South Chicago Heights — Ch. 30 Fair Housing § 30-39
Exemptions
Operative Text
Nothing is this chapter shall: (a) Apply to the rental, lease, or occupancy of a room in an owner-occupied single-family dwelling; (b) Prohibit a religious organization, association, or society, or any nonprofit institution or organization operated, supervised, or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious organization or society from limiting the sale, rental or occupancy of dwellings with it owns or operates for other than commercial purposes to persons of the same religion, or from giving preference to such person, unless memberships in such religion is restricted on account of race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, marital status, or mental or physical handicap, military discharge status, source of income or housing status; (c) Prohibit a private club not in fact open to the public, which as an incident to its primary purpose or purposes provides lodgings which it owns or operates for other than a commercial purpose, from limiting the rental or occupancy of such lodgings to its members and their guests or from giving preference to its members; (d) Prohibit the rental or sale of a dwelling on the basis of age or handicap when such dwelling is authorized, approved, financed, or subsidized in whole or in part by a unit of state, local, or federal government.
South Chicago Heights Ch. 30 Fair Housing § 30-39 carves out several situations where the chapter's anti-discrimination rules do not apply. Owner-occupied single-family homes renting out a room, religious organizations limiting housing to members of their faith (unless that faith restricts membership by protected class), private clubs providing lodging only to their own members, and government-authorized age- or disability-restricted housing are all exempt from the chapter's general requirements. These exemptions are narrow and specific; the broader fair housing protections in Ch. 30 continue to apply to all other housing situations.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating under one of the categories described in § 30-39 — such as an owner renting a room in their own home, a religiously affiliated housing provider, or a private club — generally document their exempt status clearly and apply any membership or occupancy criteria consistently and in good faith. Operators of government-authorized senior or disability-specific housing typically retain records of the relevant government authorization, approval, financing, or subsidy that supports the exemption. Landlords who believe they may qualify for an exemption under § 30-39 commonly review the specific conditions of each exemption carefully, since the protections of Ch. 30 remain fully in force for any housing that does not squarely fit within one of the listed categories.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tenants who believe they have been denied housing or treated differently in a way that feels discriminatory should be aware that § 30-39 lists only a limited set of situations where Ch. 30's fair housing protections do not apply. If a housing provider claims an exemption — for example, asserting that a property qualifies as an owner-occupied single-family home or a religious organization's housing — tenants can examine whether the claimed exemption actually fits the specific conditions stated in § 30-39. Tenant-rights organizations and local fair housing agencies can help individuals understand whether a claimed exemption is valid and what options may be available under Ch. 30 Fair Housing.
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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