Hillside — Ch. 18 Art. XV Systematic Inspection of Rental Housing § 18-638
Certificate of compliance
Operative Text
(a) Issuance of certificate. After the code official has determined that a rental dwelling is in compliance with all applicable laws, the code official shall issue a certificate of compliance to the owner or person in charge of a rental dwelling. The certificate of compliance shall be valid for a period of one (1) year or until another inspection is required. A copy of the certificate of compliance shall be maintained by the village clerk. (b) Certificate required. Subject to the provisions of subsection (c), no owner or person in charge of a rental dwelling may permit the occupancy of the rental dwelling by any lessee or tenant without having a valid certificate of compliance for the rental dwelling. (c) Interim occupancy. During the first year of the effective date of this article, any owner or person in charge of a rental dwelling may continue to permit the occupancy of the rental dwelling by the lessee or tenant until the code official has conducted an inspection of the rental dwelling, provided that the owner or person in charge of the rental dwelling gives notice to the village of the rental dwelling in accordance with section 18-634 herein.
Under Hillside Ch. 18 Art. XV § 18-638, once a code official determines that a rental dwelling meets all applicable legal standards, a certificate of compliance is issued to the property owner or person in charge, and that certificate remains valid for one year or until the next required inspection. A copy is kept on file with the village clerk. No rental dwelling may be occupied by a tenant unless a valid certificate of compliance is in place, though a transitional rule allows continued occupancy during the article's first year as long as the owner has properly notified the village of the rental unit.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 18-638, compliant operators in Hillside ensure that a valid certificate of compliance is obtained from the code official before allowing any tenant to occupy a rental dwelling, and they renew that certificate as required. Operators typically keep track of the one-year validity window and schedule inspections in advance to avoid a lapse in certification. During the article's initial rollout period, operators who have already given proper notice to the village under § 18-634 may allow existing tenants to remain while awaiting their first inspection.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 18-638 establishes that a rental dwelling must have a valid certificate of compliance before a landlord can lawfully permit occupancy, giving tenants a basis to inquire whether their unit has been inspected and certified. Tenants can contact the village clerk's office, where a copy of any issued certificate must be kept on file, to verify the status of their unit's certification. If a valid certificate is absent and the transitional-year exception does not apply, tenants may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or local housing authority to understand what options are generally available under this provision.
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 6, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation