CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL—(ENEWSPF)—August 4, 2011. Landlords will be required to provide additional disclosure about criminal activity in their leases and municipal attorneys will be able to bring eviction actions on behalf of landlords under legislation, sponsored by State Rep. Anthony DeLuca (D-Chicago Heights), which was signed into law by the governor this week.
“By taking on crime in neighborhood rental properties we are doing more to ensure families in our communities are safe in their own homes,” DeLuca said. “As a former local mayor, I supported a policy to help reduce the crime rate by asking for more coordination between landlords and law enforcement. This new crime-free rental housing legislation aims to curtail crime through this same successful partnership.”
Senate Bill 1766 is modeled off of crime-free rental housing ordinances found in many communities throughout Illinois. The bill will allow non-home rule municipalities to bring an eviction action on behalf of a landlord, something that only State’s Attorneys are currently permitted to do. Under the new guidelines, renters will be informed of the eviction rules when signing a lease and in the event a property is found to be used for criminal activity, it will be easier to remove the problem tenants for the betterment of the rest of the community.
“This legislation takes a fresh approach to crime-free housing policies by requiring more disclosure and transparency between landlords and tenants and by providing a new way to go after criminal activity in our neighborhoods,” DeLuca added. “This approach provides renters with frank information about the consequences of questionable behavior, and allows municipalities to more effectively go after problem tenets.”
For more information, please contact DeLuca’s constituent service office at (708) 672-0200.
Source: Representative DeLuca
