Godfrey — Ch. 18 Art. VII Property Maintenance Code § 18-185
Utilities
Operative Text
(a) With the exception stated in subsection (b) below, no person or entity that provides a utility service, such as natural gas, water, electricity, etc., shall provide it's service to any building, or addition thereto, or part thereof, that is to be used as a dwelling or dwelling unit until an occupancy permit, temporary occupancy permit or interim occupancy permit has been issued by the building and zoning administrator concerning the dwelling or dwelling unit. (b) The owner or landlord of a dwelling or dwelling unit may, however, contact the appropriate utility providers to have the utilities temporarily transferred to the owners name in an emergency such as when tenants move out without sufficient notice subjecting the property to damage if the utilities are not provided to the property. In the event the utilities are temporarily transferred to the owner's name in an emergency circumstance, the owner shall have seven working days to obtain an interim permit from the office of the building and zoning administrator. If the property owner fails to obtain an interim permit, then after seven working days, the utility company shall discontinue services to the property. (c) This section shall apply to any transfers of dwelling or dwelling units taking place after the effective date of this section with the exception of those transfers under contract for sale on or before the effective date of this section. (d) Saturdays, Sundays and holidays are not considered to be working days under this section.
Godfrey Ch. 18 Art. VII § 18-185 establishes that utility providers — such as natural gas, water, and electricity companies — generally cannot connect service to a dwelling or dwelling unit until the building and zoning administrator has issued an occupancy, temporary occupancy, or interim occupancy permit. An exception exists for emergency situations, such as when tenants vacate without adequate notice and the property could be damaged without active utilities; in that case, an owner may temporarily transfer utilities into their own name. That emergency transfer is time-limited: the owner has seven working days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) to secure an interim permit, or the utility company must cut off service.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Godfrey Ch. 18 Art. VII § 18-185, compliant property operators ensure that the appropriate occupancy permit is in place before arranging utility connections for any dwelling or dwelling unit. When a genuine emergency arises — such as a tenant vacating without notice and leaving the property at risk — operators who transfer utilities into their own name generally act promptly to obtain an interim permit from the building and zoning administrator within the seven working-day window. Keeping records of the emergency circumstances and the permit application timeline is a practice commonly associated with maintaining compliance under this section.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Godfrey Ch. 18 Art. VII § 18-185 means that a landlord cannot legally have utilities connected to a dwelling unit you are moving into unless a valid occupancy, temporary occupancy, or interim occupancy permit has already been issued. If you believe utilities are being connected or withheld in a way that does not comply with this section, you may contact the Godfrey building and zoning administrator's office to inquire about permit status for the property. Tenant-rights organizations in Illinois can also help you understand what options may be available when a landlord's compliance with permitting requirements affects your access to essential utility services.
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 10, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.