Illinois Tenants
A professional demand letter citing Illinois's Security Deposit Return Act (765 ILCS 710), the 30-day itemization and 45-day return deadlines, and the double-damages penalty for wrongful withholding. Ready in minutes.
Deadline
30 / 45 days
to return your deposit after move-out
Penalty
2× + fees
on a refusal or bad-faith finding
Statute
765 ILCS 710
Security Deposit Return Act
Under the Illinois Security Deposit Return Act (765 ILCS 710), your landlord must give you an itemized statement of any damages within 30 days of move-out, and return your deposit (or the balance) within 45 days of move-out. Since January 1, 2024, the Act applies to residential rentals statewide regardless of building size.
If the landlord has refused to supply the required itemized statement — for example, by sending you nothing at all — or supplied one in bad faith, and has failed to return the deposit due in time, you may recover:
So a $1,500 deposit wrongfully withheld can support a court judgment of $3,000 plus court costs and fees. Most landlords settle quickly once they realize you know the law.
The old 5-unit threshold is gone: Public Act 103-224 (effective January 1, 2024) removed the Act’s old five-unit building threshold. The Security Deposit Return Act now covers Illinois residential rentals regardless of how many units your building has — sources still describing a “5+ units only” rule are out of date. Local ordinances (Chicago, Cook County) can add further protections on top.
Give your forwarding address in writing: Under the current Act, a tenant who fails to provide the landlord with a mailing address or email address cannot hold the landlord liable for damages or penalties resulting from that failure — the deposit is still owed, but the penalty exposure can be lost. A written demand letter that states your forwarding address closes that door.
Every letter follows the structure courts expect — your facts, the statute, a specific demand, and a deadline. Here's the skeleton; the generator fills the brackets from your answers and computes Illinois's deadlines under 765 ILCS 710.
[Date]
[Your name]
[Your forwarding address]
[Landlord's name and address]
RE: Security Deposit — Formal Demand for Return of $[Amount]
I am the former tenant of [rental property address]. You accepted a security deposit of $[Amount], and my tenancy ended on [move-out date]. My forwarding address for return of the deposit is stated above, which I am providing to you in writing.
Under 765 ILCS 710, you were required to [return the deposit or provide an itemized statement] within [the statutory period]. That period has passed, and you have done neither. [The specific consequence Illinois law attaches, cited by section.]
I demand return of $[Amount] no later than [deadline]. If I do not receive it, I am prepared to pursue all remedies available under [statute], including filing suit in the appropriate court.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Some cities layer their own security deposit rules on top of state law — and some don't. Here's where Illinois's major cities stand.
EvanstonNot yet covered
We don’t cover Evanston yet — Evanston has its own security deposit ordinance that applies instead of the standard Illinois rules, and our verification of it against the ordinance text isn’t complete. Evanston letters aren’t offered until it is.
ChicagoOwn ordinance
The Chicago RLTO governs covered Chicago rentals — deposit plus interest due within 45 days of vacating (itemized statement with receipts within 30 days when deducting), with a strict-liability 2× penalty plus interest. Owner-occupied buildings of six or fewer units are exempt.
See the Chicago rule →
Cook CountyOwn ordinance
The Cook County RTLO governs suburban Cook County outside Chicago — 30-day return, with a 2×-plus-fees penalty for violations.
See the Cook County rule →
30 / 45 days after you move out.
A landlord who has refused to supply the required itemized statement — or supplied one in bad faith — and has failed to return the deposit due in time is liable for twice the amount of the security deposit due, plus court costs and reasonable attorney’s fees. Unlike the Chicago ordinance, the state Act’s penalty is not automatic — it requires a circuit court finding — but bad faith is not required where the landlord simply never sent the statement: refusing to supply it is its own trigger.
Illinois Security Deposit Return Act, 765 ILCS 710. We verify these against the statute text itself; the date we last checked is shown on this page.
Chicago, Cook County have local ordinance rules on top of (or instead of) the state default. Evanston has its own ordinance that we haven't finished verifying — we don't publish its deadlines or offer letters there yet.
Sources & verification
The Illinois rules on this page were verified against the statute text itself:
Last verified against primary sources on .
How we verify this →Laws change. If you spot something out of date, tell us at support@gettenantshield.com and we'll correct it.
Properly formatted, addressed to your landlord by name, citing the exact Illinois statutes that apply to your situation.
765 ILCS 710 and any others triggered by your circumstances — not generic legalese.
The letter computes the exact dollar amount you're entitled to demand based on your deposit and the deductions at issue.
Download instantly, print, sign, and send via USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt.
Most Illinois landlords return the deposit within days of receiving a properly drafted demand letter.
Generate my letter — $39