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Sec. 42-801 - Title, Purpose & Scope

 

A. This Article shall be known and may be cited as the Residential Tenant and Landlord Ordinance and shall be liberally construed and applied to promote its purposes and policies.

 

B. The purpose of this Article, and the policy of the county, is to protect and promote the public health, safety, and welfare of its citizens, to establish the rights and obligations of the tenant and the landlord in the rental of dwelling units, and to encourage the tenant and the landlord to maintain and improve the quality of housing.

 

C. This Article applies to, regulates, and determines rights, obligations, and remedies under a rental agreement, wherever made, for a dwelling unit located within the county. In addition, the Article applies specifically to rental agreements for dwelling units operated under subsidy programs of agencies of the United States and/or the State of Illinois, including specifically programs operated or subsidized by the Housing Authority of Cook County and/or Illinois Housing Development Authority to the extent that this Article is not in direct conflict with statutory or regulatory provisions governing such programs.

 

D. This Ordinance is subject to the home rule as established by the Constitution of the State of Illinois Article VII Section 6. Powers of Home Rule Units. This Ordinance regulates all residential buildings and structures that exist or are erected, constructed, altered, demolished, or relocated within the boundaries of Cook County, excluding those cities, villages, and incorporated towns that maintain promulgated regulations that establish both the rights and obligations of both the tenant and the landlord in the rental of dwelling units. The regulations must contain specific language defining and regulating the relationship between the tenant and landlord, policies protecting and promoting the public health, safety, and welfare of tenants, and remedies under a rental agreement in order to be excluded from this Ordinance.

 

E. Notice of Ordinance.

 

1. The Department of Human Rights and Ethics will provide a copy of this Ordinance, Chapter 42-Article IV, on its website at least 60 calendar days prior to the effective date of this Ordinance.

 

2. The County Clerk shall publish a copy of this Ordinance, Chapter 42-Article IV, in a newspaper of general circulation within 30 days of passage by the Cook County Board of Commissioners.

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