous conditions in your own apartment, and your landlord or property manager either created or had actual or constructive control over the situation.

Landlord-held common areas, such as hallways and sidewalks, and latent defects in your own rental housing unit can be grounds for personal injury lawsuits.

How Do I Prove My Case?

If you’ve been injured, to prove your case against your landlord or property owner, seek legal advice and:

• Submit evidence such as witness statements, pictures, videos, and documents.
• Reference your lease terms, which identifies areas under landlord control.
• Provide inspection logs and repair invoices to illustrate awareness of defects.

Who May Be Responsible for My Injuries?

In addition to landlords, other parties may also be held liable for hazards, such as building managers, maintenance companies or crew, snow removal companies, parking lot attendants, and security contractors or guards.

What Are Examples of Personal Injury Cases Against Landlords?

Personal injury cases often occur when landlords fail to keep common areas safe. Examples include:

• Poor lighting
• Dilapidated flooring and stairways
• Malfunctioning elevators
• Missing or broken smoke detectors
• Missing or broken carbon monoxide detectors
• Dilapidated balconies
• Unnatural accumulations of snow and ice
• Broken or missing locks
• Negligent security 

What Is My Personal Injury Lawsuit Worth?

The value of a personal injury lawsuit depends on factors like the amount of medical expenses incurred, income loss due to inability to work, property damage, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and reduced quality of life.

How Can a Personal Injury Attorney Help?

At The Kryder Law Group, LLC Accident and Injury Lawyers, our skilled personal injury attorneys guide you through the legal process, gather evidence, negotiate with insurance companies, and fight for the justice and compensation you deserve, including court representation if needed.