Code Compliance

The Code Compliance Division is a part of the Neighborhood Services Department. It ensures homes and apartments comply with property maintenance codes and ordinances to protect the public health, safety and welfare of Village residents and visitors. This includes inspection of structures, unkept lawns, trash accumulation, graffiti and leaf collection.

Submit a property complaint

 

Know Your Property Maintenance Inspector by Zone

Zone 1

Keywane Woolford
kwoolford@oak-park.us

Zone 2

Jewel Dillard
jdillard@oak-park.us

Gabriel Ponce
Gabriel.ponce@oak-park.us

Zone 3

Stana Ryan
sryan@oak-park.us

CDBG Neighborhood Walk areas

Abner Vazquez
avazquez@oak-park.us

Code Compliance Manager

Tina R. Brown
tbrown@oak-park.us

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Neighborhood Walk Program

Neighborhood Services personnel annually inspect the exteriors of the Village's single-family, two-flat and three-flat residences looking for deterioration and deferred maintenance to prevent possible health and safety problems and maintain the Village's high property values and attractive appearance. Through the Neighborhood Walk program, Village inspectors guard Oak Park's aging housing stock from decay, and encourage maintenance of all residential properties.

Each year, approximately one third of the Village's housing stock is inspected through the program. Property maintenance inspectors, on foot, check for code violations such as peeling paint, crumbling chimneys, sagging eaves and missing downspouts. Other examples of violations identified through the walk include rotted wood, missing handrails, garages in need of repair, improper parking surfaces and abandoned vehicles. Inspectors also check for construction without permits. In addition, inspectors look for maintenance and safety issues such as debilitated siding, dangerous stairs, broken windows and missing street addresses that must be posted in the front and rear (with alley access) of each property to ensure identification by emergency services personnel.

Property owners are notified by letter if repairs must be made, and given a timetable for re-inspection. Residents who need more time to correct a violation should contact the inspector who signed the letter to set up a maintenance schedule and budget.

100% Sale Inspections Program

No building containing four (4) or more dwelling units shall be sold unless the seller furnishes the buyer with a report of presale inspection no more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the closing and no later than the day of the closing on the sale of the property. Said report of presale inspection shall be based on an inspection of all dwelling units by the Village and shall be issued by same. The report shall provide that the building complies with all applicable building and zoning regulations of the Village, or, in the alternative, set forth the building and/or zoning violations present at the building. The request for a presale inspection must be made at least two (2) weeks prior to the scheduled date of the closing. An inspection made pursuant to this section satisfies the annual inspection requirement of section 12-2-6A of the Village Code. A sale for purposes of this section includes contract sales, exchanges, conversions to condominiums and transfers of possession or control of a building. A person participating in such a sale in violation of this section, either as a seller or by receipt of a sales commission in connection therewith, shall be subject to the applicable penalties as provided in this code. Any contract executed in violation of this section shall be voidable by a buyer. Nothing herein shall relieve the buyer from compliance with section 12-2-6A of the Village Code.

Multi-Family & Condo Buildings Inspection Program

Multi-family inspections of all common areas and the interior of a minimum of one-third (1/3) of the dwelling units in multiple-family dwellings which contain four (4) or more dwelling unit are required. The required frequency of such inspections shall be based on the expiration of the rental license type as shown in the below chart:

 

License Type  Renewal Frequency Application/
Fee
Inspection Attendance Inspection Performance Mitigation Plan
 Small rental (<4 units)  2 years  n/a  n/a  n/a  n/a
 Gold  4 years  On time  Present and on time  Up to 0.75 violation per unit  Not required
 Silver  2 years  On time  Present and on time  0.75 - 1.5 violations per unit  Not required
 Bronze  1 year  Late/on time  Unexcused late/no show  1.5 - 3 violations per unit  Not required
 Conditional  6 months  Late/on time  Unexcused late/no show  >3 violations per unit  Required

 

In condominiums, all common facilities and one-third (1/3) of the dwelling units which are occupied by someone other than the owner of the unit shall be inspected on a biennial basis.