The COVID-19 outbreak across the U.S. has left many Americans wondering how they will make rent payments and what will happen if they are unable to do so. For the past few months, a residential eviction moratorium has been in place, restricting residential tenants from being evicted due to late rent payments. This moratorium has been extended on multiple occasions, but is intended to conclude at the end of July. A new state grant program is beginning in August to provide financial assistance to those who are struggling to make rent payments, yet this may not be enough for many Illinois residents to stay afloat for long.

In mid-July, the Illinois Supreme Court adopted a new rule for eviction proceedings that will go into effect immediately. Whether it is in response to COVID-19’s effect on renters or was a longtime coming, new Rule 139 requires aims to better inform all parties involved in eviction cases.

When it comes to renting out a commercial building or residential property, landlords assume a lot of risk. Tenants may fail to pay their rent, could cause destruction to the property, or may violate building codes and cause the landlord to incur extra expenses. Yet, even in such instances, landlords must adhere to certain laws. In particular, they must follow the due process to ensure a tenant's rights are not violated. Failure to do so can result in expensive litigation. The following explains further, and provides you with some information on how you can legally protect your commercial or residential rental property.

Landlord Faces Litigation After Locking Tenant Out of Restaurant

After allegedly being locked out of his restaurant, a Mount Prospect business owner is suing his landlord. He claims he had not been late on his rent, had not been any form of notification, and was not permitted to retrieve his property within the building. The landlord's attorney alleges, instead, that he is not in the wrong. If anything, he is allegedly allowing the tenant to walk away from a 10-year lease without having to pay for any damages that may be owed.