ANSWER
At UChicago, once you sign a lease together, each roommate is individually responsible to the landlord for all tenant obligations under that lease, including rent and damages. Illinois also allows a reasonable late fee only if the lease says so and the rent is at least 5 days late.
YOUR NEXT DECISION
Use the answer to prepare your next conversation
- Check the signed lease for tenant-obligation and late-fee language.
- Review the rent ledger and payment records for the missing payment.
- Compare any roommate agreement with the lease, but treat the lease as controlling.
- Contact UChicago Housing or a HUD-approved housing counselor if you need help.
HELP WITH YOUR NEXT STEP
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Discuss housing optionsUChicago roommate responsibility
UChicagoGRAD says that once you sign a lease together, each tenant is individually responsible to the landlord for all tenant obligations under the lease, including rent and any damages to the unit. That means if one roommate doesn’t pay, the landlord can still look to the other signed tenants for the lease obligation, depending on the lease terms.
- UChicagoGRAD recommends talking through expectations and even writing a roommate agreement before signing.
- This is a lease-based result, so the signed agreement controls the practical outcome.
- Use UChicago’s housing resources if you need help thinking through roommate arrangements.
Illinois late-fee rule
Under Illinois law, a landlord may impose a reasonable late fee for unpaid rent, but not unless the rent stays unpaid for at least 5 days after the lease’s payment date and the fee terms are in the lease or an addendum. Illinois treats $20 or 20% of the monthly rent, whichever is greater, as a reasonable late fee.
- The fee has to be stated in the rental agreement or addendum.
- The payment due date cannot be earlier than the day before the first day of the service period.
- Any additional rent-collection expense must be itemized if charged.
What to do next
Check the signed lease first, then compare it with any roommate agreement and the rent ledger or payment records. If you need help paying rent or want outside guidance, UChicagoGRAD’s housing resources and HUD-approved housing counseling are listed starting points.
- Read the lease’s late-fee and tenant-obligation language before assuming the landlord will split the loss any particular way.
- Ask for a copy of the rent ledger if there’s a dispute.
- If payment trouble is broader than one roommate, a HUD-approved counselor can help you sort options.
Sources
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