East Dundee CHAPTER 119: RENTAL LICENSE § 119.03
RENTAL LICENSE REQUIRED
Operative Text
Publisher's Note: This Section has been AMENDED by new legislation (Ord. 26-11 , adopted 3-16-2026). The text of the amendment will be incorporated below when the ordinance is codified. (A) License required . No person shall engage in the business of renting without having obtained a license. (1) Residential property . It shall be unlawful to rent a residential dwelling or dwelling unit without first obtaining a rental license issued by the Building Department for the specific location. (2) Nonresidential property . It shall be unlawful to rent a nonresidential building or structure without first obtaining a rental license issued by the Building Department for the specific location. (B) It is unlawful for a person to occupy a rental building or residential unit, or for any owner or property agent to allow anyone to occupy a rental building or residential unit, which is not licensed. (C) It is unlawful for any person to offer for rent or to occupy any vacant building or dwelling unit or any building or dwelling unit that becomes vacant for which a license is under suspension. (D) This chapter shall not apply to the following structures: (1) Hotels, motels, and other structures which rent rooms to occupants which are primarily transient in nature. (2) Dwellings, buildings, structures and uses licensed and inspected by village, state or federal government, including but not limited to nursing homes, retirement centers, rest homes, and the like. (3) Dwellings, buildings, structures and uses owned by governmental agencies and public housing authorities. (E) A license for a rental residential property cannot be transferred to another rental residential property or a succeeding owner. (Ord. 15-30, passed 7-6-2015)
East Dundee § 119.03 establishes that renting any residential or nonresidential property within the village requires a valid rental license issued by the Building Department for that specific location. Occupying, offering for rent, or allowing occupancy of an unlicensed or license-suspended rental unit is prohibited under this provision. Certain property types—including hotels, motels, government-owned dwellings, and state- or federally-licensed facilities such as nursing homes—are exempt from this licensing requirement. Rental licenses are tied to a specific property and owner and cannot be transferred to a new property or a new owner.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under East Dundee § 119.03, compliant rental property operators obtain a Building Department-issued rental license for each specific rental location before allowing any occupancy, whether the property is residential or nonresidential. Operators are generally expected to keep licenses current and to refrain from renting or permitting occupancy of any unit whose license is suspended or has not yet been issued. Because § 119.03 explicitly prohibits license transfers, operators who acquire a rental property or add a new rental location typically initiate a fresh license application for each address rather than assuming a prior owner's license remains valid.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
East Dundee § 119.03 makes it unlawful for an owner or property agent to allow anyone to occupy a rental unit that does not hold a valid rental license from the Building Department, which means tenants have a right to occupy only properly licensed premises. If a tenant has reason to believe a unit lacks the required license or that a license is under suspension, they may contact the East Dundee Building Department to inquire about the property's licensing status. Tenants who believe this provision has been violated may also consider consulting a tenant-rights organization or legal aid service to understand what remedies or defenses may be available under § 119.03.
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 11, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.