McHenry Times

Government has no business telling a landlord how much rent to charge a tenant, the state representative from Crystal Lake said during a recent interview about an effort to repeal a 22-year-old rent control law.

"Rent should only be discussed between the renter and the landlord," 66th District Rep. Allen Skillicorn told the McHenry Times. "We do not need or want politicians and bureaucrats meddling with this."

The 66th House District is located within Kane and McHenry counties and includes Lakewood, Lake in the Hills, Gilberts, Sleepy Hollow and West Dundee.

State Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R-Crystal Lake)

HB 0255, sponsored by 39th District Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago), would repeal the Rent Control Preemption Act, signed into law in 1997 by Gov. Jim Edgar, a Republican. Guzzardi has said the repeal would restore authority to local governments to implement their own rent control measures.

The 39th District includes parts of Avondale, Belmont Cragin, Hermosa, Old Irving Park, Portage Park and Logan Square.

HB 0255 would be very costly, Skillicorn said.

"This will only increase costs and lead to more slumlords," he said. "This is none of the state's business."

HB 255 currently resides in the state House Commercial Law Subcommittee, where it has been since Feb. 8.