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Illinois rule history

Every change we have made to the rules we apply in Illinois, newest first. Each entry gives the ruleset version, the day we made the change and the rules it touched.

Changes, newest first

Dates are the days we made each change. A change reaches tektolo.com with the next release of the site. Changes that apply in every state are in the rules changelog. Rules changelog.

Security deposit rules sd-2026.11.19

Published interest rates and the cleaning rule are now written as dated values, one value from each date. No rule changed and no answer moved.

  • Changed: Chicago: Overrides, Deductions, Interest.

Security deposit rules sd-2026.11.6

Adds Evanston's own forfeiture and double penalty; New Hampshire's age exemption and an inferred Louisiana abandonment keep the statute's deadline leading.

  • Changed: Evanston: Overrides.

Security deposit rules sd-2026.11.1

Adds the Evanston, Illinois ordinance (City Code 5-3-5-1); Berkeley Regulation 704 is interest for an unpaid year, not a late-refund penalty.

  • Changed: Notes.
  • Added: Evanston: City names, Evanston: Confidence, Evanston: Evidence and confidence, Evanston: Name, Evanston: Notes, Evanston: Overrides, Evanston: Sources, Evanston: State, Evanston: Statute text, Evanston: Who the law covers.

Security deposit rules sd-2026.10.29

Uses inputs the statutes refer to: pet deposits and prepaid rent in caps and interest, Minneapolis's prepaid cap, North Carolina's term, published interest rates and move-in reports.

  • Changed: Chicago: Overrides, Interest, Sources.

Security deposit rules sd-2026.10.23

Adds trash and abandoned items as a deduction, Maine's bar on a fee for ending the tenancy, cap variants for small landlords and older tenants, and owner-occupancy exemptions.

  • Changed: Chicago: Who the law covers.

Security deposit rules sd-2026.10.21

Interest accrual rules for Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, New Mexico and Illinois: when interest starts, compounding and the published reference rates.

  • Changed: Interest.

Security deposit rules sd-2026.10.20

Two-stage and alternative clocks in Illinois, Maryland, Indiana, Louisiana and Maine, such as Illinois's full return within 45 days once the statement is missed.

  • Changed: Return deadline.

Security deposit rules sd-2026.10.18

The penalty base follows each statute's words (what was wrongfully withheld, the balance owed, or more than the actual damages) in 24 states; Maryland's remedy for a deposit over the cap.

  • Changed: Penalties.

Security deposit rules sd-2026.10.17

Adds each state's statute on re-renting and mitigation (33 states); in Oregon and Florida the early-termination fee and the later rent are alternatives.

  • Changed: Deductions.

Security deposit rules sd-2026.10.12

Penalty exposure on the deposit still held once the deadline passes; no-forwarding-address safe harbors in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Delaware, South Carolina and New Hampshire.

  • Changed: Penalties.

Security deposit rules sd-2026.10.11

Interest rate histories for San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Maryland and Minnesota, each period at its own rate and counted each place's way.

  • Changed: Chicago: Overrides.

Security deposit rules sd-2026.10.10

Weekend and holiday roll-forward under each state's time-computation statute (32 states), with each state's own legal holidays.

  • Changed: Return deadline, Sources.

Security deposit rules sd-2026.10.9

Where the statute is silent on depreciation (49 states), an aged item is limited to its remaining value as an estimate; Colorado carpet over ten years old is barred.

  • Changed: Deductions.

Security deposit rules sd-2026.10.8

Cleaning is typed per state, as named in the statute or recoverable only as damage beyond normal wear; a cleaning line of unknown kind is 'depends', never refused outright.

  • Changed: Deductions.

Security deposit rules sd-2026.10.6

Late-fee caps (17 states, Chicago and Seattle) and lease-break limits; a lease-break charge is 'depends' everywhere.

  • Changed: Chicago: Overrides, Chicago: Sources.

Security deposit rules sd-2026.10.3

Loss of the right to withhold is typed per state and computed into the totals; consequences the tool does not compute are listed as unknowns.

  • Changed: Penalties.
  • Added: Loss of the right to withhold.

Security deposit rules sd-2026.10.2

Adds official plain-language guides (California, Florida, Maryland, New York, Texas, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle) and state small claims court pages.

  • Added: Chicago: Official guides, Small claims court.

Security deposit rules sd-2026.10.1

Review fixes: inclusive tenancy thresholds, state holiday sets, Los Angeles and Maryland interest per rate year, Florida's notice of claim, Colorado's carpet and paint limits.

  • Changed: Chicago: Notes, Chicago: Overrides, Interest.

The rules we apply now

Each rule we apply in Illinois, with the day it took its current form.

RuleIn this form sinceVersion
DeductionsOctober 15, 2026sd-2026.11.19
Deposit capOctober 9, 2026sd-2026.10.0
InterestOctober 15, 2026sd-2026.11.19
Itemized statement and recordsOctober 9, 2026sd-2026.10.0
Loss of the right to withholdOctober 9, 2026sd-2026.10.3
NotesOctober 10, 2026sd-2026.11.1
PenaltiesOctober 10, 2026sd-2026.10.18
Recent amendmentsOctober 9, 2026sd-2026.10.0
Return deadlineOctober 10, 2026sd-2026.10.20
Small claims courtOctober 9, 2026sd-2026.10.2
StatuteOctober 9, 2026sd-2026.10.0
Statute textOctober 9, 2026sd-2026.10.0
Who the law coversOctober 9, 2026sd-2026.10.0
Chicago: NotesOctober 9, 2026sd-2026.10.1
Chicago: Official guidesOctober 9, 2026sd-2026.10.2
Chicago: OverridesOctober 15, 2026sd-2026.11.19
Chicago: Statute textOctober 9, 2026sd-2026.10.0
Chicago: Who the law coversOctober 10, 2026sd-2026.10.23
Evanston: NotesOctober 10, 2026sd-2026.11.1
Evanston: OverridesOctober 10, 2026sd-2026.11.6
Evanston: Statute textOctober 10, 2026sd-2026.11.1
Evanston: Who the law coversOctober 10, 2026sd-2026.11.1

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