Winnetka — Title 15 Ch. 15.36 Certificates of Occupancy § 15.36.030
Occupancy permit procedures
Operative Text
A. Permit work or construction activity. Upon completion of the permit work or other construction activity, and upon the written request of the owner, the Director shall cause the permit work to be inspected. If, upon inspection, the Director determines that the permit work has been completed in conformity with the approved construction documents, and if there are no pending building or departmental orders or uncorrected violations of this code or statutory law, then the Director shall issue a certificate of occupancy. No work shall be inspected if any permit authorizing the work for which the inspection is requested has lapsed as provided in Section 15.32.190 . If, upon inspection, the permit work does not qualify for a certificate of occupancy, the Director shall provide a written notice to the owner stating the reasons why a certificate of occupancy cannot be issued. B. Accessory dwelling units. Upon the written request of the owner, the Director shall cause the accessory dwelling unit to be inspected. If, upon inspection, the Director determines that the inspected premises meets the criteria for occupancy as provided in Section 15.36.055 , and if there are no pending building or departmental orders or uncorrected violations of this code or statutory law other than the failure to register the accessory dwelling unit that is the subject of the inspection, then the Director shall issue a certificate of occupancy. If, upon inspection, the premises does not qualify for a certificate of occupancy, the Director shall provide a written notice to the owner stating the reasons why a certificate of occupancy cannot be issued.
Winnetka Title 15, Chapter 15.36, Section 15.36.030 establishes the process by which a certificate of occupancy is issued after construction or for accessory dwelling units (ADUs). For standard permit work, the Director inspects the completed construction upon the owner's written request and issues a certificate only when the work matches approved documents and no unresolved code violations or orders exist. For ADUs, a similar inspection process applies, with the notable allowance that a failure to register the ADU alone does not block issuance of the certificate, though all other code and legal requirements must still be met.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Section 15.36.030, property owners and managers seeking a certificate of occupancy must submit a written inspection request to the Director once permit work or ADU construction is complete. Compliant operators ensure that all work matches the approved construction documents, that no permits have lapsed under Section 15.32.190, and that there are no outstanding building orders or unresolved code violations before requesting inspection. If the Director finds the premises does not qualify, a written notice explaining the deficiencies will be issued, giving the owner a documented basis for understanding what must be corrected.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 15.36.030 is relevant to tenants because a certificate of occupancy signals that a unit or structure has been inspected and found to meet Winnetka's building and code requirements. Tenants in units subject to permit work or in accessory dwelling units can check whether a valid certificate of occupancy has been issued, as its absence may indicate unresolved code violations or incomplete construction. Tenant-rights organizations and local housing agencies can provide general information about how the certificate of occupancy status of a unit may relate to habitability rights and available remedies.
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.
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