Phoenix — Ch. 22 Art. VI Property Maintenance § 22-366

Nuisance rental property

In Force
Verified 11/10/2026 · Next check 2/8/2027
PhoenixHabitability & Repair

Operative Text

Phoenix — Ch. 22 Art. VI Property Maintenance § 22-366
(a) Nuisance defined. It is hereby declared a nuisance and to be declares against the health, peace and comfort of the village for any property owner, agent or manager to allow or permit the following:
(1) Rental of a commercial, industrial or residential unit or building to a tenant who allows any of the following offenses to occur relating to the tenant, a member of the tenant's household, a guest or other party under control of the tenant: Murder, kidnapping, aggravated kidnapping, prostitution, solicitation of prostitution, pandering, obscenity, sale or possession of child pornography, sale of absence publication, possession of explosives, unlawful use of weapons, sale of firearms, gambling, keeping a gambling place, concealing a fugitive, violation of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, violation of the Cannabis Control Act, or commission of any two or more of any other offenses under the state or under the federal government not specifically listed in the subsection;
(2) Rental of a commercial, industrial or residential unit or building to a tenant who allows any of the following offenses to occur relating to the tenant, members of the tenant's household, a guest or other party under control of the tenant: commission of four or more village ordinance violations in a six-month period or an unreasonably high number of calls for police service including, but not limited to, calls that may fall within the descriptions listed in subsection (a)(1) of this section, that when compared to other properties in the village of similar type, reasonably indicate that the activity at this property is out of character for the area and is impacting the quality of life of those in the area.
(b) Suspension; revocation. The chief of police or the enforcement authority may suspend or recommend revocation of the license issued pursuant to this subdivision and business license if applicable if it appears to his satisfaction from the report of any village officer or village employee making an inspection, or any other available information, that the licensee is violating any law or ordinance, or is in violation of the nuisance section, or is operating in a manner not conducive to the public health, morals or safety. Any suspension of a license may be appealed directly to the president and board of trustees within 15 days of rendering his decision by the village administrator. In the event that the village administrator determines that revocation of the license is appropriate, he shall so forward his recommendation to the village president and board of trustees for their review and determination.
(c) Exemptions. Notwithstanding any other provisions within this chapter, and consistent with the terms and conditions of 65 ILCS 5/1-2-1.5, no property shall be considered a nuisance rental property if the police investigations described in section 22-366 arise from calls for assistance from any victim of domestic abuse or person with a disability. Additionally, no victim of domestic abuse or person with a disability shall be evicted, sanctioned or punished in any way resulting from his or her seeking public assistance or police protection relating to that abuse or condition.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Phoenix Ch. 22 Art. VI § 22-366 establishes that a rental property can be declared a nuisance when an owner, agent, or manager allows tenants—or their household members, guests, or controlled parties—to engage in serious criminal activity or to generate an unusually high volume of ordinance violations or police calls relative to comparable nearby properties. When a property is found to meet this nuisance standard, the chief of police or other enforcement authority may suspend or recommend revocation of the property's rental license. Importantly, the provision carves out explicit protections so that calls for help by victims of domestic abuse or persons with disabilities cannot be used as the basis for a nuisance finding, and those individuals cannot be evicted or penalized for seeking police assistance.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on November 10, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under § 22-366, compliant property owners and managers in Phoenix generally screen prospective tenants carefully and take prompt action when criminal activity or excessive ordinance violations are reported at their rental units. Operators typically maintain records of any incidents and respond to enforcement authority inquiries, since the chief of police can suspend a rental license if the property appears to be operating in a manner inconsistent with public health, morals, or safety. Landlords also take care not to penalize or evict tenants who are victims of domestic abuse or persons with disabilities for having sought police assistance, as § 22-366(c) explicitly exempts such calls from the nuisance calculation.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Section 22-366(c) provides an explicit protection for tenants who are victims of domestic abuse or persons with a disability: calls for police assistance or public aid related to that abuse or condition cannot be used to classify the property as a nuisance, and no such tenant may be evicted, sanctioned, or punished as a result of seeking help. Tenants who believe they are being threatened with eviction or other penalties in violation of this exemption may wish to document the circumstances and consult a local tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider familiar with Phoenix municipal code. If a rental license suspension or revocation is initiated under § 22-366, the provision also establishes an appeal process to the village president and board of trustees within 15 days, which may be relevant context for tenants affected by such proceedings.

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 10, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

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References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

65 ILCS 5
Not yet ingested
IL Muni § 22-366
Not yet ingested

References In

No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.

Related Rules

§ 244.260
Compliance required
§ 14.567
ADOPTED BY REFERENCE
§ 244.340
Sewer and water connections

Source Information

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Fetched:Nov 10, 2026, 03:01 AM UTC