Evanston, Ill., City Code § 5 § 5-5-7.5

To comply with Subsections 5-5-6 (X)(2)(b) and 5-5-7 (E), a person must provide the following process: (A)
Before accepting an application fee, a housing provider must disclose to the applicant:
a. The tenant selection criteria, which describes how an applicant will be evaluated to determine whether to rent or lease to the applicant;
b. The applicant's right to provide evidence demonstrating inaccuracies in the applicant's conviction history, or evidence of rehabilitation, and other mitigating factors; and
c. A copy of the Cook County Commission on Human Rights ("Commission") procedural rules or a link to the Commission's website, with the address, email address, and phone number of the Commission.
(B) No person shall inquire about, consider, or require disclosure of covered criminal activity, except current sex offender registration or current child sex offender residency restriction pursuant to Section 5-5-7 , before the person has determined the applicant has satisfied all other application criteria for housing or continued occupancy.
(C) Once a person determines an applicant has satisfied the pre-qualification standards for housing the housing provider shall notify the applicant that the first step of the screening procedure has been satisfied and that a criminal background check will be performed or solicited.
(D) After a person sends the notice of pre-qualification, a housing provider may conduct a criminal background check on the prequalified applicant. However, the person may not consider any information related to the criminal convictions that are more than three (3) years old or any covered criminal history.
(E) Within five (5) days of obtaining a criminal background check on an applicant, the person must deliver a copy of the background check to the applicant. The person must complete delivery in one of the following ways:
(1) In person;
(2) By certified mail; or
(3) By electronic communication, such as text or email.
(F) Once a person complies with the requirement of Subsection 5-5-7.5 (E), the applicant shall have an additional five (5) business days to produce evidence that disputes the accuracy or relevance of information related to any criminal convictions from the last three (3) years.
(G) Nothing in this Section shall prevent a person from approving another pre-qualified individual's housing application during the pendency of the criminal conviction dispute process.
(H) After giving the applicant the opportunity to dispute the accuracy and/or relevance of a conviction, a person shall conduct an individualized assessment, in accordance with Subsections 5-5-7 (E)(3) to determine whether the individual poses a demonstrable risk. If the applicant poses a demonstrable risk, the person may deny the individual housing.
(I) A person must perform an individualized assessment prior to denying an individual housing based on criminal conviction history, except in the following circumstances:
a. A current sex offender registration requirement pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration Act (or similar law in another jurisdiction); and/or
b. A current child sex offender residency restriction.
(J) A housing provider must either approve or deny an individual's housing application within three (3) business days of receipt of information from the applicant disputing or rebutting the information contained in the criminal background check.
(K) Any denial of admission or continued occupancy based on a conviction must:
a. Be in writing and must provide the applicant an explanation of why denial based on criminal conviction is necessary to protect against a demonstrable risk of harm to personal safety and/or property; and
b. Contain a statement informing the housing applicant of their right to file a complaint with the Commission.
(L) The housing provider must limit the use and distribution of information obtained in performing the applicant's criminal background check. The housing provider must keep any information gathered confidential.