Free · No signup · Updated July 2026
Free Illinois Rental Application Form - Fill Online, Sign & Download the PDF
This Illinois rental application reflects statewide source-of-income protections and Cook County's Just Housing rules on criminal history (this form omits criminal-history questions, which Cook County bars before a conditional offer). Fill it out below, sign, and download your completed PDF free.
- ✓ Field-by-field help
- ✓ Sign electronically
- ✓ Instant PDF download
- ✓ Nothing stored on our servers
Illinois rental application rules to know
- •There is currently no statewide cap on application fees. A $50 cap takes effect January 1, 2027 under the state's new rental-fee transparency law (765 ILCS 705/35), which also voids mandatory fees not disclosed on the first page of the lease.
- •Since January 1, 2025, you can reuse your own screening report (issued within 30 days) under a separate law (765 ILCS 705/25), and a landlord who accepts it can't charge you a screening fee.
- •Source of income, including Section 8 vouchers, is protected statewide (Illinois Human Rights Act, since 2023). 'No Section 8' listings are illegal.
- •Arrest records are a protected class statewide: a landlord may never reject you based on arrests that didn't lead to conviction.
- •In Cook County (including Chicago), the Just Housing Amendment bars most criminal-history questions until after a conditional offer (sex-offender registry checks are an exception), and then only convictions from the last 3 years (excluding sex offenses) may be considered, with an individualized assessment.
- •Most of suburban Cook County caps security deposits at 1.5 months' rent (Evanston and Mount Prospect have their own ordinances); elsewhere in Illinois there's no cap.
- •In buildings with 5+ units, deposit deductions must be itemized within 30 days and the deposit returned within 45 days; bad-faith withholding costs the landlord double.
- •Protected classes also include ancestry, age (40+), marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, pregnancy, immigration status, and order-of-protection status.
Last reviewed 2026-07-15. General information, not legal advice.
Fill out your application online
One section at a time. Nothing you type leaves your browser; the PDF is generated on your device. Hover any ? for plain-English help.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a cap on rental application fees in Illinois?
Not yet. A statewide $50 cap was signed into law but was delayed to January 1, 2027. Until then, fees are market-rate. Separately, you can already reuse your own screening report if it's under 30 days old, a right Illinois renters have had since January 1, 2025 (765 ILCS 705/25).
Can an Illinois landlord refuse my Section 8 voucher?
No. Source of income has been protected statewide under the Illinois Human Rights Act since 2023. Small owner-occupied buildings have limited exemptions, but 'No Section 8' advertising and blanket refusals are illegal.
Why doesn't this Illinois form ask about criminal history?
Illinois law makes arrest records a protected class statewide, and Cook County's Just Housing Amendment (which covers Chicago) bars most criminal-history questions until after a conditional offer. We omit the question so the form is safe to use anywhere in Illinois.
What are the security deposit rules in Illinois?
No statewide cap, but most of suburban Cook County caps deposits at 1.5 months under its RTLO (Evanston and Mount Prospect have their own ordinances). In buildings with 5 or more units, statewide law requires itemized deductions within 30 days and return within 45 days, with double damages for bad-faith withholding.
What changes for Illinois renters in 2027?
The new rental-fee rules take effect January 1, 2027: application fees capped at $50 (or the documented actual screening cost, billed with receipts within 14 days), mandatory fees not disclosed on the lease's first page become void, and walkthrough-inspection fees are banned. Reusable screening reports are already accepted under a separate 2025 law.
More free landlord & tenant forms
- California
- Texas
- Florida
- New York
- Illinois
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
- Ohio
- Wisconsin
- Louisiana
- Georgia
- General US form
For landlords: the tenant application form and the rental verification form.