Spring Valley CHAPTER 11 RESIDENTIAL RENTAL PROPERTY § 3-11-6

INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS

In Force
Verified 11/11/2026 · Next check 2/9/2027
Spring ValleyInspections, Registration & Licensing

Operative Text

Spring Valley CHAPTER 11 RESIDENTIAL RENTAL PROPERTY § 3-11-6
(A) All rental residential property shall be subject to an inspection as a condition to the issuance of the license and prior to offering the property for occupancy by a tenant and prior to the issuance of the initial license and/or after any change in tenancy, which per the definition of tenant in this chapter includes a change of adult occupancy. Additional inspections shall be allowed to the City upon a request of a tenant or Landlord, or upon the City determining that probable cause exists for a violation of the provisions of this chapter and/or any other City code for the purpose of determining whether the residential rental property is in compliance with all Spring Valley Building Codes, and further in compliance with the City's zoning ordinance, and all other applicable provisions of this Code. Any such inspection shall also within the discretion of the building inspector include a physical inspection of the residential property including the building exterior, common areas, basement, and all individual units of the rental residential property.


(B) Notwithstanding the provision within subsection (A) of this section, in the event that the Landlord shall have provided written notice to the City of Spring Valley of a request for initial inspection and/or request for inspection based upon change of tenancy/occupancy as provided herein by either certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the City of Spring Valley Building Inspector, 215 N. Greenwood Street, Spring Valley, IL 61362 or to the email address of the building inspector at [email protected] and in the further event that following receipt of said notice by the City shall not within fifteen (15) days perform the inspection then in that event the premises may be leased and occupied by tenants without the issuance of the license, with the City however retaining the right to reasonably inspect the premises regarding said initial issuance and/or change of occupancy within ninety (90) days of said written notice.


(C) Compliance time frame will be set by the Code official. In establishing a compliance time frame, the Code official shall determine the reasonable minimal time necessary to correct the violations based upon the number and severity of the violations. In the event that the property is unoccupied at the time that an inspection of a rental residential property reveals any violations of applicable ordinances, the building inspector shall have the discretion to require, depending upon a circumstance as deemed appropriate within the appropriate exercise of discretion by the building inspector that corrections in regard to the full remediation and compliance be made prior to the residential rental property being allowed to be reoccupied. The Code official shall send notice to the property owner or the listed property agent by regular U.S. mail at the last address provided on the most recent license application. The notice shall include the following:


1. Description of the property sufficient for identification;


2. A statement listing the violations of applicable ordinances;


3. A statement of the date upon which the licensing re-inspection will occur; and


4. An explanation that if upon completion of the licensing re- inspection that the requirements of applicable City ordinances have not been met, a written denial of the license application revoking the temporary certificate will be issued.


(D) A licensing re-inspection will be conducted as provided above in the event of change of tenancy, which per the definition of this chapter shall include change in adult occupancy. The license shall remain in effect upon the successful completion of a licensing re-inspection that determines the rental residential property meets the requirements of applicable City ordinances. If the Code official finds that the requirements of applicable City ordinances have not been met, or that any information provided in the license application is false, the license shall be suspended or revoked in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.


Applications for license renewals shall be made in the same manner as for new applications except that such applications shall state thereon such fact. (Ord. 1643, 10-10-2016; amd. Ord. 1738, 1-28-2019; Ord. 1842, 6-6-2022)
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Spring Valley CHAPTER 11 § 3-11-6 establishes a mandatory inspection regime for all residential rental properties in Spring Valley, Illinois. Before a rental license is issued or a property is offered to a new tenant — including whenever there is a change in adult occupancy — the City must inspect the property for compliance with building codes, zoning rules, and other applicable ordinances. If the City fails to conduct the inspection within 15 days of proper written notice from the landlord, the property may be leased without the license, though the City retains the right to inspect within 90 days. When violations are found, the Code official sets a compliance timeline and may prohibit reoccupancy of a vacant property until all violations are corrected.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on November 11, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under Spring Valley § 3-11-6, compliant operators schedule and document inspections before each new tenancy and before the initial license is issued, treating any change in adult occupancy as a triggering event. To protect their ability to lease without delay, operators send written inspection requests to the Spring Valley Building Inspector by certified mail or the designated email address, preserving proof of delivery so the 15-day clock is clearly established. When violations are identified, operators track the compliance timeframe set by the Code official, address all noted deficiencies, and ensure a successful re-inspection before allowing reoccupancy of any vacant unit.

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

For Tenants

Spring Valley § 3-11-6 gives tenants a direct avenue to request an inspection of their rental property by contacting the City, and the City may also inspect on its own initiative when probable cause of a violation exists. If a landlord's license is suspended or revoked because the property failed a re-inspection or the application contained false information, that outcome is a matter of public record that tenants may raise when addressing habitability or licensing concerns. Tenants who believe their unit has not been properly inspected or that violations exist can contact the Spring Valley Building Inspector's office, consult a local tenant-rights organization, or explore whether a licensing violation may be relevant to any dispute they are navigating.

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 11, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

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Related Rules

§ 14.544
LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
§ 14.545
STANDARDS FOR HEALTH, SAFETY AND NUISANCE PREVENTION
§ 14.546
SANCTIONS AND PENALTIES

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