Chicago, IL seller help · Tenant-occupied property
You're done — no turnover, no repairs, no more bad tenants.
You can sell a Chicago house with tenants still living there. USA Home Buyers buys houses as-is in Chicago and Cook County, Illinois. A sale does not by itself cancel a lease, so the occupancy and handoff need to be discussed.
Call 888-274-5006 to talk through the property and tenancy. You do not have to decide on eviction before you call.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Share the address and what is happening with the tenancy.
What we do
We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us.
You don't always need to evict to sell to us. We buy houses with tenants in place — we've done it many times, including cash-for-keys when that works better for everyone. Tell us about the property and tenancy.
We can talk about the house, lease, occupancy, access, and timing while the tenants are still there. You can compare that with preparing the rental for a listing or waiting for it to be vacant.
Bring us the problem
Lease timing, tenant access, repairs that have piled up, or a move-out conversation getting in the way? Tell us what is happening. If you have them nearby, share the lease, occupancy details, access limits, repair concerns, deposit records, and the timing you are considering. You can call before deciding what to do about possession.
Call 888-274-5006 and start with what you know; you do not need to have every detail settled first.
What happens next
1. We discuss the lease, occupancy, and house
Tell us who lives there, what the lease says, how access works, what repairs are needed, and what timing you have in mind. We can start with the information you have.
2. We put the offer and terms in writing
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours. Written offer and written terms before you commit; title-company closing.
3. You review the handoff and closing details
We discuss occupancy, deposits, prepaid rent, access, and timing as part of the proposed sale. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including the Illinois state, county and city transfer taxes. That does not include your mortgage, liens, back taxes or your share of current property taxes.
Local help in Chicago
For a property inside Chicago, the City's housing and building departments are useful starting points for city information. If the address is outside city limits, confirm its municipality because Chicago's local rules may not apply.
- City of Chicago Department of Housing — city housing information.
- City of Chicago Department of Buildings — building and code information.
Tenant rights, notice, and security deposits
A sale does not by itself cancel an existing lease. A tenant does not have to move simply because the house is sold; the lease and applicable tenant protections still matter.
Notice and possession
If you want to end an ordinary month-to-month tenancy, Illinois generally requires 30 days' written notice under 735 ILCS 5/9-207. Chicago requires longer notice in many cases, and a lease or local rule can require more. A sale or notice date is not automatically the date the tenants must leave.
Chicago tenants also have purchase rights in certain districts. Whether those rights apply depends on the property and sale. Review the official city code text for Chicago notice provisions, additional residential-tenancy rules, and tenant purchase-right provisions.
Security deposits and prepaid rent
Account for security deposits and any prepaid rent at closing. An ordinary sale does not automatically release the previous landlord from security-deposit obligations. Keep the lease and deposit records with the closing information. Illinois' Security Deposit Return Act is one source for the deposit rules.
More Chicago seller resources
What sellers say about USA Home Buyers
Here's what sellers have said about working with us.
“We had a grease fire in the kitchen that spread to the wall and the cabinet above the range before we got it out. Insurance gave us actual cash value — $19,000 on a kitchen that would cost $35,000 to rebuild. I wasn't going to fight that for six months. USA Home Buyers bought the house as-is in nine days.”
“I worked at the Amazon distribution center in Kenosha and took a medical leave for six months. Fell behind on payments, the bank filed in Kenosha County Circuit Court — Wisconsin judicial foreclosure. USA Home Buyers explained exactly where the timeline was and moved fast. Written offer in twenty-four hours, closed in eleven days. Foreclosure dismissed.”
“We owned our Lakeview property for twenty-six years and the property taxes hit $6,400 this year. Both retired, two incomes gone to one Social Security check. The house had too many stairs for my husband's knees anyway. USA Home Buyers gave us a fair number and closed in seven days. We moved to a one-floor condo in Waukegan.”
Questions about selling a tenant-occupied Chicago house
Can I sell my Chicago house while tenants are still living there?
Yes. You can sell with tenants still living there. A sale by itself does not cancel the lease or make tenants move; the lease and applicable tenant protections still matter.
Do I need to evict the tenants before I contact USA Home Buyers?
No. You can call before making a possession decision. We can discuss the lease, occupancy, access, and what you want the handoff to look like.
What notice applies to an ordinary month-to-month tenancy?
Illinois generally requires 30 days’ written notice to end an ordinary month-to-month tenancy. Chicago rules require longer notice in many cases, and the lease or local rules may require more. Check the rule for the property and tenancy before acting.
What happens to the security deposit and prepaid rent?
The deposit and any prepaid rent need to be accounted for at closing. An ordinary sale does not automatically release the previous landlord from security-deposit obligations, so include those records in the closing discussion.
Do I need to repair or clean out the property first?
No. We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us. Tell us what repairs or access issues are part of the tenancy.
What happens after I contact you?
We discuss the house, lease, occupancy, access, and timing. We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours. You get written terms before you commit, and the sale closes through a title company.
Talk through the tenant situation
Call 888-274-5006 to discuss the lease, access, repairs, or a possible sale with tenants in place.