North Chicago — Title 5 Ch. 14 Landlord Licensing § 5-14-3

A. It is unlawful for any person, firm, partnership, corporation or other legal entity to operate or maintain a residential rental property within the City without first obtaining a landlord license.
B. It shall be unlawful for any person to erect, construct, alter, extend, repair, remove, maintain, fail to maintain, provide, fail to provide, occupy, let to another, or occupy or permit another person to occupy any residential rental property regulated by portions of the Building Code and/or City Code related to life and safety or cause such things to be done contrary to, or in conflict with, or in violation of, this chapter or in violation of any of the provisions of said codes, or to fail to obey a lawful order of the Code Official, or to remove or deface a placard or notice posted under the provisions of said codes.
C. It is unlawful for a person to occupy a residential rental property, or for any owner or property agent to allow anyone to occupy a residential rental property, that is without a landlord license certificate of compliance for the individual residential rental property as provided in this chapter.
D. It is unlawful to knowingly provide false information of any documents used in the landlord licensing process.
E. The landlord licensing requirements of this chapter shall not apply to the following:
1. A dwelling unit for which there is a recorded agreement of contract for the sale of the premises, in which the party acquiring the property occupies said dwelling unit.
2. Buildings that are vacant, and that are not intended to be let for rent.
3. Townhouse and condominium owner occupied units.
4. Hotels, motels, and other structures, excluding short-term rentals as defined in this chapter, that rent rooms to occupants that are primarily transient in nature, and make use of the facilities for a period of less than thirty (30) days.
5. Buildings, structures and uses registered and inspected by the State of Illinois or the federal government, including but not limited to, nursing homes, retirement centers, rest homes, etc.
F. Child Sex Offender Restrictions.
1. For the purpose of this Chapter, "Child-Oriented Uses" are those uses identified and defined by State law, 720 ILCS 5/11-9.3, and currently include:
i. school buildings or the real property comprising any school that persons under the age of eighteen (18) attend; and
ii. playgrounds, child care institutions, daycare centers, part-day child care facilities, day care homes, group daycare homes, and facilities providing programs or services primarily directed toward persons under eighteen (18) years of age.
2. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, partnership, corporation or other legal entity to lease, rent, or allow the use of any residential rental property, structure, building, trailer, mobile home, or other dwelling unit to be used by a registered child sex offender, as defined by Section 11-9.3(d)(1) of the Illinois Criminal Code, 720 ILCS 5/11-9.3(d)(1), as a temporary or permanent residence within the setback distance required by State law (e.g. 720 ILCS 5/11-9.3) from a Child-Oriented Use. Any occupancy in violation of this paragraph as of the effective date of this Ordinance may be continued until the expiration of the current occupancy agreement or twelve (12) months from the effective date, whichever occurs first. This ordinance is a regulation of landlord business activity and not a regulation of child sex offenders.
3. Any person, firm, partnership, corporation or other legal entity who leases, rents or allows the use of any residential rental property by a registered child sex offender shall have the following obligations:
i. deliver notice to its tenants, upon the commencement of any tenancy and annually by December 31 thereafter, setting forth the obligation of child sex offenders to register under Illinois law in accordance with the Illinois Sex Offender Registration Act, 730 ILCS 150/1, et seq.; and
ii. submit, on an annual basis by no later than January 31 each year, an affidavit to the City listing the identity and residence of all current tenants who are required to register under Illinois law in accordance with the Illinois Sex Offender Registration Act, 730 ILCS 150/1, et seq.
G. It is unlawful for any person, firm, partnership, corporation or other legal entity to operate or maintain a short-term rental within the City without first obtaining a landlord license with a short-term rental endorsement.
H. It shall be unlawful for any short-term rental to permit outdoor activities by short-term rental guests during the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.
I. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other legal entity to let any rooming unit that does not meet the definition of a dwelling unit, as defined in this chapter, as a short-term rental.
J. The City may cause to revoke the landlord license or short-term rental endorsement of any person, owner, or agent should they have been found to be in violation of the terms, standards, and regulations of this chapter on three (3) or more separate occasions.
K. No short-term rental shall be let to a person under the age of twenty-one (21) years old.