Official offices and free services that can help before you sign and when something goes wrong. This site isn't connected to any of them, and nothing here is legal advice.
Links and phone numbers last checked September 2026. If something changed, let us know.
A University of Illinois Student Affairs office that supports students renting privately owned apartments and houses.
300 Turner Student Services Building, 610 E. John St., Champaign · 217-333-0112 · occl@illinois.edu
Free legal advice for current UIUC students, including lease reviews and landlord disputes. Appointments are in person or virtual. They don't give legal advice by phone or email, so book an appointment.
324 Illini Union, 1401 W. Green St., Urbana · 217-333-9053 · studentlegal@illinois.edu
Residence halls, graduate halls and university apartments, plus dining and meal plans.
Privately owned halls that meet university standards and offer dining plans and residence life staff. They're approved for the first-year live-on requirement. You contract with the hall directly.
Housing Information Office, 100 Clark Hall · 217-333-1420 · certhsg@illinois.edu
A short overview. Rules depend on your lease, your building and whether you live in Champaign or Urbana, so check with OCCL or Student Legal Service about your situation.
For buildings with five or more units, the Illinois Security Deposit Return Act says landlords must send an itemized list of deductions within 30 days of move-out and return the deposit within 45 days. Normal wear and tear can't be deducted.
Report problems in writing and keep a copy. Illinois law allows tenants to make certain small repairs and deduct the cost in limited situations after written notice and a waiting period. The rules are strict, so talk to Student Legal Service before trying it.
In Urbana, landlords generally need to give 24 hours' notice before entering, with exceptions such as emergencies. Your lease decides whether you can sublet, and Urbana limits sublet fees to the landlord's actual costs.
If your landlord won't fix a safety or code problem, the city can inspect.
Federal law bans housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. Illinois law and the Champaign and Urbana ordinances add more categories, including things like sexual orientation, source of income and student status.
Land of Lincoln Legal Aid gives free civil legal help, including housing, to qualifying low-income and senior residents of central and southern Illinois.
Toll-free 877-342-7891
Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District runs the buses around campus and town.
Common providers are Ameren Illinois (electric and gas), Illinois American Water and the Urbana-Champaign Sanitary District. Ask your landlord which ones you set up yourself.