What can a landlord NOT do under the Illinois Human Rights Act?

Under the Illinois Human Rights Act, a landlord is prohibited from discriminating against tenants based on certain protected characteristics. This includes refusing to rent to someone with a service animal. Service animals are legally recognized and specifically trained to assist individuals with disabilities. Therefore, a landlord cannot refuse to accommodate a tenant who requires a service animal, as this would constitute discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

The Illinois Human Rights Act is designed to ensure equal housing opportunities and to protect against discrimination based on various factors, including disability. Refusing to rent to someone who needs a service animal would violate those principles of equality and fairness enshrined in the act.

In contrast, while a landlord might impose certain criteria for rentals, such as income requirements, they must still comply with non-discriminatory practices and cannot limit rentals to specific demographics or take adverse actions against tenants for complaining about policy enforcement. Such actions could also infringe on the rights protected by the act, although they specifically pertain to different legal principles.