Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Illinois

rental lease signed by 'jon doe'

In IL, is a residential lease considered to be legal if it is signed by the tenants (of course), and then another person on behalf of the owner of the unit. This 'other person' who signed the lease on behalf of the owner is a non-licensed real estate agent and had NO authorization to do so, they simply rented the apartment. In other words, the residential lease was just signed by some 'joe shmoe'. Is the rental lease legal?


Asked on 1/03/09, 1:13 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Peter Olson The Olson Law Firm, LLC

Re: rental lease signed by 'jon doe'

Not a simple answer to that question at all. It's likely an agency question...would the tenant have been led to believe that this person was the owner's proper agent? The company he worked for, business card, Website, was there an management office at the apartment. Factors such as those looking from the tenant's perspective. I mean of course a non-owner can bind an owner, surely most big landlords aren't personally singing leases.

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Answered on 1/03/09, 1:44 pm


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