Landlord won't let me out of commercial lease despite major roof leak making space unusable

I've been leasing a commercial space in Chicago for my restaurant for 2 years (3-year lease, signed Nov 2023). Everything was fine until last month when we had a major rainstorm and discovered the roof has serious leaks.

Water poured into the dining area, ruined ceiling tiles, damaged electrical fixtures, and we had to close for 5 days. I immediately notified the landlord in writing. He sent a contractor who "patched" it, but it leaked again during the next rain.

It's been 4 weeks now. The space is basically unusable during any rain. I'm losing thousands in revenue every time we have to close. Health inspector came by and flagged potential mold issues.

I told my landlord I want to terminate the lease early due to his failure to maintain the property. He says I'm stuck in the lease and still owe rent. I'm paying $4,800/month for a space I can't reliably operate in.

Does his failure to fix this give me grounds to break the lease? What are my options here?

This sucks, but commercial leases are very different from residential leases. Most commercial leases don't have the same implied warranty of habitability that residential leases have.

You need to look at your lease very carefully. Check for:

• Maintenance and repair provisions - who's responsible for structural issues like the roof?
• Remedies section - what can you do if landlord doesn't maintain?
• Force majeure or casualty clauses
• Any "quiet enjoyment" language

Document EVERYTHING. Photos, videos, dates you closed, revenue losses, all communications with landlord.

I handle commercial lease disputes in Illinois. This is likely a constructive eviction scenario if the property is truly unusable.

In Illinois, even commercial leases have some protections. If the landlord's failure to repair makes the property unsuitable for its intended purpose, you may have grounds to claim constructive eviction.

Key requirements for constructive eviction in Illinois:

1. Landlord breached a duty (like maintaining the roof)
2. The breach substantially interfered with your use of the property
3. You notified landlord and gave reasonable time to fix
4. You actually vacate the premises

Warning: If you claim constructive eviction and a court disagrees, you could be liable for the full lease term. Don't just walk away without legal advice.

I just pulled out my lease. Under "Landlord's Obligations" it says: "Landlord shall maintain the structural integrity of the building including foundation, exterior walls, and roof."

There's also a section that says: "In the event of casualty damage that renders more than 50% of the premises unusable, either party may terminate with 30 days notice."

The leak affects about 40% of the dining room, so I don't think I hit the 50% threshold. But the "structural integrity" language seems relevant?

I went through something similar with a retail space. One thing to consider: have you been withholding rent or still paying?

In Illinois you might be able to do "repair and deduct" - hire your own contractor to fix the roof and deduct the cost from rent. But this is risky in commercial leases.

Also, check if your business interruption insurance covers this. Some policies cover lost income due to landlord's failure to repair.

Good that the lease clearly assigns roof maintenance to landlord. That's your foundation.

Next steps I'd recommend:

1. Send a formal demand letter citing the lease provision, detailing the issue, your losses, and giving a firm deadline (10-14 days) for completion of repairs
2. Get an independent contractor's assessment of the roof damage and cost to repair properly
3. Document business losses - sales reports showing revenue drops on rain days vs. normal days
4. Check local code enforcement - file a complaint with Chicago Building Dept if the roof violates code

Don't withhold rent yet - in commercial leases this can put you in default. Keep paying under protest while you build your case.

I've been paying rent on time despite all this. Didn't want to give him any excuse to claim I breached.

Just got an estimate from a roofing contractor - says the whole section needs to be replaced, not just patched. Estimate is $18,500. I sent it to my landlord asking when he'll schedule the work.

He responded saying "the roof was fine when you moved in, this is normal wear and tear." Which is BS because the lease started 2 years ago and roof leaks aren't "normal wear and tear."

His "normal wear and tear" argument is ridiculous. Roof maintenance is literally in the lease as his responsibility.

You're in a strong position here. The lease says he maintains the roof. You have documentation of the problem, his failed repair attempt, and your business losses.

Consider this strategy: Send a formal notice that if repairs aren't completed within 15 days, you'll exercise your right to cure and deduct the repair cost from rent over the next several months. Include:

• The contractor's estimate
• Your calculation of how you'll deduct ($18,500 / $4,800 = ~4 months of rent)
• Reference to the lease provision requiring him to maintain the roof
• Your documented losses to date

This often gets landlords moving because they realize you're serious.

Not a lawyer but I own 3 restaurants in Chicago. Had a similar situation with a grease trap issue my landlord wouldn't fix.

File a complaint with the city. When the building inspector shows up and red-tags the issue, landlords suddenly find motivation to fix things. No landlord wants code violations on their property.

Also, if you have to close due to unsafe conditions, make sure you're documenting that it's landlord's failure, not your choice. Important for insurance and for any future legal action.

Update: I filed a complaint with Chicago Building Dept. Inspector came out yesterday and cited my landlord for code violations related to the roof and water damage.

Landlord called me within 2 hours of getting the citation. Suddenly he's very interested in fixing this properly. Scheduled a roofing company to start work next week.

I also sent him a demand for rent abatement for the 8 days I had to close due to the leak ($4,800 / 30 days = $160/day x 8 days = $1,280). He hasn't responded to that yet but at least the roof is getting fixed.

Thanks everyone for the advice. The city complaint was the key.

Glad you got results. Code enforcement is often the fastest way to get action from unresponsive landlords.

On the rent abatement: Your calculation is reasonable. In Illinois courts, tenants are entitled to rent abatement proportional to the unusable space/time. Keep all documentation of your closure days in case he disputes it.

Once the repairs are done, get a written confirmation from the contractor that the roof is properly fixed, not just patched. And take detailed photos of the completed work. This protects you if the issue recurs.