Park Ridge — Art. 22 Property Maintenance Code § 22-6-1
LIGHTING
Operative Text
Every room used for cooking or sleeping purposes shall have at least one window facing directly to the outdoors. The minimum total window area, computed on the basis of clear glass surface, for every room used for cooking or sleeping purposes shall be seven percent of the floor area of such room. Whenever a window of any such room faces or abuts on any structure, located less than three feet from the window or a window is below grade and the window well enclosure or the earth is less than three feet from the window, such a window shall not be deemed to face directly to the outdoors and shall not be included as contributing to the required minimum total window area.
Park Ridge Art. 22 Property Maintenance Code § 22-6-1 establishes minimum natural-light standards for rooms used for cooking or sleeping. Each such room must have at least one window that opens directly to the outdoors, and the combined clear-glass area of qualifying windows must equal at least seven percent of the room's floor area. Windows that face a structure within three feet, or that sit below grade with a window well or earth within three feet, do not count toward this requirement and are not considered to face directly outdoors.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 22-6-1 of Park Ridge's Property Maintenance Code, compliant operators generally verify that every cooking and sleeping room contains at least one qualifying window before a unit is occupied or re-rented. Calculating the clear-glass surface area of each window and comparing it against seven percent of the room's floor area is a standard part of that verification process. Operators also account for proximity to adjacent structures and below-grade conditions, since windows in those situations are excluded from the minimum window-area calculation.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section § 22-6-1 of Park Ridge's Art. 22 Property Maintenance Code gives occupants of cooking and sleeping rooms the right to adequate natural light through qualifying windows. If a room lacks a compliant window or the total clear-glass area falls short of seven percent of the floor area, that may constitute a code violation that can be reported to the appropriate Park Ridge code enforcement authority. Tenants who believe their unit does not meet this standard may also consult a local tenant-rights organization to understand the general options available to them.
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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