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TheFor Immediate Release
Contact: Bill McCaffrey, Department of Buildings
Phone: (312) 743-9096
E-mail:
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Vacant Property Ordinance Proposed

Amendment Requires Owners to Maintain Vacant Properties
The Department of Buildings today introduced an ordinance to the City Council that strengthens the maintenance requirements of vacant properties and increases the responsibilities of their owners.

The ordinance prohibits the use of plywood to cover doors and windows on any property that has been vacant for at least six months. Properties vacant for longer than six months will be required to be secured with steel panels, or have all windows and doors installed, a working theft-prevention system and an active account with a third-party security company. All exit areas will also be required to have lighting from dusk until dawn.

To enforce the ordinance, building inspectors will also be allowed to complete an interior and exterior inspection of vacant properties.

"This ordinance will help improve the quality of life in neighborhoods by holding vacant property owners responsible for their properties," said Mayor Richard M. Daley. "Vacant properties pose public safety problems and can be havens for crime. Neighborhoods should not suffer the blight of these buildings because of irresponsible property owners."

City officials believe that a consequence of the heightened standards is that owners of such buildings will work to improve them and have them occupied. The ordinance may also influence lending institutions to consider refinancing home loans instead of proceeding with foreclosure where the bank will eventually be responsible to maintain the vacant building.

"If homes are abandoned after being foreclosed, the building is at risk for damage from the elements or by vandals, thereby lowering the value of neighboring properties," said Richard L. Rodriguez, Commissioner of the Department of Buildings. "This ordinance will require owners to maintain homes so that viable housing stock is not allowed to deteriorate, and will also encourage absentee owners to return the buildings to the market."

Under the proposed ordinance, fees to register with the Department of Buildings will rise from $100 to $250 for the first six months and can escalate for each six-month period thereafter. Buildings owners can avoid the increased fee by keeping their properties in compliance with the building code.

Officials estimate that the city spends between $5,000 to $14,000 a year to monitor and maintain vacant buildings.

The ordinance also allows buildings that violate the terms to be declared a public nuisance and provides the city with another avenue to force absentee owners to sell or lose their properties.

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