Park Forest — Ch. 18 Art. III Housing § 18-291
Owner requested property maintenance inspection for single-family dwelling units
Operative Text
(a) Owners of a single-family dwelling unit may request an inspection of a single-family dwelling unit for purposes of determining compliance with the building code's property maintenance requirements by: (1) Submitting an application for an inspection; and (2) Paying an inspection fee of $100.00. (b) The property maintenance inspection requested under this section for a single-family dwelling unit is valid for 180 days after the property maintenance inspection. (1) If the owner obtains a signed and dated sales contract within the 180-day post inspection time period with a buyer who intends to occupy the property, the inspection results would be considered a certificate of occupancy inspection valid under the requirements of section 18-255 . All requirements in section 18-255 would then be administered. (2) If a signed and dated sales contract is not secured within 180 days of the date of the property maintenance inspection, the inspection will expire on the one hundred eighty-first (181 st ) day after the inspection. A new inspection application and fee payment would be required pursuant to section 18-255 for any change in occupancy.
Park Forest's Ch. 18 Art. III Housing § 18-291 establishes a voluntary inspection program that allows single-family dwelling unit owners to proactively request a property maintenance inspection from the village by submitting an application and paying a $100 fee. The resulting inspection is valid for 180 days. If a signed sales contract with an owner-occupant buyer is executed within that window, the inspection can serve as a certificate of occupancy inspection under § 18-255; if no such contract is secured, the inspection expires on day 181 and a new application and fee are required for any change in occupancy.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 18-291, property owners who anticipate selling a single-family dwelling unit have the option to get ahead of the process by requesting a maintenance inspection before a sale is imminent, paying the $100 application fee. Compliant operators typically track the 180-day validity window carefully, ensuring that a signed sales contract with an owner-occupant buyer is in place before expiration if they want the inspection to count toward the § 18-255 certificate of occupancy requirement. If the window lapses without a qualifying contract, operators generally plan for a fresh application and fee payment before any change in occupancy proceeds.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
For prospective buyers or incoming occupants of a single-family unit in Park Forest, § 18-291 is relevant because an owner-requested inspection completed before your signed sales contract can, under certain conditions, satisfy the certificate of occupancy inspection requirements of § 18-255. Buyers may want to confirm whether an existing inspection was conducted within the 180-day window and whether a qualifying signed contract was in place before that window closed. Tenant-rights organizations or a housing counselor familiar with Park Forest's code can help clarify how these inspection results affect occupancy rights in a specific transaction.
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.
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