Title
title
A Study Session On An Ordinance Amending Chapter 12 (“Housing”), Article 2 (“Residential Rental License”) And Amending Chapter 12 (“Housing”), Article 6 (“Residential Tenant And Landlord Ordinance”), Section 4 (“Rental Agreements”) And Amending Chapter 12 (“Housing”), Article 6 (“Residential Tenant And Landlord Ordinance”), Section 11 (“Security Deposits”) And Amending Chapter 13 (“Human Rights”), Article 5 (“Unlawful Management Practices”), Section 1 (“Unlawful Management Practices; Regulations”)
..end
Introduction
overview
To further implement recommendations from the 2024 HOPE Fair Housing Study, staff have developed the attached draft ordinance. It would amend the Village’s existing requirements for rental licensing by requiring a local property manager or agent, changing the manner in which the annual property owner management seminars are conducted, adding a section for the suspension and revocation of a rental license, and adding a section for the responsibilities of the property owners.
end
body
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the Board provide feedback on the recommended ordinance changes.
Prior Board Action
The Board has taken the following prior action(s):
• RES 25-125: A Resolution to Approve an Agreement with Hope Fair Housing for Fair Housing Testing and Education
• ID 24-447: A Presentation and Discussion of the Village’s Fair Housing Testing Project
• ORD 22-45: An Ordinance Amending Chapter 12 (“Housing”), Article 2 (“Residential Rental License”), Section 12-2-12 (“Crime Free Housing”) and Chapter 16 (“Nuisances”) Article 3 (“Criminal Nuisance Abatement”), Section 16-3-6 (“Abatement - Administrative Hearing; Relief; Fines”) and Section 16-3-7 (“Alternative Enforcement”) of the Oak Park Village Code on June 6, 2022, the Village Board amended the regulation to the residential rental licenses by repealing the Crime-Free Housing Program section.
• ORD 16-095: An Ordinance Amending Chapter 12 (“Housing”), Article 2 (“Residential Rental License”), Section 12-2-1 (“License Required”) And Chapter 13 (“Human Rights”) Of The Oak Park Village Code
• ORD 16-088: Second Reading and Adoption of an Ordinance Amending Chapter 12 (“Housing”) and Chapter 13 (“Human Rights”) of the Oak Park Village Code for the Purpose of Implementing Performance Based Multi-Family Rental Licensing and Inspections
Background
On October 1, 2024, the Village Board heard about work completed by HOPE Fair Housing on a fair housing testing project. HOPE made four recommendations, including one that housing providers needed more training regarding source of income protections, housing choice voucher policies, and the Just Housing Amendment. Staff are pursuing additional education for housing providers through the Hope Fair Housing Testing and Education contract approved at the February 4, 2025 meeting.
Beyond that education, staff also identified needed changes in the Section 12-2 Residential Rental License of the Village Code based on the recommendations made by HOPE. The proposed ordinance clarifies the requirement for fair housing education by housing providers.
- Changes the requirements for who must attend the annual property owner management seminars (property owners, property managers, and agents).
- Requires housing providers to provide fair housing training to all other staff.
- Formalizes the process for the suspension and revocation of a rental license.
It also amends the current ordinance to clarify content and add important elements.
- Requires the use of a local property manager or agent when an owner is located 45 miles or more from Oak Park.
- Formalizes the responsibilities of the rental property owners.
- Adds definitions and content to clarify the types of licenses.
- Adds definitions and content to clarify the roles of property owners, property managers, and agents.
Timing Considerations
There are no specific timing considerations associated with this item.
Budget Impact
There is no budget impact associated with this item.
Staffing Impact
There is no staff impact related to the changes.
DEI Impact
The recommended changes to the rental licensing ordinance come from recommendations made during the last round of fair housing testing. Moving forward with these changes will further the Village’s goal of ensure equitable treatment for tenants by increasing fair housing training for housing providers. The changes also allow for additional enforcement by the Village on housing providers that are not meeting ordinance requirements. This change will benefit local renters whose housing is provided by rental property owners that are not meeting ordinance requirements.
Community Input
On November 12, 2024, staff met with a group of local multi-family rental property owners to discuss and solicit feedback on the amended ordinance and the impact it would have on them. As a result of this meeting, several changes were made to the draft ordinance to lessen the burden on rental property owners. In early May 2025, staff provided a draft of the ordinance to several multi-family rental property owners for feedback on the ordinance. This feedback resulted in the further refinement of the ordinance.
On January 15, 2025, the draft ordinance was presented to the Housing Programs Advisory Committee, which was supportive of the changes being made to the rental licensing program and the annual property owner management seminar.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends the Board of Trustees and the public provide feedback on the draft ordinance. The proposed changes address issues identified in the report, as well as other technical and operational clean-up items.
Advantages:
• Requires the use of a local property manager or agent when an owner is located 45 miles or more from Oak Park.
• Changes the requirements for who must attend the annual property owner management seminars (property owners, property managers, and agents).
• Requires housing providers to provide fair housing training to all other staff.
• Formalizes the process for the suspension and revocation of a rental license.
• Formalizes the responsibilities of the rental property owners.
• Adds definitions and content to clarify the types of licenses.
• Adds definitions and content to clarify the roles of property owners, property managers, and agents.
Disadvantages:
• Potentially burdens housing providers by increasing the number of employees who receive fair housing training.
Alternatives
Staff will revise the ordinance based on feedback from the Board.
An alternative to the proposed changes would be not to move forward with either ordinance, which would have the following advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages:
• Burdens and benefits of the existing ordinance would remain in place, providing consistency to housing providers.
Disadvantages:
• Changes are not made to the existing rental residential licensing code, thereby leaving elements of the HOPE report unaddressed.
• Changes are not made to address existing opportunities to clarify the ordinance.
Anticipated Future Actions
After incorporating Board feedback, staff will bring the draft ordinances back for adoption. Upon adoption, the Village will be scheduling staff training to move forward with implementation, as well as education and outreach.
Prepared By: Jonathan Burch, Assistant Village Manager/Neighborhood Services Director
Reviewed By: Jack Malec, Assistant to the Village Manager
Approved By: Kevin J. Jackson, Village Manager
Attachment(s):
1. Draft ordinance
2. Presentation