The grantees of any leased lands, tenements, rents or other hereditaments, or of the reversion thereof, the assignees of the lessor of any lease, and the heirs, legatees and personal representatives of the lessor, grantee or assignee, shall have the same remedies by action or otherwise, for the non-performance of any agreement in the lease, or for the recovery of any rent, or for the doing of any waste or other cause of forfeiture, as their grantor or lessor might have had if such reversion had remained in such lessor or grantor.
9-215.Remedies available to grantee.
Article IX. Eviction · Part 2. Recovery of Rent; · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceAnyone who buys, inherits, or receives an assignment of a landlord's interest in leased property steps into the landlord's shoes and can sue the tenant for unpaid rent, lease violations, or waste, just as the original landlord could have.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/9-215
Plain-English Summary
Section 9-215 answers a succession question on the landlord's side of a lease: what rights does a new owner, assignee, or heir have against the tenant? The section gives grantees of leased land or the reversion, assignees of the lessor's lease, and the heirs, legatees, and personal representatives of the lessor, grantee, or assignee, the same remedies the original grantor or lessor would have had.
Those remedies cover three kinds of claims by name: non-performance of any agreement in the lease, recovery of rent, and waste or other cause of forfeiture.
The rule connects back to Section 9-201's civil action for rent, and more generally to the eviction and ejectment remedies elsewhere in this Part, so that a new owner is not left without recourse against a tenant who was already in default when the property changed hands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who benefits from Section 9-215?
Grantees of leased land or the reversion, assignees of the lessor's lease, and the heirs, legatees, and personal representatives of the lessor, grantee, or assignee.
What claims can these successors bring against a tenant?
Claims for non-performance of any agreement in the lease, for recovery of rent, or for waste or other cause of forfeiture.
Do these successors have more rights than the original landlord had?
No. The statute gives them the same remedies the original grantor or lessor would have had.
Does a buyer of rental property need a separate assignment of the lease before suing the tenant?
The statute grants the remedy to grantees, assignees, and the listed successors directly, without describing any additional assignment step.
Is there a mirror-image section for the tenant's side?
Yes, Section 9-216 gives similar continuity of remedy to lessees and their successors.
Amendment History
(Source: P.A. 83-707.)
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Compiled Statutes, published by the
Illinois Compiled Statutes, Illinois General Assembly / Legislative Reference Bureau. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: buying rental property tenant lease rights illinoisnew landlord suing tenant illinoisassignee of lease rights illinoisheir inherited rental property tenant rights