David Orr: The mayor’s renters ordinance will help fight gentrification and corporate landlords, tell me about this news in (https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/16/opinion-chicago-resident-landlord-ordinance-support/)

In this Chicago Tribune op-ed, David Orrformer Cook County Clerk and the 49th Ward alderman who originally sponsored Chicago’s landmark 1986 Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (RLTO) under Mayor Harold Washingtonmakes a case in favor of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Protecting Renters Ordinance (PRO).Key Takeaways from the Op-Ed

• Updating a 40-Year-Old StandardOrr reflects on passing the original RLTO in 1986, which gave tenants legal recourse for repairs and basic protections. He argues that while the 1986 ordinance was a major milestone, Chicago’s rental market has changed fundamentally over the past four decades, leaving existing protections insufficient against modern real estate practices.
• Confronting Corporate Landlords & GentrificationOrr points out that the rental market is increasingly dominated by large private equity firms, institutional investors, and corporate landlords rather than traditional mom-and-pop owners. He argues that corporate practicessuch as unchecked rent hikes, aggressive evictions, and predatory feesdisplace longtime residents and accelerate gentrification in working-class neighborhoods.
• Core Provisions Supported by OrrThe op-ed highlights several key pillars of the Protecting Renters Ordinance:
  • “Just Cause” Eviction Protections: Requiring landlords to provide valid, legitimate reasons for lease non-renewals or evictions, preventing arbitrary displacement.
  • Banning Hidden “Junk Fees”: Standardizing move-in and late fees and eliminating hidden charges that inflate rental costs.
  • Citywide Rental Registry: Mandating annual registration of non-owner-occupied rental properties so the city can identify institutional ownership, track housing data, and proactively enforce building codes.
  • Bureau of Rental Housing Services: Creating dedicated city infrastructure to handle tenant complaints and enforce habitability standards rather than forcing tenants to navigate complex court battles alone.
  • Right to Counsel: Codifying legal representation for tenants facing eviction court, balancing the power dynamic between corporate legal teams and unrepresented renters.
• The Central ArgumentOrr concludes that housing stability is essential to neighborhood vitality and public safety. He frames the ordinance not as anti-landlord, but as a necessary modernization to hold bad actors accountable, level the playing field between renters and corporate landlords, and keep Chicago families securely housed.