Champaign — Ch. 17 Human Rights § 17-75
Exceptions
Operative Text
(a) Nothing in this chapter shall require the owner to offer real property to the public at large before selling, exchanging or leasing it, provided that the owner complies with all other provisions of this chapter. (b) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to apply to the rental or leasing of housing accommodations in that portion of a building or housing unit in which the owner, occupant or members of his/her family, occupy one of the living units and in which the owner-occupant anticipates the necessity of sharing a kitchen or bathroom with a prospective tenant, not related to the owner-occupant. (c) The provisions of this chapter shall not be so construed as to prohibit a person from inquiring into and reporting upon the qualifications of any prospective buyer or tenant with respect to limitations or exclusions other than those based on discrimination. (d) Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit a religious organization, association, or society, or any nonprofit institution or organization operated, supervised or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious organization, association or society, from limiting the sale, rental or occupancy of a dwelling which it owns or operates for other than a commercial purpose to persons of the same religion, or from giving preference to such persons, unless membership in such religion is restricted on account of race, color, national origin, or ancestry. (e) Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit discrimination in the leasing of residential property based upon a person's record of convictions for a forcible felony or a felony drug conviction or the conviction of the sale, manufacture or distribution of illegal drugs or convictions which are based upon factors which would constitute one of the categories of convictions listed above under Illinois law; provided, that the conviction shall not be allowed to be the basis of discrimination if the person convicted has resided outside of prison at least the last five (5) consecutive years without being convicted of an offense involving the use of force or violence or the illegal use, possession, distribution, sale or manufacture of drugs.
Section 17-75 of Champaign's Human Rights chapter carves out several situations where the chapter's anti-discrimination rules do not apply. These exceptions cover scenarios such as owner-occupied units where a kitchen or bathroom must be shared with a tenant, religious organizations limiting occupancy to members of their faith, and landlords screening based on certain felony conviction records—though the conviction-based exception has its own limits, particularly when a person has lived outside prison for at least five consecutive years without a qualifying re-offense. The exceptions do not override the chapter's other anti-discrimination requirements, meaning a property owner who qualifies for one exception must still comply with all remaining provisions of Chapter 17.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 17-75, operators who live in a unit and must share a kitchen or bathroom with a prospective tenant are generally not subject to the chapter's rental anti-discrimination rules for that specific arrangement. Landlords who screen applicants based on forcible felony or felony drug convictions should be aware that § 17-75(e) limits that practice—compliant operators typically do not use a conviction as a basis for denial when the applicant has lived outside prison for at least five consecutive years without a disqualifying re-offense. Property owners who believe they fall within one of the § 17-75 exceptions still ensure compliance with all other provisions of Chapter 17 that remain applicable to their situation.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 17-75 defines the boundaries of Champaign's fair-housing protections by listing specific circumstances where the chapter's rules do not apply, so understanding whether an exception actually fits a given situation is important for tenants. If a landlord claims the conviction-history exception under § 17-75(e) to deny housing, tenants who have lived outside prison for at least five consecutive years without a qualifying re-offense may have grounds to challenge that denial under Chapter 17. Tenants who believe an exception is being misapplied can explore options such as filing a complaint with the Champaign Human Relations Commission or reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization for general information.
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 Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation