Rolling Meadows — Ch. 18 Art. XI Rental Dwellings § 18-416
Required
Operative Text
(a) No dwelling unit within a multiple dwelling or a single-family dwelling shall be operated as a rental dwelling unless the owner or landlord, as defined in this article, holds a current, unrevoked, operating license issued by the city annually, in the owner or landlord's name, for the specified, named, rental dwelling. (b) Every operating license shall be effective for a 12-month period of time beginning June 1 to May 31, or fraction thereof if issued during the year. (c) No operating license shall be issued or renewed unless the owner or landlord has first made application therefore on an application form provided by the city. (1) An owner or a landlord of more than one rental dwelling unit may make a single application for all units owned or operated in a multiple dwelling. (2) An owner or landlord of more than one single-family rental dwelling must make a separate application for each single-family rental dwelling. (d) The community development director is authorized, upon application, to investigate and issue new rental licenses and renewals thereof in the names of owners or operators of rental dwellings. (1) No new rental license shall be issued or existing license renewed until the rental dwelling for which the license is sought has been found, after inspection by the community development director, to meet all requirements of this Code and of applicable rules and regulations pursuant thereto. (2) Each applicant shall be notified by the community development director in advance of the date of such licensing inspection.
Rolling Meadows § 18-416 establishes that every rental dwelling in the city — whether part of a multi-unit building or a standalone single-family home — must be covered by a current, unrevoked operating license issued annually by the city in the owner's or landlord's name. Licenses run on a fixed cycle from June 1 through May 31 each year. Before any new license is issued or an existing one renewed, the city's community development director must inspect the property and confirm it meets all applicable code requirements, with the applicant notified in advance of that inspection date.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Rolling Meadows § 18-416, compliant rental property operators maintain a current operating license for each rental dwelling they own, renewed annually before the June 1 start of each license period. Owners of multiple units in a single building may submit one consolidated application, while owners of multiple single-family rentals must file a separate application for each property. Operators generally keep their properties in code-compliant condition year-round so that the required pre-issuance inspection by the community development director can be completed without delay.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Rolling Meadows § 18-416 requires that any dwelling rented to a tenant be covered by a valid, city-issued operating license — meaning the property must have passed an inspection confirming it meets local code standards. Tenants who have reason to believe their unit is being rented without a current license, or that it failed to meet code requirements at the time of licensing, may contact the city's community development department to inquire about a property's license status. Tenant-rights organizations familiar with Rolling Meadows regulations can help residents understand what options may be available when a landlord appears to be operating outside the requirements of § 18-416.
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 6, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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