Can a Landlord Ignore or Refuse my Request to Sublet in Illinois?

Illinois' Tenant Union says that a landlord shouldn't unreasonably withhold consent to accept a subtenant or primary tenant but does not clearly define reasonableness. We suggest you follow our general rule of thumb, which is based on the Universal Residential Landlord Tenant Act as well as an in-depth review of court cases throughout the United States:

An applicant can only be reasonably refused if it can be proven that they would put the landlord's business at risk. If there is no evidence that they would have the ability to pay the rent reliably as a subtenant, then there are grounds for reasonable refusal.

State law defines unreasonable refusal as anything reason that could be deemed discriminatory. For example: race, color, religion, sex (including sexual harassment), pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, age, order of protection status, marital status, sexual orientation (which includes gender-related identity), unfavorable military discharge, physical and mental disability, or familial status.

These protected statuses are outlined in the state's Fair Housing Laws. If a landlord refuses a tenant for these reasons they could be sued.