Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Illinois

You'll have to look at your lease; there should be a section about moving out ("vacation") and what happens to property if left behind. You're in Chicago (albeit the NW side) and the city has some peculiar rules about abandoned property, as well as the landlord-tenant ordinance if it applies. And nothing will stop the former tenant from suing you if they want to claim you threw out valuable stuff without proper lease procedure;