SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Illinois senators passed a plan Wednesday to prohibit landlords from retaliating against their tenants.
The proposal could ban landlords from terminating leases, increasing rent, decreasing services or threatening lawsuits. It also states that landlords would no longer be allowed to refuse to renew a lease after a tenant complains about code violations or seeks assistance from elected officials.
"Like many state offices, my staff receives and works with plenty of constituents who have faced some form of housing retaliation," said Sen. Karina Villa (D-West Chicago). "These individuals are looking for quality, safe and affordable housing and should not be barred from seeking remedies without fear of retaliation."Â
Senate Republicans argued this change will hurt tenants and drive up costs.
The law will ban landlords from terminating leases, increasing rent, decreasing services or threatening lawsuits.
"Bills like this force small landlords to sell to the big guys who could care less about a lot of the stuff you're talking about," said Sen. Jason Plummer (R-Edwardsville). "This is a bad bill that's going to hurt some of the most vulnerable families in our districts."
House Bill 4768 passed out of the Senate on a 34-19 vote with two senators voting present. The measure now moves back to the House on concurrence. It previously passed out of the House on a 62-42 vote with two representatives voting present on April 16.
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