Sad reminder about landlord liability

jailChicago Landlord lands in jail over deaths related to code violations

Channel 7 is reporting that the landlord who owned the building where Chicago Firefighters died in a roof collapse has been sentenced to jail time and penalties for criminal contempt of court.  The landlord has previously been cited by the City of Chicago for building code violations and failed to make those repairs.

The City of Chicago requires that its building code is complied with at all times.  The Chicago Residential Landlord Tenant Ordinance also requires landlords to comply with the municipal building code.

Many landlords may decide that they cannot or do not want to comply with a building code violation notice.  However, the failure to respond can lead to tragic results, jail time, and monetary penalties.