Freeport’s Rental Registration Ordinance: Progress Made, Gaps Exposed

FREEPORT, IL – June 27, 2025

Since its initial passage in November 2013, Freeport’s Residential Rental Property Regulation Ordinance—Chapter 876 of the city code—has been touted as a key tool for accountability, tenant safety, and blight prevention. But data obtained by Fighting4Freeport shows that while the ordinance has registered 1,671 rental properties, an estimated 582 suspected rental properties remain unregistered as of the April 1, 2025 deadline.

The ordinance requires all landlords to register their properties annually, with the 2025 registration deadline extended to April 1. Failing to register can result in fines ranging from $100 to $500 per unit, depending on the lateness of filing. Records show 21 fines issued and collected to date, bringing $2,850 into city coffers. Fine amounts ranged from a modest $50 to a maximum of $500.

The Good

  • Tenant Protection
    The ordinance mandates crime-free lease addendums, ensuring tenants understand their obligations and landlords can act against dangerous or disruptive behaviors. This has been credited with addressing problem properties faster.

  • Ownership Transparency
    Requiring landlord identification, local agent information, and proof of ownership creates a clearer record, aiding emergency services, utilities, and code enforcement when issues arise.

  • Revenue Generation
    While not a significant revenue stream, fines collected signal enforcement is underway, with penalties designed to encourage compliance rather than merely punish.

The Bad

  • 582 Properties Remain Unregistered
    Despite outreach efforts, nearly 26% of suspected rentals remain outside the system. This raises equity concerns for compliant landlords and leaves tenants in unregistered units without the ordinance’s full protections.

  • Minimal Fine Collection
    With only 21 fines collected, enforcement appears limited relative to the estimated violations. This undermines the ordinance’s deterrent effect and rewards non-compliance.

  • Burden on Small Landlords
    Some landlords argue the annual paperwork, crime-free addendums, and threat of steep fines create a hostile climate, particularly for retirees or small property owners managing just one or two units.

Suggestions for Improvement

  1. Strengthen Enforcement and Outreach
    Increase proactive identification of unregistered rentals using water billing data, USPS records, and voter registrations to contact non-compliant landlords directly.

  2. Introduce Tiered Registration Options
    Consider streamlined processes for landlords with fewer units to reduce administrative burden while maintaining compliance standards.

  3. Enhance Tenant Awareness and Access to Information
    Many tenants remain unaware of their rights and protections under the ordinance, including requirements for written leases, crime-free addendums, and landlord registration obligations. The City should implement targeted tenant education campaigns—through utility bill inserts, community organizations, and social media—to ensure renters know how to verify their property’s registration status and who to contact if issues arise. Empowering tenants with this knowledge will increase compliance, improve housing standards, and strengthen community trust.

  4. Reevaluate Fine Structures
    The current fines appear insufficient to incentivize registration for owners avoiding detection. Raising the minimum fine, paired with better enforcement, could close the compliance gap.

  5. Expand Crime-Free Addendum Clarity
    Ensure tenants and landlords fully understand crime-free provisions to avoid wrongful evictions, confusion, or legal disputes.

Conclusion

First passed in November 2013, Freeport’s rental registration ordinance remains a vital tool for neighborhood stability and tenant safety. But with over 500 properties potentially operating outside the law, the City Council, building department, and public stakeholders have significant work ahead to ensure the ordinance achieves its intended purpose—safe, well-managed housing for all Freeport residents.

—Brought to you and Paid for by Fighting4Freeport