Eviction Process in Illinois: Timeline, Notices & Costs

Pick the notice that matches the problem

Illinois evictions live or die on the notice. The statute is 735 ILCS 5/9-207, 9-209 and 9-210, and each ground has its own form:

Reason	Notice	What the tenant can do
Unpaid rent	5-day landlord’s notice	Pay the rent in full within 5 days
Lease violation	10-day notice to quit	Move out (no statewide right to cure; 10 days to cure in Chicago)
End month-to-month	30-day written notice	Move out by the end of the period

Chicago’s Fair Notice Ordinance and the Cook County ordinance stretch the month-to-month notice to 60 days for tenancies of 6 months to 3 years and 120 days for 3 years or more. The same periods apply to non-renewals and rent increases.

For the 5-day notice, state only the rent owed, and use the statutory language about partial payments. If you accept part of the rent after serving the notice, check that the notice wording allows it, or you may have to start over. One more Illinois rule: you can’t require a tenant to pay rent electronically, so the notice should allow payment by other means too.

Filing in circuit court

When the notice period ends, file an eviction complaint and summons in the circuit court of the county where the property is. Filing fees run roughly $100 to $400 or more, depending on the county and the amount of rent you’re claiming. The sheriff or a special process server adds a service fee. Fees vary, so check with the circuit clerk.

Bring copies of the lease, the notice with proof of service, and a rent ledger.

You can ask for possession and unpaid rent in the same case. If the tenant isn’t personally served, though, many courts will only award possession, not money, so you may need to pursue the rent separately later. And if you own the property through an LLC, Illinois courts generally expect the company to appear through an attorney rather than a member filing on its own.

Service and the court date

The court date is usually 7 to 40 days after filing. Sheriff service can be slow in busy counties, which is why many landlords pay for a special process server.

The hearing

In Cook County, many cases go first to the Early Resolution Program, which offers mediation, legal aid referrals and rental assistance. A case that settles there can end with a payment agreement or an agreed move-out date. If it doesn’t settle, the judge hears the case. Win, and the court enters an Eviction Order, often with a short stay before it can be enforced.

The sheriff

If the tenant hasn’t left when the stay ends, file the Eviction Order with the county sheriff. Cook County’s sheriff has historically had backlogs and has paused evictions over the winter holidays and in extreme weather, so plan for that in your timeline.

Timeline and costs in practice

For a $1,500 two-flat unit in Rockford with an uncontested nonpayment case:

• 5-day notice: 5 days
• Filing to court date: 2-4 weeks
• Stay in the order: often 1-2 weeks
• Sheriff scheduling: 1-2 weeks
• Total: about 4-8 weeks

Six weeks of lost rent at $1,500 is about $2,100. In Cook County, add time for the Early Resolution Program and sheriff scheduling.

What slows Illinois cases

• The tenant answers or demands a jury. Either one pushes back the trial date.
• A notice defect. Wrong amount, missing statutory language or an invalid service method can get the case dismissed.
• Continuances so the tenant can apply for rental assistance or get a lawyer.
• Bankruptcy. The automatic stay pauses the case until the bankruptcy court lifts it.
• An appeal after judgment.
• Local ordinance defenses. In Chicago, a deposit or entry violation under the ordinance can turn into a counterclaim.

What you can’t do

Don’t change the locks, remove doors, shut off utilities or move the tenant’s belongings. Only the sheriff can enforce an Eviction Order. A tenant who’s locked out can sue for damages, and in Chicago a lockout is a separate ordinance violation with fines for each day it continues.

Ways to settle without a judgment

A written payment plan works when a tenant had a temporary setback and has a realistic way to catch up. Cash for keys works when they don’t: offer a set amount and the deposit back in exchange for a signed agreement to move out by a date and return the keys. In Cook County, the Early Resolution Program is set up for exactly this kind of agreement, and rental assistance can cover arrears.

This page is general information, not legal advice. For Chicago or Cook County properties especially, talk to an Illinois landlord-tenant attorney before filing.