There has been a great deal of misinformation in the community recently about changes to the enforcement of the “Three Unrelated Rule” that does not allow for more than three unrelated occupants in either a single family household or multi-family residential unit. No changes are planned.

The City’s enforcement strategy to ensure community safety does not include the eviction of occupants. The only exception is a life safety threat so egregious that the residents must be moved out for their own safety. No changes to this policy are planned. To the best of my knowledge, no one has ever been evicted due to the Three Unrelated Rule. No changes to enforcement are planned.

This ordinance is similar to ordinances in many other communities throughout the nation regardless as to whether in a college town or not. An important message the City wants to convey at this time is that it is not the City’s intention to overly burden or cause unnecessary hardship to a potential student resident in the middle of an academic year because his/her landlord has been cited for violating a City Code. Several rental properties have been sited around the campus area that predominantly cater to student renters and in only some of those specific cases have we cited the landlords but have allowed for a compliance date to coincide with the end of academic year.

Everyone who has emailed and telephoned me to protest the changes that they were told would take place on July 1 deserve my thanks. They have shown faith that their local government would be responsive to you, and I thank you for that.

-Elizabeth Tisdahl

Mayor, City of Evanston