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Department of Buildings Complaint-Based Inspections Audit

April 10, 2018

Summary

The City of Chicago Office of Inspector General (OIG) has completed an audit of the Department of Building’s (DOB) complaint-based inspection operations.

Executive Summary

The objectives of the audit were to determine whether DOB meets required deadlines for responding to building complaints, whether the Department effectively prioritizes complaints, and whether the records of building code violations available to the public on the City’s Data Portal and DOB’s Building Violations web page are complete and accurate.

OIG concluded that DOB does not have effective strategies for prioritizing complaint-based inspections, which results in potential health and safety hazards going unaddressed, and that the City’s websites do not provide the public with a property’s complete violation history.

Department of Buildings Complaint-Based Inspections Audit - publication cover