Waukegan, IL Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)
Key Facts
- Who must license
- All rental owners, even 2-unit owner-occupied
- Owner-occupied unit
- No unit fee, not inspected
- Required disclosure
- Unit count at each location (§ 14-4(c))
- Short-term rental prerequisite
- Must register under § 14-4(a) first
- Unlicensed short-term rental fine
- $750.00 (§ 14-4(e)(8))
Summary
Every owner of rental housing in Waukegan, even a two-unit building where the owner lives, must be licensed by the city's licensing official under Section 14-4. Owners must disclose all units at each address and supply the standard business-license information required by Section 14-2.
(a)All owners of rental housing properties in the city, including those properties of two units or less in which the owner resides, shall be required to be licensed by the licensing official. Owners who reside in their own licensed building shall not be required to pay a unit fee for the unit in which they reside, nor shall the unit in which the owner resides be subject to inspection.(b)The license fee schedule for said units on a per building basis shall be as provided herein.(c)Owners of such properties shall be required to provide all the information required in section 14-2 above for general business licenses, and shall also advise as to the number of units at each location.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 113).
Full Breakdown
Section 14-4(a) requires 'all owners of rental housing properties in the city, including those properties of two units or less in which the owner resides,' to be licensed. An owner-occupant of a small building is not charged a per-unit fee for the unit they live in, and that occupied unit is not subject to inspection, but every other unit in the building is. Subsection (c) folds the rental license into the city's general business-license framework: rental owners must supply the same information required of any business license applicant under Section 14-2, including owner names and street addresses, a 24-hour emergency contact, and, specific to rental housing, the number of units at each location.
Owners who also want to run a short-term rental (fewer than 30 consecutive days) must first be registered as a rental property under 14-4(a) before a short-term rental license can issue under subsection (e), and short-term operators must name a Waukegan resident as a 24-hour emergency contact and pay the hotel/motel-style tax under chapter 20, article IV. Licenses are billed and renewed annually, and the license must be produced for inspection on request once the property is licensed.
Violations & Fines
Because a rental license is treated as a business license, operating without one exposes the owner to the licensing chapter's general enforcement tools: the licensing official can deny or revoke the license, and Section 14-8(c) allows police, working with the licensing official, to arrest anyone operating an unlicensed business and charge them with a misdemeanor under Section 14-17. A short-term rental operated without first registering the underlying property under 14-4(a) is separately fined $750.00 under Section 14-4(e)(8), with each day of operation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to rent out one unit in my duplex in Waukegan?
What information do I have to give the city to register a rental?
Can I rent my property short-term without registering it first?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Waukegan
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