Willow Springs — Art. 9A Rooming Houses § 4-9A-3
BUILDING AND PREMISES REQUIREMENTS
Operative Text
Conformity with Regulations: No house or building hereafter constructed or erected in the Village shall be used as a rooming house; and no house or building heretofore erected and not now used for such purpose, or any building, house or portion thereof which is now used or intended to be used or occupied for rooming house purposes shall be converted into, used as or leased for a rooming house unless such building and every part thereof shall conform to the requirements of this Article and to such other requirements of the Building, Zoning and Health Regulations of the Village as may apply. Basement and Third Floor Occupancy: No license shall be issued to any person proposing to use a basement or any part thereof as habitable rooms for rooming house purposes. Third floor occupancy of any frame dwelling shall not be permitted without the written approval of the Building Commissioner, Chief of the Fire Department and the Health Officer. Exits: Each and every rooming house in Willow Springs, as herein defined, housing persons on the third floor shall be provided with at least two (2) inside stairways leading from the ground to each floor providing habitable rooms, and further that each and every rooming house where less than three (3) stories are occupied shall be provided with two (2) inside stairways in all cases when occupied by more than five (5) persons on the second floor (including members of the family) or in all cases where the total number of persons housed in the building exceeds eight (8) (including members of the family). Bathroom and Toilet: In every rooming house, water closet, lavatory and bathing facilities shall be provided on each floor, and water closets shall be provided in the ratio of at least one water closet to every eight (8) occupants or fraction thereof. Air Space: No room in any such rooming house shall be occupied as a sleeping room by any human being unless there is at least six hundred (600) cubic feet of air space, exclusive of wardrobe and closet space, for each and every person occupying any such room. Light Housekeeping: No person who shall keep, conduct, operate or maintain such rooming houses shall permit in any living or sleeping room, the cooking or preparation of food or meals or the storage of food stuff, and light housekeeping, so called, shall not be permitted in any living or sleeping room. Accessory Building: No accessory building shall be used for rooming house purposes.
Willow Springs Art. 9A Rooming Houses § 4-9A-3 establishes a comprehensive set of physical and operational standards that any building must meet before it can lawfully function as a rooming house. These requirements cover conformity with local building, zoning, and health codes; restrictions on basement and third-floor use; minimum exit and stairway counts; bathroom-to-occupant ratios; minimum air space per sleeping occupant; prohibitions on cooking or food storage in living and sleeping rooms; and a ban on using accessory buildings for rooming house purposes. No new or converted building may be licensed or operated as a rooming house unless every part of the structure satisfies each of these conditions.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators and prospective operators of rooming houses in Willow Springs should be aware that § 4-9A-3 requires full compliance with building, zoning, and health regulations before any license can be issued or maintained. A compliant operator ensures that no basement space is offered as habitable rooming, that third-floor use in frame dwellings carries written approval from the Building Commissioner, Fire Chief, and Health Officer, and that the required number of inside stairways, water closets, and cubic feet of air space per sleeping occupant are present and maintained. Operators also ensure that no cooking, food preparation, or food storage occurs in living or sleeping rooms, and that no accessory building on the property is used for rooming house purposes.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tenants residing in or considering a rooming house in Willow Springs are protected by the physical habitability and safety standards set out in § 4-9A-3, which entitle occupants to adequate exits, proper bathroom facilities, and sufficient air space in sleeping rooms. If conditions in a rooming house appear to fall short of these standards — such as inadequate stairways, insufficient bathroom access, or overcrowded sleeping rooms — tenants may report concerns to the Village's building, fire, or health authorities, who have oversight roles under this provision. Tenant-rights organizations familiar with local housing codes can help residents understand what remedies or complaint processes may be available to them under § 4-9A-3.
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 8, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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