Rolling Meadows — Ch. 18 Art. XI Rental Dwellings § 18-423
Criminal housing owner/landlord/manager
Operative Text
(a) Any owner/landlord/manager who is convicted three or more times of violations of the city Code, where all of the convictions pertain to action or non-action involving the same premises, and who shall be subsequently convicted a fourth time within the same time period for violating provisions of the city Code related to residential building maintenance and the ICC Property Maintenance Code as published by the International Code Council, Inc., as adopted by reference by the city, and is found to have recklessly permitted the physical condition or facilities on the premises to become or remain in a condition which endangers the health or safety of any person, shall be adjudged to be a criminal housing manager. (b) Anyone adjudged to be a criminal housing manager shall be punished upon conviction with a fine not to exceed $1,000.00 and/or a term of incarceration not to exceed six months. (c) Upon a finding by the city manager, after hearing thereon, that any building, in relation to which a conviction under this section 18-423 has occurred, is no longer safe for habitation and is a dangerous building, the city manager may declare that building to be a dangerous and unsafe building and the corporate authorities may apply to the circuit court for an order requiring removal of garbage, debris, hazardous, noxious or unhealthy substances and requiring repairs to be made to put the building in a safe condition. Such order may authorize the city to take action to put the building in a safe and sanitary condition and to charge the cost of taking that action, including all court costs and attorneys' fees, to the building owner and to place a lien against the real estate involved for payment of such costs.
Rolling Meadows § 18-423 establishes a 'criminal housing manager' designation for property owners, landlords, or managers who accumulate a pattern of serious code violations. Specifically, a person who has already been convicted three or more times of city Code violations at the same premises, and is then convicted a fourth time for residential building maintenance or ICC Property Maintenance Code violations while having recklessly allowed conditions that endanger health or safety, earns this designation. Upon that finding, the provision authorizes criminal penalties including fines and possible incarceration, and separately empowers the city manager to declare the property a dangerous building and seek court-ordered remediation at the owner's expense.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 18-423, compliant operators in Rolling Meadows maintain their rental properties in continuous conformance with the city Code and the ICC Property Maintenance Code to avoid accumulating convictions at a single premises. Responsible managers address maintenance deficiencies promptly so that no pattern of reckless disregard for tenant health or safety can be established across multiple enforcement actions. Operators should be aware that a fourth qualifying conviction at the same property can trigger not only criminal penalties but also city-initiated remediation efforts whose costs—including attorneys' fees and court costs—may be charged back to the property owner and secured by a lien on the real estate.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 18-423 provides a mechanism through which Rolling Meadows can hold repeat-offending landlords criminally accountable when dangerous conditions at a rental property reflect a pattern of reckless neglect. Tenants living in properties where multiple city Code violations have already been cited may find this provision relevant if conditions continue to endanger health or safety, as the city itself can pursue enforcement, seek court-ordered repairs, and even declare a building unsafe for habitation. Tenants who believe their building may fall under this pattern of violations can document conditions, contact the city's code enforcement office, or reach out to a local tenant-rights organization to understand what options exist under § 18-423.
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.
Effective Timeline
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation