Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson drops "just cause" provisions from Protecting Renters Ordinance

Mayor Brandon Johnson has dropped a key provision of his proposal to increase protections for Chicago renters, but it remains unclear if his revised ordinance will clear a City Council committee on Wednesday, amid ongoing opposition from landlord groups.

Johnson's original Protecting Renters Ordinance banned landlords from charging tenants move-in fees or other so-called "junk fees," created a citywide rental registry funded by new fees on landlords, introduced a new "tenant bill of rights," and created a new city Bureau of Rental Housing Services within the Department of Housing.

It also required landlords to provide just cause for evictions and pay thousands of dollars in relocation assistance to tenants whose leases weren't renewed for any reason other than failure to pay rent, a serious breach of their lease, or a tenant's refusal to renew their lease.

Earlier this month, Johnson scaled back the relocation assistance requirements, including exemptions for owner-occupied buildings with six or fewer units, but the mayor's office has since dropped the just cause and relocation assistance requirements entirely.

The City Council Housing Committee is expected to vote on the mayor's proposal on Wednesday, but it's unclear if Johnson has the votes to advance the ordinance to a full City Council vote.

The Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance said, even with the concessions from Johnson, the mayor's Protecting Renters Ordinance would increase costs for building owners and landlords, meaning higher rents in Chicago.

Johnson's opponents on the City Council are trying to pass a competing ordinance to provide new protections for renters, which they argue will better protect affordable housing by not placing as many costly burdens on landlords.

The so-called Fair and Accountable Illinois Rental Ordinance also would create a citywide rental registry, but would not charge landlords registration fees; increase protections for renters from illegal lockouts by landlords; improve protections against security deposit abuse; and other new protections for renters.

The mayor's critics said their proposal would be less costly for landlords and would better protect affordable housing from increases in rent.

The proposal from the mayor's opponents is expected to come up for a vote in the City Council Zoning Committee on Thursday.

While either proposal would need 26 votes from the full City Council to pass, the version backed by the mayor's opponents would need 34 votes to survive a possible veto from the mayor.