A rental renovation between tenants goes best when the design, the selections and the permit path are settled before the current tenant moves out, so the vacant weeks are spent building rather than deciding. Plan for finishes that survive turnover, a scope that matches the permit you need, lead-safe work in any unit built before 1978, and a schedule tied to the lease dates.
This guide is for owners and property managers planning residential remodeling in Chicago, from a single investment condo to a floor of a courtyard building. The rules below are as of 2026. Confirm your own project with the City or your contractor before you start.
Scheduling Around Lease Dates
The lease end date is the one fixed point in a turnover. Work backward from it. The design, the finish selections, the permit application and any special-order materials should be settled while the current tenant is still in place, so the crew arrives with a plan, not a list of questions.
Walking an Occupied Unit
You can usually see the unit before it is vacant. Under Section 5-12-050 of the Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (RLTO), a tenant may not unreasonably withhold consent for the landlord to enter to make necessary or agreed repairs, alterations or improvements, or to show the unit to workmen or contractors.
Except in an emergency, or when repairs elsewhere in the building unexpectedly require access, the landlord must give at least 2 days of notice, by mail, phone, written notice to the unit or another good-faith method. In those 2 cases, the landlord must tell the tenant about the entry within 2 days after it. Entry between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. is presumed reasonable, and the right of access may not be used to harass a tenant.
That visit is when a contractor measures, photographs existing conditions and notes where plumbing and power run. The RLTO does not cover every unit: the City’s exclusions include units in owner-occupied buildings with 6 or fewer units.
Work That Reaches Other Apartments
When repair work involves common facilities or other apartments, the same section lets the landlord give a general notice to all potentially affected tenants that entry may be required.
When the Unit Needs to Stay Empty Longer
A larger scope may mean not renewing a lease. Under the City’s Fair Notice Ordinance, a landlord must give 60 days of notice to terminate a lease if the tenant has lived there more than 6 months but less than 3 years, and 120 days after 3 years. The City’s RLTO summary lists 30 days for a tenancy under 6 months. Talk with your attorney before you set dates around a non-renewal.
Durable Finishes That Hold Up
A rental finish is judged twice: at the showing, and after several tenants have lived with it. The best choices are easy to clean, easy to repair and easy to match years later. Good interior remodeling in Chicago for a rental starts from that standard.
Floors
Where a unit has original hardwood, ask about refinishing before replacement. Our guide to hardwood refinishing explains the difference between a light screening and a full sanding. In kitchens, baths and entries, choose a floor that tolerates water and grit, and keep transitions simple so a damaged section can be replaced on its own.
Walls, Trim and Doors
Pick one wall color and one trim color for the building, record the exact product and sheen, and keep labeled touch-up paint for each unit. A scrubbable finish on trim and doors makes every move-out easier.
Fixtures and Hardware
Standard, widely stocked faucets, cartridges, hinges and pulls turn a repair into a parts order rather than a redesign. Matching them across units lets a small shelf of spares cover the whole building.
Keep a Finish Schedule
Ask for a one-page finish schedule at closeout: paint colors and sheens, flooring, tile, counters, fixtures and appliance models. It turns the next turnover, and the next repair, into a lookup.
Kitchens and Baths That Rent Well
Kitchens and baths are often where a prospective tenant makes up their mind. We will not put a number on the return, because rent depends on the building, the block and the market. What holds up is a plan that is clean, bright and simple to maintain.
Kitchens
Keep the sink, range and refrigerator where the plumbing, gas and power already run when the layout allows. Spend on the surfaces that take the abuse: a counter that resists stains without constant care, and cabinet boxes and hinges built for daily use. Our guide to the most durable countertop compares the options. Add good task lighting and one appliance package across units.
Bathrooms
Simple tile in standard sizes, a quality shower valve, grout and caulk that are easy to maintain, and a bath fan that clears the room do more for a rental than a feature wall. If you reconfigure a bathroom under the City’s Express interior permit, its terms require reconfigured spaces to have natural light and natural ventilation as the Chicago Building Rehabilitation Code requires.
In-Unit Laundry
Adding a washer is a common upgrade. Under the City’s Express interior permit, plumbing work in a single unit can add up to 5 water supply fixture units of demand, and the City counts a washing machine as 2. A new penetration of an exterior wall, such as an exhaust vent, is exterior work that this permit does not cover, so plan the dryer vent route early.
Permits for the Scope You Plan
The City of Chicago requires a permit before most construction, demolition and repair work. Your scope decides which path applies, and our guide to Chicago remodeling permits explains each path in more detail.
Work That Usually Needs No Permit
The City’s list of work that does not require a building permit includes, as of 2026:
- painting, wallpapering, tiling, carpeting, and installing cabinets or countertops, without plumbing or electrical connections;
- removing and replacing up to 1,000 square feet of drywall or plaster, without altering any mechanical, electrical or plumbing system;
- replacing an interior door in kind, where the door is not required to have a fire-resistance rating;
- installing or removing a domestic cooking appliance, and removing and reinstalling a toilet;
- in a residential building up to 4 stories, replacing a hot water heater, an exterior window or an exterior door in its existing opening, in kind (same type, size and shape).
Work done without a permit must still comply with the Chicago Construction Codes and with lead-safe work practices, and these exceptions may not apply to a Chicago Landmark or a property in a landmark district.
