SPRINGFIELD – Over one third of all Illinoisans are renters, and half pay more than 30% of their income toward rent. State Senator Mike Simmons is fighting for legislation that would ban junk fees, require transparency on housing fees in a lease, and regulate move-in fees charged to tenants.

“For rental tenants, fees can add up to hundreds of dollars a month, making even affordable units out of reach, which ultimately displaces people from our communities,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “We must protect tenants from egregious fees and predatory lease clauses.”

House Bill 3564 would create the Rental Fee Transparency and Fairness Act, which would require transparency of housing fees on the first page of a lease, regulate move-in fees, and ban 12 junk fees.

The measure seeks to protect renters from the “junk” rental fees that are increasingly being tacked on to monthly rent. Under Simmons’ legislation, landlords would not be able to charge tenants fees to modify or renew a lease, to conduct routine maintenance and pest abatement, to schedule a walk-through of a unit or to contact the building owner or property manager.

The bill would also prevent property owners from charging both a security deposit and a move-in or move-out fee, cap the amount of a security deposit at one month’s rent, and would limit move-in and move-out fees to 20% of the first full month’s rent.

“Nickel and diming tenants who are already struggling to find affordable housing, feed their families, and who have to increasingly worry on how they will pay for basic necessities need relief,” said Simmons. “This bill will prevent bad-actor landlords from taking advantage of tenants, put real money back into renters’ pockets, into local economies, and help keep affordable housing truly affordable.”

House Bill 3564 passed the Senate Executive Committee on Wednesday.