Illinois · contract for deed
Illinois contract for deed, explained.
A plain-English guide to contract for deed (also called land contract) in Illinois — statute, recording, default remedies, interest caps, and where deals actually happen.
735 ILCS 5/9-101 et seq. (forcible entry); Installment Sales Contract Act, 765 ILCS 67 (effective 2018, recording); 765 ILCS 75 (lead disclosures)
Under 765 ILCS 67/10, sellers of residential installment contracts must record the contract (or memorandum) with the county Recorder within 10 business days of execution. Penalty for failure.
Hybrid. Forfeiture available under contract terms via forcible entry and detainer (735 ILCS 5/9-102), but Illinois courts apply the 'equitable mortgage' doctrine where buyer has substantial equity—then foreclosure required under the Illinois Mortgage Foreclosure Law (735 ILCS 5/15-1101 et seq., § 15-1106).
Is contract for deed legal in Illinois?
Illinois recognizes 'installment contracts' / 'articles of agreement for deed.' The 2018 Installment Sales Contract Act added recording requirements and disclosures for residential contracts.
How do you record a contract for deed agreement in Illinois?
Under 765 ILCS 67/10, sellers of residential installment contracts must record the contract (or memorandum) with the county Recorder within 10 business days of execution. Penalty for failure.
What happens if the buyer defaults?
Hybrid. Forfeiture available under contract terms via forcible entry and detainer (735 ILCS 5/9-102), but Illinois courts apply the 'equitable mortgage' doctrine where buyer has substantial equity—then foreclosure required under the Illinois Mortgage Foreclosure Law (735 ILCS 5/15-1101 et seq., § 15-1106).
What is the maximum interest rate?
9% statutory limit under 815 ILCS 205/4 with broad exceptions; loans secured by real estate to natural persons capped at higher rate; commercial transactions effectively uncapped.
What disclosures are required?
Under 765 ILCS 67, residential installment sellers must provide buyer with disclosures including encumbrances, taxes, insurance, condition; Illinois Residential Real Property Disclosure Act (765 ILCS 77); lead-based paint; radon (420 ILCS 46).
Who's protected — buyer vs. seller
Buyer protections
Recording requirement; statutory disclosures; equitable mortgage doctrine forces foreclosure when buyer has significant equity; right of redemption if treated as mortgage.
Seller protections
Forfeiture remedy where equitable mortgage doctrine doesn't apply; expedited forcible entry proceedings; ability to retain payments.
Where in the state do these deals happen?
Chicago South and West side residential (subject to fair-housing scrutiny historically and recently); rural Southern Illinois land; small commercial.
Illinois cities
Per-city market notes for contract for deed buyers and sellers.
Notable case law
Shay v. Penrose, 25 Ill. 2d 447 (1962); Eade v. Brownlee, 29 Ill. 2d 214 (1963); recent contract-for-deed practices targeted by Cook County and Illinois AG actions against Harbour Portfolio (2010s).
Looking at a Illinois deal?
Send the parcel and the terms — we'll walk through whether contract for deed fits, how to record it, and what the cure period looks like if things go sideways.
Talk to WyattEducational content only. Statute citations are public-record research, not legal advice. Illinois contracts and remedies are fact-specific — consult a licensed Illinois real-estate attorney before signing anything.