Amendment Proposed To The Illinois Security Deposit Return Act

Illinois House Bill 5314 proposes to amend Section 5 of the Illinois Security Deposit Return Act (765 ILCS 710/1) by allowing a landlord to provide an invoice of security deposit deductions to a tenant by email as an alternative to regular mail or in-person delivery.  According to the website of the Illinois General Assembly, the proposed amendment has passed both the Illinois House and Senate and is awaiting further action.  The text with the proposed amendment is below:

(765 ILCS 710/1)  (from Ch. 80, par. 101)     Sec. 1. A lessor of residential real property, containing 5 or more units, who has received a security deposit from a lessee to secure the payment of rent or to compensate for damage to the leased property may not withhold any part of that deposit as compensation for property damage unless he has,within 30 days of the date that the lessee vacated the premises, furnished to the lessee, delivered in person, or by mail directed to his last known address, or by electronic mail to a verified electronic mail address provided by the lessee, an itemized statement of the damage allegedly caused to the premises and the estimated or actual cost for repairing or replacing each item on that statement, attaching the paid receipts, or copies thereof, for the repair or replacement. If the lessor utilizes his or her own labor to repair any damage caused by the lessee, the lessor may include the reasonable cost of his or her labor to repair such damage. If estimated cost is given, the lessor shall furnish the lessee with paid 1 receipts, or copies thereof, within 30 days from the date the 2 statement showing estimated cost was furnished to the lessee, 3 as required by this Section. If no such statement and receipts, 4 or copies thereof, are furnished to the lessee as required by 5 this Section, the lessor shall return the security deposit in 6 full within 45 days of the date that the lessee vacated the 7 premises....