Urbana — Ch. 12.5 Landlord-Tenant Relationships § 12.5-17
Tenant obligations
Operative Text
The tenant shall: (1) Comply with all obligations imposed upon tenants by provisions of city code applicable to occupants of a rental unit; (2) Keep that part of the premises that he or she occupies and uses as safe as the condition of the premises permits; (3) Dispose from the rental unit all ashes, rubbish, garbage and other waste in a clean and safe manner; (4) Use in a reasonable manner all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating, air conditioning and other facilities and appliances, including elevators, in the premises; (5) Not deliberately nor negligently destroy, deface, litter, damage, impair or remove any part of the premises or knowingly permit any person to do so; (6) Conduct himself or herself and require other persons on the premises and within the rental unit with his or her consent to conduct themselves in a manner that will not disturb the neighbors; (7) Maintain the rental unit in a clean and sanitary condition and provide for a general cleaning of the rental unit prior to departure. As part of such cleaning, the tenant will broom sweep and mop the floors, vacuum all rugs and carpeting, and clean all appliances and plumbing fixtures; (8) Unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the landlord, not apply any part of a security deposit as part of obligated rent payments; and (9) Hold the landlord harmless from claims for property loss for which the landlord is not responsible and which the tenant's own insurance should cover.
Urbana Code § 12.5-17 sets out a list of baseline responsibilities that tenants in rental units must meet. These include keeping their portion of the premises safe and sanitary, properly disposing of waste, using building systems and appliances reasonably, avoiding damage to the property, and not disturbing neighbors. The provision also addresses move-out cleaning standards, prohibits applying security deposits toward rent without written landlord agreement, and requires tenants to hold landlords harmless for losses covered by the tenant's own insurance.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 12.5-17, compliant operators typically document the condition of a unit at move-in and move-out to establish a baseline against which tenant obligations—such as the required broom-sweep, mopping, vacuuming, and appliance cleaning—can be measured. Landlords generally keep written records of any agreements that deviate from the default rule prohibiting tenants from applying security deposits toward rent. Maintaining clear lease language that references the tenant obligations listed in § 12.5-17 can help operators communicate expectations from the start of a tenancy.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 12.5-17 of Urbana's Landlord-Tenant Relationships ordinance outlines the affirmative duties tenants owe during and at the end of a tenancy, including maintaining cleanliness, avoiding damage, and performing specific cleaning tasks before moving out. Tenants who believe a landlord is improperly withholding a security deposit based on alleged violations of these obligations may have grounds to raise those claims through Urbana's local dispute resolution processes or by consulting a tenant-rights organization familiar with local code. Understanding what § 12.5-17 requires—particularly the move-out cleaning checklist and the security deposit rule—can help tenants document their compliance throughout the tenancy.
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 6, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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