October 2026 brought a court win that preserves a Chicago tenant payout, proposed renter settlements moving toward final hearings, and new local rent rules taking effect. The Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act, the federal law that protects bona fide tenants after a foreclosure, remains the baseline while these cases and city rules decide who gets paid. For readers tracking payouts, the month matters because deadlines split into past opt-out dates, pending final approvals, and future claim dates. This update sorts what changed, who it affects, and what to watch next.
Table of Contents
- What federal law still requires after foreclosure
- Why Chicago's $10,600 rule matters now
- Which renter settlements have money on the table
- New October rules for Maryland and New York City
- What to watch before you file or wait
What federal law still requires after foreclosure
The Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act permanently requires a post-foreclosure owner to give bona fide tenants at least 90 days' notice. The owner must also honor the lease term unless the buyer will occupy the home as a primary residence, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition update Coalition summary of permanent authorization.
That rule applies after a foreclosure sale, not during a normal landlord-tenant dispute. A tenant with a valid lease can stay through the lease except for the owner-occupant exception. A month-to-month tenant still gets the 90-day notice period.
Why Chicago's $10,600 rule matters now
Chicago's Keep Chicago Renting Ordinance requires a buyer of a foreclosed rental building to offer a good-faith lease renewal or pay each qualifying tenant $10,600 in relocation assistance. On July 22, 2026, the Seventh Circuit in BBLI Edison v.
Chicago upheld that fee against a takings challenge, comparing it to indirect rent regulation, as reported by Saul Ewing court decision analysis. The ruling keeps the city's payment structure intact for qualifying tenants. A separate tenant class action seeking unpaid fees remains pending, so past nonpayment claims are not resolved by the appellate decision.
Which renter settlements have money on the table
Proposed settlements totaling $359.9 million in In re RealPage Rental Software Antitrust Litigation cover renters in certain multifamily properties using RealPage revenue-management software, according to Scott+Scott, Robins Kaplan and Hausfeld settlement announcement. The proposal set opt-out and objection by Sept. 1, 2026, a fairness hearing Oct. 15, 2026, and claims due Jan. 29, 2027.
A separate $1.625 million settlement in Clermont v. National Tenant Network resolves claims that tenant-screening postcards disclosing eviction filings violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act. It received preliminary approval June 23, 2026, with claim and opt-out deadline Sept. 22, 2026 and final hearing Dec. 8, 2026.
- RealPage: rented in a covered multifamily property tied to the software, watch the Oct. 15 hearing and Jan. 29 claim deadline
- Clermont: received or was affected by the eviction-filing postcards, check final-approval status before expecting payment
- Both: proposed or preliminary approval alone does not pay; keep the notice, lease, and mailing address
New October rules for Maryland and New York City
Maryland SB 335, Chapter 773, took effect Oct. 1, 2026. It bars credit-based screening against voucher holders and requires landlords with six or more units to offer optional reporting of positive rent payments to a credit bureau at signing and annually.
New York City's Rent Guidelines Board Order #58 freezes rent at 0% for one- and two-year renewals of roughly one million rent-stabilized apartments for leases starting Oct. 1, 2026 through Sept. 30, 2027. The Board approved it 7-1 on June 25, 2026, and a landlord court challenge remains pending.
What to watch before you file or wait
Watch the RealPage fairness hearing on Oct. 15, 2026, then monitor appeals because the same announcement states the settlements pay nothing until final approval plus resolution of any appeals. The case also continues against non-settling RealPage defendants, so later settlements or trial outcomes remain possible. Watch the Clermont final hearing on Dec.
8, 2026, especially if you filed before Sept. 22. Watch the pending Chicago tenant action for unpaid relocation fees and the pending challenge to New York's freeze. Save leases, renewal offers, screening notices, and settlement claim confirmations by date.
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