Dear all,

I suffered from the same situation last month and I fortunately found and got some help to solve the problem. Here is my experience sharing with you. I think everyone may want know how and where to get legal help.

1. Attached is the Tenants Ordinates: Chapter 5-12 of the Chicago Municipal Code. But please be careful of those Exclusions when apply.

2. www.tenants-rights.org 

The Q&A on this website is very useful. Especially, it will help you better understand Chapter 5-12

3. www.carpls.org

CARPLS: Coordinated advice & referral program for legal services

They have a free legal hotline. Those volunteer attorneys will answer you questions. They can be
reached from 9am to 5pm at 312-738-9200. If under emergency, you can leave a message on 312-738-9486 or fax to 312-738-9487. They are the only free legal service I found that can help me, others may only give advice to residents or citizens.

4.Free Mediator: RADR (Residential Alternatives for Dispute Resolution ) could be reached at  312-922-6464

http://www.caadrs.org/adr/RADRmediation.htm


5. Advice from attorney:

Take PICTURES when you move out and together with your landlord view the whole apartment and ask him to sign for you.

"If your landlord does not return your security deposit after you move out of your apartment, you may file a lawsuit to get your money back."

"The Illinois Security Deposit Return Act, 765 ILCS 710/1, requires a landlord to provide you with a written statement describing any damage to the property if the landlord wants to deduct repair costs from your security deposit". But this Act applies only if you lived in a building or complex containing less than 5 apartments. If you lived in a building or complex containing less than 5 apartments, your landlord does not have to provide a damage statement.

6. if you call 911 but the policemen seem not going to help you as they know nothing about tenants ordinance or any other law you know, please do remember to ask 1) their badge number 2) which police district they are from 3)their Watch Commander's telephone number 4) call their Watch Commander. Before call their watch commander, make sure you understand and apply to the ordinance correctly.


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Date:    Fri, 16 Aug 2002 20:41:36 +0000
From:    Chris Tan <uic_alum@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Tips to our new fellows - Chapter 2 Landlord

Yi, you are quite tight. One other thing I want to tip our fellow new comers is be aware of your landlord.

I assume most of you would end up around Chinatown neighborhood considering you do not have a car yet. Landlords are well aware of the fact that you are new guys, you do not know much about this area, you do not know much about the rules over here, you do not have many friends yet. and worst of all, through all these years demands of housing in this area looks out-weight supply.
especially when you come a little bit late, you really do not have much bargaining edge.

Based on my experience years ago, Chinatown neighborhood landlords are mostly small business owner, house wife or sole depending on rent for a living. They are mostly the poor guys came to the states in the early 60's, 70's from Italy, Taiwan, Singapore.... You really need to know a basic fact, that is most of them had sold their dark soul to money. and their greed are not
any less than those corporate crooks though s/he may claim how nice s/he is, Those Taiwan and Singapore landlord might even recite a few Tang2 Song4 poem for you to impress you..... SIMPLY IGNORE IT politely, SHOW YOUR TOUGH FACE.

Sit down, read carefully the lease, point out anything you do not feel comfortable with and let him/her explain what exactly it means if you do not understand and sometimes even need amend the terms, amend the wording of the terms to make it more concrete.

You may need to think about a few scenarios that's likely to happen, for example if you locked yourself outside the house, how soon the landlord would respond. if your utility is not working, how soon the landlord can fix the problem. if you have whatever unforeseeable reason have to break the lease, is there any penalty? if your house has bugs, rats how soon how well the landlord would respond.

DO NOT FORGET TO ASK HIM/HER, IF S/HE FAILED TO FULFILL WHAT S/HE PROMISED WHAT S/HE IS GOING TO DO.