North Chicago — Title 5 Ch. 14 Landlord Licensing § 5-14-10

A. Each residential rental property must have a valid landlord license certificate of compliance before being granted a landlord license. Renewal of a landlord license certificate of compliance shall be initiated by the owner thirty (30) days before the expiration date.
B. Inspection of residential rental property, to the extent reasonable and possible, shall be conducted with the consent and cooperation of the owner(s) or the property agent and tenants.
1. If the residential rental property is unoccupied, the owner or owner's agent must be present for the inspection.
2. If the residential rental property is occupied, a member of the tenant's household eighteen (18) years of age or older must be present during the inspection, or a signed and notarized release, dated not less than three (3) days prior to the inspection date, must be provided authorizing the owner and the inspector to enter the unit for purpose of inspecting.
3. In the event the owner, manager, agent or tenant of the residential rental property to be inspected does not provide consent for the Code Official to enter the premises, the Code Official may contact the City Attorney to seek an administrative search warrant or other court order to conduct the required inspection.
C. Each inspection shall be made by the Code Official, and shall be for the purpose of determining compliance with portions of the Building Code and/or City Code related to life and safety.
D. Any violations found as a result of the inspection shall be set forth in a written report to the owner(s) or owner's agent as designated on the application form. The original report will be given to the owner or owner's agent at the conclusion of the inspection. A copy of the inspection report will be available to the occupier or occupiers of the residential rental property.
E. Reinspections shall be made as often as reasonably necessary to ensure corrective action to cure any violations of the relevant ordinances or regulations, and to bring the residential rental property into compliance, and if necessary, the appropriate warrant may be sought for these purposes based upon the probable cause or causes supplied by the noted violations.
F. Nothing in this section shall prohibit or prevent the City from requesting the owner or tenant in possession to submit to a voluntary inspection of a residential rental property covered under a landlord license and/or landlord license certificate of compliance if the City has probable cause to believe that a violation of this chapter has or is taking place upon the subject property or to confirm the provisions set forth in the application. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the City from seeking a lawful administrative search warrant at any time circumstances exist that would support the issuance of such a warrant.
G. With respect to multi-family developments containing fifty (50) or more units, under single ownership, having been constructed on or after January 1, 1990:
1. Only twenty-five (25) percent of the units must be inspected on an annual basis, except as provided in this section.
2. All common grounds and common mechanical equipment must be inspected on an annual basis, except as provided in this section.