June 5, 2026
Chicago Tribune Editorial Blasts City’s Proposed RLTO Revision

“Putting small housing providers out of business will not help Chicago’s shortage of affordable places to live”

The NBOA met with the editorial board of the Tribune, and the result was a resounding denunciation of the City’s proposal. “Only a fool would make it impossible for landlords to make ends meet at a time of housing scarcity. Talk about counterproductive.” “Instead of this punitive plan, Chicago should focus on the urgent need for more residential construction in order to alleviate the supply-and-demand imbalance that is helping to raise rents for the roughly 54% of city households that don’t own the roof over their heads.”

May 31, 2026
NBOA Fights Proposed RLTO Revisions

The Johnson Administration is proposing to introduce a sweeping revision to the 40-year-old RLTO. The city’s proposed overhaul of the Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance — marketed as an affordability measure, ironically — would add more than 130 new regulations, create two new city programs, impose new fees on rental housing providers, ban move-in and administrative fees, require disclosure of all beneficial owners, and shield tenants who file code complaints from eviction for up to one year. The practical effect is to significantly increase the cost and legal risk of providing rental housing in Chicago, at the expense of the small neighborhood operators who provide the majority of the city’s affordable housing.

The NBOA is already fighting back, and we’ve made sure they include our voice in their coverage. In fact, the Tribune’s story had our opposition in their headline: Mayor Brandon Johnson pushing sweeping changes to renter laws and landlords bristle. So far the City has not shared a copy of their planned ordinance or even reached out to talk with us. Stay tuned for more updates.