Champaign — Ch. 17 Human Rights § 17-4.5
Same—Same—Conviction
Operative Text
Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit a landlord from denying an application for housing based upon a person's record of conviction and sentencing to a term in the penitentiary for: (a) a forcible felony as defined in the Illinois Criminal Code, including the crimes of treason, first degree murder, second degree murder, predatory sexual assault of a child, aggravated criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual assault, robbery, burglary, residential burglary, aggravated arson, arson, aggravated kidnapping, kidnapping, aggravated battery resulting in great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement; or (b) a felony drug conviction for the sale, manufacture or distribution of illegal drugs; or (c) convictions which are based upon factors which would constitute one of the categories of convictions listed above under Illinois law or Federal Law, or the laws of another State. (d) The conviction shall not be allowed to be the basis of denying an application for housing if the person convicted has resided outside of prison at least the last two (2) consecutive years without being convicted of an offense described in paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) above. (e) This exception is not a restriction on the use of conviction information for other necessary business reasons. This exception shall not be construed to authorize the use of conviction information to achieve racial or ethnic discrimination or discrimination on the basis of a disability or any other protected basis. Landlords are encouraged to consider the rehabilitative efforts of individuals and the period since the conviction and circumstances of the conviction when deciding to deny an application for housing. The landlord is not relieved of any obligation of making a reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities by this exception.
Champaign Ch. 17 § 17-4.5 carves out a limited exception to the city's general human-rights protections by allowing landlords to deny housing applications based on certain serious criminal convictions — specifically forcible felonies, felony drug sales or distribution offenses, and equivalent convictions under other jurisdictions' laws. However, this exception has a built-in expiration: if a person has lived outside of prison for at least two consecutive years without a new qualifying conviction, that prior record may no longer be used as grounds for denial. The provision also makes clear that the exception cannot be used as a cover for racial, ethnic, disability-based, or other protected-class discrimination, and that landlords are encouraged to weigh rehabilitation and the circumstances surrounding any conviction.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Champaign Ch. 17 § 17-4.5, compliant operators generally document their screening criteria carefully, applying the conviction-based exception only to the specific categories of offenses the provision identifies — forcible felonies, qualifying drug felonies, and equivalent out-of-state or federal convictions. Operators also track the two-year post-release window, recognizing that a conviction that once justified denial may no longer do so once an applicant has lived conviction-free in the community for two consecutive years. Because the provision explicitly states that the exception cannot be used to achieve racial, ethnic, or disability-based discrimination, well-run operations apply screening criteria consistently across all applicants and continue to engage in the reasonable-accommodation process for applicants with disabilities regardless of this exception.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Champaign Ch. 17 § 17-4.5 gives applicants with criminal records meaningful protections: a landlord's ability to deny housing based on a conviction is limited to specific serious offense categories, and that ability disappears entirely once the applicant has been out of prison for at least two consecutive years without a new qualifying conviction. If a denial appears to go beyond those categories, or if the two-year clean-residency period has been met, an applicant may have grounds to raise a violation under Chapter 17's human-rights framework — options can include filing a complaint with the Champaign Human Relations Commission or consulting a local tenant-rights organization. Applicants who believe a denial was actually motivated by race, ethnicity, disability, or another protected characteristic may have additional avenues available under the same chapter.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 10, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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