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Evanston council narrows landlord‑penalty ordinance, introduces measure targeting retaliatory conduct
Summary
After extended public testimony from tenants and landlords, the council amended an ordinance to allow fines for retaliatory conduct under the Residential Landlord‑Tenant Ordinance and voted to introduce the amended ordinance for further process. Supporters said it fills an enforcement gap; opponents urged more stakeholder outreach.
Evanston — The City Council on March 23 debated and amended a proposed ordinance that would add a monetary penalty option to the city’s Residential Landlord‑Tenant Ordinance (RLTO), then voted to introduce the ordinance as amended.
Council Member Marina Isles, who sponsored the measure, said the change was intended to give the city a practical enforcement tool after tenants and tenant organizers described repeated, allegedly illegal behavior by certain housing providers. “The ordinance is not worth the paper it’s printed on if we can’t or won’t enforce it,” Isles said, arguing the city needed a pathway beyond a private civil suit that most tenants cannot afford.
The council rejected a motion to suspend rules that would have allowed immediate adoption. Members then debated whether fines should apply across the entire landlord‑tenant chapter or be limited to retaliatory conduct. After…
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