The New Year 2026 will bring a variety of changes to Illinois law. One of those will be effectivce January 1, 2026, when private Illinois housing providers will need to include a summary of the Illinois Safe Homes Act as the first page of all residential leases.
The Act was introduced back in 2006, with the goal of providing protections for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Illinois legislators passed the “Summary of Rights for the Illinois Safe Homes Act” (Public Act 103-1031). The mandatory summary to be provided by landlords must be included with new leases and lease renewals starting in 2026.
What does the Summary include? There is a summary of tenant rights and protections under the law, such as the right to terminate a lease early when the tenant is subject to a threat of domestic or sexual violence, without penalty. There is also a right to change or re-key locks to prevent further abuse. Eviction protections based on incidents of domestic or sexual violence are included in the Act and in the summary description. The prohibition on discrimination is also covered.
And the summary includes a list of free legal service providers.
Who should pay attention? Both landlords and those who represent landlords for leasing purposes should become familiar with the Act, the requirement to now attach the Summary of the Act to the front of the Lease, and the penalties for failure to comply.
Want to check out a copy of the Summary? Click here: https://dhr.illinois.gov/legal/summary-of-rights-for-safer-homes-act.html
Want to discuss the Illinois Safe Homes Act? Contact the Attorneys at Marc D Sherman & Colleagues, PC using this link: https://mshermanlaw.com/contact/
