Pana — Ch. 11 Human Relations § 11-52
Definitions
Operative Text
Unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context, the following terms shall have the meaning as described in this section and as used in this article. Decent, sanitary, healthful, standard living quarters. "Decent, sanitary, healthful standard living quarters" is housing which is in sound, clean, and weather tight condition in conformance with applicable local, state, and national codes. Discriminate. The terms "discriminate" or "discrimination" mean any difference expressed in any way toward a person or persons in the terms of the sale, exchange, lease, rental or financing for housing accommodation and/or real property in regard to such sale, exchange, rental, lease or finance because of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, creed, or disability of such person. Financial institution. The term "financial institution" means any person, institution or business entity of any kind which loans money to persons and receives as security for said loans a secured interest of any kind in the real property of the borrower. Housing accommodation. The term "housing accommodation" includes any building, structure, or portion thereof which is used or occupied, maintained, arranged or designed to be used or occupied as a home, residence or sleeping place of one or more human beings, or any real estate so used, designed or intended for such use. Owner. An "owner" means any person/persons who hold legal or equitable title to, or owns any beneficial interest in any real property or who hold legal or equitable title to shares of, or hold any beneficial interest in any real estate cooperative which owns any real property and/or housing accommodations. Real estate broker. The term "real estate broker" means any person, partnership, association, corporation and/or agent thereof, who for a fee or other valuable consideration offers, sells, purchases, exchanges or rents, or negotiated for the sale, purchase, exchange or rental of a housing accommodation and/or real property of another, or collects rental for the use of housing accommodation and/or real property of another. Real property. The term "real property" means any real estate, vacant land, building, structure or housing accommodations within the corporate limits of the City of Pana, Illinois.
Section 11-52 of Pana's Ch. 11 Human Relations article establishes the foundational vocabulary used throughout the fair housing rules that follow. It defines key terms — including 'discrimination,' 'housing accommodation,' 'owner,' 'real property,' and 'financial institution' — so that each word carries a consistent, specific meaning whenever it appears in the article. Notably, discrimination under this section covers differences in treatment based on race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, creed, or disability across sales, rentals, leases, exchanges, and financing. These definitions set the interpretive boundaries for all rights and obligations described elsewhere in the article.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating within the City of Pana, Illinois should be familiar with the definitions established in § 11-52, since those definitions determine who qualifies as an 'owner,' what counts as a 'housing accommodation,' and what conduct constitutes 'discrimination' under the article. Because the definition of 'owner' extends to those holding equitable title or a beneficial interest — not just those on a deed — operators with complex ownership structures should understand how that term applies to their arrangements. Compliant operators generally ensure that their leasing, rental, and financing practices do not treat applicants differently on any of the protected bases enumerated in § 11-52.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Renters in Pana benefit from understanding the definitions in § 11-52, because those terms shape the scope of protections available throughout Ch. 11 Human Relations. The broad definition of 'housing accommodation' means that a wide range of residential structures and arrangements can fall within the article's protections, and the definition of 'discrimination' covers not just rental terms but also financing and exchanges. Tenants who believe they have experienced unequal treatment on a protected basis may wish to review how § 11-52's definitions apply to their situation and explore options such as contacting a local tenant-rights organization or a fair housing agency for general information.
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 9, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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