Fair Home Cash Selling a Vacant House in Chicago? Here’s What the City Requires.

Do I have to register a vacant house in Chicago?

Yes, in most cases. A house with fewer than 10 units is vacant when no one legally lives there. The exception is when a past resident plans to move back within six months. The owner must register a vacant house with the Department of Buildings within 30 days (City of Chicago, Vacant Buildings FAQ). A building with 10 or more units is vacant when 90% or more of the units are empty. A house left empty by a fire or other damage must be registered too. The exception is while you hold an active building permit, or permit application, for the repairs (City of Chicago, Vacant Building Registration FAQ).

What does registering a vacant house involve?

The City lists five duties: secure, insure, register, post a sign and maintain (Department of Buildings, Vacant Building Owner Requirements). Here is what each one means:

• Secure every opening so no one can get in.
• Insure the building with liability coverage (see the next question).
• Register it online and pay the fee.
• Post a sign that is visible from the nearest street, with the owner’s or agent’s name, street address and phone number, and the registration number.
• Maintain it: cut the grass, clear snow from the sidewalk, keep out trash and rodents, and visit regularly.

The fee is higher if the City finds the house in violation before you register (City of Chicago, Vacant Buildings FAQ). The City’s own pages list different fee amounts, so check the current fee on the registration site. You renew every six months. You deregister within 20 days after the house is sold, reoccupied or demolished (Vacant Buildings FAQ).

How much insurance does a vacant house need in Chicago?

At least $300,000 in liability insurance for a residential building, and at least $1,000,000 for a commercial one (Department of Buildings, Vacant Building Owner Requirements). Liability insurance pays when someone is hurt on the property or the building damages someone else’s property. Missing insurance does not stop you from registering, but the requirement still applies.

Does homeowners insurance cover a vacant house?

Often not fully. Many homeowners policies cut back coverage once a house has been empty for a set number of days, especially for vandalism, theft and water damage. The number of days depends on your policy. Your policy’s wording controls. Read the “vacancy” or “unoccupied” clause, tell your insurer the house is empty, and ask about a vacant-home policy if you need one.

How long can a house sit vacant in Chicago?

The City’s vacant building rules do not say how long a house may stay empty. Instead, the owner’s duties grow over time (Department of Buildings, Vacant Building Owner Requirements):

• By day 30: register, secure, insure, and post the sign.
• After six months: plywood is no longer allowed. Each boarded opening needs new secure doors and windows, the same material as the wall around it (bricked up), or commercial-grade metal security panels.
• Every six months: renew the registration while the house stays empty.
• Repeated break-ins: the City requires a 24/7 monitored alarm system.

What are Chicago’s fines for a vacant building?

An inspector who finds a violation can start a case against the owner. If the owner doesn’t fix it, the City can seek significant fines and get authority to board up or demolish the building (City of Chicago, Vacant Buildings FAQ). Cases go to the Department of Administrative Hearings or the Cook County Circuit Court. The Chicago code violations guide covers general code fine amounts and how cases move.

Can an owner face jail over an unsecured vacant house?

Yes, in serious cases. If someone is seriously hurt or dies in your vacant building, you can be charged with a crime. That applies when the cause was your failure to keep it secure or to fix a dangerous code violation. The penalty can be up to 6 months in jail (Chicago Municipal Code 14A-3-314, as the City’s Vacant Building Registration FAQ explains). A forcible felony is a serious crime on a list in state law, such as robbery, burglary or arson (720 ILCS 5/2-8). If one happens in a vacant building that was not secured as required, the owner is subject to at least 30 days in jail (14A-3-314.1.7).

Does a vacant house lower my Cook County property taxes?

Usually not. For houses, condos and buildings with 2 to 6 units, the Cook County Assessor cuts an assessment for vacancy only after a casualty. A casualty means a fire, flood or other natural disaster, and the cut lasts no more than 24 months per event (Cook County Assessor’s Office, Vacancy Policy). The homeowner exemption also requires that you live in the home as your main residence on January 1 of the tax year (Cook County Assessor’s Office, Homeowner Exemption). If you did not live there on that date, the exemption may not apply for that year.

What are the biggest risks of leaving a house empty?

Water damage, theft, and people moving in without permission.

• Frozen pipes. The City requires owners to maintain or winterize the plumbing and heating in a vacant building (Vacant Building Owner Requirements). Pipes that still hold water in an unheated house can freeze and burst.
• Theft. An empty house can be stripped of copper pipe, wiring and fixtures. If people are getting inside, call 311 to file a police report; the City says to call, not use the website (City of Chicago, Vacant Buildings FAQ).
• Unlawful occupants. See the next question.

What if someone moves into my vacant house?

Report it to the police right away. In Illinois, knowingly entering or staying in a building without lawful authority is criminal trespass. So is lying about who you are, or using false documents, to get an owner’s permission to enter or stay (720 ILCS 5/21-3). If the person won’t leave, the owner can go to court. Illinois eviction law lets the rightful owner get the property back when someone enters vacant property “without right or title” (735 ILCS 5/9-102). Talk to a real estate attorney before you remove anyone or their belongings yourself.

Can I sell a vacant house as-is in Chicago?

Yes. You can sell an empty house as it stands, without repairs or cleanup. Keep it registered, secured and insured until closing, then deregister it within 20 days after the sale (City of Chicago, Vacant Buildings FAQ). If the house is in foreclosure, the City says you still own it until a judge signs an Order Approving Sale. Registering and maintaining it stays your job until that order is signed and the sale deed is recorded (Vacant Buildings FAQ).

Should I sell, list or rent a vacant house?

It depends on the house’s condition and how long you can keep paying to carry it.

• Sell as-is for cash. No repairs or showings, and your City duties end once you sell and deregister. The price reflects the condition.
• List with an agent. A house in good shape may sell for more, but you keep registering, securing and insuring it until it sells.
• Rent it out. A tenant ends the vacancy, but the house has to be fit to live in first. If you rent it and sell later, the guide to selling with tenants covers that path.

Tell us how long the house has been empty and whether it is registered with the City in the offer form above. If the house is a fit, any offer then reflects the house you actually have. No pressure, no obligation.

Sources: City of Chicago Department of Buildings, Vacant Buildings FAQ, Vacant Building Registration FAQ, and Vacant Building Owner Requirements (registration, securing, signs, insurance, deregistering); Chicago Municipal Code 14A-3-314 and 14A-3-314.1.7 (criminal liability); 720 ILCS 5/21-3 and 720 ILCS 5/2-8 (trespass, forcible felony); 735 ILCS 5/9-102 (recovering possession); Cook County Assessor’s Office, Vacancy Policy and Homeowner Exemption. This page is general information, not legal advice. Last reviewed October 2026.