Mount Prospect Art. XVIII Residential Landlord and Tenant Regulations § 23.1815
LICENSE TO OPERATE RENTAL STRUCTURES
Operative Text
A. License Required: 1. It is unlawful for any person to operate, maintain or offer to rent for residential purposes within the Village, a rental unit or rental structure, whether vacant or not, without first obtaining a residential operator's license as provided in this article. The license shall be issued only to an "inspection group", as defined in this article. 2. It is unlawful for a person to enter into a residential lease, either as lessor or lessee, if the premises is posted as being unlicensed or having a revoked or suspended license. 3. It is unlawful for any person to occupy, renew a lease, offer for rent or permit occupancy of any dwelling unit that is unlicensed or whose license is revoked or suspended. B. License Application: 1. Each applicant for a license to maintain a rental structure shall file a written application with the code official stating: a. The full legal name, address, and home and work telephone numbers of each and every legal and beneficial owner. b. The address of the rental structure. c. The number of dwelling units within the structure. d. In the case of an owner who has designated a property manager, the name, address and phone number of the property manager. 2. All licenses shall be due and payable on or before August 31, and the respective licenses shall expire on August 31 next after the date of issue. 3. Each license application shall be accompanied by a fee as set forth in appendix A, division II of this code. If an application for a renewal of an existing license is received after September 1, the fee shall be increased by fifty percent (50%). If, at the time of application for a license or renewal license, an applicant has been certified as a residential operator for the new licensing period, the fee shall be decreased by ten percent (10%) as to any inspection group to which that certification applies. 4. Whenever there is a change in the ownership of a rental structure or a change in the owner's property manager, the owners shall, within fifteen (15) days of such change, file a written notice with the code official indicating such change. 5. Application for license renewal shall be made in the same manner as a new application except that the application shall state that it is for renewal. (Ord. 3366, 9-6-1983; amd. Ord. 4728, 5-16-1995; Ord. 4781, 3-5-1996; Ord. 4868, 6-17-1997; Ord. 4909, 1-20-1998; Ord. 5189, 5-15-2001; Ord. 5619, 3-6-2007; Ord. 5896, 12-20-2011)
Mount Prospect § 23.1815 establishes that operating, renting, or even occupying a residential rental unit within the Village without a valid residential operator's license is unlawful. The license must be obtained before a unit is offered for rent or occupied, and it is tied to an 'inspection group' as defined in the article. Entering into a lease—whether as landlord or tenant—is also prohibited when the property is posted as unlicensed or has a revoked or suspended license. Licenses expire annually on August 31 and must be renewed through a written application filed with the code official.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Mount Prospect § 23.1815, compliant rental property operators obtain a residential operator's license before renting or allowing occupancy of any unit, and they renew that license on or before August 31 each year to avoid a 50% late-fee surcharge. The license application filed with the code official must include full ownership information, the property address, the number of dwelling units, and any property manager's contact details. Operators who achieve certified residential operator status for the new licensing period may qualify for a 10% fee reduction, and any change in ownership or property manager must be reported to the code official within 15 days.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Mount Prospect § 23.1815 protects tenants by making it unlawful for a landlord to rent or allow occupancy of a unit that lacks a valid license or whose license has been revoked or suspended. Tenants who notice a posting indicating an unlicensed or suspended-license status on a property should be aware that entering into or renewing a lease under those conditions is itself prohibited by this provision. Tenants who believe this rule is being violated may contact the Village's code official, consult a local tenant-rights organization, or raise the licensing status as a relevant issue in any applicable housing proceeding.
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 10, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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