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You should ALWAYS know the tenant rights for the city you live in - I just had a friend who found out her landlord had exceeded the max 10% rent increase when she resigned her lease 6 months ago...wouldn't have happened if she had researched her tenant rights! (sorry, didn't mean to be preachy, just think it's important!)

Here's a link to a site with lots of info on Chicago tenant rights: http://www.tenants-rights.org/index.php?page=rentallaw_city

If you move in and they haven't been painted, document it! That way you have proof of the condition in case they try to keep your deposit when you move out because of the condition of the walls.

In Chicago, there are two sets of rules - one for landlords who have fewer than 6 units and live on the premises, and a second set for landlords who have more than 6 units and/or live off-site. I am not aware of either of them having a clause that specifically requires painting - in fact, I'd be pretty surprised if that were the case. But you never know.

Having lived in a large building in Chicago that had more than 6 units (w/no landlord on site), I can say that all the apartments in the bldg I knew about being vacated were painted before the new tenants moved in. When I moved in years ago, I was told "they have to paint."

As with everything else in this town, is it cheaper to buy the paint and do it yourself or hire a lawyer to fight the enforcement for you...A lot of things seem to slide based on this reality.

Wow. What a Debbie Downer. I'm just not real big on lawyers these days. :)

I've lived in Chicago my whole life and I was always under the impression that Landlords were required to paint before a new tenant moved in for two reasons:
1. My dad, a landlord, always had me help him patch up and paint the walls whenever a tenant moved out.
2. The three apartments I've lived in were painted before I moved in.

but if you really want to know...
call 311 (they seem to know everything...hence the attitude)
or
Chicago Rents Right 312-742-RENT (7368)
or
visit the Harold Washington Library - 5th Floor, Municipal Reference Library to see the Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance
or
wait for me to ask my landlord and I'll get back to you ;)

Nope. The landlord does not need to repaint unless the paint is cracking or peeling.

http://www.tenants-rights.org/index.php?page=repairs#q11

Yeah, basically the space only has to be in good/working/ condition. If they didn't paint and it looks rough, I would be taking photos and documenting as well. Some LL's totally try and nickel and dime everything they can out of that security deposit (even though normal wear and tear is supposed to be excluded).

thanks everyone! very helpful.

This is news to me.... I almost always paint an apartment prior to a new tenant moving in, though a few times I have made arrangements with tenants who wish to paint the apartment themselves, using colors I would not have chosen.