Oppose Mayor Johnson's PRO Ordinance - Call to action
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.
- Brie Schmidt
- Podcast Guest on Show #132
