Find out the residential property inspection requirements in communities near you by referring to the Illinois Association of REALTORS®’ municipal requirements list for more than 150 Illinois municipalities.

With owner-occupied single-family homes, the inspection is usually done at the “point of sale,” which means the owner/seller must notify the municipality of the upcoming transfer.  That notification is followed by an inspection done by a municipal staff member, usually before the closing, with the seller typically paying for the repairs.  The inspector looks for building code violations.

Also, several municipalities inspect rental properties, either when there is a change of occupancy or on a regular basis (e.g. once every two or three years). Check the list for that information too.

Illinois REALTORS® can use the IAR list to see what nearby communities require for inspections:

http://www.illinoisrealtor.org/sites/illinoisrealtor.org/files/Advocacy/Inspections.pdf

We hope you find this list useful as you work with sellers and prep them for transfer of their properties.

IAR Advocacy and inspection ordinances
The IAR advocates for the inclusion of fair and reasonable inspection standards and procedures.  For example, IAR lobbies for:

  • Reasonable inspection fees.  Fee revenue should reflect the cost of the inspection program and not be a general revenue-raiser.
  • Inspection checklist.  This helps to ensure that the owner will know exactly what the municipality is inspecting for.
  • Adherence to health and safety standards.  Municipalities should not be requiring cosmetic repairs or upgrades.
  • Escrow provision.  With a municipality’s “point-of-sale” home inspection requirement, IAR lobbies for an escrow provision whereby, if the two parties agree, the buyer can make the required repairs to the property after the closing. The buyer would provide to the municipality an escrow to ensure that the repair work is done in a reasonable amount of time after closing and occupancy. IAR always lobbies for an escrow amount that is not excessive.