Waukegan, IL Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Waukegan enacted the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code by reference under City Code § 6-176, renaming it the 'Waukegan Property Maintenance and Housing Code,' and amended it at § 6-178 to fit local practice. and 65 degrees Fahrenheit overnight, running from September 1 through June 15 each year; the building official can relocate tenants at the owner's expense through the Red Cross or a similar relief agency if a heat failure becomes an emergency. 1 separately requires every structure's interior and equipment to be kept structurally sound and sanitary, and owners of multi-unit buildings must keep shared halls, stairwells, and exterior grounds clean as well.

Under § 6-177, owners of every non-owner-occupied rental unit must give the tenant and the Building Department the name, address, and phone number of a person available for 24-hour custodial care and repairs, post that information inside the unit's front door, and keep it current; a building that lacks this filing cannot be approved for occupancy. Disputes over a Code Official's order go to the Code Enforcement and Appeals Board created at amended § 108, which includes the Building Commissioner, Police Chief, Fire Marshal, and Planning Director, and which can issue a binding Order for Compliance.