PRO vs FAIR: Still No Chicago Council Vote. What's Exempt for Owner-Occupied 6-Flats

Both of Chicago's competing rental-law bills have now cleared committee. On September 16, 2026, the City Council Committee on Housing and Real Estate approved Mayor Brandon Johnson's Protecting Renters Ordinance (PRO) by a vote of 12 to 9. On September 17, 2026, the Zoning Committee approved the alternative FAIR Ordinance, backed by 16 City Council members, by a vote of 12 to 6. In the version of PRO that passed, owner-occupied buildings of six flats or fewer were exempted from the registry fees and certain other provisions, and the "just cause" eviction requirement was dropped hours before the vote. Floor votes set for September 23 and September 29 were both called off, and the sponsors are now negotiating a compromise. Neither is law yet. Below: what's in each version that cleared committee, what got dropped, how PRO and FAIR compare, and what any of it means for Chicago landlords.

Two Bills, One Fight

The PRO is the mayor's tenant-protection package, pitched alongside a "Tenant Bill of Rights." The FAIR Ordinance was introduced by 16 members of the Budget Accountability Coalition — the same bloc that pushed through an alternative to the mayor's budget — as a direct, landlord-friendlier counter. Broadly: the PRO adds new tenant protections and a registration system; the FAIR Ordinance keeps a lighter version of the fee rules and drops the registry fees landlords objected to most. Just cause, the other big fight, was dropped from PRO before its September 16 committee vote; FAIR never included it.

Side by Side: Where They Differ

Issue	Protecting Renters Ordinance (Mayor)	FAIR Ordinance (16 Council members)
Just cause to evict / decline renewal	Dropped before the September 16 committee vote (the bill as introduced required a recognized reason to remove a tenant or refuse to renew)	Eliminated — no just-cause requirement
Relocation assistance (no-fault)	Dropped along with just cause before the committee vote	Not confirmed in news coverage of the committee version
Rental registry fee	Citywide registry, roughly $20–$60 per unit/year	Dropped — no mandatory registration fees
Application fee cap	~$20	Fees allowed if disclosed in writing, itemized, and reasonably related to an actual cost; any cap amount not confirmed in news coverage
Junk fees	Banned; charges must reflect a documented cost	Allowed if disclosed, itemized, and tied to an actual cost
Small-landlord treatment	Some exemptions (e.g., owner-occupied ≤6 units)	Broader exemptions for small landlords
Illegal lockout penalties	Enforcement via a new city bureau	Fines of $2,500–$5,000, plus $1,000 for each day of an illegal lockout

The just-cause and relocation rows reflect PRO as it cleared committee; other figures reflect the bills as introduced. Specifics can change as the ordinances move.

The Fault Lines That Matter Most

Just cause. This was the biggest philosophical split, and it has narrowed. The PRO as introduced would have required a recognized reason (nonpayment, serious lease violation, owner move-in, substantial rehab, and so on) to remove a tenant or decline renewal, with a relocation payment for no-fault removals. That requirement was dropped before the September 16 committee vote, and the FAIR Ordinance never included it. Unless it returns in a compromise, today's framework stays in place: a landlord can generally decline to renew for almost any non-retaliatory reason with proper Fair Notice.

Registry fees. The PRO would stand up a citywide rental registry funded by a per-unit annual fee ($20–$60), plus a new Bureau of Rental Housing Services to handle complaints. The FAIR Ordinance keeps the enforcement teeth on illegal lockouts but scraps the mandatory registration fee that small landlords objected to.

Fees. Both bills tighten fee practices, but differently. The PRO bans "junk" fees outright and requires every charge to map to a documented cost. The FAIR Ordinance takes a middle path: it permits fees (see current Chicago fee rules) that are disclosed, itemized, and "reasonably related to an actual cost." For a landlord, the practical difference is that FAIR leaves more room to pass through real, documented costs.

What This Means for Landlords

The parts the two bills share are generally the parts most likely to survive a final compromise. Where they point the same way, and where they split:

• Paper trail. Dated records of lease violations, careful notice timing, and itemized charges matter under both bills, and under today's law.
• Fees tied to real costs. Both proposals push toward "charges must reflect a real, documented cost." A fee that doesn't map to an actual expense would draw scrutiny under either version.
• Registry cost depends on which bill wins. Under the PRO committee version, covered units would carry a per-unit fee, with owner-occupied buildings of six flats or fewer exempt from it. Under FAIR, the registry is free. The final cost depends on what passes.
• No-fault turnover. Relocation payments for gut rehabs, condo conversions, or demolitions were tied to just cause, which was dropped from the PRO committee version. Whether any relocation rule returns in a compromise is not yet known.
• The Council, not the headlines. With two live bills, a compromise is as likely as a clean win for either side. The final rulebook may borrow from both.

Where It Stands

Update, October 19, 2026: The City Council meets in a special session on Wednesday, October 21, but the Mayor’s call limits that meeting to the 2027 budget “and for no other purpose whatsoever,” so no PRO or FAIR vote can be taken there. No new vote date has been set, and neither bill is law. Source: Mayor’s call for the October 21 special meeting, filed with the City Clerk on October 16, 2026.

