South Beloit council adopts rental-property registry after debate over lease provisions

The South Beloit City Council voted 3–2 on Oct. 20 to adopt Ordinance 28-48, creating a residential rental-property registry that applies only after a property has been summonsed for an administrative hearing, staff and council members said.

City Attorney Roxanne Slosnowski said the ordinance was revised so the registry becomes effective only after a property proceeds to an administrative hearing, which typically does not occur until at least 60 days after a notice of violation. "Section 18-4-36...tracks with the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure," Slosnowski said, adding the service-of-process language is consistent with state law.

Neely Aronson, government affairs director with Illinois Realtors, and Connor Brown, CEO of the Northwest Illinois Alliance of Realtors, said their organizations do not oppose the ordinance’s purpose but urged targeted changes. Aronson said the groups support steps that improve properties rather than penalize responsible owners and recommended certified mail for certain notices: "Certified mail provides a verified record of delivery, strengthens enforcement, and reduces the risk of disputed notices and appeals," she said.

Aronson and other housing providers also raised concerns about section 18-4-36, which would require certain lease provisions and could, in their view, "enter the contractual space of private lease agreements" and create obligations better handled in private contracts. A council member also objected to a provision requiring landlords be notified if a guest stays more than seven days, calling it an unnecessary intrusion on tenant–landlord relationships.

Staff said certified mail is not required by state law for the city's administrative-hearing process and noted the cost implications: roughly $10 per certified mailing translates to several thousand dollars per year for many notices. Slosnowski said the city relies on signed notices of mailing as documentary evidence and that state statute does not mandate certified mail.

The ordinance includes a no-fee registry; properties remain on the registry after the summonsed violation unless and until compliance is achieved. Council members who supported the ordinance described it as a compromise that balances accountability with due process. Those who opposed it cited concerns about lasting effects tied to property transfers and the scope of municipal authority over lease terms.

The ordinance was approved by the required council vote and will be codified as part of Chapter 18, Article 12. The city clerk will correct minor scrivener errors in the ordinance text before final publication.