2026 General Assembly Spring Recap

Spring of 2026 was another active legislative session for housing policy, driven by Governor Pritzker’s housing initiatives and continued efforts by tenant advocates to establish rent control in Illinois. As a result, CAA was actively involved a wide range of proposals affecting the rental housing industry.

Although several rent control bills were introduced, none ultimately passed thanks to the continued work of the SHAPE Illinois coalition. One rent control proposal advanced through committee and was repeatedly pushed for a House floor vote, while another remained active until the final days of session. Legislation limiting landlord-tenant fees and requiring fee disclosure did pass. Through negotiation with the Senate sponsor, CAA successfully removed the most burdensome provisions from the bill. CAA also negotiated an extension of the new law's effective date until January 1, 2027.

Proposals establishing a fee for corporate owners of a certain number of small multi-family buildings and a tenant right of first refusal policy did not pass. However, both measures remain concerns after clearing the Senate and could be quickly advanced by the House in a future session. Similarly, legislation allowing tenants to install plug-in solar equipment stalled due to technical issues and legislation requiring property owners to install fuel-gas detectors also failed to advance.

Governor Pritzker’s BUILD housing agenda sought to increase housing supply and affordability through zoning reforms and streamlined local approval processes. While the proposal’s major policy initiatives did not advance, the enacted state budget included $250 million for housing development and assistance programs, underscoring the continued focus on housing affordability in Illinois.

With the spring session concluded, lawmakers have shifted their attention to the November election and the fall veto session. While few veto-related actions are expected, legislators may use the session, or a potential post-election lame duck session, to revisit pending housing proposals before the new General Assembly is sworn in.

A full end-of-session report from CAA’s lobbying team, Mac Strategies Group, is available here.