Kendall County, IL Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)

Section 22-149(a) makes annual registration with the Kendall County Planning, Building and Zoning Department mandatory for every short-term rental in the unincorporated areas; thirty days after the ordinance's effective date, no property may operate as a short-term rental unless it has been approved for placement on the County registry. Section 22-149(b) requires the application to state the number of bedrooms, the size of each bedroom, the number of bathrooms, the maximum intended occupancy, and any additional information the Zoning Administrator finds reasonably necessary. Under Section 22-149(c), the applicant must supply a monitored contact phone number and email that the County can share with the public and other agencies to field complaints, and must notify the department if that contact information changes.

Section 22-149(d) requires the applicant to meet with the Health Department, Planning, Building and Zoning Department, and Sheriff's Office before the application proceeds, to review the applicable regulations. Before an application is approved, the department conducts a life-safety inspection covering smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, emergency egress, stairs and handrails, electrical and mechanical systems, structural access and safety glazing (Section 22-149(e)), and failing that inspection is grounds to deny or revoke registry placement (Section 22-149(f)). Registration must be renewed annually with a new life-safety inspection (Section 22-149(i)). Short-term rental operators must also comply with the County's separate Noise Control and Junk and Debris ordinances under Section 22-150.