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Neighborhood Code Enforcement 

For complaints within Winnebago County (but outside Rockford City Limits), please call: (815) 720-4100.

The Winnebago County Health Department has 3 full time inspectors in the Neighborhood Code Enforcement program, which enforces the Winnebago County Property Maintenance Code. Inspections for housing and nuisance complaints are typically investigated within 5 working days of receipt. The WCHD receives approximately 1,500 complaints yearly, resulting in about 8,000 inspections/re-inspections. Please view the 2015 Neighborhood Code Enforcement Fact Sheet.

The Winnebago County Property Maintenance Code is adapted from the 2015 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) with local amendments developed by the Winnebago County Health Department and the Winnebago County State’s Attorney’s Office. The amended version of the 2015 IPMC was adopted by the Winnebago County Board on June 9, 2016 and became effective on July 1, 2016.

The Winnebago County Property Maintenance Code can be found in Chapter 18, Article IX of the Winnebago County Code. This code can be downloaded here, and is available on-line at:
https://www.municode.com/library/il/winnebago_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COCO_CH18BUBURE_ARTIXPRMACO (2016 amendments are still pending publication)

The 2015 International Property Maintenance Code cannot be reproduced by Winnebago County, but can be found on-line through the International Code Council’s website at:
https://codes.iccsafe.org/public/document/toc/551/

Hard copies of the 2015 IPMC and local amendments can also be viewed in-person at the Environmental Health Center of the Winnebago County Health Department located in Room 205 at 401 Division Street in Rockford, Illinois.

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The Neighborhoods Environmental Health Division protects neighborhoods from any unhealthy, unsafe and blight conditions in the County by inspection for:

 
     1)  Inoperable Vehicles
          * Inoperable or in need of repair
          * A safety hazard for children
          * A possible home for rodents
          * A neighborhood blight
 
     2)  Rubbish (old furniture, appliances, etc.)
          * Tree stumps, limbs, yard waste
          * Scrap building materials
          * Furniture and appliances
          * Tires
 
     3)  Garbage
          * Garbage is refuse resulting from cooking (open cans, fruit and vegetable waste and any leftovers).
 
          * Metal or plastic containers are recommended, but plastic bags properly tied are acceptable if kept inside until the night before collection day.
 
     4)  Open Burning
          * There is no burning allowed within 1 mile of the Rockford City limits.
 
For additional rules and regulations and certain restrictions, contact your local municipality.
 
     5)  Manure
          * Should be picked up daily
 
Another service the Neighborhood Division offers is the handling of housing complaints.  These include:
 
     A)  Substandard and/or unsafe housing
     B)  Insect and/or rodent infestation
     C)  Unsanitary living conditions
     D)  Lead based paint