Done being a landlord in Illinois? We buy rental properties with tenants already in them, including the difficult ones.
At some point the math on owning a rental property stops working. Maybe you have a tenant who stopped paying rent months ago. Maybe the maintenance calls never stop and the repair list keeps growing. Maybe you own the property out of state and you are tired of managing it from a distance. Or maybe you have just been doing this for years and you are ready to get your life back.
Whatever brought you here, Royal Real Estate buys rental properties throughout Illinois — whether the property is vacant, whether it has tenants, or whether the tenant situation is complicated. We buy in all of those scenarios, including ones most buyers will not touch.
What you might be dealing with
Tired landlords reach out for all kinds of reasons:
- A tenant who has not paid rent in months and you do not want to go through the Illinois eviction process
- Tenants who are paying but making it difficult to sell because of how they maintain the property or their reluctance to allow showings
- A squatter situation that has gone on longer than it should have
- A property under an active eviction filing that is stalling your ability to sell
- A rental portfolio you have been managing for years and are finally ready to liquidate
- An out-of-state property that you cannot manage remotely anymore
All of these are situations we work with. None of them are deal-breakers.
What Illinois landlords should know about the eviction process
Illinois has its own eviction process, and it takes longer than many landlords expect. For non-payment of rent, the law requires you to give your tenant at least 5 days written notice before you can file anything with the court. For lease violations, the tenant gets at least 10 days to correct the problem before you can move forward. Once you file, the court schedules a hearing, and from there the process can run several more weeks before a possession order is entered and enforced.
From the time you send that first notice to the day you actually have your property back, a contested eviction in Illinois can easily take several months. For many landlords, especially those already dealing with a tenant who has stretched the situation out over time, that timeline is the number that makes the decision. Every month that passes is rent that will never come back and a property that is difficult to sell.
One piece of good news for landlords dealing with squatters specifically: a new law that took effect January 1, 2026 changed the rules in a meaningful way. Under Senate Bill 1563, which was signed by Governor Pritzker on July 21, 2025, squatters in Illinois are now classified as criminal trespassers rather than tenants. If you have proof of ownership and the occupant has no valid lease, police can remove them without requiring you to go through the full civil eviction process. If you are dealing with a squatter situation, call us — we can help you think through what your options look like under the new law.
We buy in either situation
Some landlords come to us after they have already handled the tenant situation and the property is vacant. Some come to us mid-eviction or with a tenant still in the property. Some are dealing with a squatter and are not sure what the right move is.
We buy in all of those situations. If you want to work through the eviction first and hand us a vacant property, we can work with that timeline. If you want to sell now with the tenant or squatter still in place and let us take it from there, we can do that too. We can also help you think through the tenant situation so the property can sell vacant — getting a property vacant typically works in your favor when it comes to value, and if that is the direction you want to go, we will help you figure out how to get there. We will help you decide which route makes the most sense depending on your situation.
How Royal Real Estate can help
We have multiple ways to work with landlords looking to sell, depending on the property, the tenant situation, and what you are trying to accomplish. We will lay out the options and let you decide what fits. No repairs required, no showings you have to coordinate, no tenant confrontations on your end.
How it works
- Call us and tell us about the property. Tell us the tenant situation upfront. Non-payment, eviction in progress, squatter, vacant — we want to know exactly what we are working with.
- We give you an honest assessment. A real number that reflects both the property’s value and its current occupancy situation, and a straight answer on your options.
- You decide. We walk you through what fits your situation. No obligation.
Why call Royal Real Estate
We are local. We are based in Kenosha, Wisconsin — right on the Illinois border — and have worked with landlords throughout Illinois.
We have dealt with non-paying tenants, properties mid-eviction, and squatter situations. If you have been putting off calling a buyer because you thought your situation was too complicated, call us and let us tell you what we can actually do. We have probably seen it before.
Our team includes licensed real estate agents, which means we have options for however you want to handle the sale.
Call us at (262) 300-7400 or fill out the form below. No obligation, no pressure.