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Trustees amend hotel ordinance to limit residential stays to 29 days
Summary
The board approved an amendment to Section 8‑8‑7 of the Hoffman Estates Municipal Code to limit hotel guest stays to 29 days (with a narrow exemption for one on‑site employee), at the request of local hoteliers seeking a tool to reduce long‑term residential occupancy in commercial properties.
The Board of Trustees approved an ordinance amending Section 8‑8‑7 (Hotels) of the Hoffman Estates Municipal Code to restrict transient occupancy at local hotels to 29 days. The change responds to hotel operators’ concerns about guests remaining beyond 30 days and thereby becoming de facto residents, which hotels said makes eviction and property management more difficult.
Kevin, a staff member who presented the zoning amendment, said the change was requested by the hotel community after annual meetings with hotel general managers and sales directors. The ordinance language allows a single hotel employee to reside on site for longer than 29 days to provide 24‑hour service; that exception applies only to an employee, not to guests.
Trustees asked for clarifications about age limits and exemptions. Trustee Stann asked why the ordinance sets a minimum age of 21 for check‑in rather than 18; staff said the age restriction had been added in a prior round of changes to aid enforcement and security and because hotels had requested it. A committee member asked what happens to guests who must stay longer for medical reasons; staff said the village would work with hotels and social services to refer individuals to alternative temporary housing as appropriate.
The committee approved the ordinance unanimously (roll call recorded; no dissent noted in the transcript). Staff said several neighboring Chicago‑area communities have similar limits and that hotel operators asked the regulation to give them a legal basis for asking long‑term occupants to leave before the 30‑day threshold.
The ordinance will be placed on the full board agenda for adoption and was described by staff as a tool to reduce uses of commercial hotel property as de facto long‑term housing.
