Residential Tenant and Landlord Ordinance (RTLO)
The Residential Tenant Landlord Ordinance (RTLO) is designed to protect and promote public health, safety, and welfare, establish the rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords, and encourage both parties to maintain and improve housing quality. The ordinance provides legal safeguards when either tenants or landlords fail to act in good faith.
On Jan. 28, 2021, the Cook County Board of Commissioners adopted Cook County Ordinance 20-3562, known as the Residential Tenant and Landlord Ordinance (RTLO). This ordinance comprehensively regulates tenant and landlord rights and obligations throughout Cook County and took effect on June 1, 2021. Without any action by the Village Board, most rental properties in Oak Park automatically fell under the jurisdiction and protections of the Cook County RTLO. Notably, the ordinance's anti-lockout provision went into effect immediately upon passage.
To assist Oak Park residents in enforcing the Cook County RTLO, the Village Board, following staff recommendations and local feedback, formally adopted the ordinance on July 19, 2021, with the following amendments to align with local regulations:
- Inclusion of the Village’s occupancy standards;
- Reference to the Village’s property maintenance code; and
- Reference to the Village’s heat provision code.
Full Village of Oak Park RLTO
The following three documents are required by the RTLO to be attached to each written rental lease agreement when such agreement is initially offered to any tenant or prospective tenant on behalf of a landlord regardless if the lease agreement is for a new rental or a renewal:
Summary of Oak Park RLTO(PDF, 266KB)
Bed Bug Prevention, Detection and Control pamphlet(PDF, 650KB)
Lead Prevention pamphlet(PDF, 1MB)
For situations where the Village of Oak Park RTLO does not apply, please refer to the Cook County RTLO and the State of Illinois Landlord-Tenant Rights and Laws.
For any questions, concerns and assistance regarding Landlord-Tenant matter, please contact the Village's Community Relations Coordinator at community@oak-park.us.