Illinois Eviction Notice
Create a free Illinois eviction notice with the state's required notice periods built in. Pick the notice type, fill in the details, and download a PDF.
Illinois notice periods
Nonpayment: 5 days · Lease violation (cure): 10 days · No-cause termination: 30 days.
Tenant Name(s)
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⚠ Illinois requires a 5-day notice for a notice to pay rent or quit; the count runs from the date of SERVICE, and some states exclude weekends/holidays — verify before relying on a date. 5 calendar days, counted from service of the written demand (735 ILCS 5/9-209). No statutory grace period — the count runs from service of the notice ('not less than 5 days after service thereof'), not the rent due date. The notice must state the exact rent due and prominently include the FULL-PAYMENT waiver language; courts have voided 5-day notices that overstated the amount or included non-rent charges. Cook County RTLO and Chicago RLTO also use a 5-day rent notice.
Notice to Pay Rent or Quit (Illinois)
NOTICE TO PAY RENT OR QUIT
Date of Notice: ________________
From (Landlord/Agent): [LANDLORD/AGENT NAME], [LANDLORD ADDRESS]
To: [TENANT NAME(S)], Tenant(s) in possession of: [PROPERTY ADDRESS]
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that rent is now due and unpaid in the amount of $________. This amount is for unpaid RENT only and excludes late fees, utilities, and other charges unless your state and lease allow them.
You are required to PAY the full amount of rent due within 5 days after this notice is served on you, OR to vacate and surrender possession of the property. Payment must be made to [LANDLORD/AGENT NAME] at [LANDLORD ADDRESS], by cash, check, or money order. If you mail payment, it must be RECEIVED by the deadline.
If you do not comply with this notice within the time stated, the landlord may begin legal proceedings to recover possession of the property under 735 ILCS 5/9-201 et seq. (Code of Civil Procedure, Article IX — Eviction); key sections 9-209 (rent demand), 9-210 (lease default), 9-207 (month-to-month), 9-211 (service).
Only a court can order you to move out. The landlord may NOT lock you out, remove your belongings, or shut off your utilities; doing so is illegal.
This notice is given without waiving, and the landlord expressly reserves, all other rights and remedies, including the right to recover unpaid rent and damages.
How this notice may be served: Per 735 ILCS 5/9-211, notice may be served by: (1) delivering a written copy personally to the tenant; (2) leaving it with a person of the age of 13 years or older residing on or in possession of the premises; (3) sending it by certified or registered mail with a return receipt from the addressee; or (4) if no one is in actual possession, by posting it on the premises. The 5-day rent notice must demand only rent actually due — Illinois courts (especially Cook County/Chicago) have invalidated notices that bundle in late fees, utilities, or damages.
_______________________________________
[LANDLORD/AGENT NAME] — Landlord / Authorized Agent
[LANDLORD ADDRESS]
Date: ________________
PROOF OF SERVICE
I served this notice on the tenant(s) on ____________ (date).
Method of service (use a method permitted in your state — see the service note above):
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________ Date: ____________
Signature of person serving the notice
Email yourself a copy (PDF)
Self-help template, not legal advice. Notice periods, wording, and service rules vary by state and city. You cannot remove a tenant yourself — serve a proper notice and, if needed, file in court.
Illinois Eviction Notice Requirements
In Illinois, a landlord must serve a written notice before filing for eviction under 735 ILCS 5/9-201 et seq. (Code of Civil Procedure, Article IX — Eviction); key sections 9-209 (rent demand), 9-210 (lease default), 9-207 (month-to-month), 9-211 (service). The required notice period depends on the reason:
- Nonpayment of rent: 5-day notice to pay or quit. 5 calendar days, counted from service of the written demand (735 ILCS 5/9-209). No statutory grace period — the count runs from service of the notice ('not less than 5 days after service thereof'), not the rent due date. The notice must state the exact rent due and prominently include the FULL-PAYMENT waiver language; courts have voided 5-day notices that overstated the amount or included non-rent charges. Cook County RTLO and Chicago RLTO also use a 5-day rent notice.
