When the rent is payable wholly or in part in specific articles of property or products of the premises, or labor, the landlord may distrain for the value of such articles, products or labor.
9-314.Distress for products and labor.
Article IX. Eviction · Part 3. Distress for Rent · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceSection 9-314 lets a landlord distrain for the value of specific articles, crops, or labor when the lease sets rent as payment in kind rather than money.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/9-314
Plain-English Summary
Not every lease sets rent as a dollar figure. Section 9-314 addresses leases where the rent is payable wholly or in part in specific articles of property, in products of the premises, or in labor. Older agricultural leases, for example, sometimes set rent as a share of the crop grown on the land or as work performed on the property.
For those in-kind arrangements, the statute lets the landlord distrain for the value of the articles, products, or labor owed, rather than requiring the rent obligation to be converted to cash before the remedy becomes available. The distress remedy tracks whatever form the rent takes under the lease.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does distress for rent require the rent to be payable in money?
No. Section 9-314 allows distraint even when rent is payable wholly or partly in specific articles of property, products of the premises, or labor.
What can a landlord distrain for when rent is paid in crops or produce?
The landlord may distrain for the value of those crops, products, or articles owed as rent under the lease.
Can a landlord distrain for unpaid labor owed as rent?
Yes. When labor is part or all of what the lease calls for as rent, the landlord may distrain for the value of that labor.
Does this section create a separate procedure from ordinary distress for rent?
No. It extends the same distress remedy to in-kind rent obligations, allowing distraint for their value rather than setting out a distinct process.
How does this section relate to the landlord's lien on crops under Section 9-316?
Section 9-316 gives the landlord a lien on crops for rent payable in money, articles, products, or labor, echoing the same in-kind coverage Section 9-314 applies to distress itself.
Amendment History
(Source: P.A. 82-280.)
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: rent paid in crops Illinois distress9-314 Illinoisdistress for labor or productsin-kind rent Illinois landlord remedy