Marquette Heights CHAPTER 11 RENTAL REGISTRATION AND INSPECTION PROGRAM § 3-11-11
ASSIGNMENT OF CLASSIFICATION
Operative Text
Upon completion of a rental property's or non-owner occupied property's inspection, the rental property shall be classified by the rental inspector according to the classification system set forth herein. A rental property shall be considered for reclassification at each subsequent inspection. A. Class A - The rental property or non-owner occupied property has no violations of applicable codes. The rental property shall be inspected as lower priority on regular cycle thereafter. B. Class B - The rental property or non-owner occupied property has violations of applicable codes and the violations do not pose an immediate threat of danger to life, health and safety of the occupants of the rental property. The rental property shall be inspected on a regular cycle thereafter. C. Class C - The rental property or non-owner occupied property has violations of applicable codes that are in excess of ten (10) in number and/or that affect the overall habitability of the building, but do not pose a threat of danger to life, health, or safety of the occupants of the rental property. The rental property may be inspected as frequently as every year thereafter. D. Class D - The rental property or non-owner occupied property has violations of applicable codes and is either unsafe, contains unsafe equipment, is unfit for human occupancy, or is unlawful. Pursuant to Property Maintenance Codes, the rental inspector may disallow occupancy of all or any portion of the rental property until such code violations are corrected. The rental inspector may inspect the rental property as deemed necessary to verify that it remains in compliance with City codes. E. Class F - The rental property or non-owner occupied property is not in compliance with the Rental Registration and Inspection Program and may not be occupied for rental. Violations leading to a Class F designation are violations: 1) which render the unit unsuitable for habitation according to the City's Health, Life, Safety and/or Property Maintenance Codes after notification and reasonable opportunity to remedy such violations; 2) repeated and willful violations of the City's Zoning Code, including, but not limited to, occupancy requirements; or 3) use of the unit for a criminal purpose, as demonstrated by adjudication of the owner or a tenant for the manufacture, distribution or sale of drugs as set forth and defined by the Illinois Criminal Code. The Class F designation shall be withdrawn when the underlying violations have been remedied, or in the case of subsection 3, there has been a change of ownership in the rental property, the subject tenant has been evicted, or the owner has taken appropriate steps to prevent the rental property from constituting a continuing threat to the public. F. Class N - New construction of a rental property or non-owner occupied property within the past twenty four (24) months. First inspection will occur on the next inspection cycle as lowest priority. The owner or owner's agent shall be notified in writing of the inspection results within twenty (20) business days after the inspection in the manner set forth in section 3-11-10 of this chapter. (Ord. 889, 6-24-2019)
Marquette Heights CHAPTER 11 § 3-11-11 establishes a classification system that rental inspectors use to rate properties after each inspection. Properties are assigned one of six classes — A, B, C, D, F, or N — based on the number and severity of code violations found, ranging from no violations (Class A) to conditions that make a unit unfit for rental occupancy (Class F). The classification determines how frequently the property will be re-inspected and, in serious cases, whether occupancy may be restricted or prohibited. Owners or their agents must receive written notice of inspection results within twenty business days of the inspection.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Marquette Heights CHAPTER 11 § 3-11-11, compliant property operators generally maintain their units in a condition that earns a Class A or Class B rating — meaning no violations or only non-hazardous violations — which results in lower-priority, less-frequent inspection cycles. Operators managing properties rated Class C, D, or F face more frequent inspections and, in the case of Class D or F, potential restrictions on occupancy until violations are corrected. Keeping thorough maintenance records and promptly addressing code deficiencies after each inspection cycle are practices commonly associated with maintaining favorable classification standings and avoiding escalation to higher-risk classes.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Marquette Heights CHAPTER 11 § 3-11-11 gives tenants a basis for understanding the condition of their rental unit as formally assessed by the city — a Class D or Class F designation, for example, signals that inspectors have found conditions serious enough to potentially restrict or prohibit occupancy. Tenants who believe their unit has unaddressed code violations may inquire with the city about the property's current classification and inspection history, as this information can be relevant to habitability concerns. Tenant-rights organizations familiar with Marquette Heights or Illinois housing law can help residents understand what a given classification means for their situation and what general enforcement paths may be available.
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 11, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
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Rules and statutes that cite this regulation