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Rental Registration
Rental Unit Registration
First-time/New Registration
If you are renting your property for the first time, please register your rental property at the link below. This will take you the Citizen Portal, where you can view your existing properties and submit applications. You will be prompted to sign in. If you have an existing account, you may enter that information, or can select "Create An Account".
- Citizen Portal - Rental Registration
- An architectural floor plan, or well-drawn scaled drawing showing the interior rooms and their exact measurements, should be submitted with your application.
Exempt Properties
Certain properties are exempt from rental registration. They include:
- Buildings registered as vacant
- Shared housing providers (Ordinance 4-O-23)
- Vacation rental properties, if they are used exclusively as vacation rentals and not for long-term rentals (30 days or more).
- Dwelling units occupied by the property owner
- Please note: Only the unit occupied by the owner is exempt from registration; the remaining dwelling units in a multi-unit building must be registered. Please submit an Affidavit of Occupancy for Rental Registration Exemption for the owner-occupied unit.
- If you are the owner-occupant of a single-unit home, and you believe you have received a registration statement and/or invoice in error, please return your Annual Rental Registration form with the Owner Information section completed, and include a copy of your most recent water utility bill. We will then verify the information you provide and adjust our records accordingly.
Registration Renewal
Renew and pay for rental registrations at the following link. This will take you the Citizen Portal, where you can view your existing properties and submit applications. You will be prompted to sign in. If you have an existing account, you may enter that information, otherwise you can select "Create An Account".
You will need to use the invoice number that was sent via mail or email. If you do not know your invoice number, please email propertymaintenance@cityofevanston.org.
Rental Unit Inspections
Initial Inspection
After an application is received for a new registration, an initial inspection will be scheduled to assess the condition of the unit's interior and exterior in relation to the City's adopted Property Maintenance Code (2021 IPMC w/ amendments).
Routine Inspections
Routine inspections are performed on a regular basis to confirm compliance with the City's adopted Property Maintenance Code (2021 IPMC w/ amendments). The frequency of routine inspections will depend on the results of the most recent routine inspection, and inspection fees will only be assessed in the year that the routine inspections are performed. This presents an opportunity for property owners to reduce expenses by maintaining safe, decent housing. The following inspection structure applies to each dwelling unit registered for rental with the City:
- 5-Year Cycle
- Units with no violations on their last routine inspection will be inspected within the next 5 years.
- 3-Year Cycle
- Units with up to 7 violations on their last routine inspection will be inspected within the next 3 years
- 1-Year Cycle
- Units with more than 7 violations on their last routine inspection, or having an infestation of insects or vermin, will be inspected within the next year.
Please note that the number of violations are calculated on a per-unit basis. Violations found in the common areas of a multi-unit building will not count towards the number of violations used to determine inspection cycles, but they will be cited as violations requiring correction and will be subject to re-inspection.
For information regarding the items that our inspectors will be looking for during a routine inspection, please view the following document: Property Standards - Rental Inspection Checklist.
Violation Re-Inspections
Violations cited during a routine inspection will be re-inspected to verify that the violations have been corrected. The first re-inspection will not be assessed an inspection fee. However, if the cited violations have not been corrected and additional re-inspections are required, then subsequent re-inspections will be assessed an inspection fee.
Complaint Inspections
Tenants and property owners are welcome to report Property Maintenance Code violations through the City of Evanston's 311 system. When a complaint is received, the City's Property Maintenance Inspectors will investigate the complaint to determine whether the property is in violation of the Property Maintenance Code. Violations may be cited as a result of the inspection. However, complaint inspections will not be assessed an inspection fee.
Rental Unit Fees
Registration
- New Registration: $200 + $12 per unit
- Annual Renewal: $12 per unit
Inspections
- Initial Inspection: Included in registration fee
- Routine Inspections: $50 per unit
- If a re-inspection is required, the first re-inspection will not be assessed a fee.
- Inspection Cancellation Fee: $50 per unit, up to a maximum of $200.
- A cancellation fee will only apply if the inspection is cancelled with less than 24 hours' notice.
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU)
What is an ADU?
Accessory dwelling units are units which are accessory to the primary use of the principal structure. They include both attached units (e.g., basement/garden units) and units detached from the principal structure (e.g., coach houses).
Do I need to register my ADU as a rental?
Yes, if it is being used as a rental property then it will need to be registered with the City. Failure to register a rental property will subject the owner to fines for renting an unregistered unit. Please register the ADU in the Citizen Portal using the links above under "Rental Unit Registration".
Currently Registered Properties
A list of the properties currently registered with the City can be found in the following document:
