Significance

Landlord/tenant acts set out the duties of the landlord and the tenant, in plain English, so both know their rights and responsibilities. They also set out remedies for both, should one or the other renege on their duties.

Features

These acts can cover issues for the tenant such as security, rodents, vermin, insect infestation, repairs, appliances and other issues. Most of the issues outline who must correct the problems.

Benefits

For the landlord, the acts usually emphasize that tenants must pay the rent on time and must notify the landlord in writing of any deficiencies they encounter. This protects the landlord from tenants who withhold rent, claiming the landlord was deficient in handling a problem.

Remedies

Time frames for repairs and infestations are generally set forth so tenants can know how long it will take for the problem to be remedied. Landlords know how quickly they must repair a situation and what penalties can be placed if they don't.

Remedies

Some remedies require the landlord to financially compensate tenants for correcting the problem themselves; others give the tenant a monetary award for the landlord's failure to correct the problem.

Source:

USLegal.com: Illinois landlord/tenant act summary

USLegalforms.com: Landlord/tenant acts by state

DepositLaw.com: Chicago's landlord/tenant act