A woman and mother from Chicago, Illinois, sadly became the latest victim of an unjust landlord who not only evicted her abruptly over text but also gave her less than one month to move out of the property. One would think that the landlord’s decision is justified, but the mother wasn’t even a delinquent renter and made sure that she paid on time.
The worrying incident was posted on Reddit by user Murky-Management-833, also the renter and mother in question. According to the renter, her landlord merely texted her out of the blue that she needed to leave the property by the end of July, which is nearly halfway done. For the record, the renter has been living in the property for two years and never violated any agreement or policy, according to her. Now, she’s worried for her small family and is seeking legal recourse:
“Lease went month-to-month after year one and everything seemed chill but apparently it’s not like is this even legal with 3 weeks notice?” according to Murky-Management-833
Thankfully, Chicago renter rights are pretty clear-cut on the matter, and one of the helpful comments on the post pointed out the Fair Notice Ordinance, approved in 2020. The Chicago Ordinance states that landlords must provide at least 60 days of notice to terminate the renter’s lease, giving enough time for the renter to find another home. Sadly, the mother didn’t qualify for a 120-day notice, only the 60-day notice, as per the Chicago ordinance, since she’s only lived on the property for two years.
Hence, the usual advice is that a discussion about this ordinance between the renter and the landlord needs to take place ideally before she seeks legal help. Cash for keys is another viable alternative if the landlord is really in a hurry. Bottom line, however, is that the renter in question will still need to move out, and she could only delay the inevitable.
Not the Most Civilized Eviction Notice
What really irked some of the people who have given advice to the mother and renter in question is how inconsiderate that landlord was, as a casual text message that you’re losing your current dwelling is not really something many consider decent. There appears to be no explanation as well. The hard part is that while the renter could still fight for her legal rights and win, there will likely be a lingering animosity, and she’d eventually have to move out anyway.
It’s certainly not the most hopeless or infuriating situation involving an inconsiderate landlord, but Reddit user Murky-Management-833 is admittedly having a tough time with the current options in her area, and she might even gradually slide into bankruptcy all because of her landlord’s whim.
“Well, you’re probably moving. I think that’s a given. Now, you’re probably not moving in 3 weeks unless you want to. They can give you a non-renewal any time — you’re a month to month tenant. Illinois and I believe Chicago have regulations for tenants — I believe you should get 60 days notice,” claims robtalee44
“Texting someone is not a valid eviction notice,” argues Muha8159
