Harvey, Ill., Mun. Code title 17 § 17-52-010
Inspections by the city of Harvey (Harvey Residential Landlord and Tenant Rights Regulations)
Operative Text
A. Inspection Requirements; License Issuance or Denial. 1. Each unit within the rental structure, shall be subject to inspection, in accordance with this section, for compliance with all applicable regulations. A license may be denied if the property has been inspected and is not in compliance with applicable regulations. 2. Initial and subsequent annual licensing inspections shall include the building exterior, common areas, basement, and interior of all the units within the structure. All units within the structure shall be inspected year. 3. Every time a unit is vacant, the owner must have an inspection conducted on the unit prior to the unit being reoccupied. If violations are found, subsections (A)(4) through (A)(8) of this section become applicable. 4. The owner will be given at least thirty (30) days' notice by regular mail prior to any inspection being conducted. Upon receipt of the notice of inspection, the owner shall notify the tenant, on a form provided by the city, of the date and time of the inspection by either placing the completed form under or on the door of the unit at least seventy-two (72) hours prior to the inspection. The form shall contain a certification that the owner has served the notice as set forth in this subsection (A)(4). Each notice shall inform the owner and occupant of their right to refuse to consent to the inspection and to require the city to obtain an administrative search warrant. The director of planning shall establish procedures for attempting to assure reasonable notice in circumstances (i.e., lack of cooperation by owner) where service and posting are not necessarily in accordance with this subsection (A)(4). 5. If any owner, property agent, tenant or other person in control of a rental structure or a dwelling unit fails or refused to consent to free access and entry to the property or dwelling unit for any inspection pursuant to this title, the code official or designee may, upon approval of the assistant to the mayor, apply to the circuit court for an administrative warrant or other appropriate court order authorizing such inspection. Such an application shall not be a waiver of the city's right to seek other remedies pursuant to this title. 6. When a licensing inspection of a rental structure reveals any violation, a time period for compliance shall be set by the code official in accordance with the city's property maintenance code. The code official shall send notice of the violations and compliance period to the property owner or the listed property agent by regular U.S. mail at the address provided on the most recent license application. The notice shall include the following: a. Identification of the property; b. A statement listing the violations and applicable code section; c. The time period for compliance; and d. An explanation that if all violations have not been corrected within the compliance time period, the license is subject to revocation and non-renewal. 7. A licensing reinspection will be conducted at the request of the owner or the owners. 8. If during a licensing inspection or reinspection any dwelling unit is determined to be unfit for human occupancy as specified in the city's property maintenance code, the premises must be vacated immediately. If similar violations are observed throughout the rental dwelling, the owner's license is subject to revocation and non-renewal. The owner will be subject to pay additional inspection fees as laid out in Chapter 3-01 , Fees, Fines, Insurance and Guarantee Requirements. 9. If during any licensing period the city finds no violations at the property, the owner may be eligible to only have fifty (50) percent of the units inspected the following year. This less stringent schedule shall function as an incentive to owners to assure compliance with the city's regulations. If, while the incentive schedule is in effect, either inspections or service requests reveal violations that are not minor, then the regular schedule shall immediately go back into effect. However, the incentive schedule shall remain in effect for so long as only minimal warning conditions are found and they are corrected in a timely manner. 10. Prior to entering an occupied apartment, the city's inspector shall give the resident manager or owner a reasonable opportunity to be present during the inspection. Unless otherwise specified in a court order or warrant. The inspector will not inspect or search personal property of the occupant. The inspector, while performing the duties of office, will otherwise fully consider the privacy and dignity of the occupant. If a resident desires to be present for an inspection and it would result in an unusual hardship for that resident to be present during regular city business hours, the inspector shall attempt to conduct the inspection at the time reasonably convenient to the resident. ( Ord. 3122 § 1 (part), 2004 ; Ord. 3494 § 2(B), 2024 )
Harvey, Ill., Mun. Code title 17 § 17-52-010 establishes a mandatory inspection program for rental properties in the city of Harvey, requiring annual inspections of building exteriors, common areas, basements, and all individual units. Inspections are also required each time a unit becomes vacant before it can be reoccupied. Both owners and occupants retain the right to refuse consent to an inspection, in which case the city must obtain an administrative search warrant from the circuit court before proceeding. Properties found in full compliance may qualify for a reduced inspection schedule covering only half of their units the following year.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Harvey, Ill., Mun. Code title 17 § 17-52-010, compliant rental property operators generally maintain their buildings in accordance with all applicable codes so that annual licensing inspections of the exterior, common areas, basement, and every unit can proceed without issue. Upon receiving the city's required 30-day mailed notice of an upcoming inspection, operators typically complete and deliver the city-provided tenant notification form to each unit at least 72 hours before the scheduled date, retaining the signed certification. When violations are identified, operators respond within the compliance period set by the code official to avoid license revocation or non-renewal, and they request reinspections once corrections are made. Owners who achieve a violation-free inspection cycle may become eligible for the reduced 50-percent inspection incentive the following year.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Harvey, Ill., Mun. Code title 17 § 17-52-010 gives tenants the right to be informed of any scheduled inspection at least 72 hours in advance through a city-provided notice form delivered by the property owner. Tenants also have an explicit right under this provision to refuse consent to an inspection and to require the city to obtain an administrative search warrant before entry is permitted. If a tenant would face unusual hardship attending an inspection during regular city business hours, the inspector is expected to attempt scheduling at a more convenient time. Tenants who believe their unit has been inspected improperly, or who are aware of unaddressed violations, may consider contacting the city's planning or code enforcement office or reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization for guidance on available options.
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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