Evanston, Ill., City Code § 5 § 5-8-4.5
ROUTINE INSPECTION AND VIOLATION RE-INSPECTION FEES (Evanston Housing Regulations)
Operative Text
(A) The owner of a building or, if multiple owners own dwelling units within the same building, the owner of each dwelling unit, shall pay an inspection fee per the fee schedule adopted by, and updated from time to time by, the City Manager or the City Manager's designee, for each dwelling unit so registered for each routine inspection done pursuant to Title 5 , Chapter 1 of this Code. Such routine inspection fee shall be assessed in the year it is performed and added to the annual registration renewal statement for the registration year immediately following the routine inspection. (B) If the owner of a building or, if multiple owners own dwelling units within the same building, the owner of any dwelling unit within the building, violates Title 5 , Chapter 1 of this Code, the owner will be given an opportunity to cure such violation prior to a re-inspection of the property. Such initial re-inspection of the property will be done without charge to the owner. If, however, the owner has not cured the violation by the time of the initial re-inspection of the property, and additional re-inspections are necessary to ensure compliance with Title 5 , Chapter 1 of this Code, the owner shall be assessed a fee for each re-inspection of each dwelling unit requiring said re-inspection, per the fee schedule adopted by, and updated from time to time by, the City Manager or the City Manager's designee. Such re-inspection fee(s) shall be assessed in the year they are performed and added to the annual registration renewal statement for the registration year immediately following the inspection(s). (C) Any property owner who fails to provide the City with at least twenty-four (24) hours' notice prior to cancelling an inspection appointment shall be assessed a fee per dwelling unit, up to a maximum fee per building per appointment, according to the fee schedule adopted by, and updated from time to time by, the City Manager or the City Manager's designee. For purposes of this Section, "cancelling" includes failure to appear at the scheduled appointment time and place for the inspection. Each such cancellation fee shall be assessed in the year of the cancellation and shall be added to the annual registration renewal statement for the registration year immediately following the cancellation. (D) Certificates of registration will not be issued until all assessed registration and inspection fees have been paid.
Under Evanston, Ill., City Code § 5-8-4.5, property owners are required to pay a fee for each routine inspection of registered dwelling units, with the amount set by a City Manager-approved fee schedule. If a violation is found, the owner gets one free re-inspection opportunity, but additional re-inspections after an uncured violation carry per-unit fees. Owners who cancel an inspection appointment without at least 24 hours' notice—including simply not showing up—are also assessed a cancellation fee, and no certificate of registration is issued until all fees are paid.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Evanston, Ill., City Code § 5-8-4.5 establishes a layered fee structure that compliant operators track carefully: routine inspection fees are billed per dwelling unit and added to the annual registration renewal statement. Operators who receive a violation notice generally cure it before the initial re-inspection to avoid the per-unit re-inspection fees that apply to subsequent visits. Maintaining calendar reminders for scheduled inspections and providing at least 24 hours' advance notice before any cancellation helps avoid the additional cancellation fees that can accumulate per unit and per building.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Evanston, Ill., City Code § 5-8-4.5 governs how the City charges property owners for routine inspections, re-inspections, and missed appointments—costs that are tied to the owner's registration obligations, not to tenants directly. The provision's requirement that certificates of registration cannot be issued until all fees are paid means that an owner's failure to resolve inspection-related fees can affect the building's registration status. Tenants who believe their building may be out of compliance with Evanston's registration requirements can contact the City's housing or code enforcement office to inquire about a property's inspection and registration history, or reach out to a local tenant-rights organization for general guidance.
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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