Clarendon Hills — Ch. 27 Fair Housing § 27.4
EXEMPTIONS
Operative Text
Nondiscriminatory Preference: Nothing in this Chapter shall require an owner or lessee to offer real estate to the public at large before selling, exchanging, leasing or renting it, nor shall this Chapter be deemed to prohibit any owner or lessee from giving preference to any prospective buyer or tenant for any reason other than race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Good Faith Required: Nothing in this Chapter shall require an owner to offer or show real estate for sale, exchange, lease or rental to any person if the owner has reasonable grounds to believe that such person is not negotiating in good faith for the purchase, exchange, lease or rental of such real estate. (1992 Code)
Section 27.4 of Clarendon Hills Chapter 27 carves out two specific exemptions from the chapter's fair housing requirements. First, property owners and lessees are not obligated to market real estate to the general public before selling, exchanging, or renting it, and they may give preference to particular prospective buyers or tenants — provided that preference is not based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Second, an owner is not required to show or negotiate with any person whom the owner has reasonable grounds to believe is not acting in good faith during the transaction process.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 27.4, compliant operators generally understand that while they retain flexibility in how they market and offer properties — including the ability to favor certain prospective buyers or tenants — any preference exercised must be grounded in reasons entirely unrelated to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Operators also typically document or note circumstances that give rise to a reasonable, good-faith concern about a prospective party's sincerity in negotiating, since that exemption requires a reasonable basis rather than mere preference. Maintaining consistent, non-discriminatory criteria for tenant or buyer selection helps demonstrate that any preference or refusal falls within the exemptions recognized by § 27.4.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 27.4 makes clear that while owners have some latitude in selecting buyers or tenants and in declining to deal with parties they reasonably believe are not negotiating in good faith, those exemptions do not permit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. If a prospective tenant believes a refusal to show or rent a property was actually motivated by one of those protected characteristics — rather than a legitimate preference or good-faith concern — that person may have grounds to raise a violation of Chapter 27. General enforcement paths can include filing a complaint with a local fair housing authority, contacting a tenant-rights organization, or consulting an attorney familiar with fair housing law.
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 6, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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