Chicago Department of Buildings: What is Chicago's Enforcement Process After I Call 311?

Tenants can submit complaints to the City of Chicago's Department of Buildings (DOB) by calling 311 or submitting an online service request. Here's a breakdown of the process taken to address the issue:

1. Review by Chiefs and/or Supervisors: DOB staff will review all 311 complaints at the beginning of each business day. They determine if any complaints need immediate attention an prioritize inspections.
2. Inspection by DOB: DOB sends an inspector to the reported location to verify the complaint.
3. Accessing Inside the Building: If the DOB inspector cannot enter the building, the inspector will do one of the following actions:
   1. Ask the building owner to contact DOB for an interior inspection;
   2. Plan to return;
   3. If there are any violations found on the outside of the building, then the inspector issues building code violations; or
   4. Close out the complaint if it is deemed "unfounded."
4. Enforcement Level Determination: A DOB Supervisor evaluates the level of enforcement for building code violations. There are three levels:
   1. Warning Notice: Violations involving maintenance
   2. Administrative Hearing: Life safety violations that are not dangerous and not hazardous
   3. Circuit Court: Life safety violations that are dangerous and hazardous
5. Title Work and Ownership: DOB sends the building code violations to the Department of Law to determine who owns the building.
6. Notice and Filing: Once all the owners are identified, then DOB mails notices of the hearing and the building code violations to the responsible owners. Either an Administrative Hearing case or Circuit Court case is filed.

To check if there are code violations, administrative hearings, or circuit court cases, search the Building Department Records online.