The Illinois General Assembly has made an addition to the Landlord Tenant Act regarding the requirement of landlords changing their locks. The Landlord and Tenant Act provides that after a residential dwelling unit has been vacated by a tenant, a landlord must change the locks of the dwelling unit before it is again occupied and must provide a new tenant with a signed disclosure form acknowledging that this requirement has been met.
It provides that if a landlord has not changed the locks, as required, and a theft occurs that is attributable to the landlord's failure to meet that requirement, the landlord is liable for any damages that the tenant incurs as a result of that failure.