App: Rent Repayment Plan
Developer: Michael E. Byczek
Genres: Lifestyle, Reference

This app is for tenants and landlords in Illinois to avoid an eviction when a rent repayment plan is possible. An eviction is a costly and time consuming process without any guarantee that a landlord will recover unpaid rent and subject a tenant who may have missed just one month’s payment to long-term credit difficulties. 

There are legal obligations for landlords to enter into good-faith negotiations with tenants to arrange a rent repayment plan. Some tenants who missed their rent did so without any fault of their own and would like an opportunity to avoid eviction through a rent repayment agreement. Landlords benefit from recovering lost rent without the need for an eviction. 

The developer, Michael E. Byczek, is a licensed Illinois attorney with a background in computer engineering. He was one of the first attorneys in the United States to develop legal apps for iOS and macOS beginning in 2008 focusing on PDF legal documents and analysis of intellectual property law.

iOS Version: The app has four screens (tabs) to flip between content. The first is a three-page rent repayment plan in PDF format. The second shows two versions of a cover letter (also PDF format). One is for the tenant to send the landlord, and the other for the landlord to send the tenant, depending on who is using the app. The third shows a detailed explanation with instructions to fully understand the rent repayment process. The fourth allows the user to print the documents directly from within the app or save the file to the device.

macOS Version: Similar to the iOS version, except users only have the option to open the PDF documents using the Preview App on their Mac computer.

Included are relevant provisions of the recent Chicago Eviction Ordinance that describe some of the legal requirements for a rent repayment plan. Users may refer to these provisions to understand the rules that determine whether an agreement between a landlord and tenant for rent repayment is valid and enforceable. Also included is information about government assistance and resources at the Chicago, Illinois, and Federal level.

The PDF documents are not fillable online and must be printed in fill-in-the-blank format to best protect user privacy. The app does not collect or request any personal information.

The contract is based on a 12-month lease with at least one unpaid month (a 12 month chart is included). There are three repayment options: (1) downpayment of what the tenant can afford and pay the balance over an agreed upon number of months; (2) repay the entire balance in equal amounts; or (3) make minimum monthly payments with a lump sum due at the end of the lease. All payments are deferred for two months by default with an option to start repayment immediately.

Options allow whether to apply money held by the landlord in the form of security deposit and prepayment of rent towards the balance. It also allows the landlord to impose late fees, interest on the balance, or an early termination fee if the tenant vacates the property. A lease modification provision is included to reduce or defer future rent payments. 

Disclaimer: This app is for tenants and landlords in Illinois to negotiate an unpaid rent repayment plan. Both tenants and landlords would benefit from the app. Users outside Illinois may refer to the app for reference to write an agreement themselves that comply with their own local laws. The agreement was written for broad coverage that should apply to most scenarios. Users may use the documents as a template to write their own version, regardless of whether or not the real estate is located in Illinois.

For more information about the developer, visit www.michaelbyczek.pro.

Release notes:
Additional government resources (Chicago, Illinois, and Federal level) about unpaid rent and eviction along with minor textual changes.