Burbank — Ch. 7½ Art. I In General (Housing and Human Rights) § 7½-6
Public accommodations
Operative Text
(a) Prohibition : No person that owns, leases, rents, operates, manages, or in any manner controls a public accommodation in the city shall withhold, deny, curtail, limit, or discriminate concerning the full use of such public accommodation by any individual on the basis of unlawful discrimination. (b) Exceptions : (1) The prohibition contained in this section shall not apply to sex discrimination in any of the following: a. Distinctly private facility. Any facility that is distinctly private in nature, such as rest rooms, shower rooms, bath houses, dressing rooms, or health clubs. b. Sleeping rooms. Any facility that restricts rental of residential or sleeping rooms to individuals of one (1) sex. c. Educational institutions. Any educational institution that restricts enrollment of students to individuals of one sex. d. For the purposes of the above exceptions, the determination of an individual's sex or gender shall be based upon the sex or gender of that individual as reflected on any official identification of that individual recognized by the State of Illinois, including a driver's license or state identification card. (2) The human rights commission as defined in this chapter may adopt rules specifying any additional exceptions to the prohibition contained in this section based on bona fide considerations of public policy. (3) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this chapter, nothing contained in this section shall require any person who does not participate in the federal Section 8 housing assistance program (42 U.S.C. 1437f) to accept any subsidy, payment assistance, voucher, or contribution under or in connection with such program or to lease or rent to any tenant or prospective tenant who is relying on such a subsidy, payment assistance, contribution, or voucher for payment of part of the rent for such place of accommodation. (c) Sexual harassment : No person who is, owns, leases, rents, operates, manages, or in any manner controls a public accommodation shall engage in sexual harassment affecting access to, participation in, or the full use of such public accommodation. "Sexual harassment" means any unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual favors, or conduct of a sexual nature when (1) submission to such conduct is an explicit or implicit term or condition of an individual's access to, participation in, or full use of a public accommodation; or (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for any decision affecting the individual's access to, participation in, or full use of a public accommodation; or (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual's access to, participation in, or full use of any public accommodation or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment with respect thereto.
Burbank Ch. 7½ Art. I § 7½-6 prohibits anyone who owns, leases, rents, operates, manages, or controls a public accommodation in the city from denying or limiting a person's full use of that accommodation based on unlawful discrimination. The rule also expressly bans sexual harassment that interferes with access to or use of a public accommodation. Narrow exceptions exist for distinctly private facilities, single-sex sleeping rooms, and certain educational institutions, and separately, operators who do not participate in the federal Section 8 program are not required to accept Section 8 vouchers or subsidies.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Burbank Ch. 7½ Art. I § 7½-6, operators of public accommodations—including those who own, lease, rent, manage, or control such spaces—are generally expected to provide equal access to all individuals without regard to protected characteristics covered by the city's unlawful-discrimination standard. Compliant operators also maintain environments free from sexual harassment, meaning they do not condition access on submission to unwelcome sexual conduct and do not allow such conduct to create a hostile environment. Operators should be aware that the human rights commission may adopt additional exceptions based on public-policy considerations, and that the Section 8 carve-out in subsection (b)(3) applies only to those who do not already participate in that federal program.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Burbank Ch. 7½ Art. I § 7½-6 gives individuals the right to full, equal use of public accommodations in the city without facing unlawful discrimination or sexual harassment from those who own, operate, or control those spaces. If a person believes they have been denied access, had their use curtailed, or been subjected to sexual harassment in a public accommodation, they may consider filing a complaint with the Burbank Human Rights Commission, which is the body referenced in this chapter as having oversight and rule-making authority. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid resources can help individuals understand whether a specific situation falls within the provision's protections or its enumerated exceptions.
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.
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