Illinois sets no statutory maximum on a residential security deposit. Your lease sets the amount.
Maximum depositNo cap
Return deadline45 days (30 to itemize)
Interest to tenant25+ unit buildings
Separate accountNot required (statewide)
ItemizationRequired within 30 days
Penalty2× deposit + costs + fees
Statute765 ILCS 710/1; 765 ILCS 715
What your landlord can hold, and when it's due back
Enter your rent for the Illinois maximum, plus the return-deadline clock.
Deposit calculator · Illinois
$
Most a landlord can hold
No legal maximum
Illinois sets no statutory cap — the lease controls the amount.
45days
Return clock: 45 days to return; 30 days to itemize
The deadline runs after the tenant vacates. Give your landlord a written forwarding address at move-out so the clock starts.
Estimate only, based on Illinois's statutory cap. Your lease may set a lower deposit, and local ordinances can be stricter. Not legal advice.
The full rules, with the statute
Every requirement and where it comes from in the code.
Maximum deposit
No statutory limit statewide — Illinois does not cap residential security deposits
Return deadline
The landlord must return the deposit balance within 45 days of the tenant vacating, and provide an itemized statement of any deductions within 30 days. As of January 1, 2024, these rules apply to all rentals — the old "5 or more units" threshold was repealed.
Interest to tenant
ConditionalOnly in buildings with 25 or more units (765 ILCS 715). There, deposits held more than six months earn interest at the passbook rate of Illinois's largest commercial bank, paid within 30 days of each 12-month period if it totals $5 or more.
Separate account
Not requiredNo statewide mandate to hold the deposit in a separate account; the Security Deposit Return Act only requires disclosing the institution and account on the itemized statement.
Itemization
An itemized statement of deductions is due within 30 days (with 30 more days to supply paid receipts if the first statement used estimates). Since January 1, 2024 this applies to every rental, not just 5-plus-unit buildings.
Local ordinances
Chicago (RLTO) and Cook County have stricter rules — separate accounts, higher interest, and multiple damages. Those are local ordinances, not statewide law; this page covers the Illinois statute.
Penalties & recent changes
What happens if the landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully.
If the landlord withholds wrongfully
A landlord who refuses to return the deposit in bad faith, or misses the deadline, owes twice the amount of the deposit plus court costs and reasonable attorney's fees (765 ILCS 710/1(c)).
Recent changes
P.A. 103-0568 (SB 1741) (effective 2024-01-01): The Security Deposit Return Act was amended to repeal the "5 or more units" threshold, so the 30-day itemization and 45-day return rules now cover every rental in the state.
What Illinois renters get wrong
Illinois recently widened its deposit protections to everyone. Until 2024, the itemization and return rules only applied to buildings with five or more units — but a January 1, 2024 amendment repealed that threshold, so now every landlord must itemize within 30 days and return the balance within 45. There's no statewide cap on the amount, and interest is owed only in large 25-plus-unit buildings. One big caveat: Chicago and Cook County layer on much stricter rules, so a city address changes the analysis entirely.
Common questions
Is there a maximum security deposit in Illinois?
No, not statewide. Illinois law sets no cap on residential security deposits. Some cities like Chicago have their own rules, but the state itself does not limit the amount.
How long does an Illinois landlord have to return my deposit?
The balance is due within 45 days of you moving out, and an itemized statement of deductions within 30 days. As of January 1, 2024 these deadlines apply to all rentals, not just larger buildings.
Do the deposit rules still only apply to 5-unit buildings in Illinois?
No. That threshold was repealed effective January 1, 2024. The 30-day itemization and 45-day return requirements now apply to every rental in the state.
Does my Illinois landlord have to pay interest on my deposit?
Only if the building has 25 or more units and the deposit is held more than six months. Chicago and Cook County have broader interest rules, but statewide, small buildings owe none.
Draft: pending editorial review ilga.gov refused all automated connections this session; the figures were confirmed verbatim on FindLaw plus firm advisories reflecting the January 1, 2024 amendment, but a human must open the official statute in a browser before this page can carry a verified byline. Editorial standards →
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.