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When Does a Guest Become a Tenant in Illinois?
A guest becomes a tenant in Illinois as soon as they have any evidence that the landlord knew they were living in the apartment and didn't ask them to leave.
Chapter 12 of the Chicago Municipal Code that a “tenant” is simply someone who has the approval of the landlord to “occupy a dwelling unit to the exclusion of others.” In other words, a guest becomes a tenant in Illinois as soon as they can prove that they have either explicit or implicit landlord consent to live in a rental unit.
Once a guest can prove that they’re a tenant, they get the full legal protections of a tenant—most importantly, the right to eviction. This makes it more difficult to kick them out of your apartment, since you'll need "just cause" to evict.
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