Having an eviction filing on your record hampers your ability to find a home, regardless of the outcome of the case. Illinois eviction filings remain in the public record indefinitely, trapping people and families in poverty. Based on pre-pandemic data, more than 50% of eviction filings in Illinois do not result in a judgment against the tenant.*
Sealing provisions from the COVID-19 Emergency Housing Act (Public Act 102-005) sunset in 2022. As a result, Illinois has regressed to its strict standard for sealing eviction records.
Our state legislation—House Bill 1569 and Senate Bill 242—will ensure individuals and families have equitable access to housing by:
- Sealing any court file pending or initiated after the effective date of this Act when:
- The case is dismissed;
- The tenant wins the case;
- A satisfaction of judgment is filed;
- The parties agree to seal; or
- There is no material violation of the lease.
- Requiring all eviction records to be sealed after 7 years
- Dismissing and sealing cases where no action has been taken for 180 days
- Prohibiting the dissemination of information about a sealed court file by consumer reporting agencies, including tenant screening companies
Thanks to our chief sponsors, Representative La Shawn Ford and Senator Karina Villa.
The COVID-19 pandemic taught us the importance of ensuring everyone has a home.
- Landlords increasingly rely on reports from tenant screening companies that automatically weed out anyone with an eviction filing in their past.
- Allowing the court to seal eviction records by agreement benefits housing providers by encouraging settlements.
- National and local data has consistently demonstrated that Black and Latinx renters, particularly female renters, are disproportionately at risk of eviction filing.
This bill follows a national trend towards expanding sealing of eviction records, including new state laws in Indiana and Utah.
* Eviction in Illinois. Housing Action Illinois. February 2019. Available at https://housingactionil.org/evict2019.
Organizations and individuals can endorse the effort below. We encourage people to write a brief note explaining why your support this effort.
We will post a list of endorsing organizations soon.
