Know Your Housing Rights in Chicago 

Chicago has some of the strongest renter protections in the United States. Here are the rights tenants rely on most. 

Chicago Laws & Protections

1. Voucher & Subsidy Protection

It is ILLEGAL for landlords or brokers to discriminate against renters who use:

• CHA vouchers
  
  

• Section 8
  
  

• disability housing support
  
  

• SSI or SSDI
  
  

• supportive housing subsidies
  
  

• Heartland Alliance rental assistance
  
  

They cannot:

• refuse to show units
  
  

• refuse to accept vouchers
  
  

• impose extra rules
  
  

• require higher credit or income
  
  

• charge extra fees

2. Credit Score Discrimination

Landlords can check credit —
but they cannot use credit rules in a way that:

• targets certain groups
  
  

• disproportionately affects Black renters
  
  

• discourages voucher holders
  
  

• is enforced unevenly
  
  

Unequal enforcement = discrimination.

3. Criminal Background Checks

Under Chicago’s Just Housing Amendment:

• records older than 3 years cannot be used
  
  

• blanket bans on felonies are illegal
  
  

• landlords must provide a pre-adverse action notice
  
  

• applicants must have a chance to dispute
  
  

• individualized assessment is required

4. Equal Treatment During Showings

You cannot be:

• lied to about unit availability
  
  

• discouraged from applying
  
  

• told different credit/income requirements
  
  

• given different viewing rules
  
  

• screened differently
  
  

• asked more invasive questions
  
  

• steered to specific units or neighborhoods
  
  

These are indicators of discrimination.

5. Right to Written Denial

You have the right to ask for:

• the exact reason for denial
  
  

• the screening criteria used
  
  

• whether they approve voucher holders
  
  

• whether exceptions were made for others
  
  

We help renters phrase these requests clearly.