Law Center for Better Housing

08/20/2026

08/20/2026

Calling all renters! If you or someone you know has lived in rental housing that was unsafe or unhealthy, we’d love to hear from you!

Currently, Chicago only conducts rental inspections that are reactive–meaning buildings are inspected only when the City is informed of an existing problem. Proactive rental inspections, on the other hand, ensure that rental homes are safe and healthy before conditions deteriorate. By sharing your story, you'll provide vital information to support in implementing Proactive Rental Inspections in Chicago! Register for one of the sessions below!

⭐West Side PRI Community Engagement Session (@ Malcolm X College, 1900 W. Jackson Blvd.) - Tuesday, August 25, 2026 from 6-8pm

⭐South Side PRI Community Engagement Session (@ Kennedy-King College, 6301 S. Halsted St.) - Thursday, August 27, 2026 from 6-8pm

⭐ North Side PRI Community Engagement Session (@ Harry Truman College, 1145 W. Wilson Ave.) - Saturday, August 29, 2026 from 10am-12pm

Chicago renters and landlords are invited to three community meetings across the City to share their experience with rental housing conditions and learn more about proactive rental inspections. 🏘️

The City currently only conducts rental inspections that are reactive–meaning buildings are inspected only when the City is informed of an existing problem or conditions imperil renter health. Proactive rental inspections, on the other hand, would ensure that rental homes are safe and healthy before conditions deteriorate. Dozens of U.S. cities already have proactive rental inspection programs and Chicago should be next!📈

These community meetings are part of a working group convened by the Mayor’s Office to gather stories from Chicagoans and inform recommendations for implementing proactive rental inspections here in Chicago.

💡If you or someone you know has lived in rental housing that was unsafe or unhealthy, we’d love to hear from you! Register for one of the three community meetings today with the link in our bio!

08/07/2026

Before you head into the weekend, take 5-minutes to help us protect renters' rights! The "FAIR" Ordinance is anything but FAIR! Not only does it leave out the strongest new defenses in the Protecting Renters Ordinance (PRO), but it also rolls back renter protections that have been in place for decades! Use this tool to draft an email to your alderperson telling them to say "NO" to the unFAIR Ordinance!

Tell Chicago City Council: do not weaken renter protections.

08/06/2026

It is with great honor that we announce Henry Rose, professor emeritus at Loyola University Chicago School of Law and co-author of the Chicago Residential Landlord Tenant Ordinance, will take home the 2026 Barbara Grau Outstanding Housing Advocate Award for his lifelong commitment to advancing renters' rights! Hear more about Hank's impact from LCBH co-founder and 2025 Barbara Grau Award Winner, David Orr, in the video below! Plus, purchase your ticket to this year's event at www.lcbh.org/2026

Henry joins a prestigious list of Barbara Grau Award Winners who've dedicated their careers to supporting renters, including Richard Wheelock (2001), Julie Dworkin (2004), Della Mitchell (2007), Metropolitan Tenants Organization Outreach Workers (2010), Kate Walz (2011), Kathleen Clark (2012), Brendan Saunders (2013), ONE Northside (2014), Lizzie Rosenthal (2015), Preserve Lathrop Homes (2016), PILSEN ALLIANCE (2017), Patricia Fron (2018), Lynette Barnes (2020), Frank G. Avellone (2021), Shiva Kooragayala (2022), Bernard Kleina (2023), Taft West (2024), and David Orr (2025). We'd also like to acknowledge three former award winners who made tremendous strides for renters before their passing, William Wilen (2000), Mary Jane Haggerty (2002), and Joe Arnold (2005). May their legacies continue to guide our work.

https://youtu.be/HEPfGyAYY-Q?si=JwB1RYNPXmYSQtpB

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08/04/2026

"Today, when renters enter eviction court, they have access to a legal aid attorney to counsel them and possibly provide representation. An independent evaluation of the [Right to Counsel] Pilot Program found that when a tenant identified remaining in the property or avoiding a formal eviction order as their goal, they achieved that goal more than 90% of the time. It isn’t magic — tenants have defenses, and when they have the resources to present them, they win," Michelle Gilbert, Legal and Policy Director

The Protecting Renter’s Ordinance codifies the Chicago Right to Counsel Pilot Project, ensuring we can continue providing extended representation when a tenant has a viable defense or is particularly vulnerable. Read more from Michelle in Crain's Chicago Business:

Research overwhelmingly shows that the eviction court process is more equitable when both sides have an attorney.