The Express Permit for a Single Unit
Much turnover work beyond finishes fits the City’s Express Permit for interior alterations. Within a single residential unit, it covers nonstructural remodeling of up to 2,000 square feet, plus electrical, mechanical (including new air conditioning) and plumbing work. Adding, removing or reconfiguring walls or doorways, other than closets, requires drawings by an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer. Structural work, new interior stairs and exterior work are not eligible.
Work in more than one unit or in a common area has tighter limits: 500 square feet in total, on a single floor level, with no HVAC work, and with drawings by a licensed architect or structural engineer. If the building is a condominium, the application needs an approval letter from the association.
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Budget for life safety. When an Express interior permit covers work in a residential unit, the City’s terms require smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors throughout the unit. In most cases they must be hardwired, and battery-powered alarms are not acceptable.
Who Can Run the Job
The City requires a licensed and insured general contractor for most construction, rehabilitation and demolition work. The owner exception applies only to an individual’s primary residence, on an entirely residential property with no more than 6 units and no building taller than 3 stories, and only for one property per calendar year. A landlord renovating a property that is not their primary residence will generally need a licensed general contractor, unless the job is a single trade performed by a Chicago-licensed trade contractor.
Before you start, look up the address in the City’s building records search. The RLTO requires landlords to tell new or renewing tenants about City code citations issued for the unit or common areas in the previous 12 months, so a turnover is the right moment to see what is on file.
Lead-Safe Rules for Pre-1978 Units
If the building went up before 1978, treat the paint as part of the plan from the first walkthrough.
The Federal Rule
The EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule requires anyone paid to disturb painted surfaces in housing built before 1978 to be certified, with workers trained in lead-safe work practices. EPA lists residential rental property owners and managers among the firms covered, along with general contractors and trades such as painters and plumbers.
The exemption for owners working in their own homes does not apply if you rent all or part of the home. A property management company that performs this work must become a Lead-Safe Certified Firm; otherwise, EPA says to hire only certified firms.
Details that matter in a turnover:
- Paint testing is not required, but unless you have documentation that the paint is not lead-based, the rule applies.
- Minor repair is excluded only up to 6 square feet of disturbed paint per room inside, or 20 square feet outside.
- Window replacement and demolition of painted surfaces are covered regardless of size.
- Exclusions are narrow. They include housing built in 1978 or later, and zero-bedroom units such as studios unless a child under 6 lives or is expected to live there.
Chicago Adds Its Own Step
The City’s permit guidance says work must follow the lead-safe practices required by city, state and federal law, and that you may need to file a Lead-based Paint Renovation, Repair, and Painting Form with the Chicago Department of Public Health before work involving lead-based paint begins.
Disclosure Before the Next Lease
Before a new tenant signs a lease for most pre-1978 housing, the federal lead disclosure rule requires the landlord or property manager to give the pamphlet Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home, disclose any known lead-based paint and hazards, provide all available records and reports, and include a Lead Warning Statement. Keep a signed copy for 3 years after the lease begins. Lead test results from the renovation are the kind of record the rule asks you to provide, so keep them with the unit file.
How a Design-Build Team Works With Property Managers
Design-build puts design and construction under one roof, so the people who plan the unit and choose the finishes are the people who build it. At Areté, our in-house interior design team works alongside construction, and each project is run by a Project Manager. For a property manager, that means one person who holds the schedule, the access plan and the updates.
Agree on these at the start:
- Dates: move-out, target move-in, and what happens if an inspection or a delivery slips.
- Access: keys, building hours, elevator or loading rules, and who sends RLTO notices to neighboring tenants.
- The standard: the finish schedule for this unit, and whether it becomes the standard for the next one.
- Lead and permits: the contractor’s EPA firm certification, the permit path, and the records you will need for disclosure.
- Closeout: the final inspection, the finish schedule, warranties and manuals, and photos of the finished unit.
For more on vetting a builder, read how property management companies choose the right contractor. If you manage several units in one building, a repeatable specification keeps each turnover from starting at zero, and our Chicago residential remodeling team can help you set it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to renovate a rental unit in Chicago?
It depends on the scope. Painting, tiling, carpeting and installing cabinets or countertops without plumbing or electrical connections usually need no permit, though the City says these exceptions may not apply to a Chicago Landmark or a landmark district. Most plumbing, electrical and wall changes do, and many single-unit projects fit the Express Permit Program.
How much notice do I need before entering an occupied unit?
For units covered by the RLTO, at least 2 days, except in an emergency or when repairs elsewhere in the building unexpectedly require access. Entry between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. is presumed reasonable.
Does the lead rule apply if I do the work myself?
Yes, if the unit is a rental built before 1978 and no exemption applies. EPA’s exemption for owners working in their own homes does not apply when you rent all or part of the home, and EPA lists rental property owners among the firms that must be certified, so become a Lead-Safe Certified firm or hire one.
Will the permit require new smoke and carbon monoxide alarms?
If the work runs under an Express interior permit, yes: alarms throughout the unit, and in most cases hardwired.
Can one Express permit cover several units?
Only within tighter limits. Work in more than one unit or in a common area is capped at 500 square feet in total, must stay on a single floor level, cannot include HVAC work and needs drawings by a licensed architect or structural engineer.
Planning a turnover with a fixed move-in date? Contact our team to talk through the scope and schedule for your unit.
