Oak Lawn, IL Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- All non-owner occupied rental units
- Inspection cycle
- Annual, plus every tenant turnover
- First inspection fee
- Free
- Reinspection fees
- $100 / $200 / $300, 1st–3rd+
- Penalty range
- $100–$50,000 per unit, per day
Summary
Oak Lawn requires an annual code compliance inspection and signed occupancy permit before any non-owner occupied rental unit, house, apartment, condo, or duplex, can be leased or re-leased to a new tenant.
It is unlawful for any owner, manager, or agent thereof to knowingly permit the occupation of any non-owner occupied residential dwelling unit, to include multi-family dwellings, apartment units, townhouses, condominiums, duplexes, or single-family rental units...until a Code compliance report...has been issued by the Department of Community Development, Division of Code Compliance...Thereafter, all properties shall be inspected annually and an updated certificate of occupancy issued.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-15: Code current through: Ord. 26-09-22, passed April 28, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under Village Code § 6-5B-1, no owner, manager, or agent may knowingly let a tenant occupy a non-owner occupied residential dwelling unit, multi-family, apartment, townhouse, condominium, duplex, or single-family rental, until the Division of Code Compliance issues a code compliance report and the tenant signs an occupancy permit; every unit is then reinspected annually. Inspectors need the owner's or tenant's consent, or a Cook County Circuit Court warrant, before entering under § 6-5B-3. The first inspection is free; reinspections run $100, $200, and $300 for the first, second, and third-and-later visits.
Violations & Fines
Violations of the inspection permit article carry a fine of $100 to $50,000 per unit under § 6-5B-15(B), with each day a violation continues a separate offense; a late license carries a flat $100 per-unit penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Oak Lawn inspect rental homes before every new tenant?
Can Oak Lawn inspectors enter a rental without the owner's consent?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Oak Lawn
Compare Oak Lawn to another location·View the Illinois rental inspections overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Inspection Programs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle inspection programs.