Two ordinances — PRO and FAIR — are moving through City Hall. They disagree on almost everything except one thing that will land on every landlord’s desk.
Both PRO and FAIR require Chicago landlords to register their units with the city. The versions differ on fees and exemptions, but the core is the same: you’ll need your unit details, contact information, and repair records on file and ready to hand over. Everything else in the two bills is where they split.
Where the Mayor’s plan and the alders’ counter-proposal actually differ.
| PROProtecting Renters OrdinanceTenant-leaning | FAIRFair & Accountable IL RentalLandlord-leaning | |
|---|---|---|
| Backed by | Mayor Johnson & Dept. of Housing | Alders opposing PRO |
| Eviction | Sought “Just Cause” (reason required) + relocation pay — the Just Cause piece was cut in mid-September | Keeps today’s law — no reason needed to end a tenancy |
| Fees | Ban hidden / “junk” fees; standardize deposits | Allows some fees, including move-in charges |
| Rental registry | Yes — with more required detail | Yes — but no annual fee, plus exemptions |
| Who’s covered | Broad | Exempts non-resident owners of ≤12 units; owner-occupied, nonprofit & subsidized units |
| Administered by | Dedicated structure + Tenant Bill of Rights | No new agency — Dept. of Buildings |
Neither bill touches rent control — Illinois still bans it statewide, so that’s a separate fight in Springfield.
Skip the politics. These four hold up no matter which version passes.
Unit list, owner & manager contacts, and who handles repairs — organized and ready to hand over on request.
Whether fees are banned (PRO) or capped and allowed (FAIR), the safe move is the same: itemize them, never bury them.
Leases, receipts, notices and maintenance logs you can produce if a tenant or the city ever asks.
Renewals and end-of-tenancy handled with dated, delivered, on-file notices — not texts and memory.
You already do this work. WURTHIT just keeps it in one place, in a form the city will accept.
Every property, owner, manager and tenant contact in one place — the exact fields a registry asks for.
Rent and every charge shown as clear line items to your tenants — so “hidden fee” exposure isn’t there.
Documents, payment receipts and maintenance requests logged with dates — your proof, on demand.
Send renewals and notices through WURTHIT and keep a timestamped record — clean if a decision is challenged.
Set up your units in WURTHIT™ now, and you’ll be ready the day Chicago’s rules take effect — instead of scrambling after.
WURTHIT™