Berwyn is a city in Cook County located immediately west of Chicago's city limits, adjacent to Cicero and Oak Park. Despite its proximity to Chicago, Berwyn renters are not covered by the Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance. Berwyn has not enacted its own local landlord-tenant ordinance. Renters in Berwyn are governed solely by Illinois state landlord-tenant law.
Illinois state law provides baseline protections on security deposits, habitability, anti-retaliation, and eviction procedures — but it does not require just cause to terminate a month-to-month tenancy, and rent control is prohibited statewide under 50 ILCS 825/5. Berwyn renters should understand these rules and their limits before signing a lease or engaging in a landlord dispute.
This guide is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Renters with housing concerns should contact Prairie State Legal Services or Illinois Legal Aid Online.
Berwyn has no rent control, and Illinois state law (50 ILCS 825/5) prohibits every municipality from enacting any rent control or rent stabilization ordinance. The Berwyn City Council has no authority to cap rent increases — and despite Berwyn's location next to Chicago and Oak Park, neither the Chicago RLTO nor the Oak Park RLTO applies to Berwyn rental properties.
A Berwyn landlord may raise rent by any amount. The only requirement is proper written notice — at least 30 days' written notice is required before a month-to-month tenancy can be terminated or a rent increase imposed on a month-to-month tenant. Fixed-term lease tenants cannot have their rent raised mid-lease unless the lease expressly permits it. Tenants who receive an unacceptable rent increase have no mechanism under Illinois law to challenge the dollar amount.
Illinois state law provides Berwyn renters with the following core protections:
2025-2026 Illinois law updates: Effective January 1, 2026, the Safer Homes Act (Public Act 103-1031) requires landlords to attach the Illinois Department of Human Rights' Summary of Rights to every residential lease; House Bill 3566 (Public Act 104-0317) prohibits landlords from naming minors as defendants in an eviction action, and a violation requires dismissal of the case and allows a $1,000 penalty plus actual damages and attorney's fees; and Senate Bill 1563 allows owners to have police remove certain unauthorized occupants or squatters under the criminal trespass statute without filing a full eviction case. Separately, the Landlord Retaliation Act took effect January 1, 2025, creating a one-year presumption that adverse landlord action taken after a tenant's protected activity is retaliatory.
Security deposit rules in Berwyn are governed by the Illinois Security Deposit Return Act (765 ILCS 710). Your landlord must return your full security deposit — or provide a written itemized statement of deductions — within 30 days after you vacate the unit.
Allowable deductions include unpaid rent and damages beyond normal wear and tear. Routine wear and tear (minor scuffs, small nail holes, general carpet wear) cannot legally be deducted from your deposit. Document the condition of your unit with dated photographs and video at move-in and move-out to protect yourself from improper deductions.
If you live in a building with 25 or more units, your landlord must hold your deposit in a federally insured interest-bearing account and pay you interest on the deposit annually. Provide your forwarding address to your landlord in writing when you move out to start the 30-day return period.
Berwyn landlords must follow Illinois's formal eviction process through Cook County Circuit Court. Self-help eviction is prohibited under Illinois law. For nonpayment of rent, the landlord must serve a 5-day written notice to pay or vacate before filing an eviction action. For lease violations, a 10-day notice to cure or vacate is required. To terminate a month-to-month tenancy, at least 30 days' written notice must be given.
If the tenant does not comply, the landlord may file an eviction action in Cook County Circuit Court. Tenants have the right to appear and raise defenses including habitability violations, improper notice, and retaliation. A court judgment is required before any order of possession can be issued.
Only the Cook County Sheriff can physically remove a tenant from a rental unit. A landlord who changes locks, shuts off utilities, or removes belongings without a court order commits illegal self-help eviction and may face civil liability.
This article provides general information about tenant rights in Berwyn, Illinois and is not legal advice. Laws change — verify current rules with a local attorney or tenant organization before taking action. RentCheckMe is not a law firm and cannot provide legal representation.
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