Evanston, Ill., City Code § 5 § 5-4-5-6
EXAMINATION OF RECORDS BY UNIT OWNERS (Evanston Housing Regulations)
Operative Text
(A) Pursuant to the Illinois Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/19, any person with custody or control of the records described in this Subsection (A) must, within ten (10) business days of a unit owner's written request, provide for inspection a condominium association's: 1. The association's declaration, bylaws, and plats of survey, and all amendments of these; 2. The rules and regulations of the association, if any; 3. If the association is incorporated as a corporation, the articles of incorporation of the association and all amendments to the articles of incorporation; 4. Minutes of all meetings of the association and its board of managers for the immediately preceding seven (7) years; 5. All current policies of insurance of the association; 6. All contracts, leases, and other agreements then in effect to which the association is a party or under which the association or the unit owners have obligations or liabilities; and 7. Ballots and proxies related to ballots for all matters voted on by the members of the association during the immediately preceding twelve (12) months, including but not limited to the election of members of the board of managers; and the books and records of account for the association's current and ten (10) immediately preceding fiscal years, including but not limited to itemized and detailed records of all receipts, and expenditures, and accounts. (B) The board of managers of every association must maintain at the association's principal office a current listing of each unit owner's personal information, including the names, addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, and weighted vote of all members entitled to vote. (C) No unit owner, with the exception of the board of managers of the association, has the right to inspect, examine, or make copies of the unit owners' email addresses and telephone numbers from records described in Subsection (B). A condominium association may choose to opt out of this Subsection by a two-thirds (⅔) vote of all unit owners, in which case the pertinent provisions of Section 19 of the Illinois Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/19, apply. (D) Nothing in this Subsection may be construed to prohibit the board of managers of the association from allowing unit owners to inspect, examine, or make copies of the records of the association containing the names, addresses, weighted vote of members entitled to vote, or ballots and proxies pursuant to Section 19 of the Illinois Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/19, provided that unit owners' email addresses and telephone numbers are redacted from such documents. Provided however, such redaction is not required if a condominium association chooses to opt out of Subsection (C) as provided in that Subsection.
Evanston, Ill., City Code § 5-4-5-6 establishes that condominium associations must make a broad set of records—including governing documents, meeting minutes going back seven years, insurance policies, contracts, and financial records spanning ten fiscal years—available for inspection within ten business days of a unit owner's written request. The provision also requires associations to maintain a current membership roster with contact details, but generally restricts access to unit owners' email addresses and telephone numbers, limiting that access to the board of managers unless the association votes by a two-thirds supermajority to opt out of that restriction. When an opt-out is in effect, the broader access rules of the Illinois Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/19, apply instead.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Evanston, Ill., City Code § 5-4-5-6, condominium association boards and anyone else with custody of the covered records are expected to respond to written inspection requests from unit owners within ten business days. Compliant associations typically maintain organized, up-to-date records at their principal office—including governing documents, minutes, financial accounts, and insurance policies—and keep a current membership roster that redacts email addresses and telephone numbers before sharing it with non-board unit owners, unless the association has formally opted out of that restriction by a two-thirds vote of all unit owners. Boards that allow broader access to records should ensure that any opt-out vote is properly documented and that the resulting access aligns with the applicable provisions of 765 ILCS 605/19.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Evanston, Ill., City Code § 5-4-5-6 gives condominium unit owners the right to request inspection of a wide range of association records—from bylaws and board meeting minutes to financial accounts and insurance policies—and the association generally must make those records available within ten business days of a written request. Unit owners should be aware that their own email addresses and telephone numbers are ordinarily protected from inspection by fellow unit owners (though not from the board), unless the association has voted by a two-thirds supermajority to opt out of that protection. Unit owners who believe a request has been improperly denied may find it useful to review the Illinois Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/19, consult a tenant- or homeowner-rights organization, or explore whether a complaint or legal action is appropriate for their circumstances.
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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