Ten-Day Notice to Cure or Quit (Illinois)
TEN-DAY NOTICE TO CURE OR QUIT — ILLINOIS
Issued Pursuant to 735 ILCS 5/9-210
1. PARTIES AND PREMISES
| Field | Information |
|---|---|
| Tenant(s) / Lessee(s): | [TENANT FULL LEGAL NAME(S)] |
| All Other Occupants: | All Unknown Occupants |
| Landlord / Lessor: | [LANDLORD FULL LEGAL NAME] |
| Landlord's Agent (if any): | [AGENT NAME / MANAGEMENT COMPANY] |
| Premises Address: | [STREET ADDRESS, UNIT NUMBER] |
| City / County / ZIP: | [CITY], [COUNTY] County, Illinois [ZIP] |
| Lease Date: | [__/__/____] |
| Lease Term Type: | ☐ Fixed-term (ends [__/__/____]) ☐ Month-to-month ☐ Other: [______] |
2. NOTICE OF DEFAULT — DESCRIPTION OF BREACH
TO: [TENANT FULL LEGAL NAME(S)] AND ALL OTHER OCCUPANTS:
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that you are in material default of your lease/rental agreement for the premises identified above. The specific acts and/or omissions constituting the default are:
[DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF BREACH — DATES, LOCATIONS, WITNESSES, LEASE PARAGRAPH(S) VIOLATED]
Lease provision(s) violated:
| Lease Section / Paragraph | Description of Provision |
|---|---|
| [§ ____] | [Quoted or summarized lease language] |
| [§ ____] | [Quoted or summarized lease language] |
3. DEMAND TO CURE OR QUIT
Choose ONE variant. Delete the others before issuance.
Variant A — Cure-or-Quit (Default — Curable Breach)
You are required, within TEN (10) DAYS after service of this notice, to either:
- CURE the default by [SPECIFIC CURE ACTION REQUIRED — e.g., remove unauthorized occupant; remove pet; cease the prohibited conduct; obtain insurance; pay specified non-rent charge]; OR
- QUIT and surrender possession of the premises to the landlord.
Failure to do either within the 10-day period will result in termination of your tenancy and the commencement of an eviction action under the Illinois Eviction Act, 735 ILCS 5/9-101 et seq.
Variant B — Unconditional Quit (Non-Curable / Repeat Breach / Imminent Threat)
You are required to QUIT and surrender possession of the premises within TEN (10) DAYS after service of this notice. The breach described in Section 2 is not subject to cure because:
☐ The breach is not capable of cure by its nature; or
☐ A substantially similar breach was the subject of a prior written notice within the preceding 12 months (Chicago Mun. Code § 5-12-130(c)); or
☐ The breach involves conduct that threatens the health or safety of other tenants, the landlord, the landlord's employees or agents, or the property of others (Chicago Mun. Code § 5-12-130(d)); or
☐ The breach involves criminal activity governed by 735 ILCS 5/9-118 (controlled substances) or the federal "one-strike" rule for federally subsidized housing.
Failure to quit within 10 days will result in commencement of an eviction action.
4. PRESERVATION OF RIGHTS; NON-WAIVER
The landlord does not waive, and expressly reserves, all rights and remedies under the lease, 735 ILCS 5/9-101 et seq., 765 ILCS 705/ et seq., applicable local ordinances, and the common law. Acceptance of any rent, late charge, or other payment after the date of this notice shall not be construed as a waiver of the default or this notice unless such waiver is set forth in a signed writing by the landlord.
5. METHOD OF SERVICE (TO BE COMPLETED BY SERVER)
Service is made pursuant to 735 ILCS 5/9-211. Check the method used:
☐ Personal delivery to Tenant on [__/__/____] at [__:__ ☐ AM ☐ PM]
☐ Delivery to a person 13 years of age or older residing on or in possession of the premises:
- Recipient name: [__________]
- Recipient age (estimated): [____]
- Date / time: [__/__/____] at [__:__ ☐ AM ☐ PM]
☐ Certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to Tenant at the premises
- USPS tracking #: [__________]
- Date mailed: [__/__/____]
- Date delivered (per USPS): [__/__/____]
☐ Posting on the premises (PERMITTED ONLY IF the premises is unoccupied)
- Date / time: [__/__/____] at [__:__ ☐ AM ☐ PM]
6. RIGHT TO COUNSEL AND LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOR TENANT
You have the right to consult an attorney. If you cannot afford one, free or low-cost legal aid is available through:
- Illinois Legal Aid Online: www.illinoislegalaid.org
- Lawyers' Committee for Better Housing (LCBH) (Cook County): www.lcbh.org
- Legal Aid Chicago Tenant Helpline: (312) 738-9200
- Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt (CCLAHD): (855) 956-5763
- Land of Lincoln Legal Aid (central / southern Illinois): (877) 342-7891
- Prairie State Legal Services (northern Illinois outside Cook): (855) 631-0811
In the City of Chicago, the Right to Counsel pilot may provide free representation in eviction court.
7. CHICAGO RLTO OVERLAY ADDENDUM (CITY OF CHICAGO UNITS)
This notice is governed by the Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance, Chicago Mun. Code §§ 5-12-010 et seq. ("RLTO"), in addition to 735 ILCS 5/9-210.
Specific RLTO requirements observed:
- The acts/omissions constituting the breach are stated with the particularity required by § 5-12-130(b);
- Tenant is afforded a 10-day cure period unless an exception under § 5-12-130(c) (repeat breach) or § 5-12-130(d) (imminent threat / unlawful activity) is invoked;
- This notice is not retaliatory; landlord has not, within the preceding 12 months, terminated, threatened to terminate, increased rent, decreased services, or refused to renew the lease in response to: (i) a tenant's good-faith code complaint; (ii) tenant's exercise of RLTO rights; (iii) tenant participation in a tenant organization; or (iv) requests for required repairs (§ 5-12-150);
- The required RLTO Summary (§ 5-12-170) was attached to the lease at execution and at each renewal.
8. SUBURBAN COOK COUNTY RTLO ADDENDUM (UNINCORPORATED / NON-OPT-OUT MUNICIPALITIES)
This notice complies with the Cook County Residential Tenant and Landlord Ordinance (RTLO) for the suburban Cook County premises identified above. The notice describes the breach with particularity, provides a 10-day cure period (where applicable), and is not retaliatory under Cook Cnty. Code § 42-806.
9. ANTI-DISCRIMINATION CERTIFICATION
The landlord certifies that this notice is not based, in whole or in part, on:
- Tenant's actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, military status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, source of income, familial status, order of protection status, or any other class protected by 775 ILCS 5/3-101 et seq. (Illinois Human Rights Act);
- Tenant's covered criminal history in the manner prohibited by Cook Cnty. Code § 42-38 (Just Housing Amendment);
- Tenant's actual or perceived immigration status (765 ILCS 740/);
- Tenant's exercise of any right under 735 ILCS 5/, 765 ILCS 705/ et seq., 765 ILCS 720/ (Retaliatory Eviction Act), Chicago Mun. Code § 5-12-150, or Cook Cnty. Code § 42-806.
10. SIGNATURE BLOCK
LANDLORD / AUTHORIZED AGENT:
By: [____________________________] Date: [__/__/____]
Print Name: [____________________________]
Title / Capacity: ☐ Landlord ☐ Property Manager ☐ Authorized Agent ☐ Attorney
Address: [____________________________________________]
Telephone: [__________] Email: [__________]
Attorney for Landlord (if applicable):
Name: [____________________________] ARDC No.: [__________]
Firm: [____________________________]
11. AFFIDAVIT / PROOF OF SERVICE
STATE OF ILLINOIS )
COUNTY OF [__________] ) ss.
I, [SERVER NAME], being first duly sworn on oath, depose and state:
- I am over 18 years of age and not a party to this matter.
- On [__/__/____] at [__:__ ☐ AM ☐ PM], I served the foregoing Ten-Day Notice to Cure or Quit on Tenant by the method indicated in Section 5 above.
- The facts stated herein are true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Signature: [____________________________]
Print Name: [____________________________]
Subscribed and sworn before me this [____] day of [__________], 20[____].
[____________________________]
Notary Public
My commission expires: [__/__/____]
12. SOURCES AND REFERENCES
- 735 ILCS 5/9-210 (Notice to quit on default): https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=073500050HArt%2E+IX&ActID=2017
- 735 ILCS 5/9-211 (Service): https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=073500050HArt%2E+IX&ActID=2017
- 735 ILCS 5/9-118 (Drug-related forfeiture): https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=073500050HArt%2E+IX&ActID=2017
- Chicago Mun. Code ch. 5-12 (RLTO): https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2639041
- Cook County RTLO: https://www.cookcountyil.gov/agency/cook-county-residential-tenant-landlord-ordinance
- Cook County Just Housing Amendment: https://www.cookcountyil.gov/content/just-housing-amendment-human-rights-ordinance
- Illinois Human Rights Act, 775 ILCS 5/: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2266
- Retaliatory Eviction Act, 765 ILCS 720/: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2204
About This Template
Landlord-tenant paperwork governs who can stay in a property, on what terms, and what happens when something goes wrong. Leases, notices to quit, security deposit demands, and habitability complaints all have state and often city-specific requirements for timing, content, and service. Getting the paperwork right is what makes an eviction actually succeed or a security deposit actually come back, because judges regularly dismiss cases over small procedural mistakes.
Important Notice
This template is provided for informational purposes. It is not legal advice. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.
Last updated: May 2026