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Summary of Rights for Safer Homes Act
Effective January 1, 2026, the Summary of Rights for Safer Homes Act requires landlords (owners of the building or someone working for them to rent residences) to provide a summary of rights to all Illinois residential tenants as the first page of their written lease, whether the lease is new or a renewal.
On this page, access the downloadable summary of rights required for all leases and explore Frequently Asked Questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about the Safe Homes Act (765 ILCS 750) and the Summary of Rights for Safer Homes Act (765 ILCS 752)
- 1. Who is covered under the Safe Homes Act?
- 2. How are tenants potentially protected under the Safe Homes Act?
- 3. What responsibility does a landlord and agents of a landlord have to a tenant and their families under the Safe Homes Act?
- 4. What is a landlord or a landlord’s agent responsibility under the Summary of Rights for Safer Homes Act?
- 5. When does this law take effect?
- 6. What if a landlord or a landlord’s agent fails to comply with the Summary of Rights for Safer Homes Act?
- 7. What if there are multiple tenants occupying the unit?
Victims of domestic or sexual violence and their families are covered under the Safe Homes Act.
The Safe Homes Act provides (1) that a tenant who is a victim of domestic or sexual violence and their families may be allowed to terminate a lease without being liable for any remaining rent and (2) that upon written notice of all tenants on a lease, a landlord or their agent is to change locks within 48 hours of a request that locks be changed and, if the landlord or their agent fails to change locks within 48 hours after receiving the written notice, the tenant may change the lock without permission from the landlord or their agent.
Landlords and their agents must comply with the Safe Homes Act.
Under the Summary of Rights for Safer Homes Act, it is the responsibility of a landlord or a landlord’s agent to attach a copy of the summary of this Act as the first page of any written residential lease entered into with a tenant and to obtain the signature of each tenant in the acknowledgment of receipt at the bottom of each page of the summary.
January 1, 2026. All landlords or their agents must begin attaching a copy of the "Summary of Rights for Safer Homes" document to written residential leases on or after this date.
A landlord who is proven to have to failed to comply with the Summary of Rights for Safer Homes Act is liable for the greater of: (i) the tenant's actual damages, if any, not to exceed $2,000 or (ii) $100.
The Summary of Rights for Safer Homes Act includes signature lines on each page (4 pages total) for the first 2 tenants, and additional tenants may sign each page in the space below these or alongside them.
Questions about the Summary of Rights for Safer Homes Act and the Illinois Human Rights Act (775 ILCS 5)
- 8. Is it a violation of the Illinois Human Rights Act if a landlord or its agent does not comply with the Summary of Rights for Safer Homes Act?
- 9. Can a violation of the Safe Homes Act be a violation of the Illinois Human Rights Act?
- 10. Can a tenant seek relief for a violation of the Safe Homes Act through the Illinois Department of Human Rights?
No. However, the Illinois Human Rights Act provides protection to individuals who have order of protection status.
No. The Safe Homes Act does not provide the right to seek relief under the Illinois Human Rights Act.