Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Protecting Renters Ordinance (PRO) proposes the most expansive overhaul of Chicago’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance in 40 years.

• * Creates Backdoor Rent Control and Substantial Relocation Fees: Allows tenants to reject certain rent increases at renewal and demand steep mandatory relocation assistance—up to TEN MONTH’S RENT without a justifiable cause.

• * Forces Renewal of Leases for Disruptive Tenants : Prevents removing tenants who engage in chronic noise violations, harassment, or non-evitable nuisances, ultimately harming other residents in the building.

• * Adds Mandatory Fees and Bureaucratic Red Tape: Establishes a mandatory annual Rental Registry charging per-unit fees (up to $60/unit) alongside heavy paperwork, creating severe penalties for simple administrative or technical errors.

• * Drives Small Mom-and-Pop Landlords Out of the Market: Local independent owners operating on thin margins are hit hardest by added legal exposure and compliance complexity; resulting in sell-off to corporate, institutional ownership.

• * Forces Stricter Screening on Vulnerable Renters: Ending a lease or regaining possession becomes significantly harder and more expensive, landlords will be forced to apply far stricter credit and background checks to mitigate risk on the front end.

• * Discourages Housing Investment and New Supply: Penalizes building updates, rehabs, and owner move-ins by triggering relocation payouts. This discourages capital investment in existing inventory and stifles new development at a time when the city desperately needs more housing units.

https://nboachicago.com/rlto-changes/