Rock Island ARTICLE VI. RENTAL PROPERTIES § 4-49
License Revocation And Rent Abatement
Operative Text
The Building Official may revoke a rental license and order the abatement of rents. The process for revocation and appeal is as follows. (1) A decision to revoke a rental license shall be made based upon a holistic evaluation of the severity of citations, the history of citations at the subject property, the subject license having been suspended for twelve or more months, and the history of citations issued at other properties owned by the same property owner. Failure to pull permits and have work inspected in the course of renovating or maintaining a property may also be considered. (2) The property owner may appeal the revocation to the Inspections Commission by submitting the appeal in writing within fifteen (15) days of the license revocation. If an appeal is so submitted, the revocation shall be temporarily stayed. The Inspections Commission shall hold a hearing at their next regularly scheduled meeting to consider the appeal. The Commission shall consider any ongoing enforcement actions being taken by the City regarding the subject rental property, the severity of the code violations that have been cited, and the overall history of both the subject rental property and property owner in their capacity as a landlord in the course of their deliberations. The Commission shall hear from both staff and the property owner or their designee at the hearing before voting whether or not to grant the appeal. (3) A decision made by the Commission may be appealed by the property owner to the City Council in writing within fifteen (15) days of the Commission’s decision. The Council shall hold a hearing at their next regularly scheduled meeting to consider the appeal. The Council shall make the final administrative decision. (4) Once revoked, the subject property shall be ineligible to receive a new rental license for as long as violations exist. An application for a new license may be accepted only after all such violations are resolved. (5) A notice stating that the property’s rental license has been revoked and rents are thereby abated shall be posted on the entrance door to the dwelling unit or at the main common entrance in the case of a multi-unit dwelling. Said notice shall advise tenants that the dwelling unit is not in compliance with local codes and cannot be legally offered for rent. (6) Nothing in this section shall supersede other articles that empower the City to take more immediate action to protect public safety or when life-threatening conditions exist. The respective enforcement procedures and associated timelines for compliance pertaining to other codes adopted by the City shall also not be superseded by this article. (Ord. 76-2025, 8-11-2025)
Rock Island § 4-49 establishes a process by which the Building Official can revoke a property's rental license and order that rents be abated, meaning tenants are no longer legally obligated to pay rent for a unit that cannot lawfully be offered for rental. The decision to revoke is based on a holistic review of code-violation history, permit compliance, and the owner's track record across all properties they own. Property owners have a layered appeal path—first to the Inspections Commission, then to the City Council—each triggered by a written appeal filed within 15 days of the prior decision. Once revoked, the property cannot receive a new rental license until all outstanding violations are resolved.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Rock Island § 4-49, compliant rental operators generally maintain a clean citation history, pull required permits for renovation and maintenance work, and ensure all inspections are completed on schedule, since these factors are weighed holistically in any revocation decision. If a revocation notice is issued, operators have 15 days to submit a written appeal to the Inspections Commission, which temporarily stays the revocation while the appeal is pending. Operators who receive an unfavorable Commission decision have a further 15-day window to appeal in writing to the City Council, which issues the final administrative determination. Keeping detailed records of permits, inspections, and violation remediation at all owned properties supports a stronger position throughout this process.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Rock Island § 4-49 protects tenants by requiring that a notice be posted on the entrance door of any unit—or at the main common entrance of a multi-unit building—when a rental license has been revoked, informing occupants that the unit is not in compliance with local codes and cannot legally be offered for rent. A license revocation also triggers rent abatement, which means the legal obligation to pay rent is suspended for that dwelling. Tenants who see such a notice posted, or who believe their unit's license has been revoked without proper notice, may contact the Rock Island Building Department for information, or reach out to a local tenant-rights organization to understand what options are available under this provision.
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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