Countryside Title 8 Ch. 14 Residential Rental Housing § 8-14-5-3

All new and existing Rental Residential Units shall meet the standards set forth in the City of Countryside Codes and all adopted Codes in effect from time to time and the standards contained herein. In the event of conflict between standards, the more stringent standard shall apply.


A. Bathroom Equipment: Full bathrooms, shall contain the following minimum equipment:


1. One flush toilet with at least thirty-two inches (32") of clear shoulder width and eighteen inches (18") clear space in front.


2. One sink connected to hot water tempered between 85°F-115°F and cold running water.


3. One bathtub or shower stall connected to hot water tempered between 85°F-115°F and cold running water.


4. All bathrooms and powder rooms shall be contained within a separate room providing privacy from other portions of the unit or building.


B. Kitchen Equipment: Kitchens, where required, shall contain the following minimum equipment.


1. One sink connected to hot water tempered between 85°F-115°F and cold running water.


2. Space and safe access to utility hook-ups for adequate refrigeration and cooking appliances.


3. Fixed counter space made of impermeable, cleanable and durable material for food preparation consisting of a minimum of three (3) continuous linear feet and a minimum of eighteen inches (18") deep.


4. Adequate storage space for food, dishes, cookware and utensils in proportion to the number of occupants configured in a manner to prevent contamination from food preparation, cleaning activities, pets or vermin. Storage space may not be directly on the floor unless within a pantry or closet.


C. Living Space Requirements for Tenants:


1. Prohibited Occupancy: Kitchens, living, family, dining rooms and non-habitable spaces shall not be used for sleeping purposes. Rental Residential Units shall not be occupied by more occupants than permitted by the minimum area requirements of this Code.


2. Bedrooms: Every bedroom occupied by one person shall contain at least seventy (70) square feet of floor area. Every room occupied for sleeping purposes by more than one occupant shall contain at least fifty (50) square feet of floor area for each occupant.


3. Access from bedrooms: Bedrooms shall not constitute the only means of access to other bedrooms or habitable spaces and shall not serve as the only means of egress from other habitable spaces.


4. Living Rooms: Shall be a minimum of one hundred and twenty (120) square feet.


5. Dining Rooms: Shall be a minimum of eighty (80) square feet.


D. Plumbing Requirements: All plumbing fixtures, including sinks, bathtubs, shower stalls and toilets, shall be constructed of dense, durable, non-absorbent materials and shall have smooth impervious surfaces free from defects and concealed surfaces unable to be kept sanitary.


1. All plumbing fixtures shall be properly maintained, vented and connected to the jurisdictional agency that supplies the municipal sewer system.


2. All units must have water service to be considered habitable. Any unit lacking potable water service must be vacated immediately.


3. All repair and remodel work of plumbing fixtures or systems must be done by a State of Illinois Licensed Plumber.


E. Heating Requirements:


1. Every Rental Residential Unit shall have a heating system capable of providing heat to the entire unit at a minimum of sixty-eight (68) degrees. Between the period of September 15th and June 1st of the succeeding year the owner or manager of any Rental Residential Unit within the City shall provide heat to those persons occupying said Rental Residential Units as provided in the following schedules:


a. A minimum temperature of sixty eight (68) degrees Fahrenheit from six o’clock (6:00) A.M. through ten thirty o’clock (10:30) P.M. averaged throughout any room occupied by the tenant when the outdoor temperature is minus twenty (-20) degrees Fahrenheit or above.


b. A minimum temperature of sixty-five (65) degrees Fahrenheit from ten thirty o’clock (10:30) P.M. through six o’clock (6:00) A.M. throughout any room occupied by the tenant when outdoor temperature is minus twenty (-20) degrees Fahrenheit or above.


2. Any unit where the utility or service required for operation of the heating system has been removed; shut off or disconnected between September 15th and June 1st shall be considered uninhabitable and must be vacated immediately.


3. All gas duct furnaces must be vented to the exterior. All duct furnaces shall be tested in accordance with ANSI Z83.8 or UL795 and shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s installation instructions.


4. No heater shall be operated with the use of an extension cord. All floor furnaces shall be approved and tested in accordance with ANSI Z21.86/CSA 2.32 and shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s installation instructions.


5. Heaters and vents shall be installed with clearances from combustible materials in accordance with the manufacturer’s installation instruction. Portable heaters must be manufactured with an anti-tip device.


6. Any unit or service required for operation of the heating system(s) must be maintained by the building owner.


7. For the protection of building tenants, the City may require the heating system to be inspected and repaired by a qualified heating system specialist whenever a hazard condition is apparent or may be considered possible.


F. Electrical Requirements:


1. All electrical wiring shall be protected by a circuit breaker or fuse. Every room in a rental unit, except a bathroom shall be equipped with not less than two (2) duplex outlets. Bathrooms shall have at least one (1) outlet.


2. Each Rental Residential Unit shall have a minimum electrical service of at least one hundred (100) amps.


3. Where provisions are made for major electrical appliances requiring two hundred and twenty (220) volt service such as room heaters, air conditioners, stoves, washers and dryers, such units shall be on individual circuits.


4. No electrical circuit shall serve more than one Rental Residential Unit.


5. Every outlet, circuit, fixture, load center, service entrance or other component shall be maintained in a safe working condition.


6. All work performed on electrical systems in Residential Rental Housing must be performed in accordance with applicable codes and regulations and may require permits and/or additional inspections. Electrical contractors providing service, shall be licensed and bonded as required in the City Building Code and all adopted codes.


G. Stairways and Steps Standards:


1. All stairways, both interior and exterior, shall be maintained in a safe condition, as required by the City Code and all adopted codes.


2. Building common area stairways must remain illuminated at all times. Lighting standards for stairways shall not be reduced.


3. Storage is not allowed under or near stairwells.


H. Handrails and Guardrails:


1. Stairway Handrails: Continuous handrails shall be placed on both sides of stairways accessible to the general public. Handrail height shall be not less than thirty-four inches (34") , nor more than thirty-eight inches (38"), measured vertically at the tread nosing for stairways with four or more risers. Stairways within individual Dwelling Units may be on one side of the stairway. Handrails acting as a guardrail along stairways shall follow the details for openings in subsection c. below.


2. Guardrails: Porches, balconies, landings, or raised floors surfaces located more than thirty inches (30") above the floor or grade below shall have a guardrail not less than forty two inches (42) in areas open to the general public. Guardrail height may be reduced thirty inches (36") in height when located within a single family Dwelling Unit.


3. Guardrail Openings: Handrails or guardrails on open sides where the floor or grade below is more than eighteen inches (18") shall have intermediate rails, parts, or closures which will not allow passage of an object four inches (4") in diameter.


I. Light and Ventilation:


1. Every bathroom not containing an operable window shall provide adequate light and mechanical ventilation. Ventilation must vent to the outside.


2. Other permitted living areas without direct access to the exterior via an operable door or window must provide adequate light and ventilation.


3. In every Dwelling Unit, for protection against mosquitoes, flies and other insects, every door used or intended to be used for ventilation opening directly from a Dwelling Unit to outdoor space shall have supplied and installed screens and a self-closing device; and every window or other device with opening to outdoor space, used or intended to be used for ventilation, shall likewise be supplied with screens installed.(see item L.1. below for bedroom egress requirements).


J. Moisture:


1. All living areas shall be kept dry and free from exterior moisture penetration.


2. Building components, including enclosed cavities, which have become wet for any reason, shall be dried adequately to prevent mold growth.


3. All areas of a Dwelling Unit, including non-living areas part of or adjacent to the Dwelling Unit, shall be kept free of significant water entry or standing water. Measures must be taken to prevent moisture contact with permeable building components or other materials.


K. Fire Safety and Exits: Dwelling Units shall be provided with two (2) independent fire escape routes. An escape route such as an exterior porch roof, an accessible operable exterior window or an exterior door or landing may constitute an independent fire escape route. Exterior fire escapes shall be designed to prevent the accumulation of snow or ice.


1. Exit Requirements: Every bedroom shall have at least one (1) operable exterior window or exterior door constructed to permit emergency exit or rescue.


a. Minimum clear window openings shall be eight hundred and twenty (820) square inches (5.7 square feet) with a minimum of twenty-four inches (24") high and a minimum of twenty inches (20") wide. Opening must be attainable without the use of tools. Bottom of the opening shall be no more than forty-four inches (44") above the floor or to the top of an appropriate fixed step or platform. Grade floor openings shall be required to have a minimum of seven hundred and twenty (720) square inches (i.e., 5.0 square feet) of emergency escape and rescue openings. See definitions for grade floor openings.


b. Exterior doors to individual units, front and back exits, must have a self-closing hinge on the exit door. Single family dwellings, duplex dwellings with attached garage, must have a self-closing hinge on the door to the garage from the interior of the unit.


2. Smoke Detectors:


a. An electrical (hard wired) smoke detector in each bedroom is required as regulated by State of Illinois and City Codes as applicable at time of building permit issuance.


b. Smoke detectors operated by a ten-year sealed battery are only acceptable as allowed by City ordinance and as permitted by the State of Illinois Smoke Detector Act adopted January 1, 2023 as described below.


In the case of any dwelling unit that is newly constructed, reconstructed, or substantially remodeled after January 2010, the requirements of this Section shall apply beginning on the first day of occupancy of the dwelling unit after such construction, reconstruction or substantial remodeling. The smoke detectors required in such dwelling unit shall be permanently wired into the structure’s AC power line, and if more than one detector is required to be installed within the dwelling unit, the detectors shall be wired so that the actuation of one detector will actuate all the detectors in the dwelling unit.


c. All smoke alarms shall be listed in accordance with UL 217 and installed in accordance with the provisions of this Code and the household fire warning equipment provisions of NFPA 72.