07/28/2026

Arm of Faith is hosting their Annual Block Party this Saturday! LCBH will be there with resources for kids and parents to get ready for the school year. Plus, they'll have free food, games, a petting zoo, a mobile game truck, and a bouncy house. Bring the whole family and kick off the new school season with us!

*Poster provided by host organization

07/24/2026

ICYMI: LCBH's Legal and Policy Director, Michelle Gilbert, was on WBEZ's In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons yesterday morning! Michelle dispelled some common myths about the meaning and making of the Protecting Renters Ordinance, and why Chicago needs PRO now! Listen in:

Just weeks after Mayor Brandon Johnson introduced legislation on renters’ rights in Chicago, some city council members proposed their own counter ordinance.

07/21/2026

"Imagine owning [12] condos, [12] single-family homes, and thinking that you are a small business. What kind of rights would tenants lose if this passes?” said Michelle Gilbert, legal and policy director for Law Center for Better Housing. “As soon as it became law, tenants in those properties … would lose the right to common-sense landlord disclosures.”

Did you know one provision in the unFAIR Ordinance would expand the number of rental properties exempt from most of Chicago’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance?

Currently, the RLTO exemption applies to owner-occupied buildings with six or fewer units. The unFAIR Ordinance expands the definition of small landlord to an individual who owns up to 12 rental units across Chicago, even if the owner does not live in one of the units.

PRO is for Chicago tenants. "FAIR" is for corporate landlords! Tell your alderperson to expand and protect renters' rights by voting YES on PRO!

Ald. Gilbert Villegas defended the competing proposal as a starting point for negotiations as advocates warned it could leave some renters with fewer protections.

07/17/2026

Earlier this week, some members of City Council introduced the Fair and Accountable Illinois Rental (FAIR) Ordinance. FAIR not only trashes the most meaningful tenant protections from the Protecting Renters Ordinance (PRO), but it also rolls back tenant protections that have been in place in Chicago for decades.

The unFAIR proposal would be a devastating roll back of tenant protections. It eliminates the protection of the Fair Notice Ordinance, which means a landlord could notify you the day before your lease ends that your lease is not renewing.

The unFAIR proposal also strips out key protections from the Protecting Renters Ordinance, like banning junk fees.
We need YOU to take action TODAY to support the Protecting Renters Ordinance! Call your alderperson and tell them to say "no" to FAIR! Find your alderperson and more aways to advocate here:
https://mailchi.mp/lcbh/proadvocacyalert2

07/17/2026

Earlier this week, some members of City Council introduced the Fair and Accountable Illinois Rental (FAIR) Ordinance. FAIR not only trashes the most meaningful tenant protections from the Protecting Renters Ordinance (PRO), but it also rolls back tenant protections that have been in place in Chicago for decades.

The proposed FAIR Ordinance isn’t fair.

It isn’t a compromise.

It isn't a more moderate attempt to protect tenants.

FAIR is a blatant attempt to strip rights from tenants and eliminates protections currently covered by the Residential Landlord Tenant Ordinance. It hands tenants' rights to non-resident landlords. Sign the petition and let your landlord know you DO NOT support FAIR: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdDha-0l39o98PL8RrvFO1ggXoF9rm0CVvQmZE5ZOF5hrSm2A/viewform

A City Hall fight set to redefine the tenant-landlord relationship is ramping up after a group of aldermen this week pitched a counterproposal to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to vastly expand the rights of Chicago renters.