The city’s building services division has begun speeding up the routine inspection schedule for residential rental properties cited for building code violations, a policy change that follows last May’s evacuation of tenants from the city’s buildings. apartments at 2014, 2018 and 2024 Wesley Ave. on deteriorating conditions.

The policy change was announced Thursday night at a special meeting of the Housing and Community Development Committee, which members convened in June to address the property’s maintenance program in light of continuing questions about how Wesley buildings They had become dangerous. The city ordered the evacuation of all three buildings in May due to serious deterioration of the metal stairs and concrete platforms that serve as the only means of entry and exit for the units, and all tenants have since been relocated to new subsidized rentals. around the city. for at least a year.

Andrew San Roman, the city’s construction and development services manager, told the committee that Evanston has five full-time property maintenance inspectors and said the staff is “reestablishing a good, robust routine rental inspection program.” . This starts with the frequency of inspections, which previously occurred every five years for all registered rental properties, regardless of how many code violations had been found (and corrected) in the past.