2026 Lease Updates

[Elizabeth Pyle]

Do you update your lease annually? The Chicago Association of Realtors releases a new lease at the beginning of each year which ensures the lease is in compliance with new legislation. The 2026 Lease had several updates including the requirement of a Safe Home disclosure as the first pages of a lease or renewal. Must be provided for leases AND renewals. If you don't have access, reach out to your Realtor each year and they will provide it for you. Note that 2025 added a requirement for a Flood disclosure. 

[Jonathan Klemm]

Hey @Elizabeth Pyle - Ive used the chicago assicoation of realtors lease for a long time, but it honestly doesnt cover a lot of specifics that we have slowly added as addendum to the CAR lease.

We've had tenants not pick up after there pets we had to do pet poo fees, we've had to specifically designate common areas, and many other things.  I highly suggest using AI and ask it to think like a chicago landlord attorney and come up with anything that could go wrong and put that into the lease so its as clean and clear as possible.

I've had some challenging tenants lately and it's only then that you realize the need to take all these additional steps.  6 years with no issues and then one after another this past year.