Deposits & inspections
What to do when a deposit deduction is wrong
The tenants who get money back are not the loudest ones. They are the ones with dates and photographs.
Ask for the itemized statement and receipts in writing, compare them against your move-out photos, then send a dated written demand. If that fails, Illinois small claims court handles deposit disputes without requiring a lawyer.
Step 1: ask in writing
Email beats a phone call because it is dated and it is a record. Ask for the itemized statement and the paid receipts. Since January 1, 2024 every Illinois landlord is required to provide them, whatever the size of the building.
Step 2: line it up against your evidence
Put their line items next to your photos and your cleaning invoice. Most deductions fall apart here, because a photograph of a clean oven taken the day you left is very hard to argue with.
Step 3: a written demand
One page. What you were charged, what your evidence shows, what you want returned, and a reasonable deadline. Reference the statute if it applies to them. Keep the tone flat, because a judge may read this later.
Step 4: small claims
Illinois small claims handles these routinely and you do not need a lawyer. Filing fees are modest against a typical deposit. Bring the lease, the photos, the invoice, the itemized statement and your correspondence, in order.
General information for renters, not legal advice. Illinois references are to the Security Deposit Return Act (765 ILCS 710), as amended by Public Act 103-0224, which removed the five-or-more-units threshold effective January 1, 2024. Checked against the official text on September 22, 2026.
Related
- Illinois security deposit law, in plain EnglishWhat Illinois law requires of your landlord: the 30-day itemized statement, the five-unit threshold that was repealed in 2024, and what happens when they miss the deadline.
- How to photograph a unit so the photos countA short method for move-out photos that hold up: what to shoot, in what order, and the mistake that makes photos useless.
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