Champaign — Ch. 17 Human Rights § 17-4.4
Same—Business necessity—Method of payment
Operative Text
It shall not be unlawful to establish a method of payment policy based in whole or in part on payment methods required by some sources of income if those payment methods increase the cost of doing business, as compared to other methods or payment accepted by the business. A method of payment policy shall not be inconsistently applied based in whole or in part on factors otherwise prohibited or utilize in whole or in part other prohibited factors as part of the policy unless otherwise authorized by an exception to this chapter. For purposes of this section, costs required to comply with building, safety and other similar codes which are otherwise applicable regardless of the source of payment of rent shall not be considered an increased cost of doing business. Nominal costs incurred by a landlord, including but not limited to postage to send in a voucher or similar payment for handling costs, when payment is promptly received after presenting a voucher, shall not be a basis for a claim of increased costs.
Champaign Ch. 17 § 17-4.4 permits landlords to set payment-method policies when certain income sources genuinely increase the cost of doing business, compared to other payment methods the business already accepts. However, such policies cannot be applied inconsistently based on characteristics that are otherwise protected under the Human Rights chapter, nor can they use those protected characteristics as part of the policy. Importantly, costs tied to building or safety code compliance—which apply regardless of how rent is paid—do not count as increased costs, and minor expenses like postage for submitting a housing voucher are also excluded from the 'increased cost' justification.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Champaign Ch. 17 § 17-4.4, operators who establish a payment-method policy grounded in a genuine cost-of-doing-business rationale generally document how the specific payment method materially increases costs compared to other accepted methods. Compliant operators are careful not to apply such policies in ways that vary based on protected characteristics, and they do not count routine code-compliance expenses or nominal handling costs—such as postage for voucher submission—toward any increased-cost calculation. Consistent, evenhanded application of any payment-method policy across all applicants and tenants is a hallmark of compliance with this section.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Champaign Ch. 17 § 17-4.4 limits when a landlord may lawfully refuse or restrict a particular payment method tied to a source of income, requiring that any such policy be based on a real and documented increase in business costs—not on protected characteristics. If a landlord's payment-method policy appears to be applied inconsistently or seems to rely on factors like housing voucher status in a way that feels discriminatory, tenants may consider raising the issue as a potential violation of this chapter. General enforcement paths include filing a complaint with the Champaign Human Relations Commission or consulting a local tenant-rights organization for guidance on next steps.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 10, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation