Tenant & Housing Information

Other Relevant Resources

Beware of Online Lease Scam Navigating Subleasing Webinar

There is no shortage of rental units in Champaign-Urbana; the market has never been better for tenants to make choices.
Beware of unfinished buildings; they may or may not be ready for occupancy when the lease begins.
Roommates who commit too early to a lease may not follow through – things change as time goes by.

The lease is the agreement between you and your landlord.
Promises made to you before you sign must be in the lease in order to be enforceable.
Review the lease carefully before signing it, on your own or with Off-Campus Community Living.

It is illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, handicap, sexual preference, familial status, welfare status or student status.
Complaints can be made to:
- Urbana Human Relations Commission
  400 South Vine St., Urbana, IL 61801
  217-384-2466
- Champaign Community Relations
  102 North Neil St., Champaign, IL 61820
  217-403-8830
- Illinois Department of Human Rights
  - 222 South College, Room 101, Intake Unit, Springfield, IL 62704
    217-785-5100
  - 100 West Randolph St., 10th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601
    312-814-6200

Once you sign, you are responsible to fulfill its terms, especially payment of the rent.
This is true whether or not your landlord or your other roommates have signed the lease.
Be sure before you sign.

Document apartment or house condition.

Landlord may provide check-in sheet.
Off-Campus Community Living has model check-in sheets.
Take photos or a video.
Do these immediately upon move-in.
Be meticulous! Be thorough! Protect your damage deposit from pre-existing conditions.
Keep a copy of check-in sheets, photos, videos.

Report needed repairs promptly.
Your landlord should attend to emergencies promptly.
Cosmetic maintenance may require some time – be patient!
City building inspectors will assist with building code compliance.
- Champaign: 217-403-7070
- Urbana: 217-384-2443

In Champaign, as in most of the State of Illinois, your landlord can come to your apartment or house at any time, unless access is restricted in the lease.
In Urbana, there are rules restricting your landlord’s ability to come into your home except in the case of emergencies.

Campus living is noisy and congested.
Be a good neighbor.
- Notify others in your building of any major party plans to see if there may be problems.
- Keep your noise level under control, especially in the evening, over night, and early in the morning.
- Check your lease for any noise restrictions it may impose.
If your neighbors are problem-makers:
- First, talk to them about it; most people are willing to accommodate other is they know what is expected of them.
- Next, talk to your landlord if step one fails.
- Finally, as a last resort, you can call the police, who will come and issue tickets to the offenders.

Always check your lease; there are usually terms and conditions surrounding the issue of subletting.
Your subtenant does not relieve you of liability under the lease; you remain responsible for payment of rent and repair of damage to the unit.
Conduct a walk-through of the unit with your subtenant prior to turning it over to him or her; this will establish what damage, if any, was caused by whom.
Be sure that any utilities in your name have been transferred to your subtenant. You don’t want to be stuck with their charges.
Be careful selecting a subtenant. They can cost more in damage to the place than any savings in rent that you may see.
Always get your sublet agreement in writing. This may also include the need to get the approval of your landlord – check the lease.

Clean your unit
- Leave it spotless.
- Remove any and all items that do not belong there.
- Leave furnishings in an orderly manner.
- Thoroughly clean carpets. Make sure carpets are clean. Rent carpet cleaning equipment or hire a company, if necessary, and keep the receipts.
Pay special attention to:
- The kitchen – stove, oven, refrigerator, sink, microwave, countertop, cupboards, floor.
- The bathroom(s) – cabinet, sink, tub/shower, toilet, floor (especially around toilet).
- Walls, windows, sills, baseboards.
Document your work.
- Take detailed photographs of the unit, including inside the oven and refrigerator.
Leave the unit looking better than you found it.
Leave a forwarding address with your landlord to send your deposit to you.

Champaign
- Apartment complexes with 5 units or more require specific procedures for return of deposits and accounting for deductions.
- Apartment complexes with 20 units or more must pay interest on the deposits.
Urbana
- Most rental units must follow specific return and deduction procedures, as well as pay interest on the deposit.
Rental units not covered by these laws must return deposits within a reasonable time.

Do not cash or deposit the check.
Gather up your check-in sheets, check-out sheets, pictures, and/or videos of check-in and check-out, and ...
Get a consultation appointment with Student Legal Services as soon as possible.
- Go to Schedule an Appointment
- Fill out and submit the “Housing or Damage Deposit” intake form
- Go to the SLS office, 324 Illini Union, to select a consultation appointment day/time.