Landlord guide, Illinois (IL)
Illinois eviction process: the landlord’s steps from notice to removal
The eviction process in Illinois starts with the 5-day notice: 5 calendar days for unpaid rent (735 ILCS 5/9-209). Then the landlord files in the circuit court, where the case is called eviction action; the court hears it, and after judgment a court officer carries out the removal.
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- Notice for unpaid rent
- 5 calendar days
- 735 ILCS 5/9-209
- Court
- circuit court
- 735 ILCS 5/9-101 et seq.; Ill. S. Ct. R. 101(b)(2)
- Time to appeal
- Not confirmed
- Checked against the statutes
- 1 November 2026
Step by step
The eviction process Illinois landlords follow, step by step
Notice and court names are given as they read on Illinois’s own forms, and timing details are quoted from the statute.
- 1
Step 1
Serve the notice
Unpaid rent: the 5-day notice, 5 calendar days (735 ILCS 5/9-209).
Paying everything owed inside the period ends the case, by statute.
Another breach of the lease: the 10-day notice to quit, 10 calendar days (735 ILCS 5/9-210).
No reason, month to month: 30 days’ notice (735 ILCS 5/9-207).
What the statute adds, in English
Paying the full amount demanded within the notice period ends the landlord's right to terminate; a partial payment does not, and the notice must say so in the wording the statute prescribes. Chicago's Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance adds its own rules.
- 2
Step 2
File the eviction in court
File in the circuit court, where the case is called eviction action (735 ILCS 5/9-101 et seq.; Ill. S. Ct. R. 101(b)(2)).
- 3
Step 3
Go to the hearing
In the statute, in English
first appearance 7 to 40 days after the summons is issued
- 4
Step 4
Judgment and appeal
No appeal deadline could be confirmed from the statute, so ask the clerk which one applies.
- 5
Step 5
Removal by a court officer
An officer of the court carries out the removal, on the court’s order.
The statute sets no removal timetable we could confirm; the officer schedules it.
Illinois eviction process timeline
- Notice before filing
- 5 calendar days
- Time to answer
- Not confirmed
- Hearing
- Quoted in step 3
- Time to appeal
- Not confirmed
- Removal
- Not confirmed
Only some steps have a number in the statute, so no honest total exists: after filing, the court sets the pace.
Can you change the locks yourself?
No. Illinois bans self-help eviction (statute not confirmed), so only the court process can remove a tenant.
No state statute expressly bans lockouts. Illinois courts treat the Eviction Act as the only way to recover possession, and Chicago's ordinance bans lockouts and utility shutoffs outright (Chicago Mun. Code § 5-12-160).
The court process is the safe course in every state.
Write the Illinois eviction notice
Fill in the notice for Illinois in the generator, then read the rest of the state’s landlord law before you serve it.
Where Dardaris comes in
Most evictions start as one late payment. Dardaris sees it on day one.
It notices the missed rent the day it is due, sends the tenant a reminder, and if nothing comes, drafts the Illinois notice with its 5 calendar days. You read it and sign; nothing goes out without you.
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Dardaris
The statutes
Illinois eviction laws, with the statute behind each step
| Step | What the law says | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Notice for unpaid rent | 5-day notice5 calendar daysPaying in full within the period stops itPaying the full amount demanded within the notice period ends the landlord's right to terminate; a partial payment does not, and the notice must say so in the wording the statute prescribes. Chicago's Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance adds its own rules. | 735 ILCS 5/9-209 |
| Notice for a lease breach | 10-day notice to quit10 calendar daysThe statute lets the landlord end the lease on 10 days' notice after any default and gives no right to cure. Chicago's ordinance gives tenants there a chance to cure in some cases. | 735 ILCS 5/9-210 |
| Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy | 30 daysChicago and Cook County ordinances set longer notice periods. | 735 ILCS 5/9-207 |
| How a notice is served | delivering a copy to the tenantleaving it with a person aged 13 or older residing on or in possession of the premisescertified or registered mail with a return receipt from the addresseeposting on the premises if no one is in actual possession | 735 ILCS 5/9-211 |
| Court and action | circuit courteviction action | 735 ILCS 5/9-101 et seq.; Ill. S. Ct. R. 101(b)(2) |
| Time to answer | Not confirmed from the statute | Not confirmed from the statute |
| Hearing | first appearance 7 to 40 days after the summons is issued | 735 ILCS 5/9-101 et seq.; Ill. S. Ct. R. 101(b)(2) |
| Time to appeal | Not confirmed from the statute | Not confirmed from the statute |
| Removal | Not confirmed from the statute | Not confirmed from the statute |
| Self-help (lockouts, utilities) | BannedNo state statute expressly bans lockouts. Illinois courts treat the Eviction Act as the only way to recover possession, and Chicago's ordinance bans lockouts and utility shutoffs outright (Chicago Mun. Code § 5-12-160). | Not confirmed from the statute |
Read against the official texts below on 1 November 2026. The month-to-month period was checked on 29 September 2026.
- https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/073500050K9-209.htm
- https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=073500050K9-210
- https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=073500050K9-211
- https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/073500050K9-207.htm
- https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/005008250K5.htm
- https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/resources/4f5ab89a-4f26-459c-b5b5-da8f155ee5d7/file
- https://ilga.gov/documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/073500050K9-207.htm
- https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2202&ChapterID=62
- https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2201&ChapterID=62
- https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2203&ChapterID=62
- https://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=5165&DocTypeID=HB&GA=103&GAID=17&LegId=153280&SessionID=112
- https://iemaohs.illinois.gov/nrs/radon/lessors-tenants.html
Questions landlords ask about eviction in Illinois
How long does an eviction take in Illinois?
The notice for unpaid rent runs 5 calendar days before you can file. After that the court sets the pace, so there is no honest total: the hearing, the judgment and the removal follow the court’s calendar and the timing rules quoted on this page.
What notice does a Illinois landlord serve for unpaid rent?
The 5-day notice, which gives the tenant 5 calendar days (735 ILCS 5/9-209). Paying everything owed inside the period ends the case, by statute.
Can a landlord change the locks in Illinois?
No. Illinois bans self-help eviction (statute not confirmed), so only the court process can remove a tenant. The exact limits are quoted on this page.
Where is an eviction filed in Illinois?
In the circuit court, where the case is called eviction action (735 ILCS 5/9-101 et seq.; Ill. S. Ct. R. 101(b)(2)).
Illinois eviction process without lease: which notice applies?
A tenant with no written lease who pays monthly is usually a month-to-month tenant, and Illinois asks for 30 days’ notice to end that tenancy (735 ILCS 5/9-207). For unpaid rent, the notice in step 1 applies all the same.
Can the tenant appeal an eviction in Illinois?
No appeal deadline could be confirmed from the statute, so ask the clerk which one applies.
The eviction process in other states
- Florida: 3 court days for unpaid rent
- Georgia: 3 business days for unpaid rent
- Hawaii: 10 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Idaho: 3 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Indiana: 10 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Iowa: 3 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Kansas: 3 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Kentucky: 7 calendar days for unpaid rent
General information, not legal adviceEviction law changes, and a court can read a statute differently from this summary. Check the current text and your local court’s rules, or ask a lawyer licensed in the state, before you serve a notice or file.
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