Chicago, Ill., Mun. Code ch. 7-28 § 7-28-315
Removal of litter from a retail establishment's parking area (Chicago Health Nuisances Ordinance)
Operative Text
(a) Every person owning, managing or controlling any retail establishment with an adjacent parking area provided for customer use shall cause to be removed at his own expense all litter located in the parking area. It shall be the duty of the owner or manager to cause all litter placed in the litter baskets to be deposited daily in the retail establishment’s commercial refuse container for removal by a licensed scavenger. (b) It shall be the duty of the owner or manager to provide and maintain in good condition and repair litter baskets, sufficient in size and number to prevent any overflow or accumulation of litter outside of the containers. Litter baskets shall be placed at appropriate locations throughout the parking areas so as not to constitute a nuisance to adjacent properties or the occupants thereof. (c) Unremoved litter is hereby declared to be a public nuisance. It shall be the duty of the Commissioner of Streets and Sanitation or a designee to serve notice in writing by certified mail upon the owner or manager where a nuisance may be found, requiring him to abate the nuisance within three days from the date of receipt of notice. The Commissioner may prescribe in his notice the manner in which any nuisance shall be abated. If the owner or manager fails within three days from the date of notice to abate the nuisance, or if the owner or manager is unknown or cannot with due diligence be found, the Commissioner may proceed to abate the nuisance or seek to enjoin the nuisance. In addition to any fine or penalty, an amount equal to three times the cost or expense incurred by the city in abating a nuisance may be recovered in an appropriate action instituted by the Corporation Counsel. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the City of Chicago from acting without notice to abate a nuisance in an emergency where the nuisance poses an immediate threat to public health or safety, nor shall this section be construed to deny any common law right to anyone to abate a nuisance. (d) Any owner or other person found in violation of this section shall be fined not less than $200.00 and not more than $500.00 for each offense. Each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate and distinct offense. (Added Coun. J. 5-2-01, p. 57399, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-15-23, p. 6542, Art. III, § 6)
Under Chicago, Ill., Mun. Code ch. 7-28 § 7-28-315, anyone who owns, manages, or controls a retail establishment with a customer parking area is required to keep that area free of litter at their own expense. Litter baskets must be provided, maintained in good repair, and emptied daily into a licensed commercial refuse container. Unremoved litter is declared a public nuisance, and the city may step in to abate it and recover three times its costs, in addition to fines ranging from $200 to $500 per day of violation.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Retail property owners and managers subject to Chicago, Ill., Mun. Code ch. 7-28 § 7-28-315 generally maintain a routine of daily litter removal from customer parking areas and ensure that litter baskets are adequate in size, number, and placement to prevent overflow. Compliant operators arrange for all collected litter to be deposited into a licensed commercial refuse container each day. Staying ahead of accumulation matters because the Commissioner of Streets and Sanitation can issue a certified-mail notice requiring abatement within three days, and unresolved violations can result in city-led cleanup with costs billed at triple the city's expense, plus daily fines.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Chicago, Ill., Mun. Code ch. 7-28 § 7-28-315 primarily places litter-removal obligations on retail establishment owners and managers rather than on tenants or customers, but the condition of a shared or adjacent parking area can affect neighboring residents and occupants. If litter accumulation in a retail parking area is creating a nuisance near your home, the Commissioner of Streets and Sanitation has authority under this provision to receive complaints and compel abatement. Tenant-rights organizations or local aldermanic offices can be resources for understanding how to report such conditions to the appropriate city department.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 18, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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