2026 Lease Updates

Realtor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2020 · 17 posts · 34 votes

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.

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Jonathan KlemmBusiness Member

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Contractor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 2k+ votes

8mo

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.

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Aaron ZimmermanBusiness Member
Accountant · Chicago, IL · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
8mo
If I sign a two year lease, no. If it's a one year lease, then yes.
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Bo SmithPro Member
Hinton, WV · Member since 2026 · 1k+ posts · 373 votes
8mo
Smart reminder on the CAR lease updates. I learned to set a November reminder to grab the new lease before January - saves the scramble when you're using last year's version. Do you batch update all properties at once or handle renewals as they come?
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Jonathan KlemmBusiness Member
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Contractor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 2k+ votes
8mo
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.
[email protected]
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Lee Burns
Investor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2018 · 337 posts · 164 votes
8mo
I've found the 2026 CAR lease from a quick Google search, thankfully
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James JonesPro Member
Investor · Collierville, TN 38017 · Member since 2017 · 842 posts · 605 votes
8mo
This is one of those “boring” posts that saves people real money.

Most landlords focus on rent increases and forget that lease compliance risk is just as expensive as vacancy.

A few things worth emphasizing for Chicago operators:

Annual lease updates are risk management, not paperwork

Chicago and Illinois tenant law changes constantly. If you are using a 2–3 year old lease, you are likely missing required disclosures. In court, that matters.

The Safe Home disclosure is not optional

If it is required as the first pages of the lease or renewal and you do not include it, you are handing a tenant leverage in a dispute. Judges in Chicago are very technical about documentation.

Flood disclosure is part of a broader trend

With climate-related legislation increasing, disclosures tied to environmental risk are only going to expand. Landlords who ignore this will get caught behind.

Renewals are not “copy and paste”

A renewal is a new contract period. If the law requires updated disclosures, you cannot rely on what was signed three years ago.

Operational takeaway:

At minimum, once a year:

Audit your lease template

Confirm all city-specific disclosures are included

Verify ordering requirements if mandated

Re-issue updated addenda at renewal

In landlord-friendly states, sloppy leases are survivable.

In Chicago, they are expensive.

If you self-manage in Cook County and are not using the current CAR lease, I would strongly recommend at least having a local attorney review your template annually. One missed disclosure can cost more than the review fee.

Curious, for those managing in Chicago: are you handling lease compliance in-house or relying entirely on your Realtor or attorney to push updates?
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Kenneth GarrettPro Member
Investor · Florida Panhandle/Illinois · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
8mo
@Elizabeth Pyle
Good point. I would add regardless of where you live, the laws are always changing and you have to keep up on those. With that being said, your lease should be a living document to a certain degree and it needs to be updated. As things come up that the lease doesn’t cover, I end up modifying things for the next tenant or on lease extensions. It’s very difficult to cover all situations, especially the odd ones. The city just covers the legal requirements, there are many things beyond the legality of the lease that need to be addressed when a dispute arises. If a judge had to decide on a situation, if your lease doesn’t cover it clearly, you are going to lose that one.
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Drew SygitBusiness Member
Property Manager · Royal Oak, MI · Member since 2012 · 13k+ posts · 9k+ votes
4d
Realtor leases just cover the basics, including important legal ones, but are woefully inadequant in the real world.
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