Tazewell County, IL Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum heat
- 68°F at 3 ft above floor
- Window area
- 10% of room floor area
- Hot water
- at least 120°F
- Enforcing agency
- Director of Public Health
- Penalty
- up to $1,000 per day
- Applies to
- unincorporated Tazewell County only
Summary
Tazewell County's Human Habitation chapter sets baseline conditions for rental dwellings in the unincorporated area: working heat to at least 68°F, natural light and ventilation through windows sized to 10% of floor area, and hot water at 120°F. The Director of Public Health enforces these minimum standards under Chapter 96.
(J) Every habitable room shall have at least one window or skylight facing directly to the outdoors. The minimum total window area measured between stops for every habitable room shall be 10% of the floor area of such room. ... (N) Every dwelling shall have heating facilities which are properly installed, are maintained in safe and working condition, and are capable of safely and adequately heating all habitable rooms, bathrooms, and water closet compartments in every dwelling unit located therein to a temperature of at least 68°F. at a distance of three feet above floor level under ordinary minimum winter conditions.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-7: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. LU-21-12, passed 9-29-2021; and Res. LU-26-09, passed 7-29-2026).
Full Breakdown
08 Minimum Standards. Every habitable room needs at least one window or skylight facing the outdoors, with total window area equal to at least 10% of the room's floor area (15% if the only window is a skylight), and openable window area equal to at least 45% of that minimum so tenants can ventilate the space, per divisions (J) and (K). Heating facilities must be properly installed and capable of holding every habitable room, bathroom, and water closet compartment at a minimum of 68°F, measured three feet above the floor, under ordinary winter conditions, per division (N).
Every dwelling unit must also have a kitchen sink, a flush water closet, a lavatory basin, and a bathtub or shower connected to an approved water and sewer system, plus a water heater capable of delivering water at not less than 120°F, per divisions (A) through (H). Owners cannot shut off any required service or utility except for actual repairs or emergencies approved by the Director of Public Health, per division (X). 03. Because Tazewell County only zones and codes the unincorporated area, these standards reach rental units outside city limits; incorporated municipalities such as Pekin enforce their own property maintenance codes.
Violations & Fines
Violating any minimum standard in Chapter 96, including a habitability failure under § 96.08, is a petty offense under § 96.99 punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 for each day the violation continues. The Director of Public Health can also placard a unit as unfit for habitation under § 96.13 and order it vacated until the defects are corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tazewell County require rental units to have heat?
How much natural light must a rental bedroom have?
What happens if a landlord ignores these standards?
Do these rules apply inside Pekin or East Peoria?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tazewell County
Compare Tazewell County to another location·View the Illinois rental property rules overview
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