Illinois Residential Leasing Agent License 2026/2027 Exam practice
questions with answers and brief rationales
1. What is the minimum age generally required to obtain an Illinois leasing agent license?
A. 16
B. 17
C. 18
D. 21
Answer: C. 18
Rationale: Illinois requires a leasing agent applicant to be at least 18 years old.
2. How many hours of approved pre-license education are required for an Illinois leasing
agent?
A. 10 hours
B. 15 hours
C. 30 hours
D. 75 hours
Answer: B. 15 hours
Rationale: Illinois requires 15 hours of approved leasing-agent pre-license education.
3. Which activity is most closely associated with a leasing agent?
A. Preparing building plans
B. Negotiating and executing residential leases
C. Performing electrical repairs
D. Conducting criminal investigations
Answer: B. Negotiating and executing residential leases
Rationale: Leasing agents perform licensed activities related to the leasing of residential
property.
4. Which federal law prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, sex,
familial status, national origin, and disability?
A. RESPA
B. Fair Housing Act
C. Sherman Act
D. Truth in Lending Act
Answer: B. Fair Housing Act
Rationale: The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on protected
characteristics.
5. A landlord refuses to rent to an applicant solely because the applicant has children.
What is the likely issue?
,A. Zoning
B. Familial-status discrimination
C. Property taxation
D. Eminent domain
Answer: B. Familial-status discrimination
Rationale: Familial status is protected under federal fair-housing law, subject to limited
statutory exemptions.
6. Which is NOT a federally protected Fair Housing Act category?
A. National origin
B. Disability
C. Race
D. Occupation
Answer: D. Occupation
Rationale: Occupation is not one of the federal Fair Housing Act's protected classes.
7. An advertisement says, “Perfect apartment for young professionals only.” What is the
primary concern?
A. Advertising discrimination
B. Property tax fraud
C. Building code violation
D. Mortgage fraud
Answer: A. Advertising discrimination
Rationale: Housing advertising must not indicate an unlawful preference or limitation based on
protected characteristics.
8. What is steering?
A. Increasing rent annually
B. Directing prospective tenants toward or away from housing based on protected characteristics
C. Inspecting a property
D. Collecting rent
Answer: B. Directing prospective tenants toward or away from housing based on protected
characteristics
Rationale: Steering can unlawfully restrict housing choices based on protected characteristics.
9. A prospective tenant asks whether a neighborhood is “safe for people of my religion.”
What should a leasing agent do?
A. Tell the applicant which neighborhoods contain that religion
B. Discourage the applicant from certain neighborhoods
C. Provide objective property information without steering
D. Ask about the applicant's religion
, Answer: C. Provide objective property information without steering
Rationale: The agent should avoid steering and provide neutral, property-related information.
10. Which federal law protects qualified individuals with disabilities from housing
discrimination?
A. Fair Housing Act
B. Securities Act
C. Sherman Act
D. Bankruptcy Code
Answer: A. Fair Housing Act
Rationale: Disability is protected under the Fair Housing Act.
11. What is a reasonable accommodation?
A. A change in a rule or policy to allow a person with a disability equal opportunity to use
housing
B. A rent increase
C. A security deposit
D. A lease termination fee
Answer: A. A change in a rule or policy to allow a person with a disability equal
opportunity to use housing
Rationale: Reasonable accommodations can involve changes to rules, policies, practices, or
services.
12. What is a reasonable modification?
A. A physical change to a dwelling or common area
B. A change in rent
C. A new credit report
D. A new lease term
Answer: A. A physical change to a dwelling or common area
Rationale: A modification generally involves a physical change to the premises.
13. Which action could constitute unlawful discrimination?
A. Applying the same published screening criteria to all applicants
B. Refusing an applicant because of race
C. Verifying employment
D. Checking references
Answer: B. Refusing an applicant because of race
Rationale: Race is protected under federal fair-housing law.