(1) Smoke detectors are to be installed as required by the manufacturer and placed on each and every floor level including the basement, all bedrooms and on the ceiling or wall outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of bedrooms.


(2) Smoke detectors should be installed in all multi-unit common area hallways, exit passageways, and stairwells.


(3) Areas separated by doors or distance may require additional smoke detectors.


(4) All substantially remodeled or rewired, enlarged, expanded, or otherwise upgraded units shall meet all applicable codes including having interconnected smoke detectors.


(5) All systems, devices and equipment to detect a fire, actuate an alarm, or suppress or control a fire or any combination thereof shall be maintained in an operable condition at all times in accordance with the International Fire Code. Maintaining the operable condition of all smoke detectors shall be the responsibility of the owner and managing agent. Should any smoke detectors be found to have been removed, disabled, or destroyed by the tenant, the tenant shall be deemed guilty of a municipal infraction under the provisions of this Code or State laws as applicable.


3. Sprinkler Systems: Any single family, duplex or multifamily building constructed after January 1, 2010 must have a sprinkler system, installed and maintained in compliance with the City of Countryside Code 10-5-6-0 and all adopted Codes. Any residential structure making more than fifty (50%) percent changes or remodeling of that structure must comply with the sprinkler ordinance 10-5-6-0.


4. Fire Extinguishers: Every Rental Residential Unit shall have one (1) fire extinguisher, two and a half (2.5) pound charge, manufactured by an approved testing agency for combating Class A, B, and C fires.


5. Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Carbon Monoxide Detectors shall be the Owner’s responsibility for installation as regulated by the State of Illinois (Public Act 094-0741) as shown below.


State of Illinois Public Act 094-0741


(1) Every dwelling unit shall be equipped with at least one approved carbon monoxide alarm in an operating condition within fifteen (15) feet of every room used for sleeping purposes. The carbon monoxide alarm may be combined with smoke detecting devices provided that the combined unit complies with the respective provisions of the administrative code, reference standards, and departmental rules relating to both smoke detecting devices and carbon monoxide alarms and provided that the combined unit emits an alarm in a manner that clearly differentiates the hazard.


(2) Every structure that contains more than one dwelling unit shall contain at least one approved carbon monoxide alarm in operating condition within fifteen (15) feet of every room used for sleeping purposes.


(3) It is the responsibility of the owner of a structure to supply and install all required alarms. It is the responsibility of a tenant to test and to provide general maintenance for the alarms within the tenant’s dwelling unit or rooming unit, and to notify the owner or the authorized agent of the owner in writing of any deficiencies that the tenant cannot correct. The owner is responsible for providing one tenant per dwelling unit with written information regarding alarm testing and maintenance.


(4) The owner shall ensure that the carbon monoxide alarm is in operating condition at the time the tenant takes possession of the dwelling unit. The tenant shall provide the owner or the authorized agent of the owner with access to the dwelling unit to correct any deficiencies in the carbon monoxide alarm that have been reported in writing to the owner or the authorized agent of the owner.


(5) The carbon monoxide alarms required under this Act may be either ten (10)-year sealed battery powered, plug-in, or wired into the structure's AC power line with secondary battery back-up.


6. Fire Separation and Barriers Between Residential Units: Attached Single and Multi-Family Dwelling Units shall maintain wall and ceiling fire barriers as required from their original Building permit requirements. Openings between residential units and common use areas shall be patched as needed for controlling the spread of fire. (units constructed after 12/17/85 have required a two-hour fire separation rating for construction per ordinance 148)


7. Mistaken Egress: Any door, passage or stairway which is neither a means of egress nor access to a means of egress, and which is so located or arranged as to be mistaken for a means of egress, shall be properly identified as to its use.


L. Security, Crime Free Rental Housing Program Requirements: The following requirements provide “Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design” (CPTED). Each Rental Unit must comply with these requirements:


1. Deadbolts with three inch (3") screws secured into the building framing for strike plates on all unit entry and exit doors including the garage. Thumb turn throws are required on deadbolts on the interior of the rental unit/home.


2. Anti-lift slide devices on sliding doors and windows on the first floor, garden levels and accessible second levels.


3. Adequate security lighting for all hallways, entryways and parking lots and common areas.


4. Proper trimming of trees and shrubs, eliminating hiding places.


5. Eye views on entry doors with 180° degree view.


6. All multi-unit buildings must have the building address in clear view on the front (visible from the street) and back of the building. The address shall be on all exterior doors. Single residences must have the building address in clear view on the front of the building. Each of the figures of every such address on any residence for apartment building shall not be less than six inches (6") in length of contrasting color to the brick or siding, etc.


7. Buzzer type entry security system must be in proper working order from all of the Dwelling Units in every multi-unit buildings with common entrances. All front and back entry doors must locked at all times. (Ord. 21-36-O, 9-22-2021; amd. Ord. 24-06-O, 3-13-2024)