Chicago Heights — Ch. 23 Human Relations § 23-60
Inducement of sale or rental, misrepresentation
Operative Text
It shall be unlawful to, for profit, induce or attempt to induce a person to sell or rent a dwelling by representation regarding the entry or prospective entry into the neighborhood of a person or persons of a particular race, color, religion, sex, physical or mental disability, familial status, marital status, national origin, or age. Prohibited actions under this section include, but are not limited to: (a) Engaging for profit in conduct (including uninvited solicitations for listings) which conveys to a person that a neighborhood is undergoing or is about to undergo a change in persons of a particular race, color, religion, sex, physical or mental disability, familial status, marital status, national origin, or age in order to encourage persons to offer a dwelling for sale or rental. (b) Encouraging, for profit, any person to sell or rent a dwelling through assertions that the entry or prospective entry of persons of a particular race, color, religion, sex, physical or mental disability, familial status, marital status, national origin, or age can or will result in undesirable consequences for the project, neighborhood or community, such as a lowering of property values, an increase in criminal or antisocial behavior, or a decline in the quality of schools or other services or facilities. (c) Soliciting or entering into any agreement for the sale, lease or listing for sale or lease of any real property within the municipality (on the ground of loss of value) due to the present or prospective entry into any neighborhood of any person or persons of any particular race, color, religion, sex, physical or mental disability, familial status, marital status, national origin, or age. (d) Distributing or causing to be distributed, written material or statements designed to induce any person to sell or lease real property because of any alleged or actual, present or prospective change in the race, color, religion, sex, physical or mental disability, familial status, marital status, national origin, or age of persons in the municipality or neighborhood. (e) Making any representation concerning the listing for sale or the anticipated listing for sale or the sale of any real property for the purpose of inducing or attempting to induce the sale or listing for sale of any real property, that the presence or anticipated presence of persons of any particular race, color, religion, sex, physical or mental disability, familial status, marital status, national origin, or age in the area will or may result in the lowering of real property values in the block, neighborhood or area in which the property is located.
Chicago Heights Ch. 23 § 23-60 prohibits a practice commonly known as 'blockbusting' — the for-profit use of representations about the demographic composition of a neighborhood, or anticipated changes to it, to pressure or persuade property owners to sell or rent their homes. The rule covers a wide range of conduct, including uninvited solicitations, written materials, and verbal assertions that link the presence of people of a particular race, color, religion, sex, disability status, familial status, marital status, national origin, or age to negative outcomes such as falling property values or rising crime. Any for-profit actor who engages in such conduct — whether a real estate agent, investor, or other party — is acting unlawfully under this provision.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Real estate professionals and property investors operating in Chicago Heights should be aware that § 23-60 of the Human Relations chapter draws a firm line around demographic-based solicitation tactics. Compliant operators avoid making any representations — written, verbal, or implied — that connect the racial, religious, national-origin, or other protected-class composition of a neighborhood to property values, safety, or service quality when soliciting listings or sales. Maintaining solicitation practices that are entirely free of protected-class references is the standard that § 23-60 establishes for for-profit actors in the local real estate market.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under Chicago Heights Ch. 23 § 23-60, residents have a right to be free from blockbusting tactics — meaning no one may lawfully pressure them, for profit, to sell or rent their home by making representations tied to the demographic makeup of their neighborhood. If a resident believes they have received unsolicited materials, phone calls, or in-person solicitations that invoke race, religion, national origin, disability, or other protected characteristics to encourage a sale or rental, that conduct may constitute a violation of this provision. Affected individuals can explore options such as filing a complaint with the Chicago Heights Human Relations authority, contacting a local fair housing organization, or consulting a tenant- or homeowner-rights resource for general information about next steps.
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 9, 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