Governor JB Pritzker signed the Immigrant Tenant Protection Act into law today, making Illinois the second state in the nation to enact new protections for immigrants who rent property.
Under the new law, landlords are prohibited from evicting or retaliating against a tenant based on their citizenship or immigration status. Landlords are also prohibited intimidating tenants by disclosing or threatening to disclose a tenant’s citizenship or immigration status to any person, entity or immigration or law enforcement agency.
If the landlord engages in any prohibited conduct, the tenant may bring a civil action to seek any of the following remedies: actual damages for injury or loss suffered, a civil penalty up to $2,000 for each violation payable to the tenant, reasonable attorney’s fees and other equitable relief as the court may deem appropriate and just.
Senate Bill 1290 takes effect immediately.
