LaSalle CHAPTER 152: RESIDENTIAL RENTAL PROPERTY § 152.03
LICENSE REQUIRED
Operative Text
(A) It is unlawful for any person, firm, partnership, corporation or other legal entity to operate, maintain or offer to rent within the city a rental residential property whether vacant or not without first obtaining a license as provided in this chapter. (B) It is unlawful for a person to occupy a rental residential property, or for any owner or property agent to allow anyone to occupy a rental residential property which is not licensed as provided in this chapter. (C) It is unlawful for any person, firm, partnership, corporation or other legal entity to offer for rent or to occupy any vacant dwelling unit or rooming unit or any dwelling unit or rooming unit that becomes vacant in a rental residential property for which a license is under suspension. (D) This chapter shall not apply to the following structures: (1) Single-family owner-occupied dwellings; (2) Single-family dwellings occupied by a member of the owner’s family. Said family is limited to the following relatives of the owner: parents, children, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brothers, sisters, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, wife, and/or husband; (3) Single-family dwellings which are vacant but which are not intended to be let for rent; (4) Townhouse and condominium owner-occupied dwellings; (5) Hotels, including, but not being limited to, all transient occupancy rental units as defined in § 152.01 ; (6) Nursing homes, retirement centers and rest homes, provided that such structures used as nursing homes, retirement centers and/or rest homes are specifically licensed as nursing homes, retirement centers and/or rest homes, and also inspected by the State of Illinois as a nursing home, retirement center and/or rest home; (7) Dwellings, buildings, structures and uses owned by other governmental agencies and public housing authorities; and (8) Multiple-family rental residential property in which each dwelling unit is occupied by a record owner of the property. (E) A license for a rental residential property cannot be transferred to another rental residential property nor a succeeding owner. (Ord. 2206, passed 1-11-2010; Am. Ord. 2332, passed 3-13-2012; Am. Ord. 2801, passed 2-4-2019)
LaSalle CHAPTER 152, § 152.03 establishes that any rental residential property within the city must hold a valid license before it can be operated, maintained, offered for rent, or occupied. Operating or occupying an unlicensed rental unit—or one whose license is suspended—is prohibited for both property owners and tenants. Certain property types are exempt, including owner-occupied single-family homes, qualifying family-occupied dwellings, hotels, nursing homes, government-owned housing, and owner-occupied multi-family units. Licenses are non-transferable between properties or between successive owners.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 152.03, compliant rental property operators in LaSalle secure a license for each applicable rental residential property before allowing any occupancy or advertising a unit for rent. When a property changes hands, the new owner obtains a fresh license, since § 152.03(E) explicitly prohibits transferring an existing license to a new owner. Operators also confirm whether their property type falls under one of the enumerated exemptions—such as owner-occupied or qualifying family-occupied single-family dwellings—before assuming a license is unnecessary. Maintaining an active, non-suspended license is required even for vacant units that may be offered for rent.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under § 152.03, tenants have an interest in knowing whether the rental unit they occupy or plan to occupy holds a valid city license, since occupying an unlicensed or suspended-license property is itself a violation of LaSalle's code. Tenants who discover their unit may be unlicensed can inquire with the city of LaSalle about the property's license status as a starting point. Tenant-rights organizations familiar with Illinois municipal housing codes can help explain how an unlicensed status under § 152.03 might be raised in relevant proceedings. Consulting such a resource can clarify what options may be available without committing to a specific course of action.
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.
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