Several landlord rules already changed without either bill, including the state retaliation law, deposit-return deadlines for 2-flats and the 5-day notice sentence. See what changed for Chicago landlords from 2024 to 2026.

Update — October 15, 2026: The City Council did not vote on either ordinance at its October 14 meeting. Neither PRO nor FAIR appears among the items the Council acted on, according to the City Clerk’s record of the meeting. No reason or new vote date had been reported as of the morning of October 15. Neither PRO nor FAIR is law. Source: Office of the City Clerk, City Council meeting record, October 14, 2026.

Update — September 30, 2026: The full City Council did not vote on either bill on Tuesday, September 29. In a joint statement before the meeting, Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th), FAIR's lead sponsor, and Ald. Maria Hadden (49th) called off the votes, saying, “We believe we are getting closer to an agreement.” The two sides are negotiating a compromise. The next regular City Council meeting is Wednesday, October 14, 2026, and both votes were deferred to that meeting, according to WGN and the Chicago Tribune. Neither PRO nor FAIR is law, and a compromise version could change any of the provisions below, including the owner-occupied exemption. Sources: Chicago Tribune and The Real Deal, September 29, 2026; Chicago City Wire.

Update — September 26, 2026: Both ordinances were due for a floor vote at the September 23 City Council meeting, but Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th) moved to defer them. Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th), the FAIR Ordinance's lead sponsor, has since filed notice to force a vote on both bills at the next meeting, Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at 10 a.m. Either bill needs 26 votes to pass, and 34 to override a mayoral veto. Villegas says FAIR has the votes; no public count has been released for either bill. Ahead of the vote, FAIR's backers dropped a plan to widen its small-landlord exemption to owners of up to 12 units. The core fights remaining are enforcement (Department of Housing under PRO vs. Department of Buildings under FAIR), how much information the registry collects, and fees on landlords. Sources: WBEZ and Chicago Sun-Times, September 25, 2026; Chicago City Wire, September 24, 2026.

Update — September 17, 2026: Both ordinances have now cleared committee. On September 16, the Protecting Renters Ordinance passed the Housing Committee 12 to 9. On September 17, the FAIR Ordinance passed the Zoning Committee 12 to 6. Both bills are now on a collision course at the full City Council. According to the Chicago Tribune, either could reach the floor on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, but the rival sides are expected to use legislative maneuvers to delay, making mid-October floor votes more likely. Ald. Timmy Knudsen (43rd) said the two bills are "getting to a point where they are similar enough" that a compromise vote could happen in "a week or two."

What passed on PRO (September 16): Before the vote, Mayor Johnson dropped the "just cause" eviction requirement that would have required relocation payments to tenants removed through no fault of their own, and dropped a separate provision requiring $10,000 in compensation to tenants facing "unconscionable" rent increases. The version that cleared committee retains the rental registry, the new Bureau of Rental Housing Services, a Renters Bill of Rights (fee disclosure, ban on move-in fees, one pet fee), and an annual registration fee of $20 to $60 per unit by building size, expected to raise about $22 million. Owner-occupied buildings of six flats or fewer remain exempt from the registry fees and certain other provisions.

What passed on FAIR (September 17): The FAIR version that cleared Zoning bans many "junk fees," creates stricter rules on bad landlords, and keeps a free rental registry. Its funding sits in a separate future ordinance, not the current bill: Villegas proposed doubling the $700 annual fee mortgage holders pay on foreclosed properties to $1,400, which he projected would raise about $8 million a year. Critics called the bill an “unfunded mandate.” A contested provision would let landlords charge legal costs to tenants who bring and lose complaints against them; Ald. Timmy Knudsen (43rd) pushed back on it in the hearing, arguing it could chill legitimate tenant complaints. Enforcement under FAIR sits in the Department of Buildings; Ald. Hopkins and Ald. Castañeda argued it belongs with the Department of Housing.

Neither ordinance is law yet. Both still need a full City Council floor vote and the mayor's signature to take effect. Provisions can still change on the floor, and Ald. Knudsen has publicly floated the possibility of a merged compromise. Sources: Chicago Sun-Times (Fran Spielman, September 16, 2026); Chicago Tribune (Jake Sheridan, September 17, 2026). Last reviewed: October 6, 2026 — this page is updated as either bill moves.

Both ordinances are before the City Council and neither has passed. The PRO is the mayor's priority; the FAIR Ordinance is the counter from Council members who argue the mayor's version would raise the cost of owning and developing rental housing — costs they say get passed to tenants as higher rents. Tenant advocates counter that cities like New York, Los Angeles, and nearby Evanston already run similar just-cause and registry programs. Because both bills are still moving, treat every specific above as a current proposal, not a final rule.

For the full picture, see our rundown of all the 2026 Chicago & Illinois landlord law updates, and our deeper explainer on the Protecting Renters Ordinance.

Key Takeaways

• Chicago now has two competing rental-law bills — the mayor's Protecting Renters Ordinance and the landlord-backed FAIR Ordinance. Neither has passed.
• The PRO that cleared committee keeps a citywide rental registry ($20 to $60 per unit per year by building size), a new Bureau of Rental Housing Services, and a junk-fee and move-in-fee ban. Just-cause eviction and relocation assistance were dropped before the September 16 committee vote.
• The September 29, 2026 vote was called off for compromise talks, and neither bill was voted on at the October 14, 2026 meeting. No new date has been announced. Any bill needs 26 votes.
• The FAIR Ordinance eliminates just-cause, drops registry fees, and allows documented, itemized fees that are reasonably related to an actual cost.
• Both bills tighten fee practices and push toward "charges must reflect a real cost" — the part most likely to survive any compromise.
• A merged or amended final version is a real possibility; the shared provisions are the ones most likely to survive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did the FAIR Ordinance pass in Chicago?
The FAIR Ordinance passed the Chicago City Council Zoning Committee 12 to 6 on Thursday, September 17, 2026. A committee vote is not final passage. The ordinance still needs a full City Council floor vote to become law, followed by the mayor's signature.

Did the PRO Ordinance pass in Chicago?
The Protecting Renters Ordinance passed the Chicago City Council Committee on Housing and Real Estate on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, by a vote of 12 to 9. A committee vote is not final passage. The ordinance still needs a full City Council floor vote to become law, followed by the mayor's signature.

When will the full City Council vote on PRO and FAIR?
No vote has been held. Floor votes planned for September 23 and September 29, 2026 were not held, and neither ordinance was voted on at the October 14, 2026 City Council meeting, according to the City Clerk's record. No new date has been announced. Any bill needs 26 votes to pass, and 34 to override a mayoral veto.

Does the PRO Ordinance apply to owner-occupied 2-4 flats?
Only in part, in the version that passed committee on September 16, 2026. Owner-occupied buildings of six flats or fewer were exempted from the registry fees and certain other provisions, which covers a 2-flat, 3-flat, or 4-flat where the owner lives on-site. Reports differ on whether these buildings would still have to register. The exemption could narrow or drop in later versions.

What did Mayor Johnson drop from the PRO Ordinance before the September 16 vote?
Two provisions were removed ahead of the committee vote. The just cause eviction requirement, which would have required relocation payments to tenants removed through no fault of their own, was dropped as a concession. A separate provision requiring $10,000 in compensation to tenants facing unconscionable rent increases was also dropped amid rent-control concerns. The version that cleared committee retains the rental registry, the Bureau of Rental Housing Services, the Renters Bill of Rights, and the annual registration fee of $20 to $60 per unit by building size.

What is in the FAIR Ordinance that cleared Zoning?
The FAIR version approved by the Zoning Committee bans many junk fees, creates stricter rules on bad landlords, and keeps a free rental registry. Its funding sits in a separate future ordinance rather than the current bill: Villegas proposed doubling the $700 annual fee mortgage holders pay on foreclosed properties to $1,400, which he projected would raise about $8 million a year. Critics called the bill an unfunded mandate. A contested provision would let landlords charge legal costs to tenants who bring and lose complaints against them. Enforcement under FAIR is placed in the Department of Buildings.

Is the FAIR Ordinance now the law in Chicago?
No. Neither the FAIR Ordinance nor the Protecting Renters Ordinance is law yet. PRO passed the Housing Committee 12 to 9 on September 16, 2026, and FAIR passed the Zoning Committee 12 to 6 on September 17, 2026. Both still need a full City Council floor vote and the mayor's signature.

What's the main difference between the PRO and the FAIR Ordinance?
The PRO creates a citywide rental registry with per-unit fees, a new enforcement bureau, and a Renters Bill of Rights that includes fee disclosure and a ban on move-in fees. It exempts owner-occupied buildings of six flats or fewer from the registry fees and certain other provisions. The FAIR Ordinance drops the registry fees, allows disclosed and itemized fees rather than banning them, and would apply to a broader set of buildings.

Would I have to register my rental units?
Under the PRO version that passed committee, yes — with an annual fee of $20 to $60 per unit by building size. Owner-occupied buildings of six flats or fewer were exempted from the fee, along with nonprofit-owned units and units owned or subsidized by the Chicago Housing Authority or the Low-Income Housing Trust Fund; reports differ on whether owner-occupied buildings would still have to register. Under the FAIR Ordinance, the mandatory registration fee is dropped.

Which parts of PRO and FAIR are Chicago landlords most likely to see either way?
The provisions most likely to survive any compromise are the ones both sides agree on in principle: tighter fee-disclosure rules (fees must reflect a real cost, must be itemized upfront) and stricter security-deposit handling. Mandatory rental registry fees, which department enforces the rules, and the exact application-fee cap are where the bills still disagree (just-cause eviction was dropped from the PRO committee version but could return in a compromise) — those are the provisions most likely to change, get dropped, or be modified in any final version.