Lynwood — Ch. 54 Human Relations § 54-115

Applicability

In Force
Verified 11/10/2026 · Next check 12/10/2026
LynwoodProtected Classes (State/Local)

Operative Text

Lynwood — Ch. 54 Human Relations § 54-115
Nothing in this article, other than the prohibition against discriminatory advertising, shall: (1)
Apply to the following:
a. The rental, lease, or occupancy of a room in an owner-occupied single-family dwelling, provided the owner does not own or have any interest in more than three single-family houses at any one time; and
b. Rooms or units in dwellings containing living quarters occupied or intended to be occupied by no more than four families living independently of each other, if the owner actually maintains and occupies one of such living quarters as his residence.
(2) Prohibit a religious organization, association, or society, or any nonprofit institution or organization operated, supervised, or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious organization, association, or society from limiting the sale, rental or occupancy of dwellings which it owns or operates for other than commercial purposes to persons of the same religion, or from giving preference to such persons, unless membership in such religion is restricted because of race, color, religion, sex, physical or mental disabilities, familial status, national origin, creed, marital status, unfavorable military discharge, sexual orientation, age or ancestry;
(3) Prohibit a private club not in fact open to the public, which as an incident to its primary purpose provides lodging which it owns or operates for other than a commercial purpose, from limiting the rental or occupancy of such lodgings to its members and their guests or from giving preference to its members;
(4) Prohibit the rental or sale of a dwelling on the basis of age or disability when such dwelling is authorized, approved, financed, or subsidized in whole or in part by a unit of state, local or federal government;
(5) Limit the applicability of any reasonable local, state, or federal restrictions regarding the maximum number of occupants permitted to occupy a dwelling;
(6) Require the rental or sale of a unit to any person convicted of the illegal manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance;
(7) With regard to discrimination based on familial status, apply with respect to housing for older persons as defined in section 54-21 ;
(8) Prohibit financial institutions from considering sound underwriting practices in contemplation of any loan to any person. Such practices shall include the following:
a. The willingness and the financial ability of the borrower to repay the loan;
b. The market value of any real estate or other item of property proposed as security for any loan; and
c. Diversification of the financial institution's investment portfolio;
(9) Prohibit a person engaged in the business of furnishing appraisals of real property from taking into consideration factors other than race, color, religion, sex, physical or mental disability, familial status, national origin, creed, marital status, unfavorable military discharge, sexual orientation, age or ancestry; or
(10) Prohibit affirmative marketing activities.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Lynwood Ch. 54 § 54-115 carves out specific situations where the article's fair-housing and anti-discrimination rules do not apply in full. These exemptions cover scenarios such as owner-occupied small dwellings, religious and private-club housing, age-restricted housing approved by government, and certain financial and appraisal practices. Notably, the prohibition against discriminatory advertising remains in effect across all of these exemptions without exception.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on November 9, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under Lynwood Ch. 54 § 54-115, property owners who believe their situation falls within one of the listed exemptions — such as renting a room in a small owner-occupied home or operating housing affiliated with a religious organization — generally document that they meet the specific conditions required for that exemption. Operators should be aware that even when an exemption applies, the ban on discriminatory advertising still governs all marketing activity. Compliant operators typically review each exemption's conditions carefully, since the criteria are narrow and fact-specific.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Lynwood Ch. 54 § 54-115 defines the boundaries of the article's anti-discrimination protections, meaning some housing situations may fall outside those protections. However, tenants should be aware that the prohibition on discriminatory advertising applies universally, even in exempt housing. Tenants who believe a landlord is improperly claiming an exemption or engaging in discriminatory advertising may consider contacting a local tenant-rights organization or a fair-housing agency to understand available options.

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 9, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

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References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

IL Muni § 54-21
IL Muni § 54-262
IL Muni § 54-264
IL Muni § 54-231
IL Muni § 54-208
IL Muni § 54-211

Related Rules

§ 1
Definitions
§ 3
Functions, powers and duties of commission
§ 4
Unlawful practices

Source Information

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