Eviction Laws in Des Plaines, Illinois
Des Plaines is a city of approximately 58,000 in Cook County, situated directly north of O’Hare International Airport and roughly 17 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. The city’s location adjacent to one of the world’s busiest airports defines its economy and rental market: the Touhy Avenue and River Road corridors are lined with hotels, restaurants, logistics operations, and airport-service businesses that employ thousands of workers — many of them renters. Beyond the O’Hare orbit, Des Plaines has a diversified employment base anchored by healthcare (Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in the northwest suburbs), manufacturing, and retail trade. The city is one of the more ethnically diverse suburbs in the Chicago metro — roughly 57 percent White, 15 percent Asian, and significant Hispanic and Eastern European immigrant populations — and approximately one-third of residents were born outside the United States. The median household income is around $98,000, and the poverty rate is a low 6 percent, making Des Plaines a solidly middle-class suburb with a stable tenant base.
Illinois eviction law — the Forcible Entry and Detainer Act (735 ILCS 5/9) — requires landlords to serve a written notice before filing suit. For nonpayment of rent, a 5-day notice to pay or quit is required. For lease violations, a 10-day notice to cure or quit applies. Month-to-month tenancies require 30 days’ notice to terminate. Once the notice period expires without compliance, the landlord files a Forcible Entry and Detainer complaint with the Circuit Court of Cook County. Des Plaines falls within the Second Municipal District, so all eviction filings go through the Skokie Courthouse at 5600 Old Orchard Road, Skokie, IL 60077. Eviction proceedings at the Skokie Courthouse are heard in Courtroom 204 every Friday at 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The docket moves at a typical Cook County pace — hearings are set two to four weeks after filing, and the full process from filing to sheriff enforcement typically takes five to ten weeks.
Des Plaines & Cook County — Local Rules That Affect Landlords
No rent control. The Illinois Rent Control Preemption Act (50 ILCS 825) prohibits any municipality from enacting rent control or rent stabilization ordinances.
O’Hare Airport Economy and Transient Workforce. Des Plaines’ proximity to O’Hare creates a tenant population that includes a significant share of airport and hospitality workers — flight crews on temporary assignment, hotel staff, restaurant workers, and logistics employees. Many of these tenants work irregular hours, have variable income, and may relocate on short notice. Landlords near the Touhy Avenue corridor should expect higher turnover rates than in more residential neighborhoods. Month-to-month leases are common in this segment, requiring 30 days’ notice to terminate.
Immigrant Tenant Population and Language Considerations. With roughly one-third of residents born outside the United States and significant Polish, Indian, Filipino, Korean, and Hispanic communities, Des Plaines landlords frequently rent to tenants with limited English proficiency. While Illinois law does not require eviction notices in any language other than English, serving notices only in English to tenants who may not fully understand them creates risk of contested hearings and service challenges. Consider providing courtesy translations in the tenant’s primary language alongside the legally required English notice — this does not change the legal requirements but can reduce delays.
Multi-Unit Condo Conversions. Des Plaines has a substantial inventory of condominiums — many converted from apartments in the 1980s and 1990s — that are now individually owned and rented by investor-owners. If the unit is in a condo association, the landlord must comply with both the association’s rules and Illinois landlord-tenant law. Condo association violations by a tenant (parking, noise, common-area misuse) can trigger fines against the owner and do not excuse the landlord from following proper eviction procedures for lease violations.
Cook County RTLO Exemption. Des Plaines is an incorporated municipality and is generally exempt from the Cook County Residential Tenant Landlord Ordinance (RTLO). Landlords follow Illinois state law only. However, landlords who also own properties within Chicago city limits must understand that the Chicago RLTO — a completely different and far more restrictive set of rules — applies to those properties. Do not cross-apply procedures between Chicago and suburban Cook County properties.
Metra Commuter Rail and Transit-Adjacent Rentals. Des Plaines is served by two Metra stations (Des Plaines and Cumberland) on the Union Pacific Northwest Line, making it attractive to commuters who work in downtown Chicago. Transit-adjacent rentals near the Metra stations command premium rents and attract professional tenants with stable incomes — these properties tend to have lower nonpayment risk and lower turnover.
Security Deposits. Illinois state law (765 ILCS 710 and 715) governs deposit handling. Deposits must be returned within 30 days of move-out (or 45 days if itemized deductions are claimed). Properties with 25 or more units must pay annual interest on deposits. Des Plaines does not impose additional local deposit requirements beyond state law.
Skokie Courthouse — Where Des Plaines Landlords File
Des Plaines landlords file Forcible Entry and Detainer actions at the Skokie Courthouse, located at 5600 Old Orchard Road, Skokie, IL 60077, phone (847) 470-7250, open Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eviction cases are heard in Courtroom 204 every Friday at 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. File a Complaint for Forcible Entry and Detainer (standard forms available from the Clerk of the Circuit Court) and pay the filing fee of approximately $237 plus $60 per summons served. The Cook County Sheriff serves the summons on the tenant. After service, a court date is typically set within two to four weeks. If the landlord prevails, the court issues an Order for Possession. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office then enforces the eviction — timeline varies from two to six weeks depending on the sheriff’s backlog. The courthouse is located adjacent to the Westfield Old Orchard shopping center with ample free parking. It is accessible via Metra and PACE bus. Self-help eviction — changing locks, removing belongings, or shutting off utilities without a court order — is illegal under Illinois law (735 ILCS 5/9-101 et seq.) and the only entity authorized to physically remove a tenant is the Cook County Sheriff.
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