Auburn — Ch. 13 Art. VI Minimum Housing Standards § 13-107
Requirements for rented rooms
Operative Text
No person shall operate a rooming, boarding or lodging house, hotel or motel, or shall occupy or let to another for occupancy any rooming unit in any rooming, boarding or lodging house, hotel or motel, except in compliance with the provision of every section of this article except the provisions of subsections (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) of Section 13-105 and Section 13-106 . (1) At least one flush water closet, lavatory basin and bathtub or shower, properly connected to an approved water and sewer system, and in good working condition, shall be supplied for each ten (10) persons or fraction thereof residing within a rooming, boarding, or lodging house, hotel or motel, including members of the operator's family wherever they share the use of said facilities. All such facilities shall be so located within the dwelling so as to be reasonably accessible from a common hall or passageway to all persons sharing the facilities. Every lavatory basin and bathtub or shower shall be supplied with hot water at all times. (2) The operator of every rooming, boarding or lodging house, hotel or motel, shall change supplied bed lines and towels therein at least once a week, and prior to the letting of any room to any occupant. The operator shall be responsible for the maintenance of all supplied bedding in a clean and sanitary manner. (3) Every rooming unit shall have safe, unobstructed means of egress leading to safe and open space at ground level as required by the laws of the State of Illinois. (4) The operator of every rooming, boarding or lodging house, motel or hotel, shall be responsible for the sanitary maintenance of a sanitary condition in every other part of the rooming, boarding or lodging house, hotel or motel; and he shall be further responsible for the sanitary maintenance of the entire premises where the entire structure or building is leased or occupied by the operator.
Auburn's Ch. 13 Art. VI § 13-107 sets baseline habitability standards for rooming houses, boarding houses, lodging houses, hotels, and motels. The rule requires that shared toilet, sink, and bathing facilities be provided at a ratio of at least one complete set per ten residents, that those facilities be accessible from a common hallway, and that hot water be continuously available. Operators must also change bed linens and towels at least weekly and before each new occupant, maintain bedding in a sanitary condition, ensure unobstructed emergency egress from every rooming unit, and keep all common areas and shared spaces in a sanitary state.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators covered by § 13-107 generally maintain a documented schedule for linen and towel changes—both weekly and between occupants—and keep records showing compliance. A compliant operator ensures that the ratio of toilet, lavatory, and bathing fixtures never falls below one complete set per ten residents, that all fixtures remain in good working order with continuous hot water, and that shared facilities are reachable from a common hall. Operators also conduct regular inspections of egress paths and common areas to confirm they remain unobstructed and sanitary, as § 13-107 places direct responsibility for whole-premises maintenance on the operator when the entire building is under their control.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Residents of rooming houses, boarding houses, lodging houses, hotels, or motels in Auburn are entitled under § 13-107 to functioning shared bathroom facilities with continuous hot water, clean linens and towels changed at least weekly, a clear and safe path of egress from their unit, and sanitary common areas. If these conditions are not being met, tenants may document the deficiencies and report them to Auburn's local code enforcement or housing authority, which has authority to investigate violations of Ch. 13 Art. VI. Tenant-rights organizations can also help residents understand the range of options available, including raising a housing code violation as a defense in certain legal proceedings.
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 10, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation