Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson introduces Protect Renters Ordinance for stronger tenant protections

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson introduced a new ordinance Monday morning he said will increase protections for the city's renters.

The proposed ordinance amends the current Residential and Tenant Ordinance and Chapter 24 of the Municipal Code of Chicago. The city said they're going after "non-transparent junk fees" and landlords who are evicting tenants without good reason. But many landlords argued that, ultimately, the city can't make housing more affordable by making it more expensive to provide housing.

A crowd of staunch supporters came out to Daley Plaza for the announcement of the Protecting Renters Ordinance, known as PRO.

"The rental registry would make ownership and repeated violations easier to track," said Jonathan Smith, a renter in Chicago.

"And give the Department the power to hold bad landlords accountable," said Lisette Castañeda, commissioner of the City Département of Housing.

Supporters said times have changed and protections for renters need to change too.

"We will build the new housing our city needs, but we must ensure new investment creates opportunity and not displacement," said Mayor Johnson.

The ordinance would require landlords to provide a valid reason before evicting a tenant or declining to renew their lease. The city argued some landlords use evictions as a tool for displacement and gentrification. In certain cases, landlords would also be required to provide relocation assistance.

The ordinance would also require annual registration of all rental units, and create a new city office to handle complaints and enforcement. The city said smaller landlords would pay less than the large corporate ones. The fees would be capped at $60 per year per unit.

The ordinance also creates a new body responsible for complaint processing, investigation and coordinating enforcement. Officials said they hope to "level the playing field" for small landlords, while focusing on owners and not holding renters accountable.

But several small owners spoke out against the PRO today.

"You don't make housing more affordable by making it more costly to provide," one landlord said at a public meeting Monday.

Critics contend that the per-unit fee would make apartments less affordable and worry that just-cause eviction requirements could force landlords to renew leases for problem tenants.

"I think the big concern that we have is when big companies are buying property by the thousand, keeping those properties vacant, evicting people left and right," said 25th Ward Ald. Byron Sigcho Lopez.

Lopez, who is also the chairman for the Committee on Housing and Real Estate, said he hopes to put the ordinance in front of the full Chicago City Council for a vote this fall, and stressed the proposed ordinance is still a draft and they are welcoming of feedback.

"We're trying to incorporate feedback," he said.

The city said about 54% of Chicago households are renters. If the ordinance passes, it would go into effect in January 2027.