- Curable lease violation: 10-day notice to cure or quit. 735 ILCS 5/9-210 requires 10 days' notice for a default in any term of the lease. The statute is a notice to quit and does NOT grant a guaranteed right to cure; calling it 'cure or quit' is informal. The landlord may, but is not required to, accept a cure within the 10 days. The 10-day notice is also commonly used for unauthorized-occupant, criminal-activity, and other covenant breaches.
- No-cause termination (month-to-month): 30-day notice. 30 days' written notice ends a month-to-month (or any tenancy of less than one year) without cause under 735 ILCS 5/9-207(b). Week-to-week requires 7 days (9-207(a)); year-to-year requires 60 days (9-205). No reason need be given statewide, but local ordinances (Cook County RTLO, Chicago RLTO) may require longer notice or limit no-fault terminations in covered units.
Service: Per 735 ILCS 5/9-211, notice may be served by: (1) delivering a written copy personally to the tenant; (2) leaving it with a person of the age of 13 years or older residing on or in possession of the premises; (3) sending it by certified or registered mail with a return receipt from the addressee; or (4) if no one is in actual possession, by posting it on the premises. The 5-day rent notice must demand only rent actually due — Illinois courts (especially Cook County/Chicago) have invalidated notices that bundle in late fees, utilities, or damages.
- Nonpayment of rent (735 ILCS 5/9-209): the landlord must give written notice giving not less than 5 days to pay; if the full rent is paid within the 5 days the tenancy continues and the eviction is defeated. The notice must prominently state that only FULL PAYMENT of the rent demanded will waive the landlord's right to terminate.
- Lease violation other than rent (735 ILCS 5/9-210): a 10-day notice (notice to quit). This is a notice to quit, NOT a statutory cure period — the tenant has no automatic right to fix the breach and stay; some landlords nonetheless allow cure within the 10 days.
- Termination of a tenancy of less than one year, including month-to-month, requires 30 days' written notice (735 ILCS 5/9-207(b)); week-to-week tenancies require 7 days (9-207(a)); year-to-year tenancies require 60 days given within the 4 months preceding the last 60 days of the lease year (9-205).
- Illinois has no statewide just-cause eviction law; a landlord may end a month-to-month tenancy without giving a reason on 30 days' notice. 9-207's 'except as provided in Section 9-207.5' clause is a narrow foreclosure carve-out, not a just-cause regime. Local ordinances differ — Cook County's RTLO and Chicago's RLTO add tenant protections (e.g., longer notice for some terminations and 'pay and stay' rights), so check the locality.
- Illinois's eviction statute (formerly the Forcible Entry and Detainer Act) was renamed the Eviction Act effective 2018; the day-count notice periods in Article IX (5/10/30/60) remain unchanged as of June 2026.
Illinois Eviction Notices by Type
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days notice to evict for nonpayment in Illinois?
Illinois requires a 5-day notice to pay rent or quit before a landlord can file for eviction. 5 calendar days, counted from service of the written demand (735 ILCS 5/9-209). No statutory grace period — the count runs from service of the notice ('not less than 5 days after service thereof'), not the rent due date. The notice must state the exact rent due and prominently include the FULL-PAYMENT waiver language; courts have voided 5-day notices that overstated the amount or included non-rent charges. Cook County RTLO and Chicago RLTO also use a 5-day rent notice.
Can a landlord evict without notice in Illinois?
No. A written notice is required before filing, and only a court can order a tenant removed. Self-help lockouts are illegal.
Does Illinois require just cause to evict?
Illinois does not have a statewide just-cause requirement, though some cities may. A month-to-month tenancy can generally be ended with a 30-day notice.
Disclaimer
This Illinois eviction notice generator is a self-help tool for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Confirm Illinois and local requirements before serving, and consult a landlord-tenant attorney for contested cases.
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