Downers Grove — Art. 13A.II Fair Housing § 13A.8
Owner May Refuse To Entertain Offer While Other Offers Pending
Operative Text
Nothing in this Article shall be deemed to prohibit any owner from refusing to entertain offers for the purchase, lease or rental of a dwelling, or to negotiate with respect thereto, on the ground that another offer or offers may then be pending. (Ord. No. 1349, § 7.4.)
Section 13A.8 of Downers Grove's Fair Housing Article 13A.II establishes a specific carve-out within the fair housing framework: an owner is not required to consider or negotiate additional offers for the purchase, lease, or rental of a dwelling when other offers are already under consideration. This provision clarifies that declining to entertain competing offers in that circumstance does not constitute a fair housing violation. The rule is limited in scope and does not override the broader anti-discrimination protections found elsewhere in Article 13A.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 13A.8, property owners and managers in Downers Grove may lawfully decline to review or negotiate new offers while an existing offer is pending, without that refusal being treated as a violation of the local fair housing ordinance. Compliant operators typically document the timeline of offers received to demonstrate that any refusal to entertain additional offers was based on the pending-offer status rather than a protected characteristic. This provision does not, however, shield owners from liability for conduct that violates other sections of Article 13A or applicable state and federal fair housing laws.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 13A.8 means that a property owner's refusal to consider your offer or negotiate with you is not automatically a fair housing violation if another offer was already pending at the time. However, if you believe the stated reason of a pending offer was a pretext for discrimination based on a protected characteristic, the broader protections of Article 13A and applicable fair housing laws may still apply. Tenants and prospective renters who suspect discriminatory treatment can explore options such as filing a complaint with a relevant fair housing agency or consulting a tenant-rights organization familiar with Downers Grove's ordinances.
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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