Chapter 13 Human Rights – Article 5 Unlawful Management Practices
13-5-1: Unlawful Management Practices
A. Applicability. This Article shall apply only to multiple family residences containing four (4) or more dwelling units. For the purpose of this Article, a dwelling unit is defined as a portion of a building containing culinary facilities and arranged, designed and exclusively used or maintained for use by one family as a separate housekeeping unit.
This Article shall not apply to hotels. A hotel is defined as “a building in which living or sleeping facilities are provided for compensation and offered to transient guests and in which one or more customary services such as maid and linen service or telephone service are provided.” For the purposes of this Article, the term “hotel” shall also mean motel.
B. Lease Required. No dwelling unit shall be rented without a written lease having been executed on behalf of the owner and the tenant. This requirement shall not apply to the renewal of tenancies existing as of September 12, 1973.
C. Security Deposit – Application. No dwelling unit shall be rented without the owner or agent first having obtained a written application, along with a security deposit of not less than one month’s rental. However, this provision shall not apply to renewals of existing leases.
D. Showing of Dwelling Units. Any person showing a dwelling unit for the purpose of renting said dwelling unit must have a knowledge of this Chapter 13 of the Code of the Village.
E. Processing of Application for Rental of a Dwelling Unit. Any person accepting and/or processing an application for a dwelling unit must:
1. Have a knowledge of this Chapter 13 of the Code of the Village;
2. Have a knowledge of the laws and practices in connection with rental and management of multiple family dwellings;
3. Attend a seminar on housing practices to be conducted by the Community Relations Commission of Oak Park with the assistance of the Oak Park Board of Realtors. Such a seminar must be attended at least once each calendar year.
F. Copies of Applications. Copies of applications for apartments shall be furnished by the owner or manager to all agents having authority to accept such applications. No agent shall represent that an application has been made for a dwelling unit unless he or she has, in fact, knowledge that such application has been made.