Downers Grove — Art. 13A.II Fair Housing § 13A.5
Definitions
Operative Text
For the purposes of this article, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section: Dwelling. Any building, structure or portion thereof which is located within the Village and which is occupied as, or designed or intended for occupancy as, a residence by one or more families, including any vacant land which is offered for sale, lease or rent for the construction or location thereon of any such building, structure or portion thereof. Lending institution. Any bank, insurance company, savings and loan association or other person customarily engaged in the business of lending money for profit, and any person normally and customarily in the business of obtaining, arranging or negotiating loans as agent or broker. Offer. Every attempt, by means of written or oral communications, to enter into a real estate transaction, and every solicitation of an offer. Owner. Any person who holds legal or equitable title to, or ownes any beneficial interest in, any real property, or who holds legal or equitable title to shares of or any beneficial interest in any corporation, partnership or unincorporated association which holds any such title or interest. Real estate broker. Any person who customarily, as a business and for consideration, on behalf of himself or others, sells or offers for sale, or buys or offers to buy, or negotiates the purchase or sale or exchange of, real property, including dwellings, or leases or rents, or offers to lease or rent, real property, or who negotiates the lease or rental thereof, or who employs any person to act as a real estate salesman to perform any one or more of the foregoing acts. Real estate salesman. Any person licensed or required to be licensed as a real estate salesman in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 114 1/2 of the Illinois Revised statutes or any Acts supplementing, amending or superseding such provisions. Real estate transaction. The purchase, sale, exchange, lease or rental of any dwelling, and any legally enforceable option or contract to do any of the foregoing, except the lease or rental of rooms in a dwelling designed for single-family occupancy, provided the owner of such dwelling maintains such dwelling as his/her principal place of residence. (Ord. No. 1349, § 2.1; Ord. No. 2544, § 6.) (Ord. 4852, Amended, 02/20/2007, his to his/her(s))
Section 13A.5 of Downers Grove's Fair Housing Article establishes the foundational vocabulary used throughout Article 13A. It defines key terms such as "dwelling," "owner," "real estate transaction," and "lending institution" to set the precise scope of who and what is covered by the Village's fair housing protections. Notably, the definition of "real estate transaction" excludes the rental of rooms within a single-family home where the owner lives as their primary residence, a carve-out sometimes called the "owner-occupied" exemption.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 13A.5, property owners, real estate brokers, and lending institutions are all defined parties subject to Downers Grove's fair housing rules, meaning operators across the full spectrum of selling, leasing, and financing dwellings fall within the article's reach. Compliant operators generally familiarize themselves with these definitions to understand whether a given property or transaction triggers the article's obligations. The owner-occupied single-family room rental exemption defined here has specific conditions, so operators who believe they qualify typically document their primary residency status carefully.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 13A.5 establishes who and what is protected under Downers Grove's fair housing framework, which matters to tenants because it defines the types of dwellings and transactions covered by the article's anti-discrimination rules. Tenants who believe a landlord, broker, or lending institution has acted improperly in a covered transaction can look to these definitions to understand whether their housing situation falls within the article's scope. Those seeking to understand their rights or pursue a complaint may consult a local tenant-rights organization or the Village of Downers Grove for guidance on how Article 13A applies to their circumstances.
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 8, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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