On Dec. 8, after significant feedback from Illinois REALTORS® and local landlords, The Village of Brookfield passed the most basic rental registration program possible, with only a flat $50 registration fee and no inspection requirement.
Why REALTORS® advocate for right-sized registries
Illinois REALTORS® either advocates against burdensome rental registry and inspection programs, or for more right-sized rental registries. The latter must respect private property rights and the community to respond to concerns when a property's conditions pose a risk to a resident's health or safety.
As REALTORS® we advocate for high-quality residential housing and managing rental units with integrity. It is too often that we hear about low-quality housing conditions across Illinois. We understand the economic realities that property owners face throughout the state. High property taxes, fees, and other burdensome regulations typically are passed down to tenants in the form of increased rent. These lower fees help to preserve affordability in Brookfield.
Brookfield's proposal:
Brookfield was considering three iterations of a rental registration program but, Illinois REALTORS® was pleasantly surprised to see that the fee amount was per building and not the typical per unit fee we see in these kinds of regulations (which affects affordability). We were fighting against THREE specific 'Options' for a rental registration program that mandated common area and external inspections:
Option 1: Basic Registration Program
- Basic registration system for all rental properties within the village.
- Property owners must register their rental units annually and update ownership or contact information in the event of a transfer of ownership.
- The annual administrative fee would be $50 per property and there would be no required exterior or interior inspection.
Option 2: Registration with Triannual Inspections
- Owners must register their property annually and undergo an inspection of the common areas and exterior of the building every three years.
- The registration fee would be $100 for properties with 1-4 dwelling units and $150 for properties with 5+ dwelling units.
- Single family units would only be subject to an exterior inspection.
Option 3: Higher-Fee Registration with Annual Inspections
- Owners must register their property annually. Inspections of the common areas and exterior of the building would be completed annually supplemented by targeted in-unit inspections in response to a complaint or "observed issue."
- The registration fee would be $125 for properties with 1-4 dwelling units and $225 for properties with 5+ dwelling units.
What was the result of REALTOR® advocacy?
On Dec. 8, after significant feedback from Illinois REALTORS® and local landlords, the village passed Option 1, the most basic rental registration program possible, with only a flat $50 registration fee and no inspection requirement. This was a WIN for our industry.
