Chicago renters’ rights are at stake in dueling City Hall proposals

The first and last time the Chicago City Council passed a sweeping renters’ rights ordinance was in 1986. Ronald Reagan was president, Stevie Wonder and Lionel Richie were atop the Billboard 100 chart, and the median rent in some Chicago neighborhoods was around $515. Forty years later, tenants face sky-high rents, bidding wars and piles of fees. They struggle to track down their own landlords when problems arise in their buildings. Landlords themselves face rising costs and property taxes that…