14. What is a lease?
A. A document transferring ownership permanently
B. A contract giving a tenant the right to possess property for a specified period under agreed
questions with answers and brief rationales
1. What is the minimum age generally required to obtain an Illinois leasing agent license?
A. 16
B. 17
C. 18
D. 21
Answer: C. 18
Rationale: Illinois requires a leasing agent applicant to be at least 18 years old.
2. How many hours of approved pre-license education are required for an Illinois leasing
agent?
A. 10 hours
B. 15 hours
C. 30 hours
D. 75 hours
Answer: B. 15 hours
Rationale: Illinois requires 15 hours of approved leasing-agent pre-license education.
3. Which activity is most closely associated with a leasing agent?
A. Preparing building plans
B. Negotiating and executing residential leases
C. Performing electrical repairs
D. Conducting criminal investigations
Answer: B. Negotiating and executing residential leases
Rationale: Leasing agents perform licensed activities related to the leasing of residential
property.
4. Which federal law prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, sex,
familial status, national origin, and disability?
A. RESPA
B. Fair Housing Act
C. Sherman Act
D. Truth in Lending Act
Answer: B. Fair Housing Act
Rationale: The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on protected
characteristics.
5. A landlord refuses to rent to an applicant solely because the applicant has children.
What is the likely issue?
,A. Zoning
B. Familial-status discrimination
C. Property taxation
D. Eminent domain
Answer: B. Familial-status discrimination
Rationale: Familial status is protected under federal fair-housing law, subject to limited
statutory exemptions.
6. Which is NOT a federally protected Fair Housing Act category?
A. National origin
B. Disability
C. Race
D. Occupation
Answer: D. Occupation
Rationale: Occupation is not one of the federal Fair Housing Act's protected classes.
7. An advertisement says, “Perfect apartment for young professionals only.” What is the
primary concern?
A. Advertising discrimination
B. Property tax fraud
C. Building code violation
D. Mortgage fraud
Answer: A. Advertising discrimination
Rationale: Housing advertising must not indicate an unlawful preference or limitation based on
protected characteristics.
8. What is steering?
A. Increasing rent annually
B. Directing prospective tenants toward or away from housing based on protected characteristics
C. Inspecting a property
D. Collecting rent
Answer: B. Directing prospective tenants toward or away from housing based on protected
characteristics
Rationale: Steering can unlawfully restrict housing choices based on protected characteristics.
9. A prospective tenant asks whether a neighborhood is “safe for people of my religion.”
What should a leasing agent do?
A. Tell the applicant which neighborhoods contain that religion
B. Discourage the applicant from certain neighborhoods
C. Provide objective property information without steering
D. Ask about the applicant's religion
, Answer: C. Provide objective property information without steering
Rationale: The agent should avoid steering and provide neutral, property-related information.
10. Which federal law protects qualified individuals with disabilities from housing
discrimination?
A. Fair Housing Act
B. Securities Act
C. Sherman Act
D. Bankruptcy Code
Answer: A. Fair Housing Act
Rationale: Disability is protected under the Fair Housing Act.
11. What is a reasonable accommodation?
A. A change in a rule or policy to allow a person with a disability equal opportunity to use
housing
B. A rent increase
C. A security deposit
D. A lease termination fee
Answer: A. A change in a rule or policy to allow a person with a disability equal
opportunity to use housing
Rationale: Reasonable accommodations can involve changes to rules, policies, practices, or
services.
12. What is a reasonable modification?
A. A physical change to a dwelling or common area
B. A change in rent
C. A new credit report
D. A new lease term
Answer: A. A physical change to a dwelling or common area
Rationale: A modification generally involves a physical change to the premises.
13. Which action could constitute unlawful discrimination?
A. Applying the same published screening criteria to all applicants
B. Refusing an applicant because of race
C. Verifying employment
D. Checking references
Answer: B. Refusing an applicant because of race
Rationale: Race is protected under federal fair-housing law.
14. What is a lease?
A. A document transferring ownership permanently
B. A contract giving a tenant the right to possess property for a specified period under agreed
