House & Apartment
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Chicago has a building code for how buildings are used and maintained. The code covers issues such as rodent infestations, heat, utilities, elevator service, falling bricks, and illegal units. You can search the building violation history of any Chicago address.
Report concerns about a Chicago building
Call 311 or submit an online Building Violation Request to address the interior or exterior conditions of a Chicago building. Choose "Home and Buildings" and then "Safety" to access the online form.
Reports can be made anonymously. To get in contact with a building inspector, however, you'll need to provide your name and daytime phone number. Your landlord cannot evict you or raise your rent because you complained about the conditions or testified at a hearing .
Write down the tracking number for your request so you can look it up later. If you aren't offered one, ask. Depending on the issue, you may need to file multiple reports to get a building inspector sent out.
If you're a Chicago resident, you may also want to contact your alderman with your concerns. Provide the tracking number for your Building Violation Request to the alderman's staff when you reach out.
Building inspections
If a building inspector visits the building and finds violations, the landlord may receive a citation.
The landlord has 15 days from the citation notice to address the problem. If not, a court case may be filed against them. This could be a hearing in an administrative court or civil building court.
If you provided your name and contact information when you filed the report, you may be asked by the city to provide testimony as a complaining witness .
Talk to an attorney if you're concerned about landlord pressure related to your complaint or possible testimony. If you don't have a lawyer , visit Get Legal Help.
Enforcement options
The city may start an administrative hearing process or file a case in civil court against the building owner. If you want to take action on your own, your options include filing in civil court or using your rental repair rights.
Administrative hearing
The city may decide to give the building owner an administrative hearing. Only the city can start the administrative hearing process. You can follow the case and may be asked to participate in it.
An administrative law officer is in charge of the hearing. The officer may order a re-inspection of the building before the hearing.
The hearing is recorded. The city may ask you and other tenants to testify .
At the end of the hearing, the officer will make a decision. If a violation is found, the owner may be fined. The owner may also be told to fix things.
If the building owner wishes, they may appeal the decision by filing a new case in circuit court . This is called administrative review.
Civil court
The city typically files a civil court case when it needs to address dangerous life safety conditions. A civil court case offers the city more enforcement options than the administrative hearing process, but it's also more complicated.
Any tenant affected by a building violation can sue the building owner in civil court. If a tenant files a lawsuit to address a building violation, they must send a copy of the complaint to the city.
In civil court, a judge is in charge of the hearing. The judge can impose fines on the building owner and force the building owner to stop a violation or fix a problem.
After the judge makes a decision, either side may appeal the decision to the Illinois appellate court. Learn more about appealing a civil case.
Note: Many rules apply to filing this type of lawsuit. Seek legal advice. To find a lawyer, visit Get Legal Help.
Worried about doing this on your own? You may be able to get free legal help.
