Domestic Violence Protection is Focus of New Apartment Lease
Photo by Olga Yastremska (Adobe Stock) Chicago’s new Residential Lease gives renters the right to terminate leases early due to threats, offering crucial protections for victims of domestic violence but extra costs for landlords. By Don DeBat Domestic violence in Chicago and across Illinois regretfully is on the rise. In 2024, the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline received a record-breaking 18,940 requests for shelter in Chicago and across the state, a 112 percent increase f
Don DeBat
Jan 29
New Ordinance Will Provide More Regulation of Short-term Rentals in Chicago
(Above) Dining/Great Room of an Airbnb in Old Town. Interior photos by Andrew Charles Miller. (Click on images to view larger versions.)...
Don DeBat
Jun 3, 2025
Apartment Renters and Landlords Battle Over Move-In Fees
A conflict is brewing between landlords and tenants in Chicago’s North Side apartment rental market over non-refundable move-in fees. A...
Don DeBat
May 17, 2025
Record Number of Property Tax Appeals Filed for Tax Year 2024
Appeals increased by 11 percent over 2023 as property owners in Chicago and surrounding suburbs turned to the Cook County Board of Review...
Don DeBat
Apr 13, 2025
Chicago Apartment Dwellers Face Hefty Spring Rent Hikes
(Above) Looking south down south branch of Chicago River in 2018. Wolf Point West at right. Photo by Sean Pavone. Rent prices in Chicago...
Don DeBat
Apr 2, 2025
