Cook County tenant rights when applying for rental housing
Simple-language guide to rental application rights and landlord duties in Cook County, Illinois
Rule areas
9
Application rights topics
Key deadlines
7
Fees, screening, and complaints
Help paths
4
Agencies and legal help
Response window
5 business days
To answer a criminal-history report
What this dashboard covers
This dashboard summarizes the source data on rental application rights in Cook County, Illinois. It focuses on what applicants can do, what landlords must do, and warning signs to watch for before, during, and after screening.
Simple language
Rental application stage
Cook County rules
General information only
Application screening flow
Cook County's Just Housing rules require criminal background screening to come later in the process, not at the very start.
Rights map by topic
Each box is one rule area from the source data. Hover for the right, the landlord duty, and warning signs.
Timeline and deadlines
This chart shows when notices, screening steps, lookback limits, reusable reports, and complaint windows matter.
Point-by-point rights and landlord duties
Who may help
| Agency or help source | What it handles |
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Important limits
General information: This is a plain-language summary of the source data, not a legal opinion.
Not legal advice: A legal aid lawyer or tenant attorney can review the facts of a specific denial or lawsuit.
Local add-ons: Chicago and some other municipalities may add more protections.
Current source date: