Freeport tenants told to pay sudden rent increase or get out

FREEPORT, Ill. (WTVO) — Renters in Freeport are facing significant rent increases after Pied Piper Group purchased homes from Chapman Properties, leaving many with just days to decide whether to sign new leases or move.

The City of Freeport has confirmed that these rent increases are indeed happening, affecting hundreds of families who received notifications weeks ago. Some residents, like Jocelyn Gryzlak, have seen their rent jump from $550 to $900 or from $650 to $1,300.

“The amount of anxiety that I have around this is just crazy,” said Jocelyn Gryzlak, a resident affected by the rent hike. “The idea of having to pay twice the rent or getting out. What are the hundreds of families supposed to do?”

Bryan Bridge, a City of Freeport official, stated, “What we’re attempting to do is reach out to those landlords or any future landlords, and possibly ameliorate the situation.”

Residents were informed that if they did not sign the new lease by the deadline, they would receive a 30-day notice to vacate. However, Gryzlak mentioned that her landlord is not enforcing this today.

Gryzlak expressed her hope for more action from city officials, saying, “I’m very appreciative of their time and their attention. I just, I do want more. And I don’t mean to sound selfish, but sympathy and empathy only goes a long way.”

With state law preventing city intervention, residents like Gryzlak are left in a state of uncertainty as they face these substantial rent increases. The situation highlights the challenges renters face in the current housing market.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WTVO. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WTVO staff before being published.