Chicago Renter Laws

[Shamisu]

I moved here not to long ago, I got an apartment, everything was going great.

As time went on there where few maintenance issues, no bid deal, so I thought, so I turned them into the property management company that ran the place.

Weeks pass. Nohting. I contact them. More weeks pass. Nothing. Finally I go out and get the pieces, a new rail system for a drawer not expensive at all, and I do the work myself.

I mail the receipt in with my rent check, I subtracted the few dollars for the rail system, and was on my merry way.

No they are calling me saying I owe them late fees for not paying rent in full.

I have tried searching for my lease, I have no clue where it is, I just moved here and it got put somewhere, I'm currently tearing the place up though.

Am I in the right? Has anyone had this happen to them? Where I'm from they have a reasonable amount of time to fix problems, but if they don't the tenant can do it and subtract the rent. It was a standard lease, but then I don;t know what standard for the area is.

Thanks for any help you can